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mtranquilli — Hand of Leonardo

#grisaille #hand #plastercast #sightsize #blackandwhite #oilpainting #academicart #angelacademy
Published: 2014-10-24 20:14:46 +0000 UTC; Views: 1907; Favourites: 41; Downloads: 0
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My first oil painting! I am very excited to begin learning this beautiful medium. For this study, I was to paint a plaster cast en grisaille using the sight-size method. My maestro generally only advises students to study from this cast in charcoal because of all the surface texture that is very difficult to paint, and now that I have completed it, I can see why - it took eight weeks in total! For paint, I used black, white, and just a bit of raw umber so the tone would not appear too blue. 

No, it is not Leonardo da Vinci’s hand... The cast is a mold of the sculptor’s nephew Leonardo’s hand, and that is where the title comes from.

Here is a series of photos that show the various stages of this study, if you are interested! Hand of Leonardo

Hand of Leonardo
30 x 40 cm
oil on canvas
October 2014

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Comments: 36

GrimDreamArt [2017-09-08 07:55:30 +0000 UTC]

Amazingly realistic!

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CrimsonCricket [2014-11-16 20:15:51 +0000 UTC]

This is breathtaking, absolutely stunning! Do you think you would do this kind of piece again (oil painting of a plaster cast?) The grain and grooves that you captured, and the gradation around the edges... beautiful!

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mtranquilli In reply to CrimsonCricket [2014-11-24 17:44:05 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much!

Where I study, we are required to paint three plaster casts - one en grisaille, and two in color. I am working on my first painting of a plaster cast in color now, and although it is difficult, it's a lot of fun to learn how to mix color! Luckily the new cast I am working from doesn't have as much texture as this hand...  

Thank you again for such a kind comment!

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Arcturus-90 [2014-11-10 12:10:26 +0000 UTC]

Amazing work, looks so realistic

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mtranquilli In reply to Arcturus-90 [2014-11-24 17:38:59 +0000 UTC]

Wow, thank you!

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sergiosoares [2014-11-04 14:29:09 +0000 UTC]

Hey you, 

Good job!

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mtranquilli In reply to sergiosoares [2014-11-06 15:01:24 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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TomasProchazka [2014-10-29 06:03:27 +0000 UTC]

Great start with oils!

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mtranquilli In reply to TomasProchazka [2014-10-31 06:50:24 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much! It means a lot from you!

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Nicolaslegrande [2014-10-26 15:35:27 +0000 UTC]

Brava! adoro Leonardo ma preferisco Michelangelo.

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mtranquilli In reply to Nicolaslegrande [2014-10-26 16:08:36 +0000 UTC]

Grazie!

Anch'io preferisco le opere di Michelangelo (specialmente il David!)

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Nicolaslegrande In reply to mtranquilli [2014-10-26 20:00:08 +0000 UTC]

E già il David è proprio il più bello!!! 

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minkorarin [2014-10-26 15:22:16 +0000 UTC]

wonderful work! just wonder what course of the academy are you on? how many layers are there?
P.S: the link 'here' takes me to the very same page /Hand-of-Leonardo-490433719

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

mtranquilli In reply to minkorarin [2014-10-26 15:45:04 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much!

I am about midway through the course, I think. Half the work day is split between academic studies like these and studying from live models. With the live models, we do a year in graphite, three months in charcoal, and the remainder of our studies in oil paint. I am studying from the figure in oil paint now, and it is really, really difficult! (But fun! ) With the academic studies, we do three Bargue copies, two studies of plaster casts in charcoal, one cast study en grisaille, two cast studies in color, and four still lifes. I have just begun my first color cast, and it is very large - 50 x 100cm - but it is so much more beautiful to look at than this hand, so I am very excited about it!

Also, thank you for the heads up about the link! I just tried many times to fix it, and I think I finally have it working... I am really bad with even the simplest of codes.

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minkorarin In reply to mtranquilli [2014-10-26 16:28:42 +0000 UTC]

cool. I'm currently also taking a free course of oil painting and it literally takes all my soul and energy. after oil painting graphite for me is just for fun and relax Wish you great time and many discoveries in the field of painting!

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mtranquilli In reply to minkorarin [2014-10-26 16:57:37 +0000 UTC]

Ahh, I haven't done any graphite work in ages, I should probably change that... What are you working on right now in your oil painting class?

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minkorarin In reply to mtranquilli [2014-10-26 18:46:23 +0000 UTC]

I'm copying Rubens, portrait of Clara Serena. but I'm afraid I was too bold to choose it for practice of my first oil painting portrait
I saw this painting this summer in Moscow museum and just fell in love with this small, tender piece of art and couldn't stop myself painting it...

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mtranquilli In reply to minkorarin [2014-10-27 21:02:21 +0000 UTC]

I wasn't familiar with this painting, so I just searched it on Google, and I agree it is lovely! The skin tones and the hair are so luminous and beautiful. I can see why it would be a tough painting to copy for a first portrait, but you are so talented that I am quite sure you will do great work.

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minkorarin In reply to mtranquilli [2014-10-28 11:07:36 +0000 UTC]

 thank you for your support! its too kind of you  

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pinkpaca [2014-10-25 19:03:45 +0000 UTC]

FIRST oil painting? I am really, really impressed! I've never seen anyone get oils so quickly. You did such a lovely job of getting the textures just right! You are a fantastic artist.

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mtranquilli In reply to pinkpaca [2014-10-26 14:01:05 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much! To tell the truth, I struggled so much with the texture, and still don't feel it's quite right... The real cast has so much texture that it just seemed impossible to paint it all. In the end, I decided I had done as much as I could possibly do, and my teachers agreed.

Thank you again for such a sweet comment.

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pinkpaca In reply to mtranquilli [2014-10-26 15:27:16 +0000 UTC]

I guess that's just the trouble of oils then! But since you portrayed texture, even if it was less than what you saw, I think that's still success. Our eyes paint in the rest! You and your teachers must both be fantastic artists.

And no problem! It really is deserved. I don't see too many people, here at least, who are interested in more classical art and do it so well.

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mtranquilli In reply to pinkpaca [2014-10-26 15:49:49 +0000 UTC]

My maestro said this too, that adding too much texture may actually seem less realistic in the end, because our eyes cannot focus on all this detail at once when we observe from life. It is always hard to judge when we have created just the right amount though, at least for me!

You are really so kind. I know these kinds of studies aren't the most exciting things to see, and so I really appreciate the feedback, it makes my day.

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pinkpaca In reply to mtranquilli [2014-10-26 18:27:46 +0000 UTC]

That is very true! That's why it's so good to get feedback in the middle of doing something or, as I like to do, hold it up to a mirror or take pictures of it or stand back and look at it.

I love seeing others' studies! It makes me happy to see people appreciate classic techniques and yours are just so well done too.
 

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mtranquilli In reply to pinkpaca [2014-10-27 20:57:21 +0000 UTC]

The mirror method is so useful! I catch so many more drawing errors with this tool than on my own. One friend of mine also showed me an interesting trick for judging if our values are correct. You hold black glass or any other shiny black object (even a black phone case works) about perpendicular to you at eye level. Then, you tilt the glass slightly forward until you can see your work and your reference image in it, and look back and forth between the two in the glass. I thought it sounded a little silly, but when I tried it I found it really did make such a difference in seeing value shifts correctly. I used it a lot for this hand study.

Thank you again for your kind words, you are so sweet.  

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pinkpaca In reply to mtranquilli [2014-10-30 05:59:22 +0000 UTC]

Oh my gosh I am working on a (quick) study of a master nude and I just tried that trick and it worked! That's seriously super cool, thanks for telling me about that! If someone walks in on me they will see me holding my phone up to my forehead and staring into the reflection of the screen haha.

No problem!  

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AndyVRenditions [2014-10-25 16:18:40 +0000 UTC]

gorgeous piece! needs to be at some gallery lol

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mtranquilli In reply to AndyVRenditions [2014-10-26 13:58:46 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, you have brightened my day! I know these kinds of studies aren't terribly interesting, but I would be so thrilled if a gallery ever wanted it.

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AndyVRenditions In reply to mtranquilli [2014-10-27 01:50:01 +0000 UTC]

ur very welcome.
honestly, at times I question some of the pieces that I see at galleries.. but I know if people saw this they'd be awestruck

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mtranquilli In reply to AndyVRenditions [2014-10-27 20:46:17 +0000 UTC]

Oh, I know... In some galleries with more modern style art, I am often scratching my head.

Thank you again, you are so kind.

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whirrakee [2014-10-25 14:02:48 +0000 UTC]

Wonderful.

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mtranquilli In reply to whirrakee [2014-10-26 13:57:43 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much!

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RobSThompson [2014-10-25 06:06:10 +0000 UTC]

You are remarkably talented. This is your first oil painting and you seem to have a mastery of the medium few people can attain in years. I'm impressed.

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mtranquilli In reply to RobSThompson [2014-10-26 13:57:32 +0000 UTC]

You are so sweet, thank you for such a kind comment. I am really in love with oil painting so far, it can be such a difficult medium but the results in can produce are so beautiful. I am thankful I have such great teachers to help me when I am stuck - I must have asked a million times for help painting the different textures on this cast!

Thank you again!

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yolque [2014-10-24 21:54:48 +0000 UTC]

Wow! The plaster looks so soft and creamy, as though it was just freshly cast yesterday Your rendering of it reads so clearly - oils may be difficult, but you seem to have gotten it just right!

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mtranquilli In reply to yolque [2014-10-26 13:54:10 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much, I am so glad you think so! The cast in real life was really dirty and full of dust, so I am glad mine looks a little newer. Thank you so much for your kind comments, as always.

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