Day 4, copy after "The Concert" by Gerrit van Honthorst

I made it back to the National Gallery today to continue copying "The Concert" by Gerrit van Honthorst. All I really wanted to do today was get all the white canvas covered with a first pass, and I did manage to do that. I was also able to go back into a few areas and correct some of the values. There is so much more to do! I can see a lot of errors, and I'll try to make it look OK as much as I can, but as I've said before, I'm copying, not making a copy. This complex group of eight figures is so intricate that I won't even try to get everything exactly right. I hope to get close enough, and I think the main thing is going to be the light and shadow. 

Here is the painting at the end of the day:

This painting was heavily influenced by Caravaggio, with dramatic darks and lights. I started to darken the man with his back to us, but I'll need to work on that a lot more. I'll try to keep going as long as the weather stays cool, but this summer is going to be crazy in DC, so we'll see.

Walking to the train, I passed behind the National Archives building, and had to take a picture of this beautiful sculpture:

I usually take an express commuter bus home, but today I took the Metro. It takes longer, but it's much more comfortable and less miserable than a bus. Plus, I love to sketch people on the train! (Not as easy on a bus, because you're mainly looking at the backs of people's heads, and it's harder to hide what you're doing.)

I've been sketching people on trains since I was in art school in Philly in the 70s and took a train to class. The trick is not to let people see that you're drawing them, because that would creep them out. I'm very surreptitious about it. Normally people are looking at their phones or sleeping, but sometimes they raise their head and look my way. When that happens, I look down and wait a while before looking at them again. I haven't been caught yet (sometimes my seatmate will notice, but they usually don't say anything.) You have to be quick, because people move around with every stop, and they often just up and leave. The two men I drew in profile both left before I could get anything below the neck in, but it was enough. I love drawing people, and you just can't beat the train for free, unself-conscious models!

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Day 3, Copy after "The Concert" by Gerrit van Honthorst

Day 3. My goal for today was to try to get the white canvas covered - I did not succeed. But I made some headway. Trying to get the correct colors in, but leaving room for clarifying and correcting later. I'm not building up in glazes like I'm sure van Honthorst did. I'm painting more like I usually paint, trying to nail colors and drawing the first time. But this is so complex that I quickly got exhausted. 

Here is the painting at the end of the morning, and at the end of the day. I was so concerned with cleaning up and trying not to get paint on the floor when I took the canvas off the easel that I forgot to photograph the painting in the gallery, so I had to take the picture in the locker room before I put it away. Maybe on my next day copying, I'll be able to get the white canvas covered!

as much as I got done before lunch

in the locker room at the end of the day

Thanks for reading!
Click the images for a larger view.