Claesz Study #1
Oil on primed wood panel, 23cm x 23cm (June 2022)
My goal with studying Claesz was to put my understanding of colour, canvas prepping and texture to the test. I have managed to pull through with my colour skills as I managed to match almost perfect accuracy with my printed reference. But I did not realize my printed reference did not match it’s digital source. Sometimes printer settings can cause that and I have learned an important lesson about double checking my reference before starting to paint.
When it comes to texture, this study showed me how much more to learn there still is. I was under the assumption canvas prep could show some solid texture improvement by giving me a smooth surface. I could not have guessed how much brush finesse I lacked. For demonstration, I will add my replica and Claesz’s original side by side at the bottom of the page.
When i paint texture, people feel it is there because I hit a likeness of the object in its shape and colour. So the viewer recognizes the “glass cup” and brain fills in the texture gaps. But when Claesz paints, the brush strokes aren’t there to meddle with the texture. There are no gaps to feel. His feather looks light and bone textures look brittle but smooth, papers seperate piece by piece and glass is clear with solid reflections. This is brush finesse I have not learned to this day, December 2022. I am still proud of my Claesz study. I understand there are still limits to my skills and I embrace them as conditions of learning.
This does not stop me though, from looking forward to the day,mwhen I will look at this study with the sweet embarrasment of having out grown my old work and skill set.
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