Ezra Tucker
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Based on my knowledge and interest and experience of depicting images of animals beginning when I was five years old, I realize that I have an inexhaustible fascination with all species. I have definite ideas in how to best portray the essence of a creature in my painting. My compositions and color palette are influenced by my emotional reaction to each animal. I see an infinite range of beauty of color and texture and power and motion and distinctive characteristics within each individual creature. This is what I am wanting to capture whenever I am painting animal life.
First, I select a creature from a moment of inspiration. I have an extensive mental library of ideas that I have accumulated over the years that I have to draw from. I do preliminary sketches in pencil from my memory and general knowledge of that species. I will make compositional decisions and imagine color palettes at this time also. My sketches will be numerous.
After I select a sketch to develop, I gather reference materials to remind me of the specific physical details that will help me to capture a quality of the creature I am wanting to highlight or emphasize in my painting. I choose light and shadow effects at this time to enhance my composition. Occasionally, I will do a quick three dimensional study of my model out of clay, and light it to help me to establish desired lighting effects. I do my preliminary sketching on parchment paper, vellum or bond paper.
Next, I choose and prepare my painting surface purely on gut feeling about what I am wanting the impact of the final statement to be.
I paint on 100% rag surfaces. Either Strathmore Board or Crescent Illustration Board or cotton duck or linen canvas. I prime my painting surface with acrylic gesso to seal the painting surface for archival purposes and to give me a textured foundation surface to build on. The texture of this surface will vary depending on the statement that I am wanting to make. The rigid board as opposed to the flexible canvas will give me different effects when I apply paint. I will paint on a horizontal or vertical plane as I feel the need to during the painting process.
I use Liquitex acrylic artist colors in tubes using water as a medium. These paints allow me the flexibility to adjust the density of the paint and to easily create desired effects. They dry quickly and allow me to paint in layers and on inspiration. I tint my painting surface with a medium neutral color using a large synthetic brush. This color is sometimes mixed into the gesso or applied over the gessoed surface. This helps me to begin to form my emotional attachment to the painting and gives me a midrange color base to build on that is not as stark as white. I apply thinned controlled washes of neutral color in layers with a sable brush and use a spattering technique to add texture and spontaneity. I paint out of inspiration and emotion and with enthusiasm.
When this has dried, I will transfer my drawing to my painting surface with a raw sienna drawing pencil with as much drawn detail as I feel is necessary.
Next, I lay in washes of color with different sizes of flat and round sable brushes. A wet into wet watercolor technique is what I use to establish my under painting. I will use a palette knife and other items to manipulate these washes. I am intentionally encouraging the paint to run and splash and spatter. This transparent layer allows me to see my drawing and gives me a spectrum of color and a variety of edges in my under painting to stimulate my creative eye and to offer myself opportunities to adjust and enhance my original vision of the painting and composition. After this layer is dry, I begin to paint opaquely with a dry brush technique and palette
knife. At this point I am using a variety of acrylic and sable brushes and palette knives to build detail. During the application of these layers of paint, I am always aware to allow my base color to show through in order to keep my color and the painting in harmony and not to cover the exciting spontaneity I started with. I am also careful about controlling the build up of texture as the paints dry. I work back and forth with my painting tools and techniques to create desired effects until the painting is done. Fine details are accomplished with this same variety of tools.
When I feel that I have completed my observation or study of my subject matter, I will place the art on a vertical plane in my studio and observe it for days or weeks or months to see if there is anything else to say and adjust the painting accordingly. I decide on the amount of detail to put into each painting based on what I am wanting to express to the viewer. I will work on more than one painting at a time in order to prevent my focus from becoming to narrow and loosing the freshness that I am after.
I use a matte or satin varnish to seal and protect the finished painting and to reveal color and technique and to prevent glare when it is hung and displayed.
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