Traditional underpainting and luminous painting - Observational skills in oil - Still painting hands!

It was suggested that I used traditional renaissance under painting techniques to get tonal values to make the shapes. Generally I find it easier and more natural to use line than tone so this has been an interesting movement for me (and quite a frustrating one). I have used olive green oil paint, as again it was often used during the renaissance. The second photo, showing just painting in green didn't have the freshness that I was hoping for, although in parts it felt like it was working. At the last stage (so far) I added red (scarlet lake - I think), where it has been added tonally I think it works but where it has made lines, it doesn't work so well. I'll keep going with it and update.

I have been looking at the work of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Durer in particular.

 

Another very simple olive green under painting, I felt this worked better especially the hand on the right, the wrist and arm let the other hand down.

 

 

I also worked green into this, I liked the starting place for this painting and didn't really want to add to it, but it clearly wasn't finished. I have added olive green oil paint and some yellow ochre and white oil bar. The thumb is developing 3-dimensionality but the rest is yet to come, there is a freshness and looseness to the thumb but the fingers look totally solid and overworked. 

Nb. Looking at photos of my work let me see it in a different light, until I saw these pictures I had no idea that the first finger of the thumb hand was so large and out of proportion. I must learn to keep looking or at least keep taking photos and looking at them.

I do love these luminous oil paintings, this one is worked into the wet paint with a stick to create an outline where the paint has been moved exposing the paper underneath. I plan on doing a large painting in this vein. I like the movement, it enhances the subject matter and creates vitality.

This last painting was a quick sketch from an idea that jumped into my head, but I think it works, again right side is better (have to look at that).

This white oil bar over a blue acrylic background, drawn into and wiped away. Again - hands crumpling a piece of paper. I will use this technique more often, especially as as a starting place for paintings.

I am working and reworking these same images to really get some depth and understanding of them, to get to know all the shapes and movements of the hands.