I think I’m finally starting to get the real feel of the string. I’ve lightened up the dark areas on the left, and I think I’m pulling out the highlights well. I also think I’ve fixed the brushstrokes. My art teacher and I had the idea to follow up this painting with two smaller paintings - a thimble and a needle. I think the idea of thread is so philosophical, and it’s fascinating to me. Also, I noticed later that the yardstick happened to be lying next to the painting, so I guess you can see the scale of the painting. Oil on canvas. 2’ x 3’.

It’s finally starting to resemble the spool that I’m trying to emulate. I’ve started to add white for the highlight. Hopefully soon we’ll be able to put two nails in the wall to serve as an easel, because we can’t find one big enough. The canvas will simply hang on the two nails, rather than trying to get proper lighting while it’s laying on the table. 2’ x 3’. Oil on canvas.

More red. I need to make sure the values of the red match the yellow underneath. My art teacher suggested that I use alizeran crimson for the darker tones and I’ll use my cadmium red hue with a touch of white for the lighter highlights. I’ve also noticed that my commentary on the art has gradually become slower. Anywhooooo. I’ll try to give more explanations of what I’m doing. Oil on canvas. 2’ x 3’.

Hey guys. So I’ve finally begun to put the red on the spool. It’s an exciting benchmark, I think. I need to make sure that I’m keeping the red opaque rather than being able to let the yellow undercoat show through. Thanks guys. 2’ bx 3’. Oil on canvas.

Not too different from yesterday. I fixed the contrast in some areas. Oil on canvas. 2’ x 3’.

So. I finally finished the cylinder. It’s still a bit too dark on the right side for my taste, because I think it takes away from the illusion of curvature. I also think I need to vary the values around the highlight on the thread, and get a tad darker on the left curve. Up next on my to-do list is to fix a few of the smaller issues for the top of the spool as well as setting a background choice, or at least values for the background. I think this is a pretty major benchmark for this piece. Message me with constructive criticism. Oil on canvas. 2’ x 3’.

I finally got some solvent to thin the paint. Unfortunately, I ended up giving the shadow side wayyyy too much dark. I’m just going to fix it when I put on the red. 2’ x 3’. Oil on canvas.

FINALLY. Tumblr was being a kczhnjvdkjnczkjn and wouldn’t upload the picture. As you can see, I’ve started on the cylinder portion of the spool. At the time I took the photo, I was still using my smaller, synthetic hair brush. 2’ x 3’.Oil on canvas.

Yay! The top values portion of my spool is almost finished. I just have to go back in and add some more lights. It’s going well, although before I venture into the cylinder portion I desperately need a larger paintbrush. I’m really having fun with this painting. 2’ by 3’. Oil on canvas.

Right. So. Today we had shortened periods, so I only got about 10 minutes to work on this. I’m having a bit of difficulty getting the right balance of linseed oil and paint. I don’t want it too thin, or it will take forever to dry. I also don’t want to get it too thin, because this is only the base layer.  Ah, well. I’ll get it. Oil on canvas. 2’ by 3’