Rod Norman

Joined Artfinder: Aug. 2013

Artworks for sale: 1

(39)

United States

Updates from Rod Norman's studio

  • Preparing a composition

    Preparing a composition

    The initial step to any painting of mine is the composition. I always want my main subject off center to create the tension that attracts the viewer into the painting and allows their eye to move around. A centered subject is like a bullseye and the eye goes directly to the center and never seems to move. As you can see, I always start with muted colors, building up to a final intensity as I work. I always stop before I go too far, leaving the painting fresh and loose.

    13 December 2014
    Paintings with a Denver collector 1

    Paintings with a Denver collector 1

    These paintings are in the home of a wonderful home renovator and his artistic wife who collects and sells designer clothing items.

    16 November 2014
    Paintings with a Denver collector 2

    Paintings with a Denver collector 2

    These paintings are in the home of a wonderful home renovator and his artistic wife who collects and sells designer clothing items.

    16 November 2014
    step 1

    step 1

    the composition and blocking in

    15 November 2014
    step 2

    step 2

    muted colors

    15 November 2014
    step 3

    step 3

    the form of the wave

    15 November 2014
    step 4

    step 4

    almost finished

    15 November 2014
    Old Road Framed

    Old Road Framed

    Here is a collector's photo of the painting "Old Road" after it was framed.

    07 November 2014
    Working inside

    Working inside

    I love having everything close by. The short table allows me to be above the work and see it from a perspective so I don't distort the drawing. Because of the weather I am working inside so I work in acrylics. Oil painting fumes can be very dangerous since the toxic chemicals stay in your system forever and the effect is cumulative. I use a very wet varnish and water base so the paint stays wet enough to work like oils. I often tone the canvas with a very pale Yellow Ochre, then I lay down a water and varnish mixed with thin color and then paint into that. I like to put a tube color down directly and then add white to tint it to the shade I want and then if I need it I add a second color to bring it to the hue I want. I've been doing color so long I have a pretty good idea of how much of each color to use. My palette is Titanium White, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Hooker's Green Deep, Cadmium Yellow medium, Yellow Ochre and Alizarin Crimson if the painting calls for it. For a grey tone I mix two complementary colors like Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue to get a nice warm grey. If I need a dark color, I use Ultramarine Blue or Hooker's Green Dark and Burnt Umber.

    06 November 2014

    06 November 2014

    06 November 2014
    Work in context

    Work in context

    This is a photo a collector provided of one of my works in their home. The scale is perfect for a spot like this.

    01 November 2014