Cards at Play

(UPDATED Dec 6th:)

Here is the painting process:

I started out with a toned gesso on the canvas, and applied the drawing...

To fix the drawing this time, I copied a process I just learned about while attending my MFA course's Fall session, out in Pasadena-- Kenton Nelson showed us his studio, and told us of his process of using clear gesso over the drawing, to fix it to the canvas and to maintain an undisturbed drawing as the paint is applied (drawings can get muddy and disappear during the first wet and brushy paint application. This way, the drawing can be seen if you rub off or sand down misapplied paint, without worrying about loss of detail.

The drawing on the toned gray canvas:

Basic "blocking in"-- applying the lightest lights and darkest darks:

These guys were some colorful fellows, passing time at FOB Delhi in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in July 2009. They were Marines from several units who were either stationed there at Delhi, or recovering from wounds and waiting to ship back out to their units in the field.