Here is a closeup of the 30 in. x 40 in. oil painting I have been working on (first mentioned in this post). In February, I decided to paint over a French landscape that I had started many years ago. Painting over a nearly completed work (of 50+ invested hours) may seem ludicrous to some, but it was actually quite liberating. I painted over the entire canvas in white so that I could see the textured layers of paint more clearly. From there, I painted squares in a cornucopia of colors. And, as you can see from the picture above, I like to apply paint very liberally. To give the painting more dimension, I coated the entire painting with a thick glossy medium tinted with black paint.
I really like how the black paint "dirtied" the painting, and I am pleased with the look of the high gloss. A glossy surface helps define details in a work, which is true in photography as well. The reflection of the light created by the gloss highlights the different ridges and layers of paint. To create a dynamic interplay of dimensional qualities, I'm going to paint a flattened design on top of the gloss. The line design will only be in one color and in a matte finish. I'm excited to see how it turns out, but this is the step that I've been stuck at for the last month. I can't seem to decide which direction to go, so I need your help!
Below are three different ideas that I sketched yesterday. I would love to think which one you think is the winner. Any other ideas are also welcomed!
1. Scattered patterns. Couldn't help but think rainbows. I like the juxtaposition of the curved lines to the geometric pattern in the background.
2. Stylized landscape. (The straight lines might be tricky with the textured surface. I might have to use tape to get clean and straight edges. Tedious but could be a cool effect.)
3. Allover pattern. I also thought about doing an allover pattern in this style showing flowers.
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