 |
| Sadie J. Valeri Anchor in the Gale oil on panel 8 X 8 in. |
San Franciscan artist and teacher, Sadie J. Valeri is just about to release a new DVD detailing her method of indirect painting, and there is still time left to order the video at its pre-sale price. The film, shot in HD, will be 3 hours long when complete, and will follow Valeri as she creates one of her award-winning still life paintings, complete with one of her signature wax-paper "waves." All aspects of the painting process will be covered, from the line drawing through to the finishing touches, with a running voice-over narration by Valeri. The final sale price of the DVD will be $95 USD upon its release in August, but if it is pre-ordered, the special discounted price is $75, including free domestic shipping.
The DVD, Indirect Oil Painting, can be ordered now at the Sadie Valeri Atelier website. While at the site, be sure to visit Valeri's blog, which she started in 2006 to record her development as a professional fine artist. It is filled with insights and recommendations including suggestions on lighting, wall colors, studio furniture, and where to buy plaster casts and human skulls.
Valeri is also profiled in the latest issue of International Artist magazine (#92 August/September). In the article, she offers a simplified step-by-step explanation of the making of Anchor in the Gale, the painting featured in her upcoming video. Excerpted descriptions are included below.
 |
| Sadie's husband Nowell, an experienced filmmaker, is currently editing the upcoming instructional video, "Indirect Oil Painting." It is due for release next month. |
 |
| STAGE 1: CONTOUR DRAWING "Working from life, I block in a very accurate line drawing of my composition in graphite pencil on trace paper. I try to solve all the drawing, composition and proportion problems now, so later I can just focus on painting." |
 |
| STAGE 2 : TRANSFERRING FROM TRACE PAPER TO PANEL "I scribble on the back of my vellum drawing with soft graphite, and then use a hard graphite pencil or stylus to trace my drawing onto the gessoed panel support." |
 |
| STAGES 3 - 6 (beginning clockwise from upper left corner) STAGE 3 : OPEN GRISAILLE UNDERPAINTING "Using only burnt umber, I scrub in the basic values. I use a lean medium made of linseed oil and odorless mineral spirits, working with a very dry brush. I use the white of the gesso ground for lights, working very dry and transparent." STAGE 4 : CLOSED GRISAILLE UNDERPAINTING "I mix a range of neutral values, from dark to light, using ultramarine blue, burnt umber, and titanium white. I paint the whole painting in grayscale, usually two to three layers to refine all of the values." SATGE 5 : LAYERING "Moving into full color, I use a palette of warm and cool primaries to mix strings of all the colors I will need for the day. Using smaller and smaller brushes, I paint additional layers, refining and adjusting every layer. Each layer has more control and precision so I can get a high degree of realism." STAGE 6 : FINISHING AND GLAZING "In the final stages I use my smallest brushes to add the tiniest details, and I use transparent glazes to make subtle refinements. Glazing is paint thinned with medium, used to adjust the color and values to very precise shades. It is the stage that all the hard work of the earlier layers are relied upon, and I have a lot of fun finally getting to refine the details that drew me to the subject at the start." |
 |
| MATERIALS USED BRUSHES : White sable brushes, #1 rounds, #1 and #4 filberts. SUPPORT : Handmade chalk ground gesso, 5 sanded coats, on panel MEDIUMS : Lean Medium (for first two layers) - 2 parts refined linseed oil, 1 part odorless mineral spirits Fat Medium (for color layers and glazing) - 1 part refined linseed oil, 1 part stand oil ARTISTS' QUALITY OIL : Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Umber, Ultramarine Blue, and Cobalt Blue. |
 |
| Anchor in the Gale in process. |