Red Interval
Mixed media on canvas · 120 × 120 cm
The spark
Inspiration
Built up over many sessions — every layer added some red, every layer removed some. The painting is what remained.
The blueprint
Color palette
Ground cream
#f4e8d8
Cadmium glow
#d8784a
True red
#a8281c
Blood depth
#5a1410
Black ground
#1a0a08
Materials
What I used
- ·Heavy canvas, double-primed
- ·Oil sticks and brushes
- ·Cold wax medium for texture
- ·Palette knife and rags
The journey
Step by step
- 01
Background & Priming
I begin by toning the canvas with a thin wash to set the overall accumulated weight. The primer is allowed to settle so the texture of the weave still breathes through the first layers.
- 02
Sketching & Blocking
Loose charcoal marks map out the proportions. I then block the largest shapes with broad, diluted strokes — no detail yet, just the architecture of light and shadow.
- 03
Layering & Texture
Successive glazes build depth. I work wet-into-wet in some areas and let others dry between sessions, so the surface gathers a quiet rhythm of soft and crisp edges.
- 04
Highlights & Fine Details
Final touches — the smallest highlights, a few decisive accents, and the signature. I step back often. The painting is finished when nothing else asks to be added.