This was an interesting and challenging series of still life studies. I worked through charcoal still lifes, limited-palette à la prima exercises, and a charcoal study from a reference image. Several things made the process especially demanding:
- Subject matter: I could choose anything, but I wanted objects that felt fun, masculine, and genuinely interesting to paint.
- Composition and lighting: Getting the arrangement just right with the best angles, height, and overlap between the items took more trial and error than I expected.
- Color mixing: This was tougher than I anticipated. I thought I had a decent handle on color, but there were several moments when I got stuck and needed my talented wife’s eye to help me find the mix I was after.
- Time limits: I worked in two-hour sessions, which pushed me to make decisions more confidently and avoid overworking every brushstroke.
Charcoal Still life
Over the years I’ve developed an affinity for tiki culture. Probably a combination of watching a lot of Gilligan’s island during summer break and being fascinated by Disneylands Enchanted Tiki room as a kid growing up in Anaheim. So, pulling in tiki themes seemed like a fun option!
I chose way too many items for this setup given the time I had. By the end, I felt rushed and not especially happy with the result. I think the value structure needed to be stronger. To make things harder, I had injured my back earlier that day, so sitting through the session was more difficult than usual.
3 color Limited palette à la Prima still life
This was my first à la prima painting in oil, and it felt completely different from the subtractive, layered approach I had been practicing. I limited myself to three colors, working with warm and cool choices plus black and white. It was a discouraging piece in every way possible, and I was still recovering from my back injury, which made the whole process less enjoyable than I had hoped. It is truly a bad painting; so much so, I’m not sharing it!
*Note: “à la prima” (Italian for “at first attempt”) means painting wet-into-wet in one session — no layering over days. It’s all about observation and confident brushwork.
Five-Color À La Prima Still Life
TThere was a good stretch of time between this study and the previous one. I told myself I was preparing, though some of that was probably hesitation and procrastination. While recovering, I spent time reviewing the guidance I’d been given on à la prima still life painting and waiting until I had enough uninterrupted time to really focus.
I was much happier with this second attempt, though I still have no idea why I decided to complicate the composition with all that flowing fabric.
Charcoal still life from photo
These photo-based still life studies have been helpful for building confidence in drawing objects with more accurate proportions and clearer values.
Final full color à la Prima still life
As a comic book artist for Marvel and DC Comics, I had very specific tools for finishing artwork in ink. I decided to make my final still life an homage to that chapter of my life. Can you name all of the tools in this painting?
This whole stretch of work was a real challenge, but I’m grateful for the foundation it helped me build. I still have a long way to go with à la prima painting and color mixing, but I’m heading into the next phase with a little more confidence.
What This Week Taught Me
Painting alla prima forces clarity.
- You must see value relationships quickly
- You must commit to marks
- You cannot overwork endlessly
- You must simplify
The two hour limit exposed hesitation. It also built confidence.
I am still developing my eye for color and my ability to simplify complex objects. But I can feel the shift happening. I trust what I see more than I did last week.
That feels like real progress.