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The Art Of Michael Geraghty |
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How I Make A Picture "Oh, you're so lucky! I can't draw a straight line." -- quote most often heard by professional illustrators |
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How is a high-quality painting produced? Over the years, many have been astonished to hear the process. In reality, like all competent artists, I have a distinct and disciplined formula. The erroneous assumption is that artist's are born with a certain "gift from God," and magically whip out paintings without glitch. Yet for a "representational", or "realistic" artist such as myself, to be highly successful, nothing could be further from the truth. My paintings are labor intensive; I affectionately call them enjoyable misery. Each is a blend of sound draftsmanship and precise, academic painting techniques. An analogy could be made that my preparation is similar to that of a movie producer. My goal is always to captivate and strike the eye, so prior to beginning, I must compile every "prop" necessary in order to be successful. In each composition I strive to satisfy line, color, form, contrast, perspective, symmetry, texture and harmonious balance. I want to compile this all within the parameters of its story and content. I'm also a narrative (storytelling) artist, and as such, rely on photographs as a reference tool. Most of my work documents riveting and historical moments in sport, and many times they include people. As such, it's impossible to not use photos for reference. It'd be negligent to take liberties with the likenesses of my subject matter. This noted, I rarely paint verbatim from a photos. I merely use photos for guidance and historical accuracy. --- Anatomy of a Painting --- Obviously, the process begins with a subject. If it's a horse, when possible, I prefer to see it in person. Reason being, from a true color standpoint, photos have a tendency to lie. Color can easily be affected by fluctuations in photo processing. In addition, any leg and facial markings can be covered up within ten strides by a racetrack dirt. It's always advantageous to visit a horse when possible. It's the best way to capture his total personality. When portraying a racing scene, I also prefer to see a video of the race and any pictures available from the race at the wire. This helps me comprehend the stride pattern, or "action' of the horse. It also allows me to recapture the background, weather from that day, and multiple other facets, like saddle towel details. Final Word on Photo Reference: If visiting your horse is not practical, I can work from your photos provided they're clear and high-quality shots. If the pictures were taken by a professional, contact me, first. Though I never paint directly from a photo, everyone owns the copyright to their shots. Photographers are artists too, and I hold the highest regard and respect for their efforts. I'll describe for you how to procure a letter of release from the photographer. -- Illustration and Painting Steps -- After obtaining: the horses' color and body-mark matches; still photo and video reference, I then determine the format and size: Would the composition be better served as a vertical or horizontal design? Paint medium is rarely a concern. I don't have a specialty, per se. I'm well versed in oils, acrylics or a mixed-media of professional watercolor and gouache. I give my clients what they prefer. My preference for art intended for print reproduction is the mixed-media formula. The inherent color pigments allow the achievement of certain effects which are unattainable with any other paint medium. Substrate: For oils and acrylics, I'll paint on either canvas, linen, or treated hardboard. For water-based paints I use the highest quality watercolor board available. I prefer this as I get a piece of heavy, acid free, 100% rag content watercolor paper permanently sealed to a specially treated piece of paper board. This prevents the watercolor paper from warping at any stage during my process. The composition is first drawn on a small sheet of paper to work out design. When I'm happy with placement of all the elements, I make a full scale "cartoon" on heavier paper. This is a contour line drawing that is fully accurate, but done only in pencil outline. It's a precise preliminary sketch, but looks like a cartoon to me, hence it's nickname. Once I'm satisfied and my client signs off on the actual-size cartoon, I place it on top of my watercolor board or canvas and transfer it down through light pressure. It's basically the old carbon copy process. This allows me to paint on a virgin surface. Brightness and purity of color is very important to me, so working out design problems on a different surface, first, permits me to work on an uncontaminated final surface. Due to the intricacy and detailed nature of my work, I can produce no more than 5 paintings a year. Each painting requires, on average, 2 months work. This said, if adequately compensated, I will -- and have -- worked 'round the clock to complete a painting in 3 weeks. Provided I have the time within my schedule, I have no qualms with meeting a short deadline. I recognize it's sometimes necessary to reach a deadline for a wedding anniversary, Father's Day or birthday gift. I've had to hurry three times in my career to meet retirement parties! In any event, I'll always do my best to accommodate your request. Thank you for your interest in my art. If you'd like to discuss a painting for you, please e-mail or call me directly. We'll discuss further information as it pertains to you. For additional details, I encourage you to read How to Commission an Original Painting.
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