Calling All Vestals

When I visited museums I see lots of nude paintings and sculptures, so for me to worry about my attempt to include nudes in my painting is unfathomable.  Or is it.  Perhaps my heart is not pure.  My intentions not noble?  I suppose it is my cross to bear.

Anyways after I finished my attempt in painting my first Vestal, and deemed it not objectionable, I was a little more reassured to forge ahead with more.

My first pose has the model lying flat on her side facing me with her head pointing west.  I am picking a similar pose but with the head facing east and erect.  I believe this is a pleasing composition.  Sketching out the position and pose, I fill in the light values.  For this particular attempt, I am using flesh color acrylic to fill in as some of my highlights.  I think this is a interesting changeup.  

  

I am tempted to leave the painting as it is because I do like the looks of it.  I lost the argument with myself and subsequently finish up the second model along the same fashion as I did the first one, with wavy white lines for highlighted areas and wavy black lines to add to the foundation.  The wavy lines remind me of the veins in marble.  Perhaps I'm role playing a sculptor?

I notice my Xuan picked up a grease stain from my wool under-pad placed under the Xuan paper.  I consider this infarction as one of the banes of my life.  I am never disciplined enough to separate my working space from my eating space.  I am just a happy go lucky guy that often do things on a whim. So the logical solution for mitigating the grease stain is to paint something over that.

For my third nude, the "cover-the-stain-model", I think having the model lying on her side with her back facing me would be interesting.

That looks very pleasing indeed.  Again flesh color acrylic is used (along with empty clear spaces and ink) to define light values.  The same wavy line treatment is applied to finish up this sketch.

My fourth pose would have the model assume a sitting position, beginning to develop a dialogue with the rest of the model?  At least in theory anyways.

Close-up view of the wavy lines on the sketch

So now the painting looks like this

I must say I do enjoy the painting so far, and the painting process of course.  This is a new process for me and has invigorated me.  I found a new toy, a new game to occupy my time.

I am particularly fond of the composition so far.  

The two figures in the foreground are facing opposite ways, but their poses showcase the beautiful lines of the female body.  The fact that the two nudes have opposite light values is also an interesting contrast, and it just happened surreptitiously, I must admit.  I also like the last model facing inside and towards the group, albeit a little aloof, with an attitude.  As if she is basking in adulation from the model next to her.

Another grease stain.  Oh no!