Lobster with Drinking Horn

Willem Kalf’s "Still Life with Lobster, Drinking Horn and Glasses" (c. 1653) is one of my favorite still lifes. It is huge. I figure this will take me about a year to finish. My goal on this page is to write down all the painting steps. I generally keep a running task list, and I am copying the task list here when a step is complete.

Step 2. Gesso: The panel (or canvas) must be gessod first.

1. • 1st layer of white gesso

   • Wait until dry; 2nd layer of white gesso

   • Wait until dry; 3rd layer of white gesso mixed with Liquitex burnt sienna 

   • Sand with very fine sandpaper and wipe off dust as needed between coats

Step 3. Drawing

1. • I cheat and trace the drawing. I can draw the image by hand.  However, hand-drawing the image adds weeks to the process.

   • Use an online tool to convert a high-resolution image to a line drawing. Print the line drawing. 

   • Cut pages with a metal straight edge and an X-acto knife

   • Tape the pages together

   • Cover back where lines are with a number 2 pencil

   • Align and tape to canvas

   • Trace the drawing and check each section, ensuring that the tracing is transferred to the canvas

Step 4. Matte Medium 

1. • I put 3 coats of matte medium over the gesso to allow light to penetrate and reflect back. I paint in different directions to ensure the panel is completely covered.

   • Wait for each layer to dry before painting the next layer. I usually wait an hour or more.

   • Paint the 1st layer vertically

   • 2nd layer Paint horizontally

   • 3rd layer mixed with a touch of burnt sienna so it is transparent. Paint diagonally

Step 5. Paint edges black 

1. • Mix neutral black: use Liquitex colors: burnt umber, ultramarine blue, Dioxazine purple. Liquitex colors are more opaque than Golden Open acrylics.

   • Use blue painter's tape to mask the front face of the panel

   • 1st coat neutral black

   • 2nd coat neutral black

   • Take off the blue tape

   • 3rd coat matte medium

   • Wait until dry; Use blue painter's tape to mask edges. The painter's tape will stay on until the painting is finished,

Step 6. Paint edges neutral black

1. • Mix neutral black: use liquitex colors because they are more opaque and dry faster then Golden Open: burnt umber, ultramarine blue, Dioxazine purple

   • use blue painters tape to mask front of canvas

   • 1st coat neutral black

   • 2nd coat neutral black

   • 3rd coat matte medium

   • Wait until completely dry; Use blue painters tape to mask edges; wrap around back of panel. keep tape on until painting is finished