Espresso, anyone?

An elegant waiter watching the world go by, outside a well-known espresso bar in Napoli.
Used a limited palette, Tit. White, YO, Cad Red, Burnt Sienna & UB

Can't seem to get the thick brush strokes I want that will cover the canvas with one stroke - maybe I need to use more medium - or do an underpainting first

30 x 20 cm

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Comment by Ruby on July 29, 2015 at 0:13: This is really lovely and interesting too- (Jessica I find if I don't gesso my canvas before using oil paints it seems to gobble the paint up very quickly and I land up using tons more paint. Maybe that will help solve your problem)

Comment by Jessica Futerman on July 28, 2015 at 18:25: Thanks for all the encouraging comments, Michael, Jon, Cristina, Laura & Ann! Very much appreciated. Will try to anchor the elegant waiter to the ground, Michael!

Jon, I'm using water soluble oils. When I paint a stroke, it does not completely cover the canvas & sometimes I have to repeat a stroke 2-3 times just to cover the white of the canvas. That's why I'm wondering if an underpainting or using medium is necessary. If you use 'traditional' oils, can you cover the white of the canvas with one stroke or do you block in all your shapes first? Richard paints beautiful smooth brush strokes using the same oils, in his videos, so it may be my technique that's the problem. Perhaps it's also the high heat & humidity here right now changing the consistency of the oils, as well as the quality of canvas that I use.

Comment by Ann Turner on July 28, 2015 at 16:12: Interesting subject ! Painted with style !

Comment by Laura Xu on July 28, 2015 at 12:58: Lovely painting and very interesting subject, Jessi!

Comment by Cristina Mihailescu on July 28, 2015 at 8:21: Yes, please!!! lol Love the composition!!

Comment by Jon Main on July 28, 2015 at 4:42: Very harmonious, Jessica, the foreground somehow feels a bit empty... ?

What sort of paint are you using? The only time I have that problem is if I'm not using oils, or (with oils) when the underpainting is tacky (I then change to softer brushes - bristle brushes are pretty stiff!)

Comment by Michael J. Severin on July 28, 2015 at 3:23: Great little study Jessica! I cannot tell from the photo, but your brushstrokes look good ..they look okay to me. Anyway, I like your use of the neutrals to give the scene a sense of ...umm .what word ..eloquence and sophistication that the cafe implies ..a waiter with a coat and tie .the place is obviously no "dive". Bright colors would not have been appropriate. Maybe find a way to anchor the waiter down ....he is kind of floating.