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Dear Reader... This is an interpretive series of pages taken from the personal journal of Mr. JH Thomas. For over 25 years Mr. Thomas hiked, explored and photographed the limestone canyons and vicinity of northern Arizona. As a result he recorded several scientific "firsts" in archaeology regarding the activities of the ancient people we now call Sinagua. He also acquired some basic knowledge of local geology, the native plants and wildlife. It is a pleasure to present some of these observations in this format. Sincerely, John Vroom, Editor
Wupatki 1200 AD Reconstruction Animation
Reconstructing the Ruin Wupatki... with the purpose of serving as a model for interpretive oil paintings. Above is a simplified animation superimposing an interpretation of the past construction over present day stabilized ruin walls.
The first side effect of this research and graphic experiments is this poster.
Click on image for purchasing information. MANY THANKS to Dr. Chris Downum at Northern Arizona University and Peter Pilles from the Archaeology Section of the Coconino National Forest for being my generous and supportive consultants! I hope my world of art contributed to theirs of science. JHThomas
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Wupatki Sunrise Oil Painting... Continued from Previous Page...
Review the previous section of digital experiments as part of the research for the paintings of archaeological sites.
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This is a step by step oil painting demonstration
In the midst of my Wupatki research, and as a result of my oil painting demonstrations in the lobby of Old Town Gallery in Flagstaff, Arizona, I attracted a commissioned piece relative to my present involvement. An oil painting of Wupatki is needed for an upcoming book on southwest pueblos. This page will display the step by steps involved in completing this painting.
December 22, 2001... Working from the 3D renderings I've just shown you, I used my computer to build this visionary overylay of the new building mass I now understand onto the existing environment of today. This will be my model in the absence of the real thing.
Utilizing ALL of the research and my drawings from the last month as reference, I've constructed these basic block shapes over the existing ruin footprint using Photoshop. I've removed all the modern pathways. It already looks organic and attached to the terrain better than 3D program constructions. This is my personal interpretation of room placement based upon all of the data I was provided. Room 36 was a three story high tower and it was built on top of a two-story sandstone boulder. I feel that it is more than half correct and will inspire a pretty accurate painting. Others more qualified will make improvements in future interpretations. From this drawing I'll make a line drawing and transfer it to my painting panel.
One last computer experiment: Below I've manufactured two simplified pueblo towers with windows and roof beams in my 3D rendering program. This gives me an idea of color, texture and shadows at dawn. I'm planning a sunrise painting and this will give me a visual to look at as I paint. The mud stucco at Wupatki probably replicated the many thin stones used in its surface and it most certainly was the same color as the local sandstone.
This is for "my eyes only," as it doesn't represent reality, it's more of a still life study. Excavation notes from Wupatki indicate that there were seldom this many major roof beams in any single roof, I just want to visualize how the shadows work, etc. It turns out that most rooms contained one very large roof beam, perhaps six to eight inches in diameter. It was installed across the shortest distance. Then, many slightly smaller branches and small logs were laid at ninety degrees over this main beam until a solid thatch was obtained. Plaited grass and mud completed the roof/floor surface.
These larger roof beams, it turns out were predominantly Ponderosa Pine or other conifers, cut, limbs and bark removed, and then carried from over 25 miles away from the San Francisco Peaks where they were harvested! To me this represents dedication and much labor toward the building of this structure.
This is the end of my computer experiments and modeling. Time to pick up the brushes!
This is the line drawing I've placed on my "canvas," my painting is on a masonite board 44" x 18." Some last minute notes and observations: You'll notice in this outline that I've added the interesting and "unexplained" wing wall from the corner of the nearest room block (room 82). I've indicated the upper half of the unroofed amphitheater in the middle foreground. I've added a large storage jar in the shadows on the left. And I plan to include some indication of corn in the arroyo between this foreground ledge and the pueblo. There is evidence of a possible water seep in this area and perhaps a check dam and I am going to exercise some artistic license. Let's have fun!
January 12, 2002... The first steps have taken me longer than expected. There remains much to solve. I've done some more reading, studied many many photos of other southwest ruins, done some color studies, AND worked on two underpaintings so far. I'm challenged by the lighting of a sunrise moment, vegetation that would have been different (some corn agriculture?) as well as the surface of the pueblo walls (with absolutely no visual reference).
The image below is a picture of my second underpainting so far of the whole composition. Please understand that there is so much more to do.
This is a dazzling possibility!!!
Here I've filled in the full canvas, of the second underpainting.
Essentially, I've now established the large blocks that represent the foreground, the middle ground and the distance made up of a dawn sky and the far bank of Deadman Wash, not quite in sunlight yet. I've indicated the correct location of the features identified today as the amphitheater and ball court. This layer needs to dry a bit and then I'll begin making corrections and judgements about detail and color.
For those of you who don't paint, keep in mind that everything here so far is wrong. The sole purpose of painting it at all is to get rid of the white background. Until the white is gone from view it's impossible to know this is wrong. This is the process of painting, a little like sculpture. We break off the biggest chunks first to "roughen in" the big elements. In painting this is done with approximate and bold color, coarse shapes and big brushes. Then step by step we correct and refine.
January 22, 2002... Once again I felt the need to do some practice sketching.
Having a sense of where the basic shapes are now, I began to study the painting in terms of the final color palette and the lighting mood I desired. In November 2001 my wife and I drove to Wupatki at 4 AM to personally experience the sunrise and how it looked and felt. I want to capture this moment in this painting. While the above undercolor was drying I painted this color study on a separate 11" x 17" panel. I needed to experience this extreme drama before applying it to the bigger piece.
Having this experience in my memory I reworked the entire picture, per the image below. This is a particularly poor quality digital picture but it does give you an update on the major changes the painting has undergone in these early stages of development.
This amounts to more undercolor, adjusted, ALL too dark. I work from dark to light. I'm indicating here where the sun rays are hitting and where things remain in night shadows.
It is DAWN at WUPATKI! Still no details. Too soon.
January 25, 2002... The biggest changes in this picture are the underlay of the dawn sky and the beginning modeling of the far north bank of nearby Deadman Wash. I've also repainted Doney Mountain and foothills.
February 5, 2002... Well, we got a bit done during the past week. (I'm still having trouble taking a good photo of this piece. Forgive me.) There is now a dawn sky, the light is hitting the foothills and Deadman Wash and the top of the pueblo. Masonry texture is beginning to show up on all of the walls, windows, roof beams and two second story doors are in place. Almost time to ask the city for an occupancy permit.
February 08, 2002... Details, details. I've updated the broken stones on the far cliff wall, started the foliage that grows in the bottom of Deadman Wash, and blocked in the shadows of future Sand Sage and pathways in the foreground. Research shows that the area surrounding nearly all ruins is filled with ancient pathways. I have no evidence that the pathways I've added are in the correct position, but I feel that it is more important to indicate that they existed. You may have noticed by now that I'm showing room number 81 unfinished, in a state of construction. It was one of the last rooms built. Part of the exterior wall is up and three room beams are in place. I've indicated a couple new tree logs to be used as roof beams in the unfinished section. What appears now as dark blotches will become piles of masonry stone.
February 11, 2002... About twelve hours of painting later... this is one of the more accurate photos so far. More details. I've reworked all of the pueblo rooftops. I've developed a near finished sunlight texture on the tower rooms in sunlight. I've darkened the foreground dirt and foliage area and I've added a lot of new tone and texture to the pueblo rooms still in shadow. Sagebrush in distance is coming along pretty nice. Things are taking shape.
February 15, 2002... Well, what can I say. Lots of modeling, planted hundreds of native plants. Many subtle refinements this photo doesn't show. Time to paint shadows and do more landscaping. Almost time to add the ladders and work on the foreground.
Ladders are in place and the first development of the foreground elements has begun. I'm waiting for the area of the painting still in darkness to dry so that I can begin painting in the shadows. You can see an example of this in the far valley in the distance just to the right of the small 2 story room above the amphitheater. Here I have glazed in the actual night shadow giving the feeling of an absence of light.
March 14, 2002 - FINISHED!... This is the final photo of the finished painting. What an incredible challenge and opportunity! Thanks for watching! This painting © Charles Trainer, for his big book on southwest pueblos.
See titles in above left column to view other oil painting demonstrations in this series.
This presentation of Wupatki paintings continues on the next page.
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