Model-T Wrench Painting

I created this oil painting of this special wrench which was loaned to me from a friend who collects antiques.  It was such a unique looking tool it immediately got my attention.  I did a little research and soon found out that this old wrench was made specifically for a Ford Model T car.  It’s a Herbrand #194 wrench to be exact.  Being about 100 years old, the wrench not me, and having such an interesting look I decided to add it to my ever growing collection of still life objects to paint.

I finally did paint the wrench and although I am pleased with the final outcome, while creating this painting I encountered some problems that I didn’t anticipate early on.  For starters, it’s wrench form had many symmetries such as the overall left-right symmetry and each hexagonal or octagonal hole (the part that wraps around a nut or bolt).  As I paint and perfect color and blends, the oil paint tends to move a bit.  With any asymmetrical object this is hardly noticeable, but when painting symmetrical objects and paint moves around creating asymmetrical it becomes a noticeable problem.

The wrench also had unique manufacturing anomalies probably caused by manufacturing process.  It looks as if it is cast metal.  Because of the cast, some things want to be symmetrical but are actually not perfectly symmetrical.  I tried to paint the reality before me as best as possible.  The creation of this painting only involved a few colors.  Ultramarine blue and raw umber where used for the overall majority of the painting.