Art Is Hard So You Need To Study

I started another color study. Studying is necessary with any subject and art is no exception. Except, I am thinking art might the most difficult subject I have encountered.  No... I am not whining just stating a fact.  Oh and I am loving the challenge.

Before and After Under Brush Study

Here is a before and after  under painting study to compare the first stage and the last stage of this process. I need to practice more to keep the wonderful under painting showing through but I am intrigued by the effect.

First Stage - Under Painting Only

Last Stage - Dry Brush Work

Brush, Under Painting and Yosemite Study

I did two studies in class the other day with different under paintings. This is one where I used local color for the under painting.  It is a small 8X8 . I painted the sky with a blue under painting,  Half Dome was grey blue, the  pine trees in the light were orange and the dark were purple and green.  I painted the land mass in the sun transparent ocher and the shadow magenta with a touch of ocher.

I found the sky too dull so I used a palette knife with very light lemon yellow and then cerulean blue with a lot of white and knifed over it  without blending. I then added just a touch of very light pink.
I continued the painting using only a brush.   I lost the under painting to the tree because I changed the value and over painted.  I did manage to keep the beautiful under painting. on the land mass.  In shadow land mass, I put a few strokes of paint to dull down the bright magenta.

I think the pine trees and Half Dome are not different enough in value. I will need to lighten Half Dome without making it as light as the sky.

More Under Paintings

I attended class today and the instructor, Randy Blasquez, showed us how to create a beautiful under painting in oils. The class was all loving it .

Here is my start.  It looks like a beginning watercolor. I can't wait to try it out on a painting of my cat.

Free Workshop and Kindred Spirits

My husband and I traveled to Yosemite for a free workshop with John Hewitt, a watercolorist, and to paint with fellow kindred spirits .  plein air artists.  It was breathtakingly beautiful. 
We stood in the valley and asked ourselves " How do I paint a place like this that and give it justice?"   The answer it is lots of practice and lots of trips back to Yosemite.

Here is my painting of Half Dome. The trees were starting to turn and the grass was yellowing.  It is an oil with palette knife on 9X12 gesso board.

Another Do Over

I worked on a second do over. I  see I need to work on trees. Oh - and not to paint when I am tired.

Do Over

I decided to repaint one of the studies from this weekend workshop. I wanted a "do over" to practice what I learned and to try not to over blend. I need to upgrade my paint, also. I am using student paints. They are pretty sticky.
Here is the new study.  It is a 9X12 on gesso board.

A Weekend of Landscapes

I spent the weekend in Susan Sarback's landscape class. It was beautiful both days, I met some wonderful painters and practiced more landscape painting.  What a great way to spend the weekend.

Here is one of my studies.  I learned that I am overworking and losing the under painting. I need to recognized and correct my tendency to over blend.
I learned trails are cooler in the distance. Larger strokes for closer objects.

Art Complex

Another completion, today, is my current paint study. It is a complex, art, color study with several objects with ellipses and glass. This could be one of my favorite pieces. Why? I like the composition. The painting process itself took a lot of analyzing. In addition, I was reminded to compare the highlights with the table top light. I practiced turning the forms. I knew

how to adjust a value up one or down one in either direction. I was reminded that the block needed more white on the light side. I , also, liked  painting the blue bottle and pushing the values. Great study. Great instruction.

Lassen At Last

Have you ever had an incomplete painting that just kept beckoning you to finish it? You stick it in another room or put it in the back of the closet and yet, it still cries "Finish me". I could ignore it no more. So, here is my painting of Summit Lake in Lassen National Park. Complete.

Under Painting

Today in class, we learned how to use transparent under paintings mixed with an additional medium. It creates a watercolor effect. Very interesting. Then we painted a still life and a seascape with this technique. I can't wait to practice this. In the meantime, here are the today's painting. The still life is not complete.

Almost Done

So, I need one more session to complete this piece.

Overworked but Not Tired

I overworked this piece today in open studio. I jumped into painting rather than thinking about the strokes. I am pleased that I was able to paint her eyes closed. I think the values are all too close.
I will ask for a critique next class to see how I can improve my work. Overall - good paint day.

Healthy Addiciton

I am ready for stage 3 and I am liking this painting. It is a great problem solver because of the greens and the greys. I need to remember to add white to flat planes when needed. There are more objects to compare the values each time you make a change.
What a great healthy addiction.

Go Figure

I started my figure drawing class and it turned out to be a lot of fun. We did quite a few two minute poses to learn gesture drawing.
Here are the steps.
1) Create a stick or wire drawing
2) Men's bodies are pickle shaped and women are peanut shapes. So.. draw the correct shape inside the wire figure's body.
3) Find the mid line the body.
4) Draw in the flesh.
I think you need to be there to understand.
I kept repeating it over and over, again, as I drew. Wire, pickle, mid line and flesh. It was fun because of the model knew how to contort his body making it difficult to draw the wire drawings. Great stuff.
Here are the last two of my drawing. They were 5 minute gestures.

Let's Try Something More Complex

I am working on more complex studies to advance my skills in oil painting. Here is the still life and here is the first stage. (I love the way they look at the first stage).
I find that I am mixing the color too much and need to stop. Also, since I use the palette knife, I find I need to be more painterly when adding color. I have tendency to just slap it down. I noticed it today and will make a more consistent effort of how I apply the color.

The Abstract Stage

I have learned in oil that after you draw your subject, you choose the darkest dark, value to compare it all your other values as you paint.
This is the first stage and I love it. It is a beautiful abstract.