Monday, February 21, 2011

Application of Paint

Kathryn emailed me in response to my last post and is interested in information about application of paint. Thanks Kathryn and hopefully others will find the following information helpful too. 

Over time, paint can crack when a thin layer is applied over thick paint. To avoid cracking, begin your painting with a thin application of paint and layer thick paint on top towards the end. Not only does this method help preserve a painting longterm, it also adds interest as well.

Chiaroscuro is the method of applying value to a two-dimensional piece of artwork to create an illusion of a three-dimensional solid form. These strong contrasts between light and dark create interest in a painting. Shadows and dark areas are usually applied with thin paint and left to contrast against lighter areas which are layered with thicker paint.

When I am concerned about thick paint taking too long to dry, I prefer to use a quick drying white by Graham. I mix this quick dry white with my other regular paint colors. Using this approach, I find that instead of taking three days for a painting to dry,  it will dry in a day and a half.

To maintain an even viscosity with my paints,  I mix a solution of half turpentine and half linseed oil. When painting, I dip my clean brush into the mixture, then apply is to my colors and repeat throughout the painting.

John Carlson's book Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting is reference material I refer to often and a must-have for any serious artist. Pages 25-29 specifically address this topic of application of paint. 

Here is a Youtube video demonstration of a 20 x 24 studio painting I completed today. I narrate throughout the video and illustrate what is discussed in this post.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Interests?

When I look at my blog statistics, I am amazed at the number of people who visit my blog worldwide. While I attempt to be both educational and informative, I wonder if there are topics or examples of interest to you which I have yet to address. I am happy to share my thoughts and experiences, but want to assure I am on track with my posts. So, please don't be shy. Send me your comments or personal emails and let me know what you hope I address in the future on my blog.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Reflections

I've been asked how I paint reflections. Ducks on a Pond is a 16 x 20 studio piece I painted after my recent visit to Connolly Ranch.
The viewer's eyes are meant to fill in painting details. Too many details robs the viewer of the opportunity to interpret a painting as they see it. Executing loose brush strokes keeps a painting interesting and fresh even after years of daily viewing. In this close up, you see how the duck bill is one brush stroke without hard edges. The combination of thick and thin paint on the duck itself adds depth.  

Reflections are the opposite of what they are on the surface. A dark image is lighter in a reflection.
Another way to create water interest is to vary the paint between horizontal and verticals strokes as demonstrated below in this close up.