Archive for July, 2011
An Amazing Gift
While I was walking downtown I came across a very interesting site. There was a young man on the side walk painting a beautiful picture. He was using oil paints and a canvas. His back was turned away from what he was painting.
The landscape painter was amazing. He must have had a photo graphic memory. To be able to paint a picture without having to concentrate on the actual scenery was so impressive to watch. He had all the detail perfect. He had an amazing gift.
Last Weekend
I have just returned from a big weekend in mid-California. My daughter’s wedding took center stage. My birthday was first, then a shower for the bride, rehearsal and dinner, and finally the wedding on Sunday at a beautiful park with tall redwoods!
We had such a nice weekend with family and friends. But I’ll get back to landscape painting soon!
Elements of Design – Part 3
Texture is the last fundamental element of visual design. A surface might be smooth or rough. We might represent a rough surface with thick brush strokes of paint, use of a palette knife or even by adding objects to our painting.
Other principles of design that the landscape painter uses are motion, balance, proportion, unity, variety, harmony, pattern, rhythm and emphasis – the focal point. To have a successful painting, the painter needs to be aware of all these elements of design and see that his/her painting observes them.
Information for this article came from Landscape Painting by Mitchell Albala. Published in 2009.
Elements of Design – Part 2
In addition to line and form, shape and space, there are other elements of design. The amount of lightness or darkness of an object is the value. A good exercise is to draw a series of ten squares, put black in the left-most one and white in the right-most one, then try to paint greys in the middle blocks, going gradually from dark to light. This is called a grey-scale, but the same could be done with any color. Similarly, we could paint a sphere with the lightest light on one side and the darkest dark on the other, going through all the shades of grey in between.
The next is the element we all love – color. Color has three characteristics – hue, value and chroma. Hue refers to the color, such as red or green. Value refers to how light or dark the color is (how it compares with the grey scale). Chroma refers to how bright or dull the color is – it’s saturation level or purity. The landscape painter must understand color in order to use it effectively.
Elements of Design – Part 1
When we make a line, we are making a one-dimensional mark. Our line has only length. If we draw another line or if we consider a line with width, then we are creating form because form has both length and width. Form is two-dimensional.
We organize lines and forms into shapes. Complex shapes are often built from simpler shapes, such as circles, ovals, squares and rectangles. The distance between shapes is called space, another element of design. Space also refers to the illusion of depth, or three-dimensions. Thus when properly placed, shapes can give the feeling of three-dimensions on a two-dimensional surface.
There are several ways to create visual three-dimensional space. One way is by using one-, two- or three-point perspective. Another is by using overlapping shapes. The landscape painter uses all these elements of design when creating his/her landscape painting.
Why I Love Painting with Oils
I like painting with oils for several reasons. First, the paints are easy to use. Oil paint is composed of two parts, the pigment and a binder. The binder most often is linseed oil, so thinning the paint is as easy as adding oil to it. In addition to linseed oil, artists also may use walnut, poppy seed, or safflower or other oils to shorten or lengthen the drying time. When an artist begins painting, the dark areas are usually painted first in a thin wash. Later, the painter goes over that first wash with another coat, being careful not to mix the two.
Secondly, oil paints are slow drying, so I can continue working on my painting the next day. Corrections are easy to make either while the painting is wet or when it is dry. The final result is a painting which has beautifully blended colors which create a soft and lovely look, and the colors of oil paintings stay rich and vibrant for a very long time.
Easels
For the indoor studio, many types of easels are available from small table easels to large multi-featured deluxe models. If one is concerned about space and cost, the Stanrite 500 is a light weight, sturdy aluminum easel that can handle all but the very largest paintings. When not in use, it can be collapsed and stored against the wall or behind the door.
For the artist who does landscape paintings the compact Pochade box is available, such as those sold by Open Box M and Artwork Essentials, for those who do small paintings. Also, French easels in both half- and full-size styles are available. If you choose the half-size, it is about 25% lighter than the full size and holds all the necessary brushes and paints. The most recommended names are Mabef and Julian. They both could double as a studio easel if space at home is limited and both accommodate much larger canvases.