Painting Insomia

Left in oil, right in gauche.

One up: I’m improving on my drawing, and my drawing consistency. The two aren’t perfect, or matches, but they capture the scene.

One improve: I chose this photo to practice light and shadow. Think I (mostly) got it with the oils, but missed it on the gauche. I think it’s because they dry so much lighter- need to figure out how to account for that.

New achievement! Paint a plein air using oils.

One up: The intent was focusing on shadow and light. Nothing else-shadow and light. Took it step by step (carful sketch, block in, detail last), and very happy that I accomplished my goal.

One improve: Pay closer to colors and mix more paint. I swear that red brick color matched what I saw, I also think this has to do with what you see and what the camera captures. So much more vibrant IRL.

Top in gauche, bottom in oil.

One up: This was fun to do, both came together quickly and smoothly. Which is what I’m shooting for.

Left in oil, right in gouache.

One up: Both felt pretty consistent and layered, good consistency with the colors. These are actually a re-do of a plein air.

One improve: I fought with these, neither one got to a comfortable point, and kinda finished with a “I’m done with you.” I wonder what does that with some paintings and not others?

Left in oil, right in gouache.

One up: I Ike the colors, first time I’ve gotten this much color match in two different mediums.

Top in oil, bottom in gauche.

One up: I’m starting to get the hang of these quick studies, getting to a target plein air time.

Left painting in oil, right in gauche

One up: very interesting how I interpreted the shadows and light using different media. For the oils I carved out the light from the shadow, for the gauche I overlayed the shadow on the light.

I tried this one in oils (left) and gouache (right)

One up: this was a fun exercise. For the gouache I focused on painting in layers, that worked great.

Going to do a series of quickies to get comfortable with plein air painting on simple 8 by 6 canvas paper.

One up: Nice and simple. I really wanted to focus on the shadow vs sun.

- Prime your canvas with neutral color to get values right - Use a white canvas to prevent over dark values

- Start with an underpainting - Start with a charcoal drawing - Start with a brush sketch

- Keep to a limited 4 color pallet - Have an 8 color pallet with each primary and earth colors - Have a 12 color pallet with earth colors and warms and cools of each primary - Add orange, add purple, add turquoise

- Premix your colors with your pallet knife first - Mix your colors with your brush as you go

- Never use black - Never use black in shadows - Use black as a blue

- Never use prepared green - Use sap green, permanent green, thalo green

- Thin with Gamsol - Thin with linseed - Use solvent free gel - No thinning needed with this brand

- Don’t use muddy colors - Use muddy colors

- Use a small brush to diversify brushstrokes - Use the biggest brush you can

- Always paint with a clean brush to preserve color - Paint with a dirty brush to create unity

- You must do the background first - You must do your focus first - You must do your darks first

- Never blend on a canvas when painting wet on wet - Blend on your canvas when painting wet on wet

- Clean brushes with solvent - Clean brushes with oil - Clean brushes with dish soap - Don’t bother cleaning your brushes

And the only one I will stick to:

Took a three day oil painting oil painting class. Here’s a few nuggets:

• Color-value-shape-edges

• Detail in light, color in shadow

• Bamboo backscratchers make great maulstick

One up: got the feel, sky and colors came out well. Like the trees.

And now to try something new.

One Up: Lots of measurements, lots of color checking. I really tried to capture it without changing it, took time but very satisfying. I like it.

One Improve: I got too close up and blend-y, especially on that road. Doesn’t show the grit and roughage.

Back at it.

One Up. I like the composition. It’s divided into thirds (sky, trees, ground), has the off center tree and a linear feathers (fence and ditch) going into the painting.

One Improve: It feels flat, nothing is popping. I need to improve my color usage, but not sure how. Perhaps try pictures with extremes.

Favorites: Painting #100 was the first in the series and I just liked the snow and reflections. Painting #105 I thought had good technique. Painting #136 the grass blades and water droplets surprised me. And # 123 just the smallest color variation and placement of shadows made the waves pop.

Not the favorites: Painting #132 Ice Shark. Painting #101 Frozen Potatoes! Painting #118 um, shredded green banana soup with mustard sauce? Painting #115 just meh.

And that is it! The final chapter of the Big Book of Painting Nature in Oils.

One up: This was simple and straightforward. Solid underpainting, then did the negative space technique on the tree.

One improve: Little things, the sky reflection on the water needs to be darker, needs some darker shadow coloring on the tree leaves.

Colors: titanium white, cadmium yellow light and orange, yellow ochre, burnt sienna and umber, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, cerulean blue hue, phthalo green.

Rocky beaches were packed with low tide, so I decided to hit the lesser used trails and try my first at painting a light dappled trail.

One up: Getting the sun-shade colors figured out, and the paint layering.

One improve: I feel like I’m close, but not there in technique. It doesn’t come out as I see it as I spend too much time trying to figure out the how.

I grabbed a few reference photos of another spot. Going to use those and this painting to try a few at-home studies.

One up: Very simple, like the colors.

One improve: Should have played around with the reeds a bit more, they are far too uniform. Same with the highlights on the water.