Tag Archives: practice

Gesso Board Trial Piece

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First Pic on GessoThis is a 6×6 painting, and it is the first painting that I have done on Gesso board. I have been wanting to try this since my first post. I read in Carol Marine’s book that she uses it and likes it. There are several artists whose paintings have a smooth flowing brush stroke style and I have been unable to get that in my paintings. It seems like they must either use gesso board or a smoother canvas than I do. To save on cost, I have given into using an inexpensive canvas board most of the time for these small practice pieces. But it does not help to practice what doesn’t work for you. I need to begin either using Gesso board or prepping my canvas in a different way to create a smoother finish. I have recently found another brand of canvas board that is not too expensive and does have a wonderful smooth coating. (the brand is Art Advantage) I cannot get it here in Juneau, and shipping is always expensive to Alaska so I have not used it on a regular basis. But I am beginning to think I should. I will have to get a bunch when I travel back to Maine next month.

Anyway, I did enjoy the Gesso board. It is a little tricky to learn a lighter touch with the brush so you don’t pull paint off with a second stroke, but I especially like that the brush strokes remain visible. This is merely a preference, and many people do not like this look. I do look forward to playing around with it more.

Second Attempt of Lincoln Island Rock

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IMG_8376I think that the first painting was too cool. I did add a bit of warmth to it but thought that I would try it again. You know that ‘repeat, repeat’ thing. ( =  Well for this one I also used a  canvas that was toned with burnt sienna. If you remember, the first one was toned with a pale blue hue. I do believe that this one came out much warmer simply because I started out with a warm undertone. The blue of the last one was strong enough to influence my whole painting so that it leaned toward very cool in the end.

Usually my preference is for a warm painting, but I do like the idea of trying different things to see where it leads. So I learned from this…I can either be very careful to warm all my colors if I use a cool toned canvas, or I can start with a warmer tone. I have seen paintings of fog or overcast days that have been done on a blue/ gray canvas that I really liked, but again, I will practice. In the end, I really prefer this warmer painting.

Pond Reflections

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IMG_8019This is a little 5×7 that just looked like a challenge with all the foliage and the upside down reflections. You can almost turn it upside down to display it as well. ( =  I am finding that greens can be a challenge, especially when there are so many different shades in one painting. This is probably another thing I could practice…the many different greens.

Playing with colored canvas

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Lincoln Island BeachThis little canvas was underpainted with a pale blue hue. I think this was the first time trying blue. I liked it a lot. The overall tone of the painting came out cool even though it was a very sunny scene. After taking this photo I did tone down the blueness of the rocks in the shade. It was a little too blue for me. But I really enjoy painting on a canvas that is underpainted because it gives you a mid tone color to start with which can help you read your colors better. It is also interesting to play around with little bits of color you leave showing. If I did this same painting with the pale orange underneath, it would have taken a totally different direction. I’m almost interested enough to try that in order to compare the two.

Many people know exactly how they intend their painting to turn out. At this point for me, I sort of let it tell me where it is going to go. I try to read it as it progresses and see how it feels. That part is still fun for me. If I have a direction in mind and it doesn’t go that way, well that will be frustrating. But for now I am learning what may cause certain outcomes. And I am enjoying the process!

Snow Practice

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Corinth SnowThis is a scene from Corinth, Maine. It is a very farmy town where my friend lives. I love to take photos out there of the farms and countryside. It is open and always has nice lighting effects. This one was interesting to me because of the big old Maple trees and because of the snow. I still need to add a few lines on the poles when it dries, but this was fun.

This one was also an example of that pale orange underpainting bleeding into the snow. I had to do a couple layers. But you can also see areas where it gives an interesting warm glow through the trees. Depending on the subject matter, you can leave more or less of it to show through.

Trying New Things

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IMG_8014I have been trying different underneath colors on my canvases lately. I am finding that I really like the effects of a pale warm orange (actually a combination of Cad Red Mid and Cad Yellow, and maybe a touch of White). I have been thinning this down quite a bit with  mineral spirits so that it is a very transparent layer. I then have to let it dry for several days before using it. there are several reasons to do this kind of underpainting, for one, I really like the little areas where it peeks through and creates interest and a glow, as well as a warmth. It also tends to unify and harmonize the painting.

I am finding that this process is not always good for certain subjects. When painting a blue sky or white snow, for instance, it tends to bleed through after it dries, turning your colors toward pink or muddying them up. There are times that this can be an interesting brightness but many times it has to have a second coat to cover it. One thing I am going to try is an acrylic mix so that it will be thoroughly dry before painting with oils.

As a side note, these handy little stands were made by my handy husband and they work great!

Red Evening Light

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Sunset PeaksThe intense pink on the white peaks here shows how red the evening light can be. Everything else around was almost black and white but the light reflecting on the mountain is red. I see this often here in Juneau on the mountains, and I wanted to get it down on canvas so I remember the strength of the color.

Sunny Spot

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Sunny SpotThis is a view from my home. There is a mountain that goes straight up just across from us. The way the sun hits it in the evening amazes me. the colors are so strong. I’m not sure how this reads to someone not familiar with the view. But it is supposed to be a patch of the mountainside just catching the sun between the dense foggy patches.

Tree Study

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Tree StudyI love painted trees! I need to practice them close up because they are very tricky to paint. So in this I combined the tree practice with the strong warm light practice. It is just a small 5×7, but I think it has good impact. When studying a subject close up, the things you learn can be easily applied to a more suggestive painting later on. This is another thing that I need to remember.

Repeat, Repeat

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Woodland PathThis is a little 5×7 painting. It is the second time that I have done this picture.I believe that it is much cleaner and much less overworked as well.  I must say that I don’t generally enjoy doing a picture more than once, but I am learning the value of doing so.  The first time I did this, it was quite a struggle to capture the sunny light. But this time it took less than half the time. It was a real pleasure to work on!     From now on I am going to make it a practice to do certain paintings more than once, and even in different colors or value patterns. I think it will increase my learning significantly.