This was painted from a photo I found on Flickr.com and is being used as reference for a two-session acrylic workshop that I am doing here in Sacramento. I am teaching my workshop artists how to block in the basic shapes/values/ colors. After roughing those items in, the artist then starts the process of defining. I am teaching that one needs to minimize the defining process and let the viewer complete the painting! Click on this image and see how simple it was painted. The trick is to learn to do abreviated painting. Concentrate on shape, value, color, texture, composition, but for heaven's sake, stay away from those tiny brushes and excessive details.
If you want to see a wonderful blocking in process followed by more step-by-step images and painting notes, check out another Sacramento artist (an oil painter) by the name of Terry Miura and his painting of Notre Dame. Click on his "Studio Notes" section.
My next posting (and keeping with the barn theme) will be an acrylic I'm working on today that is aptly titled, "BARN IN THE USA!"
Monday, September 21, 2009
Barn on Pond
This was painted from a photo I found on Flickr.com and is being used as reference for a two-session acrylic workshop that I am doing here in Sacramento. I am teaching my workshop artists how to block in the basic shapes/values/ colors. After roughing those items in, the artist then starts the process of defining. I am teaching that one needs to minimize the defining process and let the viewer complete the painting! Click on this image and see how simple it was painted. The trick is to learn to do abreviated painting. Concentrate on shape, value, color, texture, composition, but for heaven's sake, stay away from those tiny brushes and excessive details.
If you want to see a wonderful blocking in process followed by more step-by-step images and painting notes, check out another Sacramento artist (an oil painter) by the name of Terry Miura and his painting of Notre Dame. Click on his "Studio Notes" section.
My next posting (and keeping with the barn theme) will be an acrylic I'm working on today that is aptly titled, "BARN IN THE USA!"
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8 comments:
I did enlarge and study your barn painting, David.
Are you using fluid acrylics or open acrylics or ?
I am just learning about acrylics and have been using Golden Open mostly. These are soft body. I am trying a another sort of "style" right now...dabbling a little with a more stylized approach to a scene and struggling with it. If you have time go and see it...
ginnystiles@blogspot.com It's like every time I go back to acrylics I have to re-learn it again! I do enjoy it very much, however. I love the barn reflection in your painting.
Hi David,
What a beautiful painting. You knock me out. Simply stunning.
Take care,
Barbara
Ginny, I'm using regular Golden acrylics here. I love Golden Open for plein air, however, I mix it with regular titanium white so the it does not take too long to dry. Golden Open on my palette is wonderful in that it does not crust over in warm or breezy weather,
Thanks, Barbara
Very nice painting and very nice lesson on not getting hooked on detail.
Too much detail sucks, Onpainting (Bill).
This would be a tough composition judging by the tricky perspective and the fact that the picture plane is divided nearly in half horizontally. The barn is almost centered, and in other hands would've looked like a toddler's block structure. I think if I were to tackle it, I probably would've wimped out and moved the barn to the right and shifted the perspective to make the pitch of the roof less tricky. But I'm basically a coward so there you are. Doriene
Howdy, Dori! I think that I got the barn just a little to the right and the horizon line up just high enough to make the composition work. Yes, the perspective is subtle enough to verge on looking stupid, but I think my little bit of texture and detail saves it.
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