Here is the progression of my cable car painting that will be an acrylic workshop next month. I always start ALL of my paintings by blocking in color shapes and values or as nationally-known oil painter Kevin MacPhearson coins it: Valhues. Absolutely no refined detail here, only simple color/value shapes. Early on, after some blocking in, I decided that the tree "sucked". If you ever get to a "suck" stage in your painting progression, you can cry, swear, or poke a big hole in your canvas...or...maybe there might be a solution. Mine was to simplify. Sometimes going up a very steep San Francisco hill, all you see is sky. After I got in as much detail and refinement as I wanted, I completed the painting by laying in some gestural, impasto strokes of paint... this is more fun than a barrel of flats, filberts, and brights combined (I paint mostly with flats)! "Impasto in the defense of an exciting painting is no vice." You may quote me on this semi- paraphrase of Barry Goldwater's acceptance speech as a presidential candidate a million years ago: "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice". Sorry, I'm somewhat of a history buff.
10 comments:
Lovely as always and thanks for WIP pictures.
drastic times call for drastic measures. I like that the tree was eradicated. Exceptional painting!
Thank you for showing, very helpful!
Ah, a San Francisco sTREAT revisited! Can't wait to see this completed, David. I love trolleys!
Thank you Sudhi and Celeste! Glad you agree with my tree eradication, Celeste.
Maike, Ist "Josupeit: Deutsch? I like your recent work. You should check out an artist on my blog list by the name of David Loyld. His work has a similiar sparness of brush work as yours.
Autumn, The painting is completed. Where do you think it might need some more work?
Yes David I´m from Berlin, Germany.Thank you for your hint. I love your work (and your link list)
I understand the "suck" stage big time.
Hah, David! LOL I was waiting to see the tree on the left from the last time you painted the trolley. Also, for some reason, the last photo didn't load when I visited the first time so I did not see the people. No negative thoughts came through my mind ever. I think it is gorgeous!
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