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Step By Step Demonstration
Oil:
Quiet Moorings / Workum / Holland
The
source material for this oil painting came from a painting trip
with the Royal Society of Marine Artist’s to Heeg in Holland last
year. We spent four wonderful days sailing around the Iselmeer on
a Dutch Barge.
This
painting was painted using just three primary colours plus white
on a textured board.
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The
materials used for this painting were:
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16”x 12” board treated with one coat of ‘texture
paste’ and tinted with a ‘turpsy’ wash of Permanent Bright Red with
a touch of Cadmium Yellow Lemon .
Oil
paints by Vasari: Permanent Bright Red,
Ultramarine, Cadmium Yellow Lemon and a tube of Titanium White ‘Griffin’
Alkyd.
Escoda
4050 Oil brushes Nos. 4, 6, and 8.
White
Spirit or Turpentine. |
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Step
One:
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standard ‘Winsor and Newton’ canvas covered board was treated with
one coat of texture paste.
When dry, a coat of acrylic primer was added.
Finally the board was treated with a ‘turpsy’ wash of Permanent
Bright Red with a touch of Cadmium Yellow Lemon.
The
drawing was then carried out using a 2B pencil.
I
then began to ‘block in ‘ the boats’, concentrating mainly on the
‘darks’ and not being concerned with any detail at this stage. A
series of ‘blue-greys’, ‘blues’ and subdued ‘reds’ were mixed using
all the colours. |
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Step
Two:
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The trees and grassy banks were tackled next.
Although only three colours have been used a vast number of greens
can be mixed by varying the combination of the colours available.
Cooler greens are obtained by using the yellow with more blue, slightly
warmer ones by reducing the quantity of blue and finally, even warmer
ones by using small quantities of red.
The addition of white obviously lightens the mixes, but take care
to get the right balance as the addition of white not only cools
the mixes, but also reduces the intensity / chroma. To counteract
this effect it may be necessary to enliven the mix by the addition
of a little more colour. |
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Step
Three:
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The sky was now painted once again using varying
quantities of all three colours.
Notice how the colour in the bottom of the sky is a pale warm grey
and that there is a gradual colour change to warmer, stronger blues
as we progress to the top of the sky.
The clouds are mixed with blue and a touch of red and even less
yellow.
I was particularly careful at this stage with regard to the ‘edges’,
ensuring that where necessary ‘lost’ edges were introduced ensuring
a visual flow from one area to another.
To many hard edges result in a painting where the viewers eye never
rests and is forced from one hard edge to another, without moving
easily through the painting. |
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Step
Four:
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painting was completed by using stronger, warmer mixes of the sky
colour for the water, and generally cooler and darker green mixes
for the waterside reeds.
Final
details were now added, especially to the barges. I took care not
to overdo these details as it would be very easy to lose the ‘feel’
of the painting, which I felt captured the qualities of a ‘plein
air’ work. |
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Step
Five:
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last consideration was to take time for evaluation. asking myself
the following questions:
Does
the composition work? Especially with regard to the visual path
through the painting, and the ‘focal point’.
Does
the ‘tonal sequence’ and ‘colour harmony’ work?
Do
any of the ‘edges’ require strengthening or softening?
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Quiet
Moorings / Workum / Holland
Pil
"
x " (mm x mm)
Demonstration
Page
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