MATERIALS
• Selected stretched canvas panel.
• Artists’ acrylics: Phthalo Blue; Cobalt Turquoise; Brilliant Violet; Permanent Alizarin; Vermillion; Yellow Ochre; Cadmium Yellow Light; Phthalo Green; Permanent Green Light; Titanium White.
• Clear painting medium.
• Assorted brushes.
• Palette knives.
• Cardboard strips.
STEP ONE
Start with a strong all-over background colour of Phthalo Blue mixed with a touch of Phthalo Green to create a vibrant summer feel to the entire painting. Prepare your composition using reference photographs, taking care to ensure that the fallen tree trunk perspective takes the viewer’s eye across the water and into the far bank.
Using a warm mix of Phthalo Blue and Permanent Alizarin, roughly brush in the far bank and background foliage. A small house paint brush purchased at your local hardware shop is ideal for this early background work. Next, using a slightly cooler mix thinned with clear painting medium, draw in the fallen tree and the reflected shadows. Then with a cool mix of Phthalo Blue and Cadmium Yellow Light (again thinned with painting medium), brush some of the reflected foliage onto the water colour.
STEP TWO
The far bank is to be bathed in sunlight with the balance of the painting in soft shadow, creating an image of an early morning scene before the heat of the day sets in.
Commence blocking in the background trees, working from the back and building depth by painting the closer foliage over the background trees. The colours should be warm and the brush strokes loose; the shadows should be complementary to create vibrancy and strong contrast.
Use strips of cardboard and/or palette knives to create the spikey Pandanas leaves and to help build strong highlights. Keep building the layers and don’t be afraid to use plenty of colour; lastly start adding some of the warm colour reflections into the water closest to the bank, and work in the highlights to the fallen tree.
STEP THREE
Now, using a large flat brush and cool greens made from Phthalo Blue, Cadmium Yellow Light, Yellow Ochre and Titanium White, begin work on the closer foliage that overhangs the water. Study how the sunlight changes the subject and highlights the texture. Some of the foliage is lush and rounded while some can be rough and spiky – creating a random pattern. Again, use strong colours. The leaves in shadow can be a strong mix of Phthalo Blue while the dead leaves and glimpses of the ground can be painted from the other side of the colour wheel in warm orange/red colours.
The highlights can be pure white in the lightest areas; then picking up a little of the local colour where the light thins.
Once you are reasonably happy with the main foliage, mirror image the overhanging branches onto the water; then brush in the background tree trunks from the far bank.
The water on the top right of the painting is in full sunlight – so a wash of very light Phthalo Blue and white is brushed in, and some more definition is created on the main tree trunk.
STEP FOUR
To add some sparkle and energy into the painting, start adding great dollops of colour into the cooler water colour and the shadows of the bank. Aqua and a cool green are placed into the water, creating a dappled effect. Don’t overmix the colours here but allow them to sit beside each other on the canvas.
Specks of light and suggestions of movement in the water help to build an illusion of shimmery liquid. To build colour unity into the work, brush in some of the aqua onto the nearest leaves of the overhanging Pandanas. Once again, dollops of colour are dotted into the brightly lit areas to provide an illusion of dancing sunlight.
Let the painting dry off completely, then add glazes of Phthalo Blue,Phthalo Green and some Warm Yellow (thinned to approximately 1:50) to add just a hint of colour with each glaze. This will add depth to the water and define the shadowed areas. Keep building the glazes until you are satisfied with the result.
FINAL STEP
After some contemplation, some patches of sunlight can be added to the water at the front left of the painting to encourage the viewer’s eye into the painting. Soft horizontal brush strokes are added around where the water meets the tree trunk – suggesting a slight current in the water.
Sign your work and finish off with two or three coats of gloss varnish.
MASTER HINTS AND TIPS
• Working from photographs is great – but spend time with your subject matter. If you are doing a landscape, go bush as often as you can and study the random wonder of Nature. If painting figurative works, join a life drawing class to build your skills in body proportions and texture.
• When working with acrylics (especially in hot and humid conditions like Darwin), use only quality paints. The Atelier Interactive range is great. Keep a spray bottle handy and mist your work as you go.
• Don’t overmix your colours.Place complimentary colours beside each other on your palette and load both colours onto your brush. I use colours straight from the tube and rely heavily on the colour wheel theory to create energy and impact in my work.
• Try not to get too finicky. Work on bigger surfaces and you will be able to loosen your style and become more spontaneous with your brush strokes.
• Working from photographs is great – but spend time with your subject matter. If you are doing a landscape, go bush as often as you can and study the random wonder of Nature. If painting figurative works, join a life drawing class to build your skills in body proportions and texture.
• When working with acrylics (especially in hot and humid conditions like Darwin), use only quality paints. The Atelier Interactive range is great. Keep a spray bottle handy and mist your work as you go.
• Don’t overmix your colours.Place complimentary colours beside each other on your palette and load both colours onto your brush. I use colours straight from the tube and rely heavily on the colour wheel theory to create energy and impact in my work.
• Try not to get too finicky. Work on bigger surfaces and you will be able to loosen your style and become more spontaneous with your brush strokes.
