MATERIALS
• Range of pots and tubes of selected paints, eg Windsor & Newton, Derivan Matisse, Art Spectrum, Atelier, Jo Sonja, etc.
• 3 x 1″ Flat bristle brushes
• 1 x size 8 round brush
• 1x 14″ flat brush
• 1 x Rigger or Fineliner
AIthough I generally work with oil paint, I have chosen to do this demonstration in acrylic because the colours are very bold, dry more quickly and can easily be painted over if alterations are needed. As backgrounds take quite a lot of paint, I find the sample pots the most economical. If needed they can be easily tinted, and it is more than likely that you will use all the contents of the pot before it has time to thicken and or dry out -even if the pot is not sealed completely. The recommended brushes work for me but you could use any brushes you are comfortable with
STEP ONE
Once I have decided on the format of my painting, I mist a fine spray of water across the horizon line to dampen the canvas and diffuse the paint to give an initial sense of perspective. Starting at the top and immediately getting rid of the ‘BIG WHITE SCARY CANVAS, I use a ‘cobalt sort of intense blue, adding a little more water to thin the paint as I near the horizon, bearing in mind that colours lose intensity with distance and become cooler as they recede. Next the foreground in red, remembering that warmer colours come forward, and finally sweep in some yellow on an angle, across the canvas.
I use a different brush for each colour, (usually 1″ stiff brush) and place them each in separate jars of water while my ‘masterpiece’ dries. Having clean brushes means there won’t be any accidental leaching if any areas need touching up as the paint dries. Mixing a little of the red and blue, giving a weak browny-purple shade, I reinforce the undulations of the distant hills.
STEP TWO
I am thinking I will portray two goofy emus leaning towards each other. After allowing the painting to dry completely and using a darkish brown or grey I lightly sketch in the long necks and head shapes, blocking in the beaks with an off-white.
STEP THREE
Backing off and surveying my work so far, I decide that the characters of my new ‘friends’ won’t be revealed unless I paint in the eyes. I use the same red and yellow of the background in the eyes which unify the painting. In the initial stages of the open mouth I use a very bright red. I mix a darker tone of the colour used in the neck and working with a flat 14″ brush, I commence the shadows under the chin and introduce the ‘hairy’ neck feathers.
STEP FOUR
Feeling the need for a break, I down tools and go for walk to check out the mail, or hang out the washing, and make a cup of coffee to enjoy whilst I study the work so far with a fresh set of eyes. I decide my two new friends look a little lost and would appreciate some companions, so using my very best friend “Homer – The Emu” (a brown paper cut out) as a guide to the positioning of our new mates, I sketch in three additional emus with pencil. I decide that five is a good number and make the centre one the tallest to give a more pleasing ‘triangular’ format. With the smallest one ‘Smiley’ at the back and ‘Cheeky’ pushing his head through the others, to me they appear to be jostling each other. Influenced by the commencement of a new football season, I decide that they are playing footy in the outback and are all yelling, “Kick it to me, Kick it to me!” And so that’s what it will be!
STEP FIVE
With all that organised, it is now just down to the easy, relaxing part of the painting. I make sure the phone answering machine is on; with classical music or jazz, depending on my mood, in the background and with the anticipation of entering a very happy place’ I close the door. I am in heaven.
Using a combination of flat and round brushes, the purples and browns left in my pallet, I give the beaks more form. I use the same purple I used on the distant hills for the shadows under the eyes, and an alizarin colour for the shadows in the mouths. Time flies.
Working contently with extra browns, greys, purple and red paints, my ’round’ brush and employing different thickness and lengths of strokes, I give fullness to the feathers, I am completely absorbed, and finish off the feathers with a ‘rigger ‘or ‘fine liner ‘and warm white paint.
FINAL STEP
And finally, using white I emphasize the prominent parts of the beak and nostrils and add highlights to the eyes and the foremost feathers.
With a cup of coffee, tea (or perhaps a wine), it’s time to leisurely peruse my day’s work. I place the painting in the frame … Do they need footy scarves and beanies? (Geelong Cats of course … or perhaps more appropriately … Gold Coast Suns!) Does the background need salt bush? I decide that less is best and happily I sign it, and place it in the frame more permanently. If I am not happy with it so far, I put it under the bed for the ‘under-the-bed’ boot fairies to weave their spell.
ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS
• Always buy the best quality canvas you can afford. Always undercoat your canvas with at least of two coats of Gesso, or acrylic paint, and sand in between coats. Sometimes you can pick up ‘miss-tints’ at very economical prices from local hardware and paint stores.
• Always plan your paintings with a pencil tone colour sketch ie if you are going to put a lot of detail in the foreground you will need a high horizon line, whereas if a BIG BLUE SKY (so typical of the outback) is your intention, then a low horizon line is best – remembering that the 1/3rd-2/3 rule gives a much more interesting picture than a mid-way horizon.
• Always take breaks during your painting, and when you think it’s finished or if it’s not working, put your painting out of sight for a while. It is amazing how much better it will look when you haven’t been so focused on it. One of my tutors used to leave her ‘unsatisfactory’ paintings in her car boot and let the ‘boot fairies work their magic’. I have often received help from my ‘under the bed fairies’.
• Try not to get ‘uptight’ with your painting………….after all it’s only some paint and a canvas…. and it can easily be painted over. Relax and enjoy the journey.
