MATERIALS
• Gesso board prepared by the artist.
• Art Spectrum oil paints: Ultramarine Blue; Cadmium Yellow; Alizarin Crimson; Cadmium Orange; Raw Sienna; Burnt Sienna; Viridian; French Titanium White.
STEP ONE
When I begin a painting, I seek to arrange the composition as best I can. Drawing and placement of the elements is important at this stage. It is crucial to get positioning right at this early stage, or I will suffer the dreaded re-corrections later.
I begin all my paintings with a rough sketch of thinned wash, preferring Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue – these two colours won’t bleed and affect any colourings later, as they are neutrals. I keep the sketch rough. Time is of the essence when working outdoors, and most of the sketch will be covered in paint at the end.
At this stage I try to keep my washes thin, and true to my visual interpretation. I always begin my washes in the foreground and work back through each distance.
STEP TWO
I have secured four distances, and my tonal values appear correct – all dark tones receding to create a misty feeling.
My palette consists of only six colours, as I prefer to keep my paintings harmonious. Most colour magazines are printed with four colour proofs; the variety from these colours, when combined, is endless.
My darks consist of Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue and Alizarin Crimson.
The fleshy parts of the gums are Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson and Burnt Sienna to grey the mix. Foreground grasses are a combination of Raw Sienna, Alizarin Crimson and touches of Ultramarine Blue, as required. The second distance tree shapes are Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson and Burnt Sienna – with white to tonally suit.
I keep the shapes simple at this stage. I can refine them as the pure paint is applied.
The two remaining distances are lighter in tone, with a touch more blue to enhance the mists.
STEP THREE
It is time to begin the paint application – beginning with the sky. The sky sets the key for all that lies in front of it. The sky is always warmer at the base, as the atmosphere creates a veil in front of anything that lies three metres behind. You can notice this veil more during a mist.
I usually warm my sky base with combinations of white, Ultramarine Blue, yellow and Alizarin Crimson – then I add more Ultramarine Blue to these colours as I rise higher in the sky.
I usually split the sky into three regions and paint each region from left to right, forming a type of strata of colour. Then I deftly combine each strata with the other.
The background at this stage should be fairly simple. I keep looking at my focal point as I work the background.
STEP FOUR
Still working from back to front, I complete my tree shapes in colours to suit. The contrasts between light and shade are more subdued during a mist; and I keep the edges soft to maintain a feeling of misty air.
As I come forward, I increase the dark of the shadow tones of the trees and add my highlight colours to give a feeling of soft light against shadow. This also creates form.
I use combinations of Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow and Alizarin Crimson for my highlights; and white to tone. I also enhance the tree trunk edges with light.
FINAL STEP
I complete the large foreground gums at this stage and enhance form and transparent shadow in the flesh parts and bark, the foliage areas, and the bright light on the trunks and limbs. I don’t overstate my lights too much. The darks play a major roll in form. I have seen a lot of people lose good darks, only to end up with a flat trunk.
All that remains to be done now is the foreground grasses. I try to keep the foreground balanced with darks, mid-tones and lights … two tones never seem to give you the bright light, but three tones will. Light on light, so to speak.
My combinations are the same as the rear grasses, but more intense in colour.
It’s very important, when you paint, to know when to end your work. Many a painting has been destroyed through not knowing this fact.
MASTER HINTS AND TIPS
• The value of anything is only measured by the effort to aquire it. To paint it, you first have to see it correctly.
• My teacher was 1,000 failures.Embrace your failures – they will show you what not to do.
• Make your art unique … like you are.
• There are no shortcuts. The painting you will do five years from now can only be done five years from now.
• There are many steps to the top of the ladder, and to reach the top you have to climb them all.
