PAINTING OUTDOORS

PAINTING OUTDOORS

Before Starting Out

Check Your Equipment

Make certain that all the colors you will need are in your paint box. There is nothing worse than finally find­ing an ideal subject after a long trip and discovering that the white paint is missing! Check your brushes, too, and make sure you have enough paint rags.

Always Carry a Reserve Panel

Paint boxes are designed to carry two to three panels. Carry at least one extra panel even though you intend to limit yourself to a single painting. If you get off to a poor start it is better to discard the canvas for the moment, since reworking into a wet canvas generally produces muddy color. And a fresh panel with its inviting white surface will be more of an inspiration to start fresh. The light may change drastically when you are halfway through a painting. Rather than attempt to adjust the painting to a cloudy sky or some other change, start a new canvas.

Travel As Lightly As Possible

If you have a considerable amount of walking to do to reach your sketching spot, travel as lightly as possible. To be exhausted by the time you are ready to paint certainly will not help you to produce your best work. The easel can often be temporarily dispensed with if you are work­ing on a panel size that will fit your paint box. If the weather permits, a newspaper can be substituted for a sketching stool, or you might even find a convenient rock to sit on.

Dress Appropriately for the Outdoors

It is not at all necessary to go to extremes—avoiding white clothes, for instance, because light cloth can reflect into a painting and affect the color—but you should dress sensibly lor the season of the year. It does not take long to lose enthusiasm when you are shivering while painting a winter subject on a cold day. And you will be less subject to eyestrain as well as heat if you wear a hat with a brim or a peak during the summer.

Starting Out

The primary advantage of painting or sketching out­doors is that nature is constantly supplying fresh ideas, color schemes, hitherto unseen details, and the passing effect of many moods. The painter's imagination is con­stantly stimulated. Select a time of day when the light is interesting and fairly steady. Whether you complete your painting in one sitting or return to the spot on successive days depends upon both your technical ability and what you are attempting to do. A fleeting effect has to be cap­tured at one time, but an exhaustive study, or series of studies, can be made for several days. Of course, the weather and the season of the year are vital factors.

Always carry a small pad with you on which to make pre­liminary pencil or pen compositions. Make several sketches —they can be rough and do not have to be large—2 x 3 inches will suffice. This is time well spent, for a pleasing composition will excite and sustain interest in the subject until it is completed on the canvas.

Some examples of preliminary compositions are shown on the following page.

THE THREE BASIC RULES FOR WORKING OUTDOORS

1. Determine your horizon line, making sure that all your receding lines converge properly. Sketch the general contours of the big shapes. Keep them fairly angular and avoid drawing details too soon.

2. The same advice applies to shading. Indicate the large masses first, in simple light and shade. Avoid using half­tones at this stage. Watch your source of light and keep it consistent.

3. Put in the half-tones, constantly checking the rela­tionship of the light and dark values. Then render the de­tails and necessary accents in the final stage to complete the picture.

THE SKETCH VERSUS THE STUDY

So far we have used the term "sketching" to mean the making of a pictorial representation that is complete in itself.

We have avoided rendering the minute details, being interested only in capturing a spontaneous interpretation of the subject.

Along with making sketches, time should be taken to make studies. Since we plan eventually to work our sketches into larger finished paintings in the studio, some details of the various objects that make up the composi­tion may be needed. For example, if you have a large tree in the immediate foreground you will need more than just an impression of the tree. The bark may possess an in­teresting textural quality. Take the time to make a de­tailed study of the bark formation.

If large rocks occupy an important part of your sketch, you will have to do more than just indicate them in light and shade. Supplementary studies should be made so that rough and smooth areas, crevices, moss stain, and other details are recorded.

Studies should be made of subtle color effects. Occa­sionally just paint the color passage of the foreground area. At other times concentrate on the sky alone. You will find that there are times when the scene before you does not produce much inspiration. Instead of wasting time waiting or hoping for a more receptive mood, single out an area and make a study of it.

Tight black-and-white studies, rendered with pencil or pen, are excellent disciplinary exercises if you have a tendency to work carelessly.

Whether you make studies for later studio paintings or just as a discipline, you will find them well worth the time spent.

THE VIEW-FINDER

A view-finder is a mechanical aid for the painter. It is simply a piece of cardboard with a rectangular opening in it that corresponds roughly to the proportions of your canvas. Assuming that you are working on a 12-x-16-inch panel, the opening would be 3 x 4 inches. A margin of a few inches around the opening will suffice for blocking-out purposes. By focusing the finder on the subject before you, moving it up and down or from left to right, you can select what you think is the most pleasing arrangement. The margin of the finder blocks off enough of the scene to allow you to concentrate on what you see through the opening. You will have use for the finder only during the planning of the composition. Once this has been arrived at the finder can be put back in your paint box, thumb-tacked to the inside of the lid for safe-keeping. Some paint­ers paint their view-finders black to give them a definitely concentrated contrast in their selection of the arrange­ment.

You will have to squint or close one eye when focusing and vary the distance when holding the finder, depending on the amount of subject matter you wish to include.

The scene in its en­tirety, before using the view-finder.

A vertical arrangement emphasizes the figure.

Cropping the mountains makes the foreground im­portant.

Interest is concentrated on the middle and fore­ground by cropping the sky.

Centering the view-finder gives all the elements equal importance.

ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT

When sketching outdoors we soon become conscious of a blue tone or haze that seems to envelop the distant ob­jects in the landscape. This is particularly noticeable when there are hills or mountains in the distance. The more distant they are the bluer they become.

We soon discover that colors are affected by aerial, some­times referred to as atmospheric, perspective. Colors be­come grayer and bluer as they recede. Of the basic primary colors it is yellow that first diminishes in intensity. This becomes evident when we observe hills. Assume that we are doing a summer subject and all the hills are covered with green foliage. There is no mistaking the green of the hill close to us, for the yellow is still apparent, but as the hills recede the yellow gradually disappears and the blue predominates. The next color to diminish is red. An ex­ample is immediately apparent in a mountain subject. As the violet mountains go farther back, the red evaporates and the distant range becomes blue. In turn, the blue is affected by the atmospheric quality and becomes lighter, finally vanishing in the haze.

The picture opposite is a simplified illustration of aerial values. It is important to remember that sharp edges come forward and soft edges recede, and to add your details in the shadow areas, not in the light.

Although the illustration has been reduced to just black, and three grays, more intermediate tones of gray could be added.

You may wish to use some of your discarded landscape sketches to experiment with the recession of color as it is affected by the atmosphere. Select a sketch—it can be oil, water color, or pastel—whose chief fault lies in its being off in tonal values. Outline in warm colors the objects and large forms that are close to you. In the middle distance start using cooler colors, until the far distance is rendered with just a faint blue outline which finally disappears completely.

The outline does not have to envelop each shape en­tirely. Rather, use a "lost-and-found" line. When complet­ing the altered sketch you will immediately perceive how the warm outline shapes come forward and the cool ones recede.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF A SUBJECT

If you find a subject that stimulates you, get the most out of it. Study it in various lights—in the morning light, for instance, as compared with the warmer late afternoon. Although noon gives the most unflattering light, the sub­ject may be one that lends itself to the best interpretation at that time. I have favorite subjects that I return to time and again. Along with studying them under varying light­ing conditions, I return at different seasons of the year to paint them and discover new inspiration.

SOLVING EACH PROBLEM AS IT ARISES

If you find that drawing a particular subject is difficult for you, do not rush into painting with the desperate hope that the application of color will solve everything. Instead, make your small preliminary compositions, select one, and spend the rest of the time drawing it on the canvas. You can outline it with French Ultramarine, checking the drawing constantly, and conclude by giving some thought to the light and shadow areas.

Keep thinking about the subject—its arrangement, its color, how you are going to interpret it—and the next day return to the same spot. You have already solved the problem of drawing it to the best of your ability. Now you have the full sitting in which to concentrate on the paint­ing. You will make better progress by isolating each prob­lem, finding the best possible solution to it, and then tackling the next one.

This is a procedure that insures progress, and it is one that many professional artists follow. They will work a long time on a single theme—anything from a still life containing a textural problem to nocturnes. It can be subject matter of a religious nature, a scene in a foreign country, or the lighting effect on a particular surface. Whatever the subject, the professional artist makes ex­haustive studies of it. When he feels that he has inter­preted the subject to the extent of his capabilities he may have a one-man exhibition whose theme is the solution of the problem. It is surprising how few people who view the paintings realize this; most regard it simply as subject matter that has appealed to the artist. This can be partly true, but only the artist knows to what extent he has met the challenge of solving his particular problem.

PAINTING LIGHT AND SHADOW

• The placing of a cast shadow will often give interest and mystery to what would otherwise be a monotonous area.
  
  
• By using a more vivid color as an accent along the edges of the light area where they meet the shadows, the sunny effect is heightened.
  
  
• Another way to avoid having cast shadows appear too heavy is to place strong dark accents within the shadow areas. The contrast makes the cast shadow seem lighter and a feeling of luminosity is imparted.
  

• An objectionable foreground can often be minimized by introducing a cast shadow in the immediate foreground. This shadow is also a good device for focusing the spec­tator's interest into the middle-ground area when desired.
  
  
• In painting a sunny subject, the glaring light striking some o£ the objects appears to be pure white. Put a touch of Light Yellow or Yellow Ochre in the white paint and it will accentuate the feeling of glare.
  
  
• Watch the cast shadows on areas such as roads and flat rooftops. Keep in mind that the light falling from the sky penetrates these shadows, adding to their luminosity.
  
  
• Shadows often appear to be very dark, particularly on a bright, glaring day, and students frequently paint them too heavily. Keep in mind that the shadows always contain a certain amount of reflected light and paint them accordingly.
  

• Just painting the shadow areas alone gives the viewer a comprehensive realization of the subject. In continuing the painting, place the details and accents in these shadow areas and keep the light area fairly flat and simple. A sur-prisingly strong interpretation of the subject will result.
  
  
• The shapes and colors of shadows are most interesting to paint in late-afternoon or early-morning light.
  
  
• Indicate all the shadow areas at the same time, so that they are truly related to one another. If you paint them piecemeal, by the time the entire canvas is covered the angle of light will have changed their length.

TREES

Because trees form one of the most important elements in landscape painting, much time should be spent study­ing them. While it is not necessary to be able to identify every tree by name, the painter should become thoroughly familiar with their characteristics. Their anatomy can be more thoroughly studied in the late autumn or winter when they are bare of leaves.

A typical example is the difference in the trunks of trees. Generally a fast-growing tree is much straighter than a slow-growing one. Notice how the branches leave the trunk, so that you will have some knowledge of what is taking place when you paint the tree in full leaf at a later date. The notes you make when the trees are bare will aid in understanding how the masses or clusters of green leaves are formed by the under-structure.

When drawing or painting the foliage of the tree, look for the large masses first. Try to see the entire tree as broadly as possible. After indicating the largest masses, look for the secondary forms within these masses. Disre­gard the leaves—squint your eyes so that you see only the general masses.

Keep the mass effect in mind at all times when you are painting in color. Choose a time of day when the light and shade areas are clearly visible, to help you to define the big shapes.

The Same Subject in Autumn

Avoid the obvious green used by inexperienced painters. Study the clusters of trees before you, noticing how some are more bluish than others. Observe that what at first seemed to be a definite green in a neighboring tree really has a yellowish cast, while another may run to more brown.

Exaggerate these colors when you apply them to the canvas, and it is surprising how readily your eye will ac­cept them as an interesting group of trees. Your first efforts may contain some raw color but you will soon learn to modify it. By using this approach in painting trees you will avoid the deadly monotony of obvious green.

• Study a branch in your studio. Take special note of the angles—of how the smaller branches leave the larger one. Note the gradual tapering toward the ends of the twigs.

• Add a decorative note to the subject by composing a painting so that the trees form a frame.
  
  
• The spots of sky that are seen breaking through a tree are often painted too light. When we look at these spots and see them enveloped by dark green leaves the contrast often exaggerates the light that penetrates. In order to keep these spots from "jumping out" of the tree, paint them in a slightly lower key than the rest of the sky. The smaller the spot, the lower the key.
  
  
• When painting a group of trees, look for a light tree against a darker tree to add variety to the scene.
  

• You will find it helpful to draw a tree as it grows, from the base upward, from trunk to branch to twig. The area that it is to occupy can be lightly indicated, but when do­ing the actual drawing start at the base working upward and outward to the tips.

• Try to convey the feeling that the base of your tree is really growing out of the ground, with its roots gripping the earth. Many beginners paint their trees as if they were upright logs, cut sharply and flush with the ground.
  
  
• Avoid painting a clear, definite line where the tree meets the grass; soften the edge instead. Notice how the grass is reflected upon the tree trunk and paint some of this green into the trunk.
  

• An excellent exercise is to make as many compositions as possible using the same tree as a motif. You will learn how a tree can be a complete composition in itself, how the tree can influence the foreground, how it can become a subordinate element in a vista, how it can guide the eye to
  the middle ground or the distance.
  
  
• Mistakes are frequently made in drawing the branches emerging from the main limbs. Remember that the branches grow in different directions from the limbs.
  
  
• Simplify the modeling of the trees as they recede by limiting the tonal range.
  
  
• Watch the edges of your foliage; a sharply defined edge comes forward and a soft edge recedes.
  

The Silhouette Reveals the Identity of the Tree

While the silhouette reveals the identity of the tree, keep in mind the importance of its depth. Take pains to depict the clustered areas of leaves that come toward you as well as those that recede.

WATER

Generally the dark areas of an object reflected in water appear slightly grayed and the light areas a bit darker, because water has a neutralizing effect on all reflected color. The amount of neutralization varies according lo the in­tensity of the source of light; it will be more for a dull gray sky than for a bright blue one.

Typical reflection on a calm day.

Same reflection affected by wind.

On an absolutely still day the reflection will be mirror-like. Any breeze that blows, however slight, will cause wavelets that break and distort the shape of the reflection.

If this slight breeze turns into a strong wind the surface of the water is so broken that the ripples become surging waves, completely destroying the reflection.

• Notice the sky when you are painting a lake, a river, or any inland water. The color of the sky will generally determine the color of the water.
  
  
• When painting the reflections of trees, paint the foliage first and then the branches.
  
  
• Notice the line of light that is generally seen at the base of the immediate reflections of river banks, shorelines, and even the edges of puddles.
  
  
• A body of water varies in color from the immediate foreground to the distant horizon. Its color is affected by the amount and quality of light it receives from its depth, its shallow areas, the sky, prevailing winds, and reflections of its surroundings.
  
  
• By using more medium than usual when painting with oil, a more fluid stroke is attended. This is helpful in giving a more liquid look to the water.
  
  
• Keep in mind the rules of perspective when rendering ripples or wavelets, which should become deeper as the) come nearer to you.
  
  
• When painting water breaking or swirling over rocks, notice how the greenish cast of the water and the foam accents the reddish tinge of the projecting rocks.
  
  
• When painting a rocky coastline, make frequent use of the palette knife for depicting the rocks. The knife helps to achieve the rugged textural quality of the rock. Keep the undertones warm, working up to the local color.
  

SKIES

The sky creates the mood of the landscape. It determines the quality of light that permeates the entire subject. Normally lighter at the horizon, the sky gradually be­comes deeper overhead.

However, it is not until cloud formations appear that a feeling of movement is imparted to a painting, and the painting of clouds is a major problem for many students. They load the canvas with white paint, hoping to cap­ture the fleeting effect before them, and the clouds soon take on a chalky, overworked look with no semblance of atmospheric quality. Clouds are not as white as they first appear to be. They must be carefully observed and the lost-and-found quality of their edges determined, then they can be composed into the sky area to strengthen the entire design of the painting.

It would be wise to make, first, several pencil drawings of the various formations so that some knowledge is ac­quired of their anatomy. At the same time study their values. Notice that the smaller, wispy clouds are darker in value as compared to the larger, heavier clouds. Follow this period of drawing by painting cloud studies, again observing that the smaller clouds are cooler in color when contrasted to the warmer tone of the larger clouds.

Some painters apply a toning of yellow ochre and white over the entire sky area. They then paint the sky, leaving the toning the shape of the cloud formations. The clouds are then lightened and modeled to the degree de­sired. This method helps avoid the chalkiness that is so often found in students' work.

As you continue to work and observe you will discover that, while the clouds are constantly changing, a certain pattern does exist. The formation will never be exactly the same, but the pattern will help you to establish a con­vincing rendering of the clouds.

• There is no definite rule as to when the sky should be painted in the development of the subject, but since the sky is the key to the landscape, it should constantly be compared to the rest of the subject to determine the degree of contrast in color values. A water-colorist may prefer to do the sky first, because it is easier to paint any intricate dark shapes over the sky area than to paint the sky around the shapes. On the other hand, a painter using oil may just indicate a few strokes of the sky value overhead, a few more at the horizon, and then concentrate on covering the landscape area. He can work on the sky again later and design cloud forms to fit the over-all composition. Whatever approach you use, always keep checking the re­lationship of the sky to the landscape.

• When clouds are painted high in the sky the objects below appear shorter. When painted lower, toward the horizon, the clouds impart a feeling of majestic height to the objects.
  
  
• The rawness of the blue that is found in so many students' skies can be modified with Raw Umber or Light
  
  
• Red. A touch of either color added to the blue mixture will neutralize the color.
  
  
• A more "atmospheric" quality can be given to blue skies in a water color by first laying a light Umber wash over the sky area. Allow it to dry before applying the blue.

• When the landscape is flat and uninteresting, have the sky dominate the composition. Stress the cloud formation, making it as exciting and interesting as possible.
  
  
• Clouds offer a ready means to express recession in your painting. They are the most flexible element in the com position.
  
  
• Use cloud forms as an aid in designing the picture.
  
  
• Opposite is shown one of several methods of painting clouds and sky. The clouds are quickly sketched in when an interesting formation takes place, the modeling of their forms follows, and the color of the sky is painted last.
  

PROCEDURE IN PAINTING CLOUDS AND SKY

FOREGROUND

• Take care not to make the general tone of the foreground too dark, especially if it is in shadow. It should always be luminous enough so that dark bjects can be discerned and sharp accents defined.
  
  
• Broken color and paint applied in an impasto manner will impart a textural quality.
  
  
• Because aerial perspective controls the degree of local color, objects closer to you will be stronger in color.
  
  
• The view-finder described on page 80 will be a great help in determining the amount of foreground to include in the painting.
  
  
• If your foreground has a tendency to become fuzzy or overworked, some touches of paint applied with the palette knife will give it an immediate feeling of crisp vitality.
  
  
• Avoid placing a figure in full light in the immediate foreground unless you want the landscape reduced to secondary interest.
  
  
• Be careful not to distort objects. A bush that is close to you will resemble a tree if allowance is not made for the distorted perspective.
  
  
• By establishing the base line of your subject a bit higher, an objectionable immediate foreground can often be eliminated.
  
  
• It is necessary to render a certain amount of detail to bring the foreground toward you, but do not overdo it. Too much detail will prevent the viewer's eye from traveling over the entire composition.
  

OIL-PAINTING DEMONSTRATIONS

The demonstrations that follow are necessarily broken down into stages to show the gradual painting of the sub­ject. After you have been painting for some time, you will realize the danger of painting by a formula, and what I am trying to show in these demonstrations is just one ap­proach out of many that could be applied to the particular subject. It is meant to give a method of keeping the sub­ject under control throughout the painting, to help the beginner avoid what I have seen happen to many ama­teurs, who work hard at painting for a while, only to give up in disgust. Some load the canvas so heavily with un­wieldy paint in trying to capture the color before them that they get a muddy effect. Others apply the paint so thinly that the result is a sad, weak, washed-out presenta­tion. Still others are in such a hurry to start painting that they neglect the preliminary drawing or composition and the subject becomes unrecognizable.

These demonstrations illustrate a planned procedure for constructive painting. A drawing is made or some definition of the lines of the composition is indicated. This is followed by a toned indication of light and shade, and then by the application of color. This approach may vary with some subjects under the conditions shown.

By separating the subject into these various stages you tackle one problem at a time, giving yourself a chance to isolate and solve each problem in a way that allows the gradual development of the painting.

The following demonstrations show some methods that can be used in developing a painting. They have been painted expressly for this book to give you an idea of the construction that precedes the surface effect of the finished painting. Although the technical aspect of the finished work cannot be neglected, the beginner should be more concerned with the construction than with acquiring a technique as soon as possible. As you work and experi­ment you will gradually develop a technique that will permit you to express yourself. In this use "technique" may be compared to handwriting—it is the surface brush-work interpretation of the subject. However, the technical aspect of the proper mixing of colors, the use of painting media and surfaces, the knowledge of permanent and fugitive colors, and so on should be learned as early as possible. In other words, be a good workman by learning your craft well from the start.

There are two ways of approaching oil painting, as shown in these demonstrations. In one method the entire painting is usually executed in one session, without any of the passages being allowed to dry. The surface is al­ways wet, because the colors are applied directly to the can­vas or over one another. This is known as "alia prima."

The other method is to paint areas or passages and al­low them to dry thoroughly before repainting over the same area. The preliminary painting should always be done thinly and the subsequent painting gradually ap­plied more heavily, to help avoid future cracking of the paint layers. This procedure has many advantages over the first method, because it makes it easier to maintain control of the painting. The painting surfaces can grad­ually be built up and many interesting textures developed. In the process of drying some of the color passages may turn dull and need to be sprayed with a bit of retouch varnish before the area is repainted. This will restore the color and provide a better surface for subsequent paint­ing. The disadvantage of the second method is the chance of the painting becoming "cold"—that is, losing both your interest and the spirit of the subject. In contrast, the alia prima method insures spontaneity and a more fluent ef­fect.

Try both ways of painting. Your temperament or the subject may determine how you want to work. In any event, most of the times that you paint on the spot directly from nature you will want to complete the painting in one session. If you decide later on to make a large studio painting from the spot sketch, you can then work more de­liberately, planning each step and taking as much time as necessary to complete the painting.

Sketch At All Times

Most of the subjects chosen for the following demonstra­tions were painted under strong sunlight; consequently the student can grasp the arrangement of light and shadow with little difficulty. The subjects are also of tangible substance rather than pure landscapes, thus sim­plifying the problem of drawing and subsequent painting. To get the most out of these demonstrations, pick similar subjects, and use the approach suggested in paintings of your own. As you progress, you will gradually develop your own approaches to particular subjects.

THE THREE PRINCIPAL STEPS IN PAINTING A LANDSCAPE IN OIL

The three principal steps in producing an oil painting are the drawing of the subject, the arrangement of light and shade, and the application of color. The amount of de­tail necessary in the drawing depends upon the subject. Either charcoal or pencil can be used.

As you progress you will undoubtedly eliminate many of the smaller details and merely indicate the large masses. The amount of drawing needed for the average subject is shown below. The arrangement of light and shade fol­lows. This is generally indicated by using French Ultra­marine, which is applied very thinly so that it does not noticeably affect the subsequent coloring.

Shown opposite is the painting completed in color. Do not be concerned if the blue paint used in the previous step shows through. That is why we use blue—it helps the atmospheric quality of landscape painting.

The arrangement of light and shade.

The drawing.

Rolling Hills

In this demonstration, the drawing which is the first step is less detailed than in the previous demonstration. As our subject is one o£ rolling country, with few man-made ob­jects to be depicted, only the big masses are indicated. The lines are kept angular. The subject is then redrawn more accurately with French Ultramarine, using a small brush.

Since we are assuming in this demonstration that we want to capture the effect before us as quickly as possible, we will dispense with the usual blue lay-in and dark ar­rangement. Instead, we shall go directly into color.

The composition is lightly indicated with charcoal.

The subject is re­drawn more accu­rately with French Ultramarine.

Mountain Country

So far we have shown the use of a comprehensive draw­ing and one with less detail, simply indicated with angular lines preparatory to painting. Now we have a subject in which it is important to capture the quality of rhythm. While it is still simply indicated, we now concentrate on depicting the rhythmic forms in our preliminary drawing. We continue with the French Ultramarine lay-in and make it more realistic but still hold the rhythm of line.

The rhythm of line is stressed in the prelimi­nary drawing on the canvas.

The subject is then more realistically ren­dered, using only French Ultramarine very thinly.

Rocks and Surf

In this subject movement must be captured, and it is important that the surf be indicated in a pleasing arrange­ment before the painting is begun. Study the subject well before you start your drawing. As you observe the rolling surf you will detect a certain pattern that takes form just before the water breaks over the rocks. Make some pre­liminary pencil notes to help you establish the surf pat­tern. Then make the drawing directly with the brush, on the canvas, using French Ultramarine. When you start to paint let the white of the canvas be the surf pattern. The actual painting of the surf does not take place until the final stage. If you attempt to paint it too soon you are likely to become so involved with the constant motion that you will accumulate merely a mass of unwieldy paint.

The drawing is made directly on the canvas with French Ultramarine.

The illustration above shows the water sketchily painted with Viridian and French Ultramarine; the rooftops with Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Red Light; and lighthouse shadow areas with French Ultramarine, Alizarin Crimson and a touch of Ivory Black. The sand area follows, with Yellow Ochre and Cadmium Yellow Light. Below is the start of the modeling of the rocks, with the shadow area painted with Light Red, French Ultramarine, and a touch of Cadmium Red Light.

Harbor Vista

An accurate drawing is necessary in painting a vista be­cause, besides requiring a more ambitious composition, the perspective requires a detailed rendering. Make sev­eral small preliminary pencil sketches in your notebook until a suitable composition is obtained. Then make a careful drawing on the canvas. Because the color arrange­ment is most vital in this subject, we start working directly with paint, indicating the color in the shaded area first. It is surprising how the subject immediately takes on a comprehensive impression with just these areas covered with paint and the light areas remaining the white of the original canvas.

A careful drawing is made ot the subject.

Bay Road

As you work you may arrive at a stage in which you are satisfied with the drawing and tonal quality of your paint­ings but feel that they lack color. Or you may be timid with the use of color, fearing that it will become blatant if you use it boldly. This demonstration shows the use of a bright preliminary or underpainting to insure a vivid fin­ished painting. After the usual drawing is made, the can­vas is covered in all except the sunniest areas with a warm interpretation of the local colors. Use enough medium, particularly turpentine, to insure a thin, almost water-color-like staining of the canvas. The over-all effect will be one of over-bright, verging on gaudy, color. Then paint into this underpainting, while it is still wet, the color you feel it should be. You will discover that the bright under­painting will affect the subsequent color enough to make it more vivid and rich. You will also find that when you are working directly, with color painted over a wet under-painting, it is easier to tone down a color over a brilliant base than it is to brighten color over a dull color.

The Old Barn

In this section, painting with a palette or painting knife is demonstrated. The use of the knife is described on page 129.

The previous demonstration of Bay Road illustrated one way of obtaining brighter color. Painting with a knife also insures clear, vibrant color; it is the constant brush­ing of mixed color that so often produces a dull effect. By eliminating the brush and using only a knife a feeling of vitality is immediately imparted to the color on the can­vas. It does not matter how much you stir the paint with a knife, it will still remain fresh and clean. Just a brief in­dication of the composition is needed, as the object of this demonstration is to do all the work with the knife. A di­rect, broad effect of the subject is our aim. Painting with a knife is also an excellent way to eliminate the tendency to put in unnecessary details.

A simple drawing is made of the subject and roughly outlined with a brush, using French Ultramarine.

Palette-Knife Painting

1. Strokes made with the tip of the knife (foliage, etc.)
   
   
2. Strokes applied with a downward motion in graduating tones.
   
   
3. Graduating tones applied horizontally are easier to blend for sky, etc.
   
   
4. Paint applied in a solid manner and then scraped while still wet.
   
   
5. Light paint over wet background for turbulent feeling, water, etc.
   
   
6. Scraping after dark paint has become tacky.
   
   
7. Paint dabbed on thinly with tip of knife.
   
   
8. Shapes scraped into wet background.
   
   
9. Light paint applied heavily and allowed to dry. Dark paint then applied flatly, followed by scraping.

PALETTE-KNIFE PAINTING

Painting with the palette knife is an excellent method to acquire a broad handling of oil paint. Any tendency to­ward tightness or muddy color is overcome when the brushes are put aside for a while and the entire painting is rendered with a knife. Clean, sparkling effects can be achieved, for it is virtually impossible to have the color go muddy or dull as so frequently happens when colors are mixed with a brush.

Your first attempts may be awkward until you have ac­quired the knack of applying the color to the canvas with the knife. Make certain that the blade is flexible.

The average palette knife is primarily designed for re­moving the paint from the palette and scraping unwanted color off the canvas. It necessarily has a stiffer blade than that used for painting. What you want is really a "paint­ing knife," which can be obtained in a variety of sizes and shapes.

As you use the knife your work immediately assumes a feeling of vitality. In contrast to brushes, which quickly become stained with color, the knife is easily cleaned with a wipe of the paint rag.

You may find it feasible to combine the knife and the brush for some subjects. Interesting textures can be ob­tained with this combination; for example, the sky can be painted with the brush and the clouds given more vi­tality with touches of the knife, or water might be painted smoothly with a brush and the rocks with the knife to give an interesting contrast.

The demonstration on pages 124-127 shows the use of the knife only in the rendering of the subject.

WATER-COLOR DEMONSTRATIONS

The Lone House

For our initial demonstration of water-color painting a simple subject has been chosen. We will also work with a limited selection of paints, so that you can discover the variety of colors that can be obtained by mixing. The en­tire picture demonstrated here was painted with eight colors.

First a careful pencil drawing was made of the subject on a sheet of cold-pressed water-color board. Board was chosen for this first demonstration to insure that the sur­face would not buckle when wet color was applied. This leaves us free to concentrate on the mixing of the necessary colors and the actual painting.

As you progress you will want to experiment with paper instead of board. You will find that paper, although it will occasionally buckle, particularly in the lighter weights, will impart more luminosity and a more pleasing textural quality to your work.

A careful pencil drawing is made of the subject.

The Red Barn

Maine Boatman

In this subject the two lightest elements, the sky and the water, are painted first. The dark trees and the foreground follow, and a range from light to dark is immediately estab­lished. The rest of the picture is then painted, with the sky and the foreground as guides for values.

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