Drawing the Line

Or in this case, painting the line.  My favorite brush of all, the one that I use the most, is the liner brush.  The tip is about a half inch long and is about the same width as a pen tip.  You can paint almost anything with it, it just takes a long time because it is so small.  If you do not have patience, THIS IS NOT THE BRUSH FOR YOU.

In this painting...

The Fantastic Fan Brush

If you have ever walked down the painting aisle in Michaels you know just how many different kinds of brushes there are to choose from.  Each brush is unique: round, flat, wide, skinny.  One of my favorites is the fan brush.  I am sure it is easily recognizable, as it is shaped like a fan, but just to be sure, I put a picture of it taken against my pallet.

The fan brush can be used for many things, least of which is cooling yourself off.  I use this brush at least once in every painting when working on...

A Impressionist's View

An Impressionist's view of the world is simple; there is color and there is shape.  I agree that color and shape make up the world that we see, and that it often looks fascinating to represent that which we see by shapes and colors, but to me, a painting is not complete without the textures.

In painting, I first block in color and shape, much like an Impressionist.  However, when they would call the painting finished, I see one that has only just begun.  It starts with...

Sand and a Seat

This week in my painting, sand washed up from the marsh.  A light tan, mixed from Titanium White, Raw Umber Violet, Yellow Ochre, and Viridian.  Yes, Viridian.  I didn't see it when I first picked up the photo myself, but the marsh grass seems to actually reflect some of its light on the sand.  I tried to dab in the effect as best as I could but this is still the base coat, there is plenty of room for refinement later on.

Next, a chair was constructed with Titanium White, Viridian and Phthalo Blue.  The geometry was attempted to get as close to the adirondack's as possible, but once again, it may need to be changed a bit later on.

Finally a fire pit popped up mixed with the same colors as the sand, just different shades.  Now all that is left to block in is the final chair, so that a happy family can walk into the painting and enjoy the view.

~ The Anonymous Bard 11/4/11

Blocking In

The sky comes first, but before detail can be added to the painting, it is best to block in the painting, which means to put a base coat of paint on the rest of the picture.  Thankfully, this canvas is small compared to my last two paintings and it wasn't too hard to cover most of it in the two hour period I put aside for painting each week.

It is a quick coat of paint, the colors do not have to be perfect because they will be painted over anyway, but it is fun to see a blank canvas start to come to life.  Where once there was blank space, now there is Viridian Green mixed with French Ultramarine, Titanium White, Raw Umber, and Yellow Ochre.  Water floods in matching color with the sky and land it is reflecting.  All that is left is a fire pit and two adirondacks on the sand, facing out toward the water.  Hopefully I can add more this week.  It is so much fun to watch the scenery come to life!


~The Anonymous Bard 10/27/11