notes on oil painting 6.2009
DESCRIPTION
Technical treatise on oil paint application for artistic landscapes, portraits, still life, for realist, impressionist, academic, traditional, or abstract artist. Simple method to create a professional look and finish to your paintings.TRANSCRIPT
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 1
Burning the Midnight Oil
Notes on Oil Paintingwith
Tonal Composition
and
Colour Composition
by
Terry Clare
2 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 3
Burning the Midnight Oil
Notes on Oil Paintingwith
Tonal Composition
and
Colour Composition
Traditional Australian Impressionist Academic Realist Wet in wetPainting techniques
4 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
ISBN. 978-0-646-48170-8copyright
Published and printedby
Terry ClareThornleigh, 2120. Sydney
N.S.W. Australiaphone.612 . 9945 1445
CopyrightMay be used for non profit lessons
or private learning.
2006
With the arrival of acrylics
and other paint technologies
the traditional technique for oil paint
is being over looked.
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 5
CONTENTS
7 Introduction
8 To begin painting
10 Gear Palletes and Brushes
11 Basic Painting Technique
13 To start a painting
14 Palette Layout
15 Extra Points to make easier
17 The layers of a painting
18 Analogous Colour mixing
19 Complimentary Colour mixing
20 Basic Tones and Compositions
21 Colour Wheel and Colour Compositions
24 Puddle mixing
26 Ebauche pallete
28 Mix browns and greys
30 Just in passing
31 Closing notes
34 Outdoor Check list
35 Pigments & Hazardous Materials
36 Gesso ground for canvas
37 Subject Matter to paint
38 Steps for Antique or Sculptural Drawing
39 Guide for Pricing Oil Paintings
6 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Into the Wharf Clifton Gardens by Terry Clare
Inside the Breakwater Brooklyn by Terry Clare
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 7
Introduction
It was while I was an Office Machine Mechanic in 1950 repairing
rebuilding and servicing office duplicators that I developed a liking for pulling
things to pieces and putting them back together to see how they worked.
It also entailed wandering around the city streets giving rise to
many opportunities to visit many of the little galleries and art shops dotted
around Sydney town at that time.
Along with surfing and football, I persued an interest in
psychology philosophy and the art of painting and over the years I have
come to admire all those great painters who could juggle all the multiple
aspects of art work and painting to create a masterpiece. There were and
still are many who do this, juggling colour, composition, drawing, and all
the aspects and disciplines neccesary to bring them all together creating a
work of value and attractive beauty.
The belief arose amongst many progressive artists that once
you learnt the rules and techniques of master artists, you were not
emotionally or spiritually able to enjoy it your work and it is was not entirely
free, resulting in a stilted approach and everyone producing similar pictures.
Another group of artists believes that one should serve a long
apprenticeship to understand all the many aspects of arts disciplines, then
to use these skills, enjoying and creating a free and skilled beautiful work
of art. There is again a large group somewhere in between.
There will always be those who can with great simplicity throw a
bucket of paint or draw a swashbuckling line with great artistic expression
and theatrical result . Those who do it successfully have usually completed
a lengthy apprenticeship somewhere. Japanese art is a good example
and has been a source of inspiration for impressionists and many other
successful artists, but one cannot realistically expect to execute such a
discipline without proper full understanding of the technique and training
involved.
8 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Aspiring to be an ArtistThen begin a painting
When deciding to begin painting, you may accept change or reject any advice given inthis publication, or by anyone for that matter, as it is the perogative of any thinkingindividual or artist to develop their own style gathering bits from everywhere.
On starting an imminent masterpiece, decisions have to be been made on thepainting you want, and are about to create, assuming you are in the pursuit of truth,beauty, justice, the Australian way, aesthetics, eloquence and colour permanence.Considering this you will now select:
1. The subject2. Size of the canvass3. Texture of canvass, rough, medium or smooth4. Medium i.e. oils acrylics watercolour tempera casein glue or combination in
artist quality.5. Technique of glazes wet in wet impasto or combination6. Composition of the painting.7. You may even consider the type of frame you think appropriate at this stage.
The above points also include colour balance, tonal balance, movement flow ordirection, rhythm of the shapes, centre of attention, proportion or drawing, underlyingstructure, form or modelling, perspective, direction of light, quality colour of light,planes, shadow areas, shape of negative areas, linea recession, tonal recession,colour recession, simplicity or unity and how to keep it, and are best worked outbeforehand. Usually in a study or during your initial wash in.
Consider next that your composition is turpsed or drawn in, your colours are laid outand you go to pick up your brush to start, these decisions start to enter your mind.
1. Do I need a clean palette
2. What size brush 1-12
3. Texture or what type brush, hog sable synthetic palette knife,
finger or sharpened brush handle
4. What shape brush square filbert round fan long short or cut brush
5. Which edge of the brush will I use
6. What colours do I lay out on my palette
7. What colour or hue or which pigments make up the colour
8. What are intensity of the pigment colours so I can mix the right amounts
8. Is it transparent or opaque colour
10. Tone is it light or dark enough
11. Value is it hot or cold enough
12. Am I mixing this colour on the canvass or palette
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 9
13. Stiffness does it need a medium.
or, if a colour is already there will it go over the remaining paint
14. Which medium will I use, oil turps or liquin. i.e.
Is this an under colour intermediate or final layer
15. How much colour to mix to finish the passage and needed left over
16. How much paint needed on the brush
17. Do I need to clean the brush before during or after the stroke or strokes
18. Broken colour will I pick up two colours at once or paint two next to,
or on top of each other
19. Will I use a firm or light pressure i.e. scumble glaze or direct passage i.e.
(coup de grace)
20. How much will I angle the brush
21. Fast or slow speed stroke
22. Long or short strokes or combination of spots or lines or stabs
considering the drawing
23. Thickness and colour of the stroke considering perspective and drawing
24. Direction and colour of the stroke considering going around or along form
and overall stroke pattern and attitude of line
25. Number of pats to flatten or smooth a stroke
26. Sharp edge or lost edge stroke
27. How do I hold the brush will I use overarm pencil or thumb up grip
28. Will I need a mahl stick to support the brush or
just with two hands or now wait till the wind stops blowing
These decisions can be simplified or put in sequence using a combination of
speed painting and impressionist technique used in varying degrees and fashions.
Now! Lets see if we can get rid of any confusion by organizing this into steps or
a simple technique we can follow.
10 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Gear Palettes and Brushes
A PICTURE OF A ROLLINGEASELMonet used a wheelbarrow. I’m sureease and mobility are important.It takes a white umbrella that can besecured with thin tent ropes ifwindy.
PAINTSTORAGEThe tray slides into a box.Put it in the freezer in 2plastic bags. Will keepindefinitely. Fits into afolding pallete which fits ina French easel. Or can betransported in its owncarrier box.
Use good quality brushes when painting and cleanthem in a tin of pure turps every so often, speciallywhen they get muddy. Wipe clean on a Toilet RollFlat Hog Bristle brushes.No. 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, & 1. Flat HogFilbert Hog BristleNo.6, 2, 1.(for getting in round areas)Round sables1 each No. 3, & 1. (for fine lines & finishing)
Avoid Student colours. Use Artist quality. They gomore than twice as far and are neccesary to makeintense and dark colour. They produce a rich fullglossy paint surface. Even now they are not all thatreliable these days. Students colour looks flat, pale &chalky.
See a full list or everything on Page 34
You can get by with a simple paint box and easel untilyou can afford a French Easel which is really a basictool for outdoor work.
Use a brush holder of some sort when Painting. It willhelp you organize everything and keep your handsclean. Clean hands means you may live longer. Usea hand cleaner orgloves. Oil paints aretoxic. We don’t useFlake White any more(pure lead) Too manycasualties.
paint
brush
h o l d e r
Made fromplasticdrainpipe
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 11
First a Basic Painting Technique Wet in wet impasto
Several points to start with
These are basics to start painting. Please vary to suit personal preferencesThe idea of wet in wet painting is to finish a painting in one sitting while the paint iswet.Use a well gessoed canvass to absorb your turps drawn composition. 2-4coatsPure turps from a hardware store is OK. Add a very small amount of Mastic varnishto assist adhesion or use Pure Turps from the art shop.Paint your composition in tonally with a turps wash and earth colour, covering thewhole canvass adding local dark colours and shadow colouring to the earth colour.Don’t leave any white areas. Unless using a tinted canvas.Local colour is the colour of something in a normal light.Use a turpsy cloth to make corrections until drawing and suggested tone andcomposition are what you want. Turps will even correct a pencil draw in. Let theturps dry for a whileThe centre of interest should lie somewhere in the central one third portion of thecanvasEverything else should diminish as it moves away from the centre of interest. Tone,colour, light and definition of drawing. This is the most important part of starting apainting.Paintings ranging in the two thirds tonally dark are considered more attractivebased on the theory that you can’t have light without dark i.e. you get morecontrast.Some impressionists ignore this as old fashioned and use bright shadows.Choose your subject to paint. Have an idea of the composition - colour - emotiveaspect.You may follow a favourite artist’s painting as a guideas long as you change the subject. Copies areunacceptable in exhibitions. Most artists have afavourite master or two.
Three Steps. After the turpsed in image showingcomposition drawing tone colour suggestions andcentre of interest. Parts of this can show through thefinished work and become part of the painting.1. First coat. Prepare a suitable dark mix considering thesubject’s local colour, it’s distance and quality (add bluefor distance) plus (colour of sunset, morning,spring or storm for quality) Add a bit of turpsand Liquin or Gel Medium.Using a relatively large brush, broad strokes, block in all the dark tones, shadows oflocal colour to cover the whole canvass. Use turps in small amounts. “Smooth GelMedium Archival” is OK. At this stageVary the dark tones for form (show roundness) as well as the shadows. Warm inthe foreground and distance is cooler.The lightest colour has a shadow, like grass or water or flat planes in sunlight.Usually a darker colour of the subject. Don’t use any sharp edges at this stage.
BASICSFAT (medium) over LEAN (turps)thick layer over thinopaque over transparentlight over darksharp edges over soft
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canvas maybe tinted - turps wash
small brush - light tones
thin consistency - thick size layer
medium size brush - mid tones
large brush - dark tones
3
21
...................................................
thick consistency - thin size layer
1.
2.med. consistency - med. size thickness layer
3.
12 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Try to imagine the whole painting and each stroke at every stage(Looking at the working technique of an artists work you admire may assist.)This first layer is Thick in consistency Thin in the amount of paint layer Use just abit of turps if necessary (no oil) Some Smooth Gel or Liquin is OKOil in the first layer causes cracking later due to shrinking after the top layer dries (fatover lean works)Dark paint can overpower a colour added later, so only a thin layer of thick paintthen more paint can be put on top. Scrape it off if too thickIf you can get your tonal recession, local colour, and form into the darks at thisstage, then you only have to worry about getting the same in the next layer midtones, one tonal range at a time. Makes for a convincing pictureThe camera records tonal and colour variations in the lights tones. The humaneye sees colour and tonal variation much better the in the darks. Careful pleasewhen using photos.This dark painting or moonscape allows you to envisage the final work better andsee correct tones and convincing colours to paint over the top later. It sets thestage for the whole painting.Tone is more important than colour in a painting. Colour can be used to impartromantic subjectivity by toning every colour with a key colour, romantic lighting etc.Key up your hue colours slightly to allow for fading when paint dries. Wet colourlooks brighter than dry. Old paint looks duller than fresh.Which is why the painting is varnished later but you still need to exaggerate colourslightly right through the painting to allow for later fading.
2. Middle coat middle tones middle amount of medium (oil or gel), middle size ofpaint layer middle consistency, medium size brushes. A small amount of oil. Youcan add a bit to your turps dipper at this stage. Remember your drawing with abrush. Put it on, don’t skate around.Follow the direction of the forms with your brush.Hot dark tones in foreground cool lighter mid tones in distance Let the subjectsuggest the technique. Imagine the paint stroke before you jump inLook 3 times, think twice, paint once. Test the colour on another piece first.Emphasis edges with slightly warm against cooler variations and slightly darkeragainst lighter variations.
3. Final coat Thick layer of thin paint. By now your previous layers will have setslightly. Light tones of various colours. Warm lights at front cool lights in distanceVary the light tones for form.Most medium with thick application of paint Smallest sized brushes. Paint thehighlights.When painting be aware of your centre of interest. This where Highest chroma orcolour. Sharpest edges. Lightest lights and darkest darks Most detail. Premierecoup or final strokes are. Thickest impasto. No skating here please unless you areblending edges.Note If a large area or item in the picture is a predominately bright cleantransparent colour ..say..reds yellows greens or transparent purples i.e. some exotictree paintings, flowers, glass and water. Then it is best to leave an area of whitecanvas for the transparent colour to be put in pure first or later on. Turps wash inpure colour then put in the clean transparent colour. Painting the slightly darkerpure colours carefully into that building to darker tones gradually later.
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 13
Can be used wet in wet or let dry betweenlayers
Plan your composition with a
turps washInk or draw in important edges or fine brushChoose the colour composition for each layerusing colour wheel seen below
Layer 1. Soft edges all blended.Layer 1. Darks 7.8.9. hot & coldLayer 1. Hot dark 2:1 Cold dark 1:2 Raw Sienna Raw Sienna Burnt Sienna CobaltLayer 2. Defined edges blend slightlywith dry brush.Layer 2. Hot mid 2:1 Cold mid 1:2 Lt. Red Cad Red
Yellow Ochre CobaltLayer 2. Mid tones 4.5.6. hot & cold
Layer 3. Premier coup pristine strokes. Unless soften for a glowLayer 3. Highlights 1.2.3. hot & coldLayer 3. Hot lights 2:1 Cold lights 1:2
Yellow Och. Yell Och Cad Yell Lemon/Cobalt
Cold
Cold
Cold
Hot
Hot
Hot
Tonal proportion selection
The Ebauche Palette cancome into play to set andmix the proportion of greys and browns tothe amount of pure colour.In order to control browns and grey youcan use it thinly in your underpaintingand add the colour later.i.e. Dark grey green or brown shadows inskin tones etc.
Use pure colour for direct light, sky,flowers, birds foreground etc
Use some plan together with a study ofthe subject to apportionPure colour Browns & Greysin unequal amountsremember the golden meanLet the subject suggest the technique,tones, colour composition, movement,position etc. Catch the moment using therules of engagement.
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ColdC
old
Cold
Hot
Hot
Hot
Example to start painting FAT (medium) over LEAN (turps)thick layer over thinopaque over transparentlight over dark - soft edges to sharp
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canvas maybe tinted -
turps wash
small brush - light tones
thin consistency - thick size layer
medium size brush - mid tones
large brush - dark tones
3
2
1
...................................................
thick consistency - thin size layer
1.
2.med. consistency - med. size thickness layer
3.
Aliziarin Red
LimeYellow
Yello
w O
range
Cobalt B
lue
Cad Red
Orange
Lem
Yellow
Cad
Yel
low
Purple
Ultr
a B
lue
Em
ald Green
Viridian
w
Split Compliment selection setting on wheel
select the Tone & Shade & Pure
each in separate proportions
1:1
1:3 1:2Dark - Light
Pure - Sad
Dar
k - L
ight
Pure
- Sad
Dark - Light
Pure - Sad
1
2
3
4
5
9
8
7
6
5
foreground
distance
14 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
Lemon
CadYellow
YellOchre
CadOrange
CadRed
CadPurrp
le
Alizarin
Lt Red
Cobalt
Viridan
Indian Red
Raw Umber
Ultramarin
e
Titanium
White
Premixed ColourComposition
Darkest
Lightest
Palette Layout for a right handed painter
For say a landscape painting,after the turps in and thescrub in and after the colourcomposition had beenchosen, the first area to paintwould be the sky.
The first puddle would be awhite base then dragging thecolours in from the palette.
hot and cold - light anddark light tones, followingyour colour composition.
Save any colours left over when finished.
Then clean the mixing area.
The second puddle to paint the middle ground and the middle tones may be decidedas a Blue with a bit of Raw Umber with a touch of white base colour and draw thecolours in from the palette around to the edge of the puddle to mix nice -
hot and cold - light and dark mid tones, following your colour composition.
Save any colours left over when finished.Then clean the mixing area.
.
The third puddle for the fore ground may be started with say a dark mix of UltramarineRaw Umber and touch of Alizarin.
to make hot and cold - light and dark tones, following your colour composition.
Save any colours left over when finished.Then clean the mixing area.
As a leading art teacher told me that before applying the paint to you ask yourself.....
Is it the right colour, is it the right tone, is it in the right place. i.e. drawing....Warwick Fuller
or as another leading art teacher said to my attempt to paint in a cow “ That’s a lovelydog you have got in there.” ........Robert Wilson
On appraising your almost finished painting you may decide to add another puddlemixture or to utilise the left over colours from previous mixes.
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 15
Extra points to make painting easierGive your canvas an extra 2 coats of matt gesso groundif you use a shop brand canvasPainting on a tinted canvas ..similar to pastels...makesthe turps wash easier. Just add highlights and darksWarm up with a drawing or small study of thesubject...know where you’re going.Spend plenty of time looking at your subject beforestarting.Think about the painting you are going to do thenext day before you go out.Lay your palette out tonally. Mix up some of yourbasic shade colours and darks. W Y O R P B G and Black I.E. White, Yellow, Orange, Red,Purple, Blue, Green, Black (a mix of alizarin, viridian,ultramarine) Ordered same as the rainbow(roygbiv) Plus earth colours i.e. Yellow Ochre,Indian Yellow, Raw Sienna, Lt Red, Bnt Sienna, Bnt Umber, Raw Umber. Artist qualityplease. Only 1 to 3 earth colours are usually needed.Look 3 times .think twice.. paint once...then leave it. If its wrong scrape and add correctcolour, tone and drawing.Don’t over mix colour ..it goes flat and lifeless If a mix goes wrong put it to one side touse elsewhereIf the painting looks wrong ..wipe or scrape it off.
Visualize painting a passage before youactually do it ..see the imaginary coloursYour subconscious imagination will work on it inthe back of your mindLet the subject suggest the technique .. paintaround form....Follow the direction of planes.For brush direction ..size ..type...imagine itSome subjects are best painted with an oldsplayed brush ..tree foliage, cloud, wash insSome artist end up with a cow brush a foliagebrush etc. even sometimes bricking a brush tosplay it
A medium in your second and third layercan be Art Spectrum N0. 3, or linseed oil.New synthetic mediums (Alkyds) are best usedearly in a painting, they speed up drying i.e. Art Spectrum Smooth gel, Windsor NewtonLiquin. Best in lower first and second layers.Use buttery paint....lay it on......little to noscrubbing (except in the first stage) ..define yourbrush strokes
Check your painting for white holes or gapsas you go. The original turps in or wash servesto hide these and can become part of thefinished painting. Assists one stroke or premierecoup effects.Clean your palette every time it gets muddy orbetween stages. Collect for use in greyslater.
The Authour Outdoors
BASICSFAT (medium) over LEAN (turps)thick layer over thinopaque over transparentlight over darksharp edges over soft
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canvas maybe tinted - turps wash
small brush - light tones
thin consistency - thick size layer
medium size brush - mid tones
large brush - dark tones
3
2
1
...................................................
thick consistency - thin size layer
1.
2.med. consistency - med. size thickness layer
3.
16 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Clean your brush often.. Use a big 500ml tin of pure turps plenty of tissue, a toilet roll ishandy and rag in a plastic bag hanging of your easel. (you’ll need less brushes) Takeyour rubbish with you if outdoors.
Keep plenty of paint on your palette..store it in a reasonable size flat tin, ply or apiece of formica that fits on your palette later, when finished ..put in a box or wrap it inplastic ..stored in the freezer fridge it last months. You can instead submerge it underwater in a tray. Charge your palette with colour before going to paint.Poppy Oil can be used instead of Linseed to slow down drying time.If your paint is old and stiff...work it up with a pallete knife before hand, some mediumcan be necessary, some tubes of paint are thicker than others and need adjusting.Some are slow driers add Smooth Gel. i.e. Titanium white, Lemon dry slow. RawUmber dries fast.Stop every couple of hours or less ..turn your painting upside down to rest the eyes orlook at it in a make up mirror over your shoulder. A mirror hung on the ceiling behindyou at the right angle is best in studios.Wear a hat or tennis shade...to see better even indoors. If you shade your eyes with yourhand you will see why.Wear dark clothing or apron to reduce reflection on working surface. Work under shadeor turn easel around into the light.Don’t paint into sun on reflected water too long ..or near ants. Sunglasses can saveyour eyes, wear them as long as possible, headaches from glare can damage youreyes. . cataracts are common amonst outdoor workers.If the colour hue is too bright add the compliment and or earth colour. Add light bluefor distance. Transparent paint will go dark when you add whiteor any opaque colour.To mix a transparent optical Black use Alizarin, Viridian, Ultramarine and a little earthlike Raw or Burnt Sienna. Makes colourful greys. Ivory or lamp black is best used atthe end of a painting. Black can be used insead of blue to make purple or green. It isoften used in portraiture. It tends to darken in time and should be sealed between driedlayers with varnish.Medium greys mix is, Cad red and Cerulean. Don’t over mix.Add an earth to make it opaque like light red or raw umber. Opaque paint is darker thantransparent. Raw Umber speeds up drying time. Gel medium speeds drying as well.Poppy Oil slows drying.
Don’t mix your colour too hard or they will go dead. You arrive at favourite mixesafter familiarisation.Remember, thick consistency paint on your brush picks up a thinner mixture from offthe canvas, less paint picks up more. Applying a larger amount of a thinner paintthan what’s on the canvass covers it.
Painting and art can only be learned by doing it. Learning to swim from a book caninduce drowning..........Brush miles only can improve your work....keep some of yourbest work to measure progress and to show your work. You will know when you areprogressing because you will have enough old paintings to start a good bonfire.Check the regulations in your area.Compare your work with your favourite artist. Work out his sequence of approach. Thencreate your own.Study the amount of greys and browns in your favourite paintings compared to purestrokes.Painters are basically self taught. Paint 50 paintings then compare your progress
Keep your best paintings to show your high standard. Don’t sell them till youhave better work to show.Points to remember.....there are no parallel lines in nature (or the figure) .....equalspaces shapes or sizes.... all is a pleasant inequality set in a changing rhythm.(like music)Look for the rhythm attitude and pleasant inequalities in a repeating pattern or series ofobjects or lines.
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 17
View of Sydney
from Hunters Hill
by
Terry Clare
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Well gessoed surface minimum 3 layers to absorb turps wash and hold the first layer ofpaint. Canvas can be tinted with a turps wash of earth colours if preferred.
THIRD LAYER Oil Paint thin consistency - thick size layer - small brushes -light tones - some hard edges - opaque highlights - more oil medium - transparent glazes
SECOND LAYER Oil Paint med. consistency - med. size thickness layer - med. sizebrush - mid tones - find some edges - semi opaque paint - little medium
FIRST LAYER Oil Paint thick consistency - thin size layer - large brush -dark tones - soft edges - transparent paint - no oil
Picture Varnish after 1 yr. when paint is completly dry
Retouch Varnish for dull spots and over painting
All the layers of a wet in wet Oil Painting
3
2
1
FIRST Turps Wash to estabish painting composition
.........................canvas................................
A
We should mention here that the canvas has a layer of Rabbit Skin Glue
or lately PVA (i.e. Chemstick or Bondcrete) to protect the linen or cotton from the oil.
4
5
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6
7
NOTE: When a painting has been allowed to dry between layers, glazes can be
applied at any stage between 3 & 6 before picture varnishing.
Some artists oil a
painting when it is
dry (after 1 month
minimum) with a
mixture of turps and
retouch varnish with
linseed oil, then wipe
of any excess. You
hold the painting at
an angle to reflect
the light onto the wet
oil to see that it is
even.
18 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Analogous colour mixing
Mix 2:1 with the colour either side then one further either side to right, plus white
This may be used to make am analagous colour wheel
Using the same method you may make a brown and grey wheel using Earth colours.Mix your own colours to familarise the effects pigments make on eachother.They don’t always react as expected. Some have more staining power and others reactchemically to eachother. See page 35.
Purple
Ultr
amar
ine
Blu
e
C
ob
alt
Blu
e
Tourquois Green
Viridian
Lime Yellow
Lemon Yel-
low
C
adYel
low
Orange
Cadmium
Aliziarin
w
w
w
w
w
w w
w
w
ww
w
w
w
w
w
w
ww
w
w
w
w
w
w
ww
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
Yello
w
Or-
an
ge
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 19
Complimentary colour mixingUse this colour wheel version to make interesting tertiary colours
by mixing each 2:1 with its compliment (opposite)...then once removed (either side)from the compliment....then mix with white (tint)
Example: * Alizarin + Lime 2:1 then Aliz + Viridian and Aliz + Lemon
then Just a bit of white with each to see the tint
Us this to make your own Complimentary Wheel.
Using a similar colour wheelEarth Colurs in hue sequence can be used to make greys and browns.
Yellow Ochre - Indian Yellow - Raw Sienna - Light Red - Indian Red -
Burnt Sienna - Burnt Umber - Raw Umber - BlackBlack may be substituted for Blue if you wish..The Old Masters used Black. Blue was too expensive.
Black can still make nice greens and purples.
Purple
Ultr
amar
ine
Blu
e
Co
ba
lt
Tourquois Green
Viridian
Lime Yellow
Lemon
C
adYe
llow
Yello
w
Orange
Cadmium
Aliziarin
w
w
w
w
w
w w
w
w
ww
w
w
w
w
w
w
ww
w
w
w
w
w
w
ww
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
20 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Nine basic tones
Foreground. .Warm High contrast
Distance....Cooler Low contrast
TONAL COMPOSITION
5
4
3
2
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Arrangedforarialperspective
Accurate tones are the
secret to realistic
painting....They convey the
truth of a picture, whether it
is real or not. Colour can
be subdued or exagerated.
Not so tone.
Nine tones are arrived at by
subdividing black and white
and it’s subsequent tones
5
6
7
8
9
Using just the 3 basic tones for simplicity arranged in the proportion of 1:3:5
a popular formular for pleasant tonal visual realationship based on the golden
mean 22:7
then converting this to a circular format
we arrive at 6 possible variations. Six pleasant tonal picture possibilities.
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Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 21
Analogous colour compositions and Complimentary colour compositions
Too much pure colour of similar tone is gaudy ....These basic colour compositions incorporating
colourful greys and browns in tones and hues will produce better pictures.
A colours chroma can be heightened bysurrounding it with an outline of its compliment.A tone can be lightened or darkened by puttingan outline of dark or light colour around itThese two practices can be combined.When you consider the variations available to consider, you can understand why manyartists planned a painting beforehand. Every colour interacts with the others.If you study closely the paintings you find attractive, you can evaluate parts that ifremoved would detract severely if not included.You can have a lot of fun trying out different combinations using coloured paper, tiles,stones whatever and moving them around. Pastels are handy for experimenting.
An Oriental influence in colour, using anextra yellow shade in the colour wheel,was used by many impressionistsThis contains:A. The basics of pure colourmixing, using a hot and cold ofthe each primary colour tomake a clean secondarycolour. B. Gives a trueropposite or complimentarycolours. andC. Warmer colour wheel.
Colour Wheel similar to used by Howard Pyle (American)
as outlined by Andrew Loomis
TriadicDouble ComplimentComplimentary Monochromatic
Analogous Split Compliment
The colours in this wheel are not accurate
Please use as a guide only
Analogous Variation Triadic variation
Complimentary variationSplit compliment variation
22 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
HUES
TINTS
BROWN
GREY
* Y * * O * * R * * V * * B * * G *
Y O R V B G
12or
3
Emerald
Viridian
Torquois
Cobalt
Ultram
Violet
Alizarin
CadRed
CadOra
CadYell
Lemon
Lime
Making Dark Colour Cold Black = Raw Umber. Viridian. Aliz / Hot Black = Brnt Sien. Aliz. Cobalt
Mixed blacks and greys are called optical. Use the transparent compliment of each colour
MEDIUM LIGHT DARK
Select a Tonal Composition 1 2 or 3
HUES
TINTS
BROWN
GREY
Choose eitherDARK TONE
MEDIUM
or LIGHT 2 3 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 18
HUES
TINTS
BROWN
GREY
LIGHT DARK MEDIUM
2 5 8 10 13 15
18 YG
17 G
16 BG
15 GB
14 B
13 VB
12 BV
11 V
10 RV
9 VR
8 R
7 OR
6 RO
5 O
4 YO
3 OY
2 Y
1 GY
DARKS MEDIUM LIGHT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1812o
r
3
Y * O * R * V * B * G *
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 23
Above is a tonal approach used
by the Max Meldrum Method using
impessionist colour mixing without
Ivory Black .
Ivory Black can still be used to
make a nice purple or green with
yellow if you wish.
Primary colours can be changed for
other basics Red Yellow or Blues.
Basic hues are darkend with
complimentary earth colours and
usual complimentary hue colour
SIMPLER TONAL PALLETE 7 hues each 5 tonesbased on the ebauche
Mixed BlackVirid+Purple+Aliz
RawUmber+Aliz
BntSienna+Viridian
LtRed+Touquoise
IndianYellow+Purple
YellOchre+Purple
RawSienna+CadRed
BntUmber+Orange
Raw Sienna+Viridian
LightestDarkest
WarmGrey
Cold Grey
CadRed
CadOrange
CadYellow
Lemon
Viridan
Cobalt
CadPurple
Pure Hue
Tube
Colour
Tonally
Modified with
Compliment or
Earth Colour
24 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Mix up plenty of colour to finish the job with some over. Keep your colour clean Don’tover mix. Scrape the palette if things are getting dull.Clean your brush often with tissue or toilet roll - keep rags handy- use a large tin ofturps to clean your brushes in. Paint like a millionaire.
Aliz +Ultra Blue
Lemon
Bnt Sienna
LIGHTS
Ultra Blue + Raw
Viridian
AliziarinCad Yellow
DARKS
Yellow Ochre
Aliziarin
Cobalt
Light Red
MEDIUMS
The basis of thepuddle No.1 iscalled the key,mother,dominant orbasic colour.
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34
Colour of shadowsA shadow can contains 4 colours. 1. The local colour (natural colour of the object in anormal light) 2. the reflected colour (from the sky or ground or nearby object) 3. Plus adarker version of the same colour or analogous colours close to it to make it darker 4.plus add the compliment to darken.
Colour or lightsA light colour can contain 5 colours. 1. The local colour, 2. the colour of the lightsource, 3. the reflected colour, and 4. an analogous colour for vibration (along side notmixed in) 5.plus white.Monet placed these colours side by side rather than mixing them or scumbled over thetop to get his dazzling effects. Other painters realised you could get an optical effect bynot mixing colours to often with the brush to obtain another colour often called brokencolour. It gave an effect similar to a the marbeling technique.used by book binderswhere they stirred colours floated on top of water with a comb.
Puddle mixing for wet in wet impasto painting
Choose your colour scheme... mix a puddle for each layer - clean palette each timeClean your brush in turps if necessary Plenty of rags and tissue. (toilet roll)
Some samples
First layer Second layer Third layer
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 25
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Puddle Mix Example 1 in colour (Trying to match the colours of Emmanuel
Phillips Fox) see next page Other artists I use for study areDavid Davies, Charles Conder, Auther Streeton, Walter Withers, James Jackson, morerecently Doug Sealy, Kasey Sealy, Warick Fuller, Robert Wilson
1. DARK TONES - Light Red + Raw Umber with: Aliziarin Cobalt Viridian
12
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3 LIGHT TONES - White + Indian Yellow with:Alizarin Cad Red Cobalt Blue Cad Yellow
Light Red+Burnt Sienna
DARKS
layer 1
MEDIUMS
layer 2
4Light R
ed+Yell Och
Whi
te+I
ndia
nYe
llow
2 MID TONES - Yellow Ochre + Indian Yellow with: Aliz Cobalt Cad Yellow
LIGHTS
layer 3
26 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
white
white
white
greys
browns
light
dark ch
rom
a
turps
black + 9 tones to
YO
RV
IBG
G B I V R O Y
Lig
ht
to D
ark
Dark to light tone
tube c
olours
Ebauche Palette Sample of a layout
This is a planned method of painting in the studio
Brown can be greyed.
Care is taken to avoid mud. No over mixing. Their should be the appearance of
some colour in browns and greys to be interesting. Premiere coupe or one stroke.
Scrape and repeat if not correct.
A limited pallet means that .....not all the hues and combinations have to be used
Greys and Browns are used to adjust the Tone and Chroma of Hues
Each layer as it is finished can be allowed to dry
for 8 days. Fat over lean. Several
canvases may be worked on one
after another. A thin layer of oil
with medium retouch varnish or
medium is applied before
commencing an over
painting. Lean varnish
then fatter varnish as
layers progress.
Glazing using various
clear varnishes and oil
or mediums allow great
control over gradual
toning for figure and
portraiture used by Old
Masters. Used in
conjunction with wet in wet
scumbling or scraping can be
effective. Used by Rembrabdt, Whistler
The same basic hues are laid out to mix the shades in the approximate amounts aboutto be used in the compositionTones and hues are arrived at by dividing and mixing------Each artist varied in his arrangement. Techniques varied
a
a
a
a
a
a
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 27
Keeping a simple palette layoutYou know at every stage what you are doing and whyA look at the layout of an ebauche palette used for portraiture in the 19th century showsyou how they planned ahead and mixed only the colours they needed for the job
Some artists used ...a brown green or grey or both with colour ebauche. Transparentglazing with oil and varnish was also used. It became more highly coloured during theimpressionist period becoming more wet in wet opaque impasto painting.The ebauche was allowed to dry between layers, then sometimes scraped back anumber of times and used as a guide for final work. Parts of the ebauche were oftenleft as part of the final painting. For skin effects a pinkish semi transparent glaze wasused over green/ blue underpainting.
White ..yellow.. orange.. red.. violet..
indigo.. blue.. green
Light to dark in tube colours ...W Y O R
V I B G lay out for pallette
Then decending 3 tones of hot and cold
grey and brown depending on the
subject
A simple version based on Delacroix’s palette
Pallete layout for greys & darks mixusing primary and secondry opposite each other
The BLUE TRIANGLE
gives you an idea of how
each colour can be
blended with its opposite
when laid out on the
pallete this way.
juane brillant yellow och indian yellow raw sienna indian red
lemon yellow cadmium yell cad. orange cadmium. red alizarin cad purple
cad purple ultramarine cobalt blue ceurelian viridian emerald green
light red burnt sienna burnt umber raw umber
Greys mixture span. Move selector around as needed
Palette layout for brown and grey & dark mix (bottom 1/2 colours transposed to arrange mixing with opposites)move the BLUE TRIANGLE selector below to the chosen colour mix
28 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
As there is a hot and cold of each primary colour, you can use the furtherest primariesto mix a sad secondry colour or closest to mix them as pure clean colour.
Just move the selector to any pair of primary colours.
There are more secondry colours than primaries
Primary colours with some secondies make good browns. Secondry colours make nicegreys
To mix browns geys and clean colour
OppositesMix to make greys
Browns Earth
Colour Primary Secondry Tube
Colours
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 29
SEMENT 1TUBE COLOUR Darks mixed with tube colour if neccessary
Pure Medium+ White if necessary
Lights + White if neccessary
SEGMENT 2BROWNS Darks. Tube colour + Compliment +
Black if neccessary
Medium. Tube colour + White if
necessary
Lights. White + tube colour
SEGEMENT 3GREYS Darks compliments mixed with tube colour
Medium + White if neccesary
Lights+ White if
necessary
Use together with with colour composition on Page 20.and over next the page.
TUBE COLOURS 1. LY = Lemon Yellow2. CY = Cadmium Yellow3. O =Cad Orange4. CadR = Cad Red5. Aliz = Alizarin Red6. P =purple7. Ult = Ultramarine Blue8. Cob = Cobalt Tourquoise9. Emer = Emerald Green10. Vir = Viridian11. Lime =LimeBROWNS1. JuanB = Juanne Brilliant2. Y.Och = Yellow Ochre3. In.Yell = Indian Yellow4. Gld.Oc = Golden Ochre5. R. S = Raw Sienna6. Lt.R. = Light Red7. I. R. = Indian Red8. BSien = Burnt Sienna9. BUmb = Burnt Umber10. Rumb = Raw Umber11. Peach or Ivory Black
AN ELABORATE COLOUR WHEEL
TUBE COLOURS
BROWNS
GREYS
30 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
1
2
3
To get an idea of colour composition, choose your favourite artists paintings anddocument their colour comps. Use them to paint another subject.Monet and Picasso among others painted the same subjects many times over withclever variations to great effect arriving at exciting colour comps through trial and error.I can only assume that the practices of those times i.e. ebauche pallets and Old Mastertechniques , encouraged these painters to this kind of excessive masterful studies orendeavours.Many miles of thoughtful brush strokes were achieved.When looking closely at a reproduction of Delacroix’s palette I can only assume toa method of the technique used around these times which might have gone alongthese lines.1 The study was painted. (many painted only one selected}2 A colour scheme was selected (only after great consideration and trial)3 The appropriate colours were laid out (if you had an attractive assistant bonchance)These colours appeared in relatively small quantities, so further later addition may
have been necessary4 A painting was executed with clean bold brush strokes (premiere coupe}5 A party was held until early hours of the morning to celebrate (pop gurgle gurgle)6 A quick departure was arranged for next week to avoid the creditors {zoom zoom) Well.....times were hardArtists made very little money in those days unless adopted by a large generallyoverseas gallery or patron.
Area 1 for Largest area of paint . Darks Medium or Lights depending oncompositionArea 2 for second largest area of paint.Area 3 for smallest area. Derived from the Tonal combination selected
Each area arranged hot to cold left to right.......Y O R V B G or your own preferenceDarkest to lightest were from top to bottom
Suggest browns be warm.........to the left.........Greys cold ............to the right
Just in passing
Using the top threecolour wheels,moveable dics canbe swapped aroundto make the nextthree colour tonalc o m p o s i t i o n sremembering that wehave only 3 tonalvariations. As longas the tones averageout then thearrangement shouldwork out.
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 31
Closing Notes
Scumbling or the dragging of a colour over another on rough canvas to leave theunderlying colour show through slightly, may be executed in later layers and must be leftuntouched.
The same applies to broken colour or picking up 2 or 3 or even more colours at onceand mixing slightly as applied. A bit like marbling in appearance. The rule usually (notalways) used, is hot over cold, light over dark. Results are usually 50% accidental.
Painting outdoors means the addition of linseed oil or Art Spectrum No. 3 Medium to yourpaint later on as it thickens on the palette which occurs faster in the summer specially forfine lines which usually occur last. Hang a plastic bag off your easel to dispose usedpaper wipes rags etc.
Smear vaseline on tube necks to stop lids sticking.White umbrellas became popular for outdoor painting in the 1800sMonet used a wheelbarrow to carry his painting gear.
Don’t spend too long looking at paintings you don’t like in books or galleries. They may
lodge in your memory and rise to the surface in your own work. Only expose yourself tothat work which has qualities or techniques you aspire to attain for yourself in your ownwork. Specially just before starting a painting.
Train your creative memory by imagining the scene you may be studying or looking at in
oil paints. Try changing the mood or colours of what you are observing in your minds eyeor moving and objects around in compositions.Imagine it in pencil pastel charcoal watercolour and so on. Can be done while waiting forthe bus.
Major artists paint manufacturers in an effort to reduce the price of oil paints haveincreasingly used alkyds in the paint (a plastic that is soluble in oil i.e. smooth gel medium& Liquin) and cheaper pigment mixed with their paint formulas.This has altered the drying time (faster) and shelf life (shorter) of the products and theirfade resistance. Dearer old formula Artists colours cost $15 to $30 a tube upwards.
Gamblin, Bloncxs, Old Holland.
Gamblin Gamvar varnish, a synthetic resin varnish developed in conjunction with theNational Gallery in Washington, DC is used by conservators worldwide. This varnishwill not yellow, crack, or dull with age as other, non-synthetic varnishes will, and thus itslows the aging process of the painting considerably.
The drying time for colours proceed from Light (slowest) to Darks and earth Pigments(fastest) With Titanium White slowest to Raw Umber fastest This assists most oilpainters who paint Light over Dark and will help prevent cracking. When painting Darkover light make sure there is Gel medium in the lights to increase drying. Or Poppy Oilin the darks to slow drying.
To test the fade resistance of your different brand paints (specially reds) place a strip ofcanvas with a sample strip of each of your colours in a direct sunny window and cover
half the sample with a strip of board. Compare the fading result of different brands.
32 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
To evaluate your painting when working you must walk back 6-8 feet or 2 plus metres.If you cant use a small mirror over your left shoulder outdoors or a large mirror in thestudio up high at the proper angle is appropriate. Some artist use a dark glass to view thepainting to check tone.
Don’t let abstract artists say to you “Show me something interesting” or its all been donebefore. Every painting is different. It takes the greatest difficulty to copy somethingexactly and a great deal of time and care. Even the same painting done by the same artistcan be picked by an amateur.
Monet Van Gough and Picasso painted the same thing many times with great success,changing it to suit a particular composition that came to mind, arriving at an effect byexperimentation.
Abstract artists like the term contemporary and modern often use rulers compasses printersand projectors with their painting, and are only interested in, and find interesting their ownwork or that of their closely knit group usually bohemian in nature. Partying, promiscuity,alcohol and drugs use are often associated with modern artistic pursuits. I’m not sayingrealists are angels.
A large abstract painting can be finished in 1-3 hours, leaving plenty of time for partyingmarketing, selling, teaching and anything else to make money.A Gallery can order 10 paintings from an abstract artist to be delivered in a week.The result is a massive rise in the number of people pursuing this avenue and a lot of badwork.Creativity is defined by abstractionists as something that has not been created before.This has resulted in some absurd behaviour in order to become recognised as a genius ortrue creative.
There have been many exciting movements and changes in the last 100 to 1000 years.Many of these movements influenced each other but often did not have time to be persuedto perfection.Going back in history there are many unfinished threads and styles yet to be combined orpersued.Streeton, Roberts, MacCubbin, E P Fox, Knox, Gruner and many others carried on thework of impressionism and were the start of a new movement in Australia similar to manyin other countries at that time. Many still pursue this direction and have polished it to amarvellously fine result.Unlike music, art techniques tend to get thrown out and are replaced with archaic practises.With music, jazz is still popular as is classical and past masterpieces are studied andtheir methods taught in the academies.
There are many traditional Art Schools coming on-line as more artists seek this type ofinformation.
There is no END to the evolution of creativity .
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 33
For Example:
Emmanuel Phillips M Fox
Check with your favourite artist for colour compositionand mixing.
34 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Double Dipper*
Canvas Panels*
Paint Brush Holder*
Mahl Stick*
Hat/Eye Shade*
Sunglasses*
Block Out / zinc*
Repellent*
Arm Protectors*
Liquid Soap*/Hand Lotion
Rags*
Roll Toilet Paper*
(wipes)
Lunch/*Thermos
Juice or water Bottle*
Pliers*
Sketch Book*/Pencils
Pencil Sharpener
Pen knife
Camera
Folding stool*
Sun / rain umbrella*
Rope&Peg&Hammer
Old Picture Frame
Canvas Shoulder Bag
EXTRAS
Bottle Opener
Water
Esky
Coat warm
Jumper/Warm Gear
Rain Coat/ brolly*
Beret
Dust Coat/ apron
W’proofMatches
Jar Vaseline*
Old Newspaper
to clean Brushes
Tent & poles
Tent Peg Remover
Folding table
Windbreak
Camp chair
Mattress
Sleeping bag
Clock radio
Toiletries
Electric razor
Mirror
Torch & batteries
Esky / food
Camp stove
Tin opener
Camp dishes
Mug & Spoons
Tomahawk
Tools
Swimmers/Towel
Clothes / jumper
Gaiters
First aid*
Windsor yellow
“ red
“ violet
“ green
Indian yellow
Yellow ochre
Cad . deep yellow
Aerolian
Cad. red
Perm rose
quincodrine
Light red
Venetian red
Cerulean
Manganese blue
French ultra
Cobalt
Prussian blue
Viridian
Sepia
Raw sienna
Burnt sienna
Raw umber
Burnt umber
Lamp black
Water & sponges
Gum paper
Paper
W&N (Basics*)
Winsor Yellow or
Cad pale yellow*
Lemon cadmium
Indian yellow*
Yellow ochre*
Aust red gold
Cad scarlet*
Aliziran*
Perm rose madder
Cerulean
Cobalt Blue*
French Ultramarine*
OUTDOOR POUTDOOR POUTDOOR POUTDOOR POUTDOOR PAINTING CHECK LISTAINTING CHECK LISTAINTING CHECK LISTAINTING CHECK LISTAINTING CHECK LIST Plein Air
Group Basicsneccesary for Painting see Asterix*
Check the weather is it 1 Wet 2 Hot 3 Cold 4 Windy
Oil Colour Water colour Gear &Extras Camping
If I have left anything
off let me know TC
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 35
Artists Pigments and Hazardous MaterialsArtists Pigments and Hazardous MaterialsArtists Pigments and Hazardous MaterialsArtists Pigments and Hazardous MaterialsArtists Pigments and Hazardous Materials
Colour Chemical Source Symbol
Zinc White Zinc in oxide, silicate,sulfide, etc. ZnTitanium White Titanium abundant in rocks and clays TiUltramarine Blue Sulphur volcanic & certain stratified rock SStrontium Yellow Strontium chiefly from celestite & strontianite SrAureolin Potassium in wood ashes & many rocks KEnglish Vermillion Mercury occurs in nature chiefly as cinnabar HgManganese Violet Manganese associated with calcium, magnesium, etc MaFlake White Lead found in galena & other ores PbIndian Red Iron as oxide & sulfide in many rocks FeVerdigris Copper widely distributed in ores CuCobalt Blue Cobalt occurs as metal in meteoric iron CoViridian Green Chromium chiefly prepared from chrome-iron ore CrLampblack Carbon in organic matter as coal, graphite CWhiting Calcium In limestone, marble, coral, etc CaCadmium Yellow Cadmium small amounts in zinc ores CdBarium White Barium found in combined form only, feldspar, mica, etc BaEmerald Green Arsenic abundant in native & sulphide forms AsAntimony Yellow Antimony occurs in limestone, metallic ores, etc SbAluminium Stearate Aluminium abundant in clay, feldspar, mica, etc Al
wash your hands before eating, keep hands away from eyes nose & mouth when workingkeep a tube of hand cleaner soap and towel ready plus rags and tissue
Mixtures to Avoid (due to chemical reaction causing darkening)
Flake White with...Ultramarine Alizarin Cadmiums Emerald Green Viridian
Alizarin with ... Yellow Ochre Raw Sienna
Chrome Green with ... Alizarin Cadmiumor Chrome Yellow
Cadmiums with ... Flake White Chromes Emerald Green Viridian
or you can use the fact that these colours darken to your advantageModern tube colours react less these days due to the use of substitute dye pigments and synthetic
vehicles
Safe Colours Titanium or Zinc.... White Rose Madder Scarlet Crimson
Lemon Yellow.... Indian Yellow
Cobalt Blue.... Ceurelian Blue Windsor Blue
Shades makes attractive mixes Experiment with your own
Alizarine darkened with Ceurelian ground shadows
Ultramarine darkened with Light Red darks
Raw Umber greys when lightened White (flesh tone)
Cadmium Redgreys when mixed Cerulean (fogs, smoke)
Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna Flesh when lightened On blue/green tonal underpainting
Indian or Venetian Red when lightened Salmon or Old Rose lights
36 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
A gesso ground for canvas
8 Parts Wattyl Solaguard Low Sheen exterior acrylic paint
1 1/2 Parts Chemstick or Bondcrete PVA glue (is exterior quality)
1 1/2 Parts Selleys exterior Spackfilla or Plaster of Paris
2 1/2 Parts Titanium White Pigment
for pastel or chalk ground - add
2 Parts Pumice Powder extra fine ground
Mix the Spackfilla powder and Titanium gradually then PVA stirring well
using an electric drill with a paddle mixer attached for 10 - 15 minutes to
prevent lumps
This makes a thick paste which can be diluted with a dash of water.
Brushing the paint into the canvas well makes it go thinner.
Don’t add too much Plaster or the mix will go hard in the can.
Keep in a sealed container.
Stir well before using again. The titanium sinks to the bottom.
Dries in 2 - 3 hours. 2 to 3 coats are necessary
Leave dry for as long as possible before using, minimum 2 weeks.
A 10 oz. coarse or fine weave canvas can be glued to cardboard,
craftboard or ply with PVA glue or as a stretched canvas (seal the back of
a stretched canvas with a quality PVA before stretching) then gessoed
with the above recipe to make a permanent extra bright slightly absorbent
ground for acrylic or oil painting.
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 37
Suggestions Subject Matter or What to paint Objects Depicted and their influences
A Still Life in & out of Picture Plane flowers dolls toys tractors trains objects
B Landscape fertile barren hard soft or geographic location
C Water rivers dams ponds lakes waterfalls action flow still reflections
E Seascape oceans boats wharves harbours rocks beach waves
F Animals horses cows sheep koalas kangaroos birds cats dogs dragons
G People crowds groups pairs lone young children old costume
H Figure Portraits nudes male female draped and clothed
Influences on subjects
1 Time of day sunrise sunset high noon moonlight in between
2 Time in history modern present frontier biblical mythological
ancient
3 View angle low level high
4 Subject angle rear frontal 3/4
5 Light direction back front (flash) 3/4
low level high
hard medium soft
bounced light
6 Seasons autumn summer spring winter
7 Weather Fog wind snow storm rain wind flood sunny hot cold
8 Gender male female bath toilet war sport dance play
angels gods mermaids fairies
princes witches devils wizards
9 Emotion death love holidays carnivals work poverty freedom fear
comedy
(X factor) happiness desire passion horror loneliness unhappiness
beauty emotive story event happening
ugliness drama nobility majesty utopia religious fervour
wind fire peace still touch friendliness and so on
Emotive power of pictures in different overall key colours mainly darks
different colours have a differing emotional response
match the overall dominant key colour to the emotion feeling story
e.g. green= envy, cold, rejection, fear, bad music, lunch, pastoral wealth, etc.
Make a list for your own direction
38 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
-Establish the size, using straight outlines and the attitude of
other
outlines and the centre line of masses or skeletal frame
Relationship of each part - sizes of negative spaces - relate to
classical models
of planes to horizon - direction of shading- foreshortening
shoulders hips joints neck feet - where flow changes direction
- pressure points
of spaces lines objects adding to the flow or direction to the
patterns and actions
-feeling your way slowly using feint lines - fuzz - light colour
deliberate searching till a subject emerges - simplify large spaces
and their relationship - find the planes to form masses - cubes
of simple mass - deliberate don’t scratch
- check the underlying structure - points where
bones lay close to the surface - hard or rocky outcrops
- lights determine the light source - lighter near light source and
darker further away - darks are lighter near the light source and
darker further away - outlines become heavy in shadow or where a
sharp plane exists & light or no outline on light side or where a
gradual plane exists
lines are darker in the foreground and lighter in the distance
lines follow the direction of the form surface in relation to
the horizon - let the subject suggest the technique
-look thrice think twice draw once
- lines becomes part of the shadow in the darks and
part of the background on the light side (generally)
-reinforce the overall tone of the object (not the detail)
-graduating darker away from the focal point - shape - form -
major character details - point of interest - by going over the
same steps again using a firmer approach
STEPS for Antique or Sculptural Drawing (chiaroscuro)
as taught by Mr Gunther Seaforth Tech 1966
Straight Lines
Proportion
Perspective
Pivot Points
Rhythm
Space Critical
Skeletal Frame
Tonal
Perspective
Firmly Slowly
Tone Bias
Overemphasize
No
rthe
rn P
rom
on
tory
Ple
in A
ir Pa
inte
rs 3
9
Size Equals Quality +% Frame Comm- S/Tax Entry Fee Delivery Insurance Salesinches 10,5, 3% o/hd ission Discount
6 x 8 48 50 150 200 300 330
8 x 10 80 83 173 250 350 385
12 x 16 192 196 266 350 480 530
14 x 18 252 260 310 390 520 575
16 x 20 320 330 377 470 650 715
18 x 24 432 445 490 590 790 870
24 x 36 864 890 932 1050 1400 1870
30 x 42 1260 1300 1340 1460 1950 2600
GUIDE ONLY PRICING Oil PaintingsMultiply the width by the height.. add Quality 3% or more...add size o/heads...frame...etc.
40 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
The Shed Fagan Park Galston by Terry Clare
samples of paintings
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 41
Lighthouse, Bradley Head by Terry Clare
Samples of Puddle Mix Painting with wet in wet improvements
Flinders Gums by Terry Clare
42 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
ARARARARARTTTTTAAAAArt is visual or aural creative expression, wooing emotion for
spiritual entertainment and enjoyment
SSSSSometimes both aural & visual
IIIIIt can take the form of DDDDDance TTTTTheatre PPPPPictures MMMMMusic
SSSSSculpture CCCCCostume or NNNNNature
OOOOOften complemented by combinations of these.
TTTTThe five human senses with IIIIImagination invoke Creativity
WWWWWhen in a calm pleasant unhurried environment
WWWWWithin NNNNNature, the GGGGGreat outdoors or spectacular Architecture
PPPPParticularly when in the presence of similar minds sharing
the same experiences
IIIIIdeas come out of a spiritual ethos as if from elsewhere
AAAAAppearing in dreams and subconscious wanderings
IIIIIf they are not recorded instantly they can disappear
AAAAAlways have a notebook and pen handy
UUUUUnless creators are in a reasonable state of GGGGGrace or have
a level of MMMMMoral standing and Conscience
AAAAA lack of peace and calm can inhibit their creativity
FFFFFaced with a creative outcome of unusual ease and success
OOOOOne can only wonder if they were the one and only sole instigator
SSSSSometimes it is a whisper in the ear or it seems as if
TTTTThe is work is progressing by itself and a sense of joy is ever present
DDDDDespair ensues when nothing happens
PPPPPleasant persistence & perspiration is the only way forward.
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 43
NOTES
44 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters
Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters 45
46 Northern Promontory Plein Air Painters