Painting Course – Day 10

The painting course is over and this is the final version of my first oil painting. There are not important differences with the previous day either. I was adding some shadows and lights to the grass area and some leaves to the trees, I had added too much sky color between the trees, while the teacher explained how to perform the reflections. Practically I redid all the water area. First I used browns for the water, I painted from the bottom to the middle of the water, approximately. Then, I added the reflections over the fresh paint and some dark greens in the shoreline. Finally I blurred the reflections and added some shadows.

We asked to the teacher if we could take several classes more. Some of the students were very interested on it. He will answer in the next few days. It seems he has an exhibition and is working on his own paintings. I am not sure if I am interested on these extra classes. I am partially satisfied with the course and I am not sure if I want to start a new painting. I will wait to the teacher’s answer to make a decision. Keep you all informed!

Painting Course – Day 9

Today I just took one hour, thus there are not important differences with the previous day. The teacher told me I had to open some lights in the trees area. I added too much foliage the past day. Surely I will add some leaves the next day with the fan brush.

And as you can observe I finally painted the house. It does not have so much detail. I only painted some shadows under the roof area and added the windows.

We have decided I will not start a new painting. The teacher told me I would finish the painting today but I preferred to leave the reflections in the water area for the next class. He agreed with me and suggested I could add some lights in the grass area and many other things to improve the painting. The next class will be held in two weeks.

Painting Course – Day 8

I was using the small fan brush and one of the synthetic brushes for painting the leaves. Basically I followed the same technique than the earlier days with the fan brush. The rounded brush helps to add variety to the leaves shapes. Ochre and cadmium yellow for the leaves. I was also working on the trunks, I was applying light colors to get some lights.

Probably you remember I wanted to improve the right area between the mountain and the grass. It seemed to me like a wall. I talked to my teacher. I proposed to increase the mountain. He discouraged me from doing it and he suggested to increase the grass level, it was much easier and the result would be equivalent. I did it but the problem was not fixed. Thus, when I was working on the leftmost tree, I extended part of its foliage to cover that area. It is not exactly the Deb’s suggestion but it solves the problem and helps to give the field more depth looking.

I am not sure if I will go to the next class, I have to give my own classes the next week. Maybe I will take just one hour. Only the house and the water reflections remain.

Painting Course – Day 7

Today I was working in the field behind the grass. Basically I had to use dark colors in the base and light colors, almost white, on top. As usual I am not very happy with the result. It differs from the last day but probably I will modify the area close to the trees.

I was also painting the path and adding some contrast to the grass with the fan brush. Surely you all do not believe it but I like it! The path perspective seems a little weird but usually the paths are not perfectly defined.

Finally I was adding some branches to the trees. I had only painted the branches to the right of the trees. I followed the same technique: a thin synthetic brush and browns with a bit of medium.

I must keep working on the trees area. I have to add the leaves and to make darker the background. Also it is pending the water and its reflections and the house.

Painting Course – Day 6

The sixth day and I did not finish the painting. Now I am not sure if I want to finish it. If I finish it the next day, it will remain just three days for a new painting. Maybe it is better to add more details or to improve some areas. I will ask to the teacher.

Today I was working on the mountain. I am more satisfied when I see the photo than when I see the painting. Follow this link to compare it with the earlier version. Basically I had to use light colors with lots of white, thus the mountain seems farther than the other elements. I started with a light gray –ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and white– with a bit of magenta and I was adding some ochre for increasing the contrasts.

Also I redid some trunks. I was adding more volume to them. And I also started to paint some branches. I must keep working on the branches and the first and fourth trees. The first tree is different to the others, it has three small trunks (perhaps they are three small trees). And I want to bring the fourth tree, just moving the base. The teacher said we will only define those five or six trees, we will not change the others, so it seems they are farther than the defined trees. I guess I will add more foliage with the magical fan brush.

I must work on the path and the house. I also want to improve the area that divides the grass and the mountain, now it looks like a wall. I will add some contrast there, too. I must add more reflections in the water… and I guess the teacher will suggest more changes. Today he said the island area and the grass look well.

I am starting to enjoy oil painting. I am starting to see the results.

Painting Course – Day 5

I guess I am starting to finish the painting. I could be painting it many days more but surely I would not improve it. I was working on the water. Basically, I used a dark brown for the side nearest to the trees that I was lightning gradually. Then I added the reflections of the trees. The teacher said I only had to add a few of them. I have no idea if we will add the others the next day. It seems incomplete to me. Once I painted the reflections, I blurred them. I also added some touches of dark greens and reds.

Also I work on the island in the foreground. I used the small fan brush like I did the last week. I used cadmium yellow and ochre. It has light colors. I used the same colors for the grass to the left of the trees and the area near to the mountains.

Finally I added the shadows of the trees. It changed drastically the painting. I am happy with this area. I think it is the only area which I am happy (better partially happy). The light goes from left to right, so all the right area has darker tones than the left one.

What’s the next? Really I don’t know. I have not worked on the path neither the house behind the trees. I should work on the trees: they require some branches, now they seem posts. They mountain also needs some work, maybe I will use the magical fan brush.

Painting Course – Day 4

Today I was also working on the mountains and the trees and started with the ground. The mountains had to be clearer in similar tones to the sky ones. There was something wrong with it: the brush strokes looked like waves on water, the colors do not look so good either… and so on. Thus, I decided to leave it for the next day.

The new fan brushes work really good. I used the fan brush No. 6 for the trees. Basically I used yellow ochre although some zones have a pinch of green or red-brown. The teacher’s comment here was that I had to use much more oil, we are looking for a sort of texture, we must cover the darker colors with each brush stroke.

And, as the teacher said, the grass was growing in my painting! I used the fan brush No. 2 with yellow and little bit of green in the distant zones near to the mountain, and yellow ochre in the closest ones. The effect obtained with these brushes is so cool. The grass and leaves textures can be easily achieved with them.

I will need at least a couple of hours, the next lecture, for finishing the painting. I must keep working on the mountain (adding details) and the trees (basically the trunks and adding some contrast in the leaves) but I must start with the path, the house and the hardest zone: the lake in the right bottom side of the canvas. The trees are reflected in the lake and its water has a very dark brown tone. Fortunately the waves on water will not be a trouble: I was practicing in the mountain today!

Painting Course – Day 3

Today I was working on the mountains and the trees. And I kept detailing the sky. I started with the sky the last day but it was a little bit dark. So I was adding some light violets and white. There is not a big difference but now it is closer to the original model. Probably I will work on it the next day, too.

Concerning mountains and trees, the teacher explained the goals to me: achieve the darkest background color in both zones, blue-violet for the mountains and green for the leaves. Once I finished, I followed the same idea with the trunks and some parts of the ground. I used browns made with cyan blue, magenta and cadmium yellow medium.

At the end of the lecture the teacher reviewed my painting and gave me some ideas about the next day. I will start to paint the leaves. Really he already started with the leftmost trees while he was showing how to use the secret weapon for leaves: the fan brush. I must buy a couple of them for the next day (no. 2 and 6). The teacher used yellow ochre for the leaves although we will also add madder carmine.