Category Archives for Tips & Techniques

Working From Memory

As an artist I’m drawn to a variety of subject matter, from mountain ranges to my wife cooking in the kitchen. There is conventional beauty as in a sunset or arrangement of flowers and beauty found in the arrangement of shapes, values and subtle changes of color no matter what the subject. The best subjects are Continue Reading

Working From Memory

As an artist I’m drawn to a variety of subject matter, from mountain ranges to my wife cooking in the kitchen. There is conventional beauty as in a sunset or arrangement of flowers and beauty found in the arrangement of shapes, values and subtle changes of color no matter what the subject. The best subjects are Continue Reading

Nocturnal Painting

A full moon in the Southwest is a great time to paint outside.  It’s not as diffucult as it sounds.  On a night where there is a full moon you can see a lot of strong contrast between light and dark.  Edges past the foreground are a lot softer because of the dark, but the foreground can have a lot of variety because of the strong light.

A Less Expensive Way to Try Linen Canvas

If you haven’t tried linen canvas because of the cost, Utrecht sells raw linen by the yard, which really makes it affordable.  There are some manufacturers who sell stretched linen at a good price, but the quality is pretty poor, a good cotton canvas would be better.
A good quality linen is always expensive, (I know cost is relative but this stuff is high) mainly because it comes in 3, 6 or 10 yard rolls and is already primed with an oil or gesso primer.  Utrecht sells Continue Reading

Thumb Box

Sometimes when I’m getting ready to go out and paint the thought of dealing with a large easel, back pack and all the stuff involved in plein air painting wears me out before I get started.  When I’m traveling I don’t have the time or space to bring a lot of painting equipment and that’s why I have an 8 x 10 pochade box that holds everything I need.  There’s space in the bottom for 5 small paint tubes and about 4 or 5 paint brushes that I chop off to fit in the box, a pallette that slides back and forth and 3 slots that hold 8 x 10 canvas boards.  It has a thumb hole in the bottom that allows me to stand and paint and it’s small enough to use in the car during bad weather.  So I have no excuse not paint in bad weather, or a trip, or too lazy to drag out a lot of equipment.

Thumb Box

Sometimes when I’m getting ready to go out and paint the thought of dealing with a large easel, back pack and all the stuff involved in plein air painting wears me out before I get started.  When I’m traveling I don’t have the time or space to bring a lot of painting equipment and that’s why I have an 8 x 10 pochade box that holds everything I need.  There’s space in the bottom for 5 small paint tubes and about 4 or 5 paint brushes that I chop off to fit in the box, a pallette that slides back and forth and 3 slots that hold 8 x 10 canvas boards.  It has a thumb hole in the bottom that allows me to stand and paint and it’s small enough to use in the car during bad weather.  So I have no excuse not paint in bad weather, or a trip, or too lazy to drag out a lot of equipment.

Making Canvas Panels

When I make my panels I usually use 1/8 in. standard masonite or pressed wood. You can also use 1/8 in. birch plywood or gator board which is found in art stores. When buying masonite or pressed wood make sure to buy the standard as opposed to the treated panels which are injected with a petroleum substance and are darker in color. I use Elmers all purpose glue from the hardware store, a 2 in. inexpensive house paint brush and a kitchen rolling pin.
After cutting the boards to size I cut the canvas 1/2 in. bigger so it can be trimmed. Continue Reading

Color Overhaul

Like anything else, you can lapse into routine when painting, especially when painting in the studio instead of from life.  Our color selection can become routine and predictable.  It helps me to do a series of exercises to loosen my color sense.  Anytime we can paint for the sake of learning instead of trying to create a finished painting we are going to improve our painting skills.
When you change your palette to shake up you color sense it reminds you that painting is not about matching color or tone or using the same color recipe for skies or fields of grass.  It’s about being able to express what you see through color, using a scheme of colors to express mood or drama in a painting.

My palette is limited so when I change it I’m really switching primaries.  So instead of my usual cadmium yellow, cadmium red, alizarin and ultramarine blue, I can use Continue Reading

Painting Large Outside

Usually painting outside is a small, quick response to light and color before it changes, or gathering color notes for larger pieces in the studio.  Sometimes the challenge of painting large is a good way to change things or venture out of my comfort zone.  Usually 16 x 20 is as large as I will go and 6 x 8 is a nice size when traveling and stopping along the road for a quick sketch.
But painting larger outside, 20 x 24, or 24 x 30 allows me to Continue Reading

How To Paint Brighter Colors with Grays

When painting, outside or inside, a bright or sunlit object, we tend to think in terms of stronger or more saturated color, or color straight from the tube to make it stand out more.  In reality we need to think just the opposite.  When we’re painting an object in a landscape or still life that seems stronger in color it’s always more effective to desaturate or neutralize the colors around the bright object to make it standout.
For example, a mountain being lit by the setting sun will look intense and full of sunlight only if I reduce the saturation of the surrounding sky, trees and foreground with grayer, cooler color.  With a limited palette of Continue Reading