Painting the Farm River - Part III

Welcome back to Painting on the Farm River. This is the final installment of this series. I hope I have inspired you to go out and paint from life nature in its beauty among the birds, butterflies, and nefarious bugs. If you've never tried it, it seems daunting, but be brave! You will learn so much by working from life, I promise.
Last week, I threw the gauntlet down, and challenged you. The response has been lukewarm and my armor is getting heavy. It would be fun for everyone to see your artistic inspirations, so you have one more week to share.

Aerial Perspective

The view from where I stood included a tree line at the farthest point of the river that stretched two to three miles. To understand how to paint objects in the distance, it is important to understand how Aerial Perspective works. Aerial Perspective is the atmospheric distance between objects in a painting. The presence in the atmosphere of moisture and tiny particles of dust and similar material causes a scattering of light as it passes through them, the degree of scattering being dependent on the wave length which corresponds to the color of the light.

Because light of short wavelength (blue light) is scattered the most, the colors of all distant dark objects tend toward blue. For example, distant mountains have a bluish cast, and yellow disappears as it recedes, followed by red.

The heavier the atmosphere, the more pronounced the effect. It is most apparent in lower elevations that commonly have higher amounts of moisture in the air. There are value changes as well. All things become cooler in color (except white) and lighter as they recede into the distance, and their edges soften. White takes on a warmer and darker shade.

"It would be impossible for me to paint slowly out of doors, even if I wanted to... There is nothing immobile in our surroundings. Water curls up all the time, clouds change shape as they change places; the rope that hangs from that boat over there swings slowly back and forth; the boy jumps; those trees bend their branches and raise them up again...But even if everything were petrified and fixed, it would be enough just for the sun to move, as it does continuously, in order to give a different appearance to things... One must paint quickly, because so much is lost, in an instant, and you never find it again!"

–Joaquin Sorolla, speaking of his time spent painting in Javea

From My View

Three hours had passed by since I began painting en plein air and the painting was starting to take shape. I’m more than ever aware of values and edges as I mixed and applied my paint.
The bushes and trees in the distance were lighter in color, and value, so I lightened them with white (a cool color) and used less yellow in the mix. The vines and trunks became a lighter red/purple. I also softened the edges quite a bit to push them into the distance.
The sky was a nice light blue, with no clouds. The sun was in front of me, overhead but not within sight. It provided some beautiful reflections on the water.
Since I began, the sun had moved and the light was beginning to change, so I stopped. When painting outdoors on a sunny day, you only have between two and three hours before the light changes, affecting the values of the subject and the length and direction of the shadows. Cloudy days are more forgiving.

I finished the painting in my studio, with the memory of the river still fresh. The blue in the water needed more emphasis, as did the moss greens, the rocks, and the lightest highlights on the water, rocks and the hemlock tree. I also darkened my shadows under the fallen trees and near the rocks. I had a photo, but only referred to it for detail information.

Next

Some photos of your artistic endeavors.

"Painting, when you feel it, is the greatest thing in the world. No, I've said it wrong, it's Nature that is beautiful."

-Joaquin Sorolla

Consider Yourself Challenged!

I can’t believe that only two of you have been working on art since the advent of this pandemic. At least, I’ve only heard from two since I’ve started this email lesson. I know there are more of you being creative during this time of seclusion, so step up to the challenge!

Hey, this armor is getting pretty uncomfortable so give me a break. If you've been drawing, painting, doodling, etching, coloring with crayons, sewing, knitting, embroidering, sculpting, making origami or any other type of creative art, send me a photo. 

Painting on the Farm River - Part II

Welcome back to Painting on the Farm River. I wanted to tell you why I go out in all types of weather in all kinds of places, and put up with bugs and car fumes and all manner of smells, noises, and, at times, strange conversations, to paint, and why I love it. Maybe you will feel inspired to do the same one day.

As far as the painting, I'm going to show you the painting process and my thoughts behind it, I've included some tips to be comfortable while standing outside in one spot for 2-3 hours at a time. Finally, I'm throwing the gauntlet down, and challenging you!

Why I Love Plein Air Painting

My knowledge of painting took a huge leap forward when I started to take lessons and workshops from artists who paint and draw from life. I learned a great deal more about drawing, composition, value, edges, and light. I bought a cheap French easel and began painting in my neighborhood and took it with me on short trips. My bookshelves slowly filled with books written by famous artists and I carefully studied their methods. I also logged on to artist forums on the Internet and studied other artists, their work, philosophies, and critiques.

In between studying other artists, I painted as often as I could. The night before I went out, I would gather my canvas, easel, brushes and paint together and set them by the door. The next day, I would get up early (usually on the weekend), and be set up and painting on site by nine o’clock am. My first few canvases were nothing impressive, but it didn’t matter. I was hooked.

Unlike working from a photo, when painting en plein air, the world around you caresses all of your senses and sends you to a meditative state of mind. There is a sense of urgency to quickly capture the astounding array of color, light, and sound that nature presents like a buffet at a king's banquet. Painting in the country, you are enveloped with delicate sounds, wild flora and musky aromas of the woods, grassy fields, babbling brooks, and the wildlife that live there. Once, I saw a skinny silver fox tiptoe across the road not fifty feet from where I was painting. In the city, there’s the buzz of bus and car engines, the clanging of the train, the bustle of people rushing to do their errands, and the aroma of freshly made hot coffee and donuts seeping onto the sidewalk. You can’t experience these sensations when painting from a photograph. Sitting indoors at an easel, you don’t feel the warm sun on your skin, smell the scent of honeysuckle floating in the breeze, or hear the birds singing in the trees. It's more than just putting paint on canvas, it's the whole experience.



Painting in a field of sunflowers on a warm summer day, the bees buzzing all around me!
Photo by Dennis Beaulieu

Doing a Quick Drawing

I first decided what area I wanted to include in my composition. When you paint outdoors, you have to eliminate some things, and having a view finder helps to focus on one area. I then did a rough charcoal drawing. I used my chopstick to measure distance and relationships of the trees and water, and I put in some values.

Transferring the Image to the Panel

Next, I drew the picture on the canvas with vine charcoal eliminating some trees and branches. No need to worry about detail here, just get a good drawing with good perspective. I'm drawing and checking my measurements, both horizontal and vertical. I look at my drawing on paper and the scene in front of me.

Block-In Stage

The block-in stage is for filling in large areas with fairly thin color. Here, I filled in the darks first, then worked my way through the middle values. The downed trees had some nice shadows, and some of the river was a golden/rusty red sand that contrasted nicely with the blue from the sky.

The hemlock was a soft green with great highlights from the sunlight. It contrasted nicely with the browns of the surroundings. I put in rocks, the dark greens of the hemlock, and the moss on the bank. I decided to remove the dead limb that was blocking the water between the downed trees. Doing this, the eye is now better directed into the picture and up to a point where the river disappears.

I'm refining my shapes here, checking my values. Not a lot of detail yet.

"The sky is the key to the landscape because of the quality and quantity of the light falling from It determines color unity and value contrast of the remaining elements."

- John F. Carlson

Clothing Suggestions for Plein Air Painting

• Wear loose fitting clothes for ease of movement and added insulation during cool times.
• Dress in layers so you can adjust based on temperature.
• Wear drab or dark colors. Bright or light colors will reflect onto your painting surface and effect how your painting appears in color and value. Some bright colors will attract critters. (blue attracts some)
• Use a wide brimmed hat to shade your eyes. Ventilated in summer and insulated in winter.
• Never wear sunglasses. They dilate your pupils thus changing your perception of values, and they skew colors.
• Take a wind breaker or light poncho in case of inclement weather. An insulated jacket in winter.
• Wear comfortable high-top shoes or boots for getting into those out of the way places.
• Good quality socks; (wool will repel water, good cotton will cool.)
• Cotton or wool gloves with the fingers cut out in the winter. Perhaps some of those chemical hand warmers for your pockets.
• A scarf or jacket with a hood to protect your neck in the winter.

 

I have a Tin Cloth Packer Hat that protects my face and head during cool or hot sunny weather. It's also water resistant. Hat and Hooded Utility Jacket are from Filson.

"We must not imitate the externals of nature with so much fidelity that the picture fails to evoke that wonderful teasing recurrence of emotions that marks the contemplation of a work of art."

-John F. Carlson

Next

In Part III, I'll take you through the last steps to completion, including my thoughts about painting water.

Consider Yourself Challenged!

I have heard from a few of you since I started posting instructional emails. The comments have been encouraging and kind. A couple of you have said that they are drawing or painting, but I know there are more of you being creative during this time of seclusion (and if not, what are you waiting for?).

I've squeezed into my armor (not the most comfortable bodysuit I've ever worn) and thrown the gauntlet down. CONSIDER YOURSELF CHALLENGED! If you've been drawing, painting, doodling, etching, coloring with crayons, sewing, knitting, embroidering, sculpting, making origami or any other type of creative art, send me a photo. You have approximately two weeks to think about it and create something. Send your photos to pmeglio99@gmail.com and I will post them in my email once this series is done.

Painting on the Farm River - Part I

I live near the Farm River in Northford and love to paint there, especially in the spring. The Farm River begins from a small brook flowing off Pistapaug Pond, which is partially within the towns of Wallingford, Durham and North Branford. From there it flows southward sixteen miles and empties into Long Island Sound. Near the shoreline, the fresh water mixes with sea water and it becomes an estuary. The area that I chose to paint is surrounded by open fields owned by the town. Trees and wild undergrowth line the river on both sides. The river draws wildlife including deer, rabbits, turtles, and coyotes.

I had spotted this place on one of my hikes in the area and knew it would be a great place to paint, especially before the vegetation filled in and blocked the view. There was a good down river view of water, new growth, fallen trees, and light rapids with nice contrasts of light and dark values. Looking in this direction, I decided where my focus was going to be, then I positioned myself on the bank in a shady area, with the sun shining overhead at around the eleven o’clock position.

My Setup

When I paint plein air, I use a Guerrilla Box with a very heavy camera tripod. While it’s a bit heavy for travel, it’s sturdy in windy conditions so I don't need to worry that a gust of wind will send my box flying.

 The canvas board is small, 9H x 12W, and fits into the lid of the box. Behind that, I stored my drawing paper. The box comes with a slide out wooden palette, which makes it easy to clean. I can store some items under the palette in the little compartments. I put my brushes, gloves, pencil, small can for the gel, my chopstick, a thin bag that I use for dirty brushes, and charcoal in those sections. In my backpack, which is a light nylon, besides my box, I packed my phone, water, mineral spirits, paper towels, trash bag, and bug spray.

My Palette

Because I hiked for a distance of around ¼ mile, I packed as light as I could. I prepared my palette ahead of time with the colors and only took a tube of white with me. My palette consisted of Titanium white, Cadmium yellow, orange and red, Alizarin crimson, Transparent Oxide Red and Brown, Permanent Green, Viridian, Cerulean, Cobalt blue, and Ultramarine Blue. I also added a spot of Liquin gel in a small can. I brought one medium bristle and two small synthetic brushes.
I put some mineral spirits in a very small jar, took a few paper towels, a piece of paper and some vine charcoal. I prepped the canvas a light green ahead of time, to help save time.

"In many ways, a painting is a synthesis of opposites: light and shadow, warm and cool, sharp and soft, coarse and fine. These polarities, when integrated into the picture, create vibrancy and dynamism."

-Gregg Kreutz

Packing List for Plein Air Painting

• A full size French easel, Guerrilla Box, or Pochade Box
• Nylon backpack
• Phone
• Leak proof solvent container
• View Finder
• Nylon gloves
• Small pad of paper
• Pencil
• Vine charcoal
• Small panel or canvas that fits into the lid of box
• Insect repellent
• Drinking water
• Extra paint
• Trash bag
• Poncho
• A wide brim hat
• A sandwich, trail mix, or some kind of snack
• Earbuds for phone or iPod for music
• Umbrella that can be attached to the easel (for working in the sun)
• A rope to tie to a large rock to suspend from box for windy days or tent stakes.

I carry the box in a back pack when I find I will be walking quite a distance to my subject.

When painting from photos, above a certain lightness, everything in a photo is a washed out white and below a given darkness, colors become one unidentifiable color. The human eye is much more sensitive to color and values and is able to detect vastly more of each.

Next

In Part II, I'll take you through my process, from composition to sketch, then my steps for painting this beautiful bucolic scene. Stay tuned!

Remodeling a Painting - Part IV

Welcome back! I’m excited to share with you the last in the series of Remodeling a Painting. This step-by-step instruction has been a great way to motivate me to take a second look at a painting that wasn't working. It's also a great way to show you what I'm doing and explain my approach as I work on it. I am pretty happy with the way it's turned out. 

In this last segment, I'm addressing shadows and the color in the shadows, edges, highlights and loads of details. I've warmed up the background color a bit as well using a technique called scumbling. I've included my palette so you can see the color mixtures.

I hope that you've enjoyed this Remodeling a Painting series. Please drop me a line and let me know what you think. 

The Composition  18H x 24W, Oil on Canvas   

Edges

When considering the focus of a painting, you need to think about your edges. Edges are the borderlines between shapes of color. They are where things fit together, and define where the transitions occur. In painting, edges are either "sharp," "moderate," "soft," or "lost."
Sharp edges attract the eye and are often used with contrasting values to bring attention to a subject. It's a good idea to use sharp edges near or on your focal point.

Soft edges are like wall flowers, they don't want to attract attention, so the edges are blurred or softened. I use a dry brush to soften edges.
Lost edges occur when you can't tell the difference where one shape of a color begins and another one ends. Lost edges can provide mystery and a quiet atmosphere to a picture. They also help to depict movement, such as in a waterfall.

In this painting, the sharpest edges are the pen, tambourine and the lower part of the mandolin The inherent shapes of the mandolin and the guitar provide moderate edges, but I've also sharpened the edges of the pen and tambourine with contrasting values. I've softened the edges of the fabric, especially at the top edge. 

 

The Sheet Music and Fountain Pen

The paper was the most conflicting part of the original painting, partly because of the coolness of the color. For harmony, I warmed up the color by using various shades of yellow, peach, and gold. The shaping and position provided interest and, with the pen and pattern in the fabric, directs the eye into the picture. 

For the writing on the music, I added some notes and lines, but only a few. I first worked it out on the drawing before I transferred a design using charcoal onto the canvas. The idea is to provide a suggestion of music, without getting too detailed. I softened the "ink" to a dark gray so that it wouldn't stand out too much. 

The fountain pen is important as are the ink drips, so I sharpened the edges and added some highlights.

Shadows and Temperature

The color in the shadows of a subject are directly related to the temperature of light. If the light is cool, the shadows will be warm, if the light is warm, the shadows will be cool. Shadows on a cloudy day will be warm, whereas shadows on a bright sunny day are cool.

I've maintained from the start that the light source in this painting is a warm incandescent light. For this reason, the shadows are cool in temperature. I've used some blue and green in my shadows in the fabric and near the instruments. In the shadow of the tambourine, a reflection off of the instrument also includes local color in the shadow.

A color changes its appearance when either the light changes or its adjacent colors change.

Scumbling Technique

For the dark background, I used a method called scumbling. Scumbling is the application of a thin layer of paint with a dry brush and a loose hand over an existing layer. The idea is to allow parts of the already existing paint below to remain exposed. In most cases, scumbling is used over dried paint. My dark background was a bit cool, so I decided to warm it up slightly by scumbling alizarin crimson into it. It's very subtle change, but one that really makes a difference. I used a large bristle brush and pushed and pulled the paint over the dark areas with wide motions.

My Palette

My palette consisted of Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Ornge, Medium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Transparent Oxide Yellow, Viridian, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber and Titanium White.

I used a #8 bristle round for the background scumbling, and various medium and small sizes of synthetic rounds and brights brushes

Next

There's nothing better than painting en plein air on a beautiful warm spring day.

En plein air is a French expression meaning “in the open air”, and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view.

My next series, Painting on the Farm River, will take you step-by-step with me as I paint this beautiful section of the Farm River on a warm and sunny day.

Don’t skimp with your paint on your palette. Put enough out so that you have something to work with and so you don’t have to keep stopping to mix and add paint.

Questions? Comments?

I hope you enjoyed this last of the four-part series, Remodeling a Painting. Feel free to share with others. I'd love to hear from you. Are you feeling inspired? What are you doing to stimulate your creative side?

Visit my website for more information about me, classes, exhibitions and for photos of my work.