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. 

Making My Own Panels

I like to make my own panels rather than buy them from an art store. I can control the quality and texture of the panels this way and I happen to like the canvas covered type the best. I started by making them with Masonite, but have lately been using lauan, which is a thin and light birch plywood. Lauan is cheap but it is also light and easier to cut. Making my own boards is time consuming, but it is a cheap way to stock up on boards of all sizes. I can make around twenty 6’x8’ boards or around ten 9”x12” boards with one panel. These are the sizes that I prefer. For larger than this, I use stretched canvas. When I’m ready to make my boards, I buy a 2’x4’sheet of lauan at Home Depot, though I believe you can get larger sizes. This size is easier for me to transport.
Instructions:
Using a pencil and a metal straight edge ruler, mark out your measurements for the panels in pencil and then cut them on a table saw. Cover the boards with canvas. I use a medium or portrait grade canvas and measure out a piece for each panel with about an inch margin all around. To attach the canvas to the panel, I lightly drizzle Elmer’s glue on one side of the panel, getting it all over the panel as best as possible. Turn it upside down and use a brayer and press and roll it on the canvas surface until it is smooth without any air bubbles. Stack a group of heavy books on the panels and leave them to dry overnight. I like to use paper or plastic between the books and the table so that the glue doesn’t leak out and adhere to the surface. I usually stack the panels with the wrong sides together as well. The next day, apply glue to the margins and fold the canvas around to the back, carefully folding the corners inward.

I use medium bulldog clips to help hold the glued edges in place for a few minutes until it is set. Remove the clips and then stack heavy books on the boards as before. Finish the surface of each board with one coat of PVC glue. This gives the surface a seal that keeps the gesso and paint on top of the canvas rather than soaking through it.

Thin the gesso with one part warm water to one part gesso. Using a small roller, apply a thin coat of gesso to each panel. Let dry at least an hour, preferably two or more. Using a fine grade sanding sponge, sand the surface lightly. Repeat this exercise with two more coats, letting them dry for two hours and sanding the surface in between each coat.

Turn the panels to the wrong side. Using leftover house paint (latex is fine), apply a thin layer of paint to the back side of the panels. This keeps out moisture and prevents warping.

This supply will usually last me about a year. The panels are great for short plein air paintouts, field sketches that can be used for larger paintings, and for small still life paintings.I also like to stretch my own canvas, and use those throughout the year. In a later post, I will include my instructions for preparing stretched canvases.