A quick "tree" demo...

[Phyllis Rennie]

Aha--negative painting. I'll have to try that one.

[LarrySeiler]

This morning, I gave my 8th graders a quick 15-20 minute demo on 12"x 16" masonite, this exercise done in acrylics. Their assignment was to use photos or they could copy a tree from a painting out of many magazines I have.
<IMG SRC="http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/19-Mar-2001/Peshtigo_demo.JPG" border=0>

I would hope a good number of beginners and intermediates here might give this exercise a shot. Turns out to be a completed painting in itself.

I solidly blocked in the the foilage, teaching the kids to squint their eyes and do two things-, imitate the overall "value" and "color" to block in the shapes.

Then, use sky color...or in my case I used a near white, to "sculpt" the trees. Again...
this is by squinting the eyes and imitate the shape and feeling of sky poking thru and around the tree shapes. I also work in brighter pure color to suggest brilliant sunlit leaves on top of shaded areas to help sculpt foilage.

Lastly reinforce the darks and use some to suggest tree trunks, branches. Then I put color and white spots on the water to suggest sun sparkles.

If you don't think of this as making paintings to be framed, but as an "exercise" you can line up about a half dozen panels and push yourself to do this quickly. Why quickly? It will, as an exercise, teach you to be spontaneous, control the brush, and trust in the final steps to make it pop and all come together. This is good preparation for those wanting to take on experiencing painting outdoors where the sun does not wait patiently for you to finish steps.

btw...note all darks were mixed with no use of black... -Larry


<IMG SRC="http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/19-Mar-2001/Peshtigo_demo2.JPG" border=0>
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The Artsmentor

"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do!" Edgar Degas


[This message has been edited by lseiler (edited March 19, 2001).]

[Gisele]

Beautiful as always!
I am looking forward to your "spring" painting and see how it turns out.It seems to me spring doesn't have as much color as fall,but then,what do I know about it I don't do landscapes.
What do you think?
Gisele

[LarrySeiler]

First thing I'll acknowledge is that you are right Gisele...fall does have much more color than spring.

However...after a summer's passing, plenty of color has been seen, and perhaps the artist becomes a bit desensitized. Perhaps it takes the shouting of the fall color scheme to re-awaken our dulled eyes.

On the other hand...winter can be long, and the loss of color bland. When the sun shows itself day after day, gets higher into the sky and warms up enough to be more comfortable painting...an excitement is triggered in the human psyche, n'est pas?

We are begging at this point to see color, and I think our senses are very much alive and in tune. The blues the spring sun casts as shadows on the last of the snow is wonderful contrast to the glow of the sun on tree trunks. The end of the day is challenging casting these pinks and oranges onto the baren branches...which for many artists are not easy to paint or imitate.

Where I see vast array of color however, is the spring thaw runoff into the creeks and streams. Especially positioned to see some play of the sun's light into it. Did you happen to see my painting I did last spring thaw of Catwillow Creek? My intention was to be faithful in painting what I saw, but the end look was so post-impressionist, so very Van Gogh-like that I was pleasantly in shock! In fact, I called the piece "Go Creek Gogh!" If you haven't seen it, I'll repost it here.

So...by all means, I'd say artists should get out there now...while winter waves goodbye, and enjoy the colors that come with the transition. There's plenty of summer coming where color becomes once again the norm.

Larry

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The Artsmentor

"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do!" Edgar Degas

[Gisele]

I would really like to see your "catwillow creek" painting.Please do post it!
Gisele

[nancymae]

Very beautiful Larry!!! I love your title!! I also love to study other artists in depth and it helps to see through their eyes as you have done with your paintings recently. It truly shows.

Please post any of your students work, should they care to share them!!

Thanks again for the demo!!

Nancy

[tammy]

A wonderful lesson and beautiful painting. I'll have to try this one!

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Don't worry, its gonna be all right....
Tammy's Home for Artists (http://tammy.artistnation.com)

[animal]

Larry, Another Great lesson. I really like the colours of the trees in your demo painting. http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/biggrin.gif