Robinson Lake...16x20 progression

[Marc Hanson]

A field study from last Friday that I'm working up into a little larger format.
''Robinson Lake"- 11x14-oil-canvas on board- 1.5 hours
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Aug-2005/37743-Robinson-Lake-11x14-oil-PA-.jpg

About 15 minutes in-
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Aug-2005/37743-robinson-l-1.jpg


About 30 minutes in and time to run errands. Might be back with more later today or next week.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Aug-2005/37743-robinson-l-2.jpg

[Robert]

Thanks for showing this, Marc. Interesting decisions about what to draw and what to mass in. It's also good to see the lightest lights in there from the start - in the sky, I mean. Look forward to the progress.

[mnpainter]

Sweet, Like seeing how you construct a painting it is a treat for us to see. Are you using ultra and white for the blue sky? You blues seem to be more intense then what I get when mixing ultra and white together. I really enjoy the lay out this piece. Cool cant wait to see more.

Ben

[Bart W]

Takk Marc! Can't wait to see the next step!

[mnpainter]

Did you tone the canvas?

Ben

[Bill Wray]

Gorgeous Mark, It will be tough to better this larger. Thanks for the step by step. I know you can make it more finished, but I like the slight rough life of the study just fine. Let's trade.;-)

[coh]

That's a sweet sky. Nice to see the step-by-step of it coming together
in the studio version. Look forward to seeing this one evolve.

[Diyart]

hello
that looks great.. another question for the cook.
How do you get this wonderful warm grey in the field study ???
Martin

[Marc Hanson]

Thanks for all of the comments and questions. On this one I'm using only Cad yellow lemon, perm red medium and ultramarine blue. The board was toned with a mix of the three that resembles a sienna wash. I don't do that often, but once in awhile it seems appropriate.
I know what you mean Bill, but then they're two different items all together. Hard to repeat that spontaneous reaction from on location in the studio. So I don't exactly try to do that, just try to use the best qualities of the study in the studio piece. Never as satisfied with studio pieces as with studies though. Not saying they aren't maybe even more complete in the studio, but the spirit of on site paint isn't.
Martin it's the combination of those 3 colors and white. I'm not sure how much of each...Probably the result of looking hard on site and having the combination of the actual subject, and getting lucky mixing, at hand. Thanks again all.


I'm posting a better photo taken this morning of the field study.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Aug-2005/37743-Robinson-Lake-11x14-oil-PA-.jpg

Then the 16x20 at the stage it's at and a couple of closeup shots. I already see things in these photos that I'm going to change...like the shapes of some of the trees. They're stronger in the study and I want those in the studio version. The sky in the studio isn't photographing (low light) with as much texture and contrast showing as there is IRL.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Aug-2005/37743-robinson-l-3.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Aug-2005/37743-robinson-l-4-detail.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Aug-2005/37743-robinson-l-5-detail.jpg

[Robert]

It looks fantastic, so far, Marc. I like the approach of working down from the sky. It really defines the key nicely.

[mnpainter]

Marc, Not to pry into this but may I ask why you chose to remove the clump of trees under the crest of the lefthand bluff? I acutally like it on the study it adds some weight to the foreground. Just a thought that came while looking:>) Love that sky though man oh man.

Ben

[Marc Hanson]

Good point Ben, I'll take a look at that. I'm trying to get this done, and it is now, for Friday night at Cornucopia. They're hosting a gathering and wanted a few new pieces. This is one...hope it's dry. But I'm rushing and should have time to look it over. thanks. (while waiting for these images to upload I went and fixed that tree mass, helps)

Final- "Robinson Lake" -16x20-oil/canvas/bd
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Aug-2005/37743-Robinson-Lake-16x20-oil-fin.jpg

Closeups trying to show what it looks like IRL.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Aug-2005/37743-robinson-l-detail-6.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Aug-2005/37743-robinson-l-detail-7.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Aug-2005/37743-robinson-l-detail-8.jpg

[coh]

Marc,

I've got 3 technical questions for you:

1) The sky colors you obtain with just the 3 colors are pretty amazing.
Can you remind me (us) which brands and colors you use? Are they all
rembrandts? Is the ultramarine a "deep" version? I've been having
trouble with sky colors lately, that's why I'm asking.

2) In another thread (the one started by Michael24, I think), you made
a post where you talked a bit about your green mixtures and how you
adjusted them. I posted and asked about your use of viridian, but you
didn't answer...probably you didn't see the post. Anyhow, I was wondering
how much you use the viridian. I seem to recall from Schmid's video that he
uses viridian as the base for almost all his green mixtures, whereas you seem
to use it much less often. I meant to pay more attention to that at Hyde
Park but forgot.

3) I'm still trying to learn the "branch trick" where you lay in tree trunks
and branches with those worn bristle brushes. Have you found that any
particular styles/brands of brushes allow you to do that more easily? For
example, stiff vs flexible, filberts vs flats, etc. Maybe my brushes are not
broken in enough yet, but I still tend to get a sludgy mess when I try it
instead of clean dark lines that cut through the existing paint layer.

Thanks, and sorry for the excess verbiage :)

[James or Jimmy Jim]

Marc, I don't usually drop in over here, but I'm glad I did.

I really like all aspects of this one. Are the thick areas on the trees applied by knife?

[Brad M.]

Well done, Marc. You were really able to capture the feel of your plein air piece. I don't think I prefer one over the other. Which truly speaks to the quality of both works.

[Marc Hanson]

Marc,

I've got 3 technical questions for you:

1) The sky colors you obtain with just the 3 colors are pretty amazing.
Can you remind me (us) which brands and colors you use? Are they all
rembrandts? Is the ultramarine a "deep" version? I've been having
trouble with sky colors lately, that's why I'm asking.

2) In another thread (the one started by Michael24, I think), you made
a post where you talked a bit about your green mixtures and how you
adjusted them. I posted and asked about your use of viridian, but you
didn't answer...probably you didn't see the post. Anyhow, I was wondering
how much you use the viridian. I seem to recall from Schmid's video that he
uses viridian as the base for almost all his green mixtures, whereas you seem
to use it much less often. I meant to pay more attention to that at Hyde
Park but forgot.

3) I'm still trying to learn the "branch trick" where you lay in tree trunks
and branches with those worn bristle brushes. Have you found that any
particular styles/brands of brushes allow you to do that more easily? For
example, stiff vs flexible, filberts vs flats, etc. Maybe my brushes are not
broken in enough yet, but I still tend to get a sludgy mess when I try it
instead of clean dark lines that cut through the existing paint layer.

Thanks, and sorry for the excess verbiage :)

No problem Chris. I have to do this quick though, teaching the next 4 days (will see Frisbee, lsaeta, hopper, and others this weekend in a workshop here) and am busy preparing.

1-Rembrandt Ultramarine deep, Rembrandt permanent red medium and either M.Graham Cad yellow light, Utrecht cad yellow lemon, or Gamblin cadmium lemon. All of the yellows are about the same color. Not different enough to matter to me.

2-I put out viridian but use it very little. But it depends on the situation. My base for greens is ult blue and cad yellow lemon or light. Then that green base is warmed appropriately for the green I'm painting. My usual approach these days (may change?) is to 'rely' initially on the 3 pigments (Christensen palette) and only use the others if it's easier to achieve a color by their use. The others(Schmid colors if you want to call them that) are convenience colors now. This keeps the benefit of the limited palette's propensity for harmony in play, while at the same time I don't feel limited when the 'color calls' outside of that palette.
I think if you check into Schmid's color a little further you'll see that cobalt and ultramarine form a pretty large part of his green mixtures. I saw and see that in his demos and earlier book.

3-Robert Simmon's 'Signet' brights...those are the ones I use and have for quite awhile. The other brushes seem to flair out (like Gainsborough's) before they're worn enough to be used in this way. About size 5,6 or 7's work for me.

HOpe that helps... :)

[Marc Hanson]

Marc, I don't usually drop in over here, but I'm glad I did.

I really like all aspects of this one. Are the thick areas on the trees applied by knife?
Thanks Jim. Glad you did stop in. No knife on this one, only fingers and brushes. :D Fingers work best.

[Marc Hanson]

Robert and Brad...thanks for looking and commenting...
...zoooooooommmmmmmmmm....gotta' run!!!

[coh]

No problem Chris. I have to do this quick though, teaching the next 4 days (will see Frisbee, lsaeta, hopper, and others this weekend in a workshop here) and am busy preparing.

Busy time. Have fun! Hope John doesn't cause too many problems :)

Thanks for your answers on the colors and brushes. I have to try some of
that ultramarine deep, I've only used the standard ultramarines. Could help
with the darks. On the viridian, I'm only going by what I saw in Schmid's
video - the one where he painted his barn with the laundry hanging nearby.
He didn't talk a lot about the mixes as he was painting but seemed to be
using a lot of the viridian, even to start new piles of green. Maybe that's not
his standard practice, though.

[Michael24]

coh: Thanks for reminding me to do a follow-up question on the greens.

Marc: I may be suffering from monitor vs. reality disfunction, but your greens seem to be more than just cad yel lemon and ultramarine blue. I have mixed those combinations for ages. I have done spectral studies on them as well and have assured myself that the greens attainable are fairly dull, low chroma hues. Again, it seems that your greens don't look this way on your pictures. I will post a limited palette painting that I think you will just hate because the greens are fairly strong. But I did use viridian to achieve this. Marc, your paintings are fantastic, I just would never think that you got such strong color out of cad yel lem and ultra blue. Maybe it is the brands used???

With regards to coh's inquiry, I assume that you are using very small amounts of red to temper your greens. Whenever I try it, I usually mix too much red into the green and you know the results of that....

Thanks again for posting a painting in progress. I get some of the issues you talk about regarding blocking in the major elements. I still don't understand how you constructed the sky. I can't get my sky to look anything like yours. How do you do that???

Your time is most appreciated.