Home Forums Explore Media Oil Painting Oil Painting – Hall of Fame Oil-from-life challenge, April 2019: optional plein air theme!

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  • #471358
    Grotius
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        Let’s paint from life! As always, feel free to post whatever you like — landscapes, portraits, figures, still lifes, whatever — so long as your work is painted primarily from life. As in March, this month we’re suggesting an optional plein air theme: paint something outdoors. As always, the theme is just a suggestion; post whatever you like. Four guidelines:

        1. Please paint primarily from life — not from photographs or imagination. It’s okay to post finished studio works based on studies from life; in that case, please post the original study as well as the finished work.

        2. Please submit something created either last month or this month, not something you’ve done in the more distant past.

        3. Please paint in oils. That said, please feel free to post studies in any other medium, so long as you also post your oil painting(s).

        4. Please list the size of your painting and support. E.g., ‘”8×10″, oil on panel.’

        Optional: Tell us the title of your painting!

        —————–

        Unfinished works, studies, and outright failures are all welcome. There’s no requirement that you invite comment & critique. If you’d rather post without being critiqued, just say so; that’s fine by me!

        At some point, when the stars align, we may do an almost-daily-painting-from-life thread. If you’re interested in such a theme, by all means let me know!

        You can find older oil-from-life threads in the “hall of fame” sub-forum of the Oil Painting forum.

        I hope you’ll all consider posting a painting or two! Thanks.
        __________________

        - Geoff.
        My website and blog: https://www.geoffwatsonart.com/

        #808155
        Grotius
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            To kick off the party, I thought I’d re-post the last painting I posted in the March thread. My excuse is that this portrait wasn’t up very long before the thread was archived. (You can find all the old oil-from-life threads in the Hall of Fame archive forum.) If others want to follow suit, that’s fine by me! I had fun with this one, even if it has a couple quirks that need attention. “Woman with a silver earring,” oil on panel, 11″ x 14.”

            - Geoff.
            My website and blog: https://www.geoffwatsonart.com/

            #808189
            ronsu18
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                thank you for the new thread and the great start for it!

                filed away on the still, this lost all meaning for me. it’s a bit of this, bit of that. it’s done.
                “leek, lemon, shadow” oil on canson figueras approx 20x32cm
                [ATTACH]864834[/ATTACH]

                and then i took my mussinis out :clap: :clap: :clap:
                [ATTACH]864835[/ATTACH]
                (edit: it’s really unclear exactly what in the landscape i’m painting. sorry.)
                the colors took me by surprise, so the plan changed halfway, right about the same time as the brutal wind started. the picture is taken just before packing up and would you believe that rudimentary painting is two whole hours worth! coming in to fire in the stove, a quick sausage&scrambled felt like coming home from war. not much point in commenting, other than: it’s time for a dessert. :clap:

                C&C welcome

                #808148
                moscatel
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                    Ronsu, I like a lot your plein air. Sometimes these hard worked plein airs turn out to be little gems, like yours is.:thumbsup: The only tiny thing I’m missing is adding or continuing painting the aspen (birches) or two in the right hand side where I think you already have some aspen painted in. I especially like the color of the distant trees and the thick green tree has beautiful color. Beautiful plein air. Well done!

                    Yay for Mussinis going out with You! :clap::wave:

                    Grotius, well done with “Woman with a silver earring”.

                    #808190
                    ronsu18
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                        😀 thank you!
                        the view you describe is the one i went out to paint, but could not “see” it on the paper. can’t explain it, that view needs to be on a larger canvas. (and i want to paint that, too.) what will be in the painting are the fence poles, running diagonally. this went so well i’m a bit scared to continue 😀. i just might have to sign this one if the next session goes well 😨.

                        C&C welcome

                        #808177
                        HollyJ26
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                            Ronsu, I really like your still life; it works for me. And the plein air works too—excellent composition, and I love the color in the distant trees and the blues in the snow. And I like the energetic way you’re painting. I can’t believe you still have so much snow! I’ve never tried Mussini oil paint. Would you recommend it?

                            You were asking about the painter who said the drawing happens at the end of the painting. Her name is Mary Beth McKenzie, and she teaches as the Arts Students League, which put out a book titled, Arts Students League on Painting which I got on Kindle. McKenzie has a chapter in it which I really like. She really said that drawing takes place throughout the painting, and “the real drawing takes place at the end.” Everything she says about painting resonates with me.

                            I wish I had something to share, but I’ve had a head cold, and the painting I did this weekend didn’t work. Also, I was trying a support I didn’t like, so it felt like I was fighting it the entire time. Sigh.

                            #808191
                            ronsu18
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                                thank you! i wish you a speedy recovery from the cold!
                                the conflict with the still life was shaping the plate. i wanted cymbals, the plate turned into flutes and tuning fiddles. newbie was unable to think up a solution, to see the strokes needed, how to make it belong. i’m so grateful for the painting style comment; almost every move in the landscape was planned beforehand and most of them succeeded. it’s exhausting and it works 😊. this will be a new step further, to start building that in as a part of the process.

                                there’s a foot less snow than seven days ago! i’ll be studying McKenzie, just that one sentence made me realise not to fight the good stuff. ☺
                                mussini contains dammar, if you read the technical forum you know the cons. if you use a rigid support, i recommend them! if you glaze i seriously recommend them, esp their multitude of transparent colors! the dammar gives the paint an unparallelled depth and brightness maintained in the muddiest mix. just zoom in on the fence pole placeholders and shadows, the green and pink notes are completely alive, moving in the grey, breathing. they are a little pricey here in EU, so the worse over there. for a beginner it hurts to scratch back. but the color is 💜💛💙.

                                C&C welcome

                                #808156
                                Grotius
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                                    So impressive that you got out into the snow to paint, ronsu. I agree with everyone’s reactions — really nice work.

                                    How did you keep your hands warm? It’s that issue more than any that confounds me when I try to paint in cold weather. Thin gloves don’t provide enough warmth; thick gloves make it hard to control the brush. I’ve tried putting handwarmers inside gloves, and that helps keep the main part of my hand warm, but my fingers still get cold. How do you cope with the cold?

                                    Also, your post has persuaded me to buy a tube of Mussini and give it a try. I tried some Maimieri a couple years ago and really enjoyed it, but not so much that I wanted to continue to pay the premium for it. I guess the issue with damar is that in theory it might yellow a bit with age, but then there are artists who’ve been using Mussini for decades who report no such problems.

                                    - Geoff.
                                    My website and blog: https://www.geoffwatsonart.com/

                                    #808192
                                    ronsu18
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                                        😀 thank you! it was a rare day, not many of those in a year.

                                        the cold is not a straightforward thing. the longer your body pumps warm blood the longer your hand stays warm. start with the toes and dress for the ultimate cold. standing still while breathing cold air for a couple of hours, your body will take a beating beyond the actual grades. stand on a door mat. stop air from moving in and out of clothing. have a double layer of something everywhere, a loose layer. if really cold also over mouth and nose. wool rules. patterned knitted wool rules more. silk next to skin if you have it. if you don’t, start looking for deals. for hands, wristwarmers are great. either two on each hand or long enough to fold and still cover from middle phalanx to inside of jacket when arm is raised and stretched. in wool. you mentioned plastic gloves, that’s among the most challenging things to wear. the material exacerbates cold and the snugness stops circulation esp at joints. maybe try protective cotton gloves instead? cut the fingers open? garden gloves with the silicone dots in fingers? remember the rubber thingies for making pens thicker? one of those on the brush would help using cotton gloves without losing traction but isolating the cold wood from touch. they prolly only come in one size, some DIY required. head gear is a must. a thermos with warm blackcurrant juice 😊. tea is better than coffee. none of that helps if there’s an even wind. that’s all i know about cold. end of sermon.

                                        buying mussini is like buying a self illuminating diamond paste. a strategy could help you further faster. do you want your pinks to sing like a bird, or have you been longing for a magical, barely there mixing white? or do you often wish your blacks were darker but still luminous and transparent? or maybe you use truckloads of sienna for skin color and are quietly looking for the optimal one? i once went nuts over the atramente black. it is amazing! but maybe you find beige offensively boring and wish there was one ochre with a soul? blue is a good bet, since it goes everywhere as sky color in landscapes, it’s good when mixing blacks. vermillion goes into greens and landscape greys but also skin. i just have to shut up now. carry on. thank you.

                                        C&C welcome

                                        #808178
                                        HollyJ26
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                                            Here’s a work in progress, some calla lilies on my kitchen windowsill. I started it yesterday late afternoon/early evening and was hoping to work more at the same time today, but yesterday it was sunny and today it’s pouring, so the light outside won’t be similar. I just hope I can get back to it before the calla lilies move around or wilt, as flowers are wont to do. Ah, well. This is 10”x12”.

                                            And now back to grading papers…

                                            #808193
                                            ronsu18
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                                                the trouble with light… but it is worth it. some people would implode in joy had they painted that. they might simply smooth the cream colored spathe and call it perfect. it is very much alive and i love how you paint indoor&outdoor light together. you’d be a great art teacher.

                                                i’m really stretching the rules now. this begun last fall, so the ‘from life’ study is under there somewhere! the task was a particular light, from memory, and i succeeded today. i think this was the fourth session, each months apart.
                                                here’s where it goes really wrong: i couldn’t get the photo anywhere near right, so i went looking for the whites in… the photo editor. it’s now that little bit better than the painting. the way the thin birch glows is exactly what i’d like the painting to look like. needless to say, i’ll be studying maximizing whites.
                                                😓
                                                “first frost” oil on canvasboard 18x23cm
                                                [ATTACH]864938[/ATTACH]

                                                here, easter plans are rolling full steam already.

                                                C&C welcome

                                                #808194
                                                ronsu18
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                                                    so.
                                                    first i was embarrased and continued on that painting. pretty much ruined it in places, but that of course is just a matter of drying time and redo. now, the skies are clear, went outside to take a proper photo, an unadulterated photo, technically correct photo, and can repost it to clear all doubts. it glows 😊. the foreground and green spots are awful. but it glows.
                                                    WIP
                                                    [ATTACH]864947[/ATTACH]

                                                    C&C welcome

                                                    #808157
                                                    Grotius
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                                                        Ronsu: That’s a really neat effect! I like the criss-crossing stripes. The tree shadows are especially convincing. The foreground horizontal shadows are a path of some sort, I assume? And yeah, how does one make something look really white? The standard answer is: by using contrast. Easier said than done! You’ve done it beautifully here.

                                                        Holly: Wow, that is an amazing impressionist still life! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a still life quite like that. I love paintings with an aura of mystery, and yours certainly qualifies. I’m half-inclined to urge you to sign it and declare victory. If I were the artist, undoubtedly I’d keep going, because I can’t help myself. But I hope you leave in some of the mystery you’ve achieved here.

                                                        It’s cherry-blossom time here, so you’d think I’d be out plein-airing every day. Certainly that was my plan! But I’ve had back spasms all week, so I’ve been taking it easy. I’m hoping I’ll feel up to painting after a restful weekend.

                                                        - Geoff.
                                                        My website and blog: https://www.geoffwatsonart.com/

                                                        #808195
                                                        ronsu18
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                                                            Grotius that’s really bad news about your back, so sorry to hear this! some timing too, guess why i started the mussini list with pink – your cherry blossoms are missed! are you considering seeing a doctor? sometimes little things can help ease the pain, like certain kind of motion, laying down on the floor, magnesium etc, but it’s good to know what’s recommended by professionals.

                                                            thank you for commenting! the shadows are difficult, the sides should have a small gradient. i’ll give that one more try. painting today was filled with varying happenstances, not a dull moment and no wind 😁. took a photo but it’s too dark to matter. slow going.

                                                            C&C welcome

                                                            #808179
                                                            HollyJ26
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                                                                Ronsu, what a magical wintry scene! I like those crisscrossing paths and vertical trees too and the dabs of color showing through the snow (I hope I’m reading that right). It definitely glows, and I like its abstract quality. I also like the vertical format. You certainly live in a beautiful, snowy place!

                                                                Thanks, Ronsu and Geoff, for your comments on my work in progress! I did work some more on it last night, but I think I have to call it done because I had to shift the vase last night to close the window, and I had to move the tripod in order to get to the dishwasher. The sink only holds so many dirty dishes! I’ll post the probable final version when I get a decent photo. (I learned a new word from you, Ronsu: “spathe.” I don’t know my flower terminology…).

                                                                Geoff, I hope your back heals quickly! I’ve pulled various things in my back, and, boy, I know it is no fun. Get lots of rest!

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