Well...after framing all week and visiting one gallery today I found sometime later in the day to work on this landscape.
Here is the update thus far-
Looking at it...I think its starting to show some promise. I intend to subdue and soften that dark diagonal line in the reed area, lighten the value as that bothers me a bit.
Here is the main section blown up that I worked on for the most part-
For those following along with interest to maybe pick up on something that might generate discussion and some learning, I'll bother to point that when I paint greens....I have a lot going on. Green is very very difficult for many artists to put down to look natural and imitate in natural outdoor light.
You'll notice various values and hues of yellows, various greens, and some hint of violets....specks even of reds. These all comprise the mix of good greens.
Here is a close up even more-
I use two blues and two yellows when making my greens, as well as have some phtalo green on hand with acrylics, or viridian with oils. The reason for the two of each primary is to have a warm variation and a cool. Phtalo blue with cadmium yellow, and very little white. With acrylics....you have to add a bit of white to get the opacity that is desired, but with oils the cadmium yellows (cadmiums in general) carry lead in their content...which has covering power or opacity.
With oils I prefer using Naples Yellow, which has lead...and I use it often to substitute white. It keeps everything warm in the mix.
One error many artists make is using white to lighten when they intend to
brighten. White is a cold color, which while tinting reduces the intensity of a color. The sun lightens a color, yes... but it warms it up. Thus, white is not the best choice. You need to find a pure color with high chroma intensity to imitate sun. If you need to use white...very little, but always add a bit of warm color again to recover the warmth lost mixing white.
I do not use black as a pigment in my mixes, do not carry it in my paint box or French easel. Some people use black and yellow to mix olive greens and such...but for my eye and experience, black kills and sucks the life right out of a color.
Many swear and insist that black is needed to create dark values, but I invite anyone to check out the plein airs or my instudio landscapes on my website and see if my darks are not more than dark enough.
One reason many artists get into the habit of using black is by use and dependence upon photographs. Just look at this reference here I used in this thread. The darks appear quite black. They do not though when you are set up on location and paint. So one thing avoiding having black on my palette helps is to remind myself not to be swayed by the camera's interpretation of darks pushing film contrast.
My darks are mixed with variations of phtalo blue, alizarin crimson, touch of green or cadmium yellow...and I use the color very pure.
Advantages are that I have control over color temperature. If I want the dark to have a hint of warmth...I'll lean the dark mixtures toward the red, if cool....to the blue or violet.
I use opposite colors to darken. For example, I'll use reds to darken my greens...which make very nice dark variations without appearing unnatural or sucking out life.
I never really see pure black outdoors where light from the atmosphere above bounces everywhere. Even in shadows, the color of the sky bounces. My darks are rich...
I also try and use other color principles that will bring more spark.
For example...a bit of red or red-orange strategically placed near a green area...can make that green appear more intense. A color attempts to put its complement on an adjacent area.
A bit of violet near green...will affect the yellow of the green mix (yellow + blue= green), and the violet will work to make the green warmer. You will sense more of the yellow in the green mix vibrate to make its presence known. These little tricks play upon the eye to think they are seeing more detail than is really painted. It invites the viewer's eye to participate with the work.
It sounds complicated....but, its not rocket science. It takes doing a number of works to not have to strive so much to remember and act on all that knowledge....but, like the variables you remember when first learning to ride a bike, once you've got balance down it becomes natural, a part of you....and your focus is free to move towards other things.
I'll possibly find sometime to get to the foreground tomorrow. We'll see
Ordinarily...I like to not work a painting from top to bottom. I like working all around and pulling the piece together uniformly.
I think doing that is more natural painting a plein air.
Larry
And so nice of you to share a step-by-step progression.
Linear Mode
