A Painting Takes Shape

A Painting Takes Shape

I remind every artist who paints with me that each painting is like a kid.... at some time in the process of getting them ready for the world each looks like a complete disaster!  I have to remind myself of the same as I get a bit tired of the slower parts of the process and begin to doubt its value.

With the trees, back fields and sky painted, it was time to move on to the subject... the house!
This is where the brain kicks in and we choke up on our brushes.  We almost quit breathing when we get so anxious.  This is a great time to take a walk and talk to yourself about why you paint.... fun!!

I thought you might like to see the brushes I have used up to this point.  It is quite a variety.  The large one was used to blend the sky.  The natural bristle was perfect to paint the texture of the old boards on the house.
To paint weathered wood, do an under-painting that is about the darkest color in that area.  Avoid the temptation to use black and white to make shades of grey.  Instead, use red, blue green and maybe purple... don't forget the orange!!  Make an "optic black" out of red, green and blue.  it has life in it and will not good sooty flat on the painting.  The next layer will be the next tone up and so on ending with streaky highlights of a warm white. 

You can see from my palette today that I have many shades of what artists call "grey."

 Grey to an artist is any color made up of opposite colors that lack crisp color and when describing them the adjectives end in "ish"   like greenish, pinkish, blueish.  You get it!!

On the house, work from the back toward the front just like you do the entire painting. 
The steps and handrails were the last thing I painted.

I am pretty happy with the results of my day.  I had fun with the chairs and swing on the porch. 

I can only imagine what the porch may have had on it all these years.  The obvious things missing are all the family members sitting in all the odd assortment of chairs, steps and benches. 
On one day I spent visiting Pop and his big family, they seemed to sit, hang and lean just about everywhere.  He was extremely happy that day to have everyone at home.  Pop's wife died almost 50 years ago and as I painted I wondered if she would approve of the placement of chairs, wreaths and yard decorations.  I and sure she does.
This home is in Madison, Florida.  Something tells me it is sturdier than anything built today!

Time for some rest.  As of right now, I am not sure of where I will put the trees in the foreground or how I will lay in the shadows from their broad branches, but that is why I will look forward to tomorrow.

Did you know that is why artists end to live long lives?

They have something to look forward to!