Overworking! Try Alla Prima.

Are you tired of reworking a painting - over and over - correcting shapes, adding lights, adding darks, fixing colors - only to find that you have overworked the painting again, destroyed the colors and values, and are so frustrated that you might as well wipe it off or throw it in the trash! All that wasted time, effort and paint!

We've all been there -myself included!

So let's try direct painting and see if that works better. Direct painting or Alla Prima is the technique of painting one area correctly and completely before moving on to a new area, always completing each new area before progressing across the canvas. These correctly completed areas provide a reference point for judging each new area. As you slowly work across the canvas you are painting the finished painting. You can choose to begin at the focal point or in the far distance/sky area. 

When the painting is completed, set it aside to dry a bit. There may be small bits and pieces to add, but if done correctly, there should be no major changes needed. And since no area has been overpainted or fiddled with, your colors and values should be clean and crisp.

Direct painting is in obvious contrast to painting in stages, where each area is first painted in its general mass tone and the entire painting is worked to completion with each adjustment hopefully leading to a correct ending. But each adjustment changes the dynamics of the entire painting. Every half completed area is altered by the next step. There is no clear reference point for comparison - and that's where the problems may arise.

Of course, all paintings, no matter the technique, need to be carefully planned out beforehand, the composition worked out in thumbnail sketches and then sketched onto the canvas. 

It's something to think about.

Now for July news - Our Virtual Hike Painting Group is visiting South Dakota this month. I hope to complete two paintings.

Last month our destination was Japan, but it was a busy month and I couldn't find any extra time to explore and paint. I had a few commissions to complete and time just got away from me.

Our Maine July so far has fluctuated with daytime temps of 61° to 96°. It's 68° now at 5PM, gray, cool and damp. 

Well, time for supper. Happy painting!

Celene

My Website -  CeleneFarris.com

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Artist - Magician

Composing a still life painting is easy because you are in control of the scene and the lighting. You choose the items and create the arrangement. 

Composing a landscape outdoors is much harder. Nature puts everything on display - the good, the bad and the ugly - all fighting for attention. And she isn't concerned with their placement, color, size, shape, value, etc.

Painting landscapes from photographs is even harder. Not only do you have all of nature's tricks, you also have the camera's interpretation. We know that the camera alters colors and values and flattens perspective. The camera doesn't pick and chose the best items - it captures them all while giving them a bit of a twist.

If you include everything in your scene you will have a painting full of bits and pieces that are just that - a bunch of stuff. No story, no definite focal point. You can say, "But it was there" or "See, I copied the scene exactly." But that's a poor excuse. The painting just doesn't work.

So what to do? Become a magician. Decide what the painting is about and where the focal point will be. Then choose just the objects that help tell your story and make the rest of the clutter disappear. If there is something missing, add it. If something needs to be emphasized or modified, do it.

Just as a magician makes you see what he wants you to see, you can make the viewer see what you see. Feel what you feel. You can make them stop and look, mesmerized by the play of light and shadow. Fascinated with the brushwork and lively colors. Captured by the subject matter. Intrigued by the mystery. They won't care that you left out all the clutter.

How to get rid of the clutter? Seriously look at the scene and decide what caught your eye. Was it a certain feeling, the mood, a light effect, the colors, an object, a person, the weather? Whatever. Then, like a magician, make the clutter disappear by eliminating everything that detracts. A successful artist once said, "A painting is finished when you have taken out all that you can."

And like the flamboyant magician - paint confidently and boldly. Be generous with your paint. Let your brushwork show so the viewer can see and actually feel your energy. This adds a special dimension to your work that further connects you to your audience. 

Don't be afraid to push the extremes and paint out of your comfort zone. You may surprise yourself. It's only paint, you can always wipe it away and try again. Like the magician, you have to keep practicing and taking chances. Simplify. Intensify. Add more excitement and drama, unexpected color, strong contrasts - more magic to your work! After all, painting, like magic is just an illusion!

Happy painting.

Celene

My Website -  CeleneFarris.com

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Email me at - mail@CeleneFarris.com

Fixing a problem painting

I received an interesting question. “How can I fix a painting that isn’t working? I’ve tried everything, but it just gets worse.”

My thought is, "maybe you can't."

When I have a painting that doesn’t work, I step away for a few minutes and return with an objective eye. For me, the problem is either technical or the subject matter. If the basic structure of the painting is wrong, no amount of fiddling will correct it. If I’m not excited by the subject matter, I know it will be a battle all the way and I will probably lose. My solution is to admit to myself that this painting will never work and that I need to wipe it off. If I can’t remove enough paint and think the remnants will bother me, I can either throw it out or repaint the entire canvas with a flat, neutral tone and put it aside to dry.

It’s empowering to wipe out a failed painting and start over. Without a new beginning, no amount of fiddling or reworking will succeed. When a painting is working you can feel it. You are in “The Zone”. If that spell is broken by distractions, stop and take a break. Some days painting is easy, other days it is a struggle. I don’t have as much time for painting as I would like, so I’m not going to waste my time on a compromised painting.

If you feel that your painting isn’t working, put your brush down, step back and analyze it for composition, subject matter, drawing, perspective, values, colors, mood - all the many technical components that make up a good painting. Be honest with yourself. Admit that the painting isn’t working and try to figure out why. If you continue to overwork a bad start you will be frustrated and the results will be stiff and unsatisfactory because the underlying problems are still there. So have the courage to wipe off your canvas and start fresh.

When working from photographs, don't just copy what you see. That's what a camera does. It captures everything - the good, the bad and the ugly, while distorting values and colors. You are an artist and need to make the necessary technical corrections while imparting a bit of yourself and your emotions into each painting. You need to create a painting - not copy a camera's mechanical interpretation.

Failed paintings are necessary for growth. How can we improve without making mistakes? Learn from them. Accept them as part of the learning process and don’t let them overwhelm you.  

Another thought. If you have a recurring problem, try to find the solution in your art books or ask an artist friend for advice. I'll often ask my husband for his honest opinion and he often points out things that I didn't notice.

If all else fails, it's a great satisfaction to throw the failed painting in the trash. Out of sight - out of mind. Grab a cup of coffee and start over.

Happy painting.

Celene

My Website -  CeleneFarris.com

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Email me at - mail@CeleneFarris.com

May's Virtual Hike - Florida Keys

May's destination for our Virtual Hike Painting Group, using Google Street Views, is - The Florida Keys. 

This was a fun destination. The colors are so bright and festive it was hard not to get carried away. This painting has a bit more detail than I usually add, but it was hard to stop!

Colors of Key Largo, 9x12, oil on canvas panel. Available

You are invited to join our virtual painting group. It is great fun, it's free and no strings attached. And you can interpret the scene as you wish. We use Google Street Views from Google Maps to explore our assigned monthly destination. Then we send a picture of our painting, with the Google Map link, to Marla and she puts it on the group's site on her blog. It really is a fun adventure. And it's interesting to see what the other artists have created!

For more info and to join - just click on Marla's link The Virtual Hike Painting Group .

This painting is available in my eBay Store. And, as always, you can purchase this painting, or any of my paintings, directly from me if you prefer.

Thanks for visiting. Happy painting. Happy exploring.

Celene

My Website -  CeleneFarris.com

My eBay Store -  Celene Farris, Maine Artist

My Facebook Page - Celene Farris, Maine Artist

Email me at - mail@CeleneFarris.com

All those extra tubes of paint

Ok, so you want to simplify your palette of colors but what about all those extra tubes of paint you bought?

Sorting - Get out all your tubes of paint and sort them into 7 piles. A pile for each primary color - red, yellow and blue. And a pile for each secondary color - orange, green and purple... And one pile for all the "odd" colors.

Now choose two versions (a warm and a cool, or a bright and a dull) of each of the three primary colors  - 2 reds, 2 yellows and 2 blues. This is your basic double primary palette. Six tubes of paint.

As you become familiar with this simplified palette, you can begin to expand your primary color range - example - substituting a purple or green for one of your blues, or an orange or purple for one of your reds, etc. See image above.

You can also add special colors for a special needs. But try to limit your palette to 6-8 colors, plus white.

You now have an interesting and controllable range of colors that you can adjust as needed.

(Remove that "odd" pile of colors and put them away for another use.)

After you have sorted through your tubes of paint, you might find that you have enough choices so that you won't have to buy any more paint - except maybe white - for a long time. Isn't that great!

Happy painting!        

 Celene

My Color Palette

I'm often asked, "What colors do you use?"

Since we know that all colors are created from the three primary colors, this is a good place to start.

I start with a double primary palette - two versions of each of the primaries - red, yellow and blue, plus titanium white. I pick a bright and a dull version of each.

Often a painting will require a special color or two. I add these as necessary but I always start with the basic primary colors - two versions of red, yellow and blue - and build from that.

When painting landscapes, I will often add a violet, orange or burnt sienna - three very helpful and convenient colors to mix with blue to create a variety of greens.

If I am painting lilacs, I will add purple. I can mix a purple, but nothing says "lilacs" to me except Dioxazine Purple and Cobalt Violet.

Seascapes may see the addition of Veridian or Thalo Green.

By starting with the basics - 2 versions of the primary colors and adding the extras needed, you will have better control over your color mixtures.

So, to answer the question, “What colors do you use?” Here is my current basic double primary palette.

Cad Yellow Light & Yellow Ochre

*Light Red & Alizarin Crimson

Ultramarine Blue & Cerulean Blue

Titanium White

Other colors as needed

*Just a note - Light Red, an earth color, is a very saturated, heavy, dull red. It is very strong, so just a little bit goes a long way. A bit added to white makes beautiful, gentle pinks, just a bit added to other colors imparts warmth. It may be a difficult color to handle but I like the subtle reds it produces.

For a brilliant red, mix Alizarin Crimson with Cad Yellow Light. Interesting!

Now what to do with all the tubes of paint you bought and don't need... See ideas in my next post.

Happy painting!     Celene

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April's Virtual Hike - Germany

 

April's destination for our Virtual Hike Painting Group, using Google Street Views, is "The Romantic Highway" in Bavaria, Germany. 

This picturesque village of Schwangau, Bavaria, high in the mountains, with its quaint houses and red roofs, and the towering Alps in the background seems lost in time.

The golden statue of Aphrodite in the village green is a surprise. Constructed in 2013, she is 15 feet tall, covered in 24 carat gold and points the way to the Royal Crystal Thermal Baths.

The Royal Crystal Thermal Baths are modern, inspired and styled after the nearby Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles. The spa's name reflects the use of 15 tons of gems and semi-precious stones in its décor. It is also known for its spectacular views of the royal castles and the Allgau Alps.

Schwangau, Bavaria, Germany
9x12, oil on canvas panel

The exploration and local history is another fun reason why I enjoy the concept of this painting group. We certainly live in an interesting world!

You are invited to join our virtual painting group. It is great fun, it's free and no strings attached. And you can interpret the scene as you wish. We use Google Street Views from Google Maps to explore our assigned monthly destination. Then we send a picture of our painting, with the Google Map link, to Marla and she puts it on the group's site on her blog. It really is a fun adventure. And it's interesting to see what the other artists have created!

For more info and to join - just click on Marla's link The Virtual Hike Painting Group .

This painting is available in my eBay Store. And, as always, you can purchase this painting, or any of my paintings, directly from me if you prefer.

Thanks for visiting. Happy painting. Happy exploring.

Celene

My Website -  CeleneFarris.com

My eBay Store -  Celene Farris, Maine Artist

My Facebook Page - Celene Farris, Maine Artist

Email me at - mail@CeleneFarris.com