Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Number Three



Here's the third installment in my oil painting adventure.

New things I tried:
  • Thinned paint and brush sketch to begin with.
  • Complements for shadow
  • Working from life
Chin up, I carry on!

10 comments:

Sydney Harper said...

I can see improvements already. I like the brushwork and colors in this.

Lilly said...

I agree, it looks fantastic. I was looking at it for a while and something was nagging at me, then I figured it out. My brain was looking for more shadow definition beneath the veggies.

Otherwise, your oil work is really coming along nicely. Excellent.

Rose Welty said...

Thanks Sydney!

Thanks Michael! I agree I gave up on the shadows, actually, a little before I got there. But, it's only practice! :D

Making A Mark said...

Rose - I think you're just going through that phase where you focus on colour mixing and forget about values. People who focus on improving their values often forget about colour!

I'm very much of the school of thought which says learning how to paint in a new medium must be about learning what it can do before it becomes learning what you can create while using it.

You can learn while painting 'things' but the important bit is the learning rather than what the 'thing' looks like at the end of the day. If it looks like a disaster but you learned a lot while doing it then it's a huge success!

How about forgetting about painting 'things' for a bit? You could maybe do a load of test swatches so that you've got a colour reference source for the future.

Or how about trying out what happens when you mix different mediums with oil paint - use it thin, use it think - which feels better to you?

Rose Welty said...

Thanks Katherine. I agree, I am having issues with trying to drive all the horses at once. I was reading last night and there was quote about the key to painting light and color was knowing what you need and doing it. In other words, not needing to think too much about what colors to use to achieve the one you are looking at, because you already know from practice. Then followed a big section of color charts and value charts. So, I've already been thinking along the lines you mention.

I've got one to finish that I started last night, and then I think I may go for some charts.

Thanks for your input, I do appreciate it.

Ann said...

It is neat to see the progression from your first painting to now. Progress is being made but like Katherine said a lot of that is still being internalized and won't show itself until later. So keep at it! And have fun! Interesting passage you noted reading about knowing what you need to do and then doing it. My college painting prof used to say that all the time! I always thought it was easy for him to say that :)

Belinda Lindhardt said...

Your doing fantastic Rose, remember as the others have said "Its all about the journey"

Lilly said...

I agree whole heartedly about the practice. I am going through that right now with my watercolor since it is a new medium. However, as I mentioned in a resent blog post, if I had to spend hours and days just playing with the brushes and paints and not actually painting "something" I would give up the first day. I simply don't have the patience to do that.

So, like you are doing, I am painting "things" as practice. Each one I paint I learn more about the paint and brushes. I am learning the watercolor by going through the lessons in a book. Mine are not coming out like the ones in the book, but I think by the time I am done, I will have learned enough about the medium to do some really cool things.

By the way, I am enjoying seeing your progression.

Jo Castillo said...

Rose this is swell. I do think you can combine the studies with some actual painting. This makes it more fun. Maybe a chart with your limited palette choice, then a painting with that palette.

You are doing so well. :)

Rose Welty said...

Thanks for the warnings about charts, I don't plan to do too many, just a few! :D