Tree and Moss - with Process Shots!

Tree and Moss, 10 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2023

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This another demo from my last workshop. We were painting at a location that was OVERwhelming in it's bounty of big giant trees and lots of Spanish Moss! What to choose? This was lesson in simplicity. Often a small segment of a huge scene can say all that needs to be said. 

Choose the Scene and Composition.

Sketch Shapes.

Lock in Values.

Simple Masses.

 Break up Masses with subtle value shifts, maintaining overall light and dark pattern. Save highlights until the very end! 

Ranchland - Fix It Friday!

 

Ranchland, 8 x 10, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2023

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After this demo in a recent workshop, I looked up and immediately saw that my whole subject matter was squished into the bottom left corner of my canvas! I had been talking so much, explaining how to create distance with scale shift and atmospheric perspective, that I forgot all about my composition. 

There is a design rule that says, "Never stop your subject at the vertical OR horizontal midline. Make sure it crosses over to avoid cutting your image in HALF." Well, this ranch tree breaks that rule completely. The canvas is cut in half both vertically AND horizontally. Turns out, this was a demo on what NOT to do compositionally and a good lesson in humility for me. ;)

So, here you go, a demo do-over...

BEFORE

PROBLEM

AFTER

Problem - Subject matter is squished into the corner.

Fix - Made subject taller and wider to cross mid-lines of the page.

Problem: All the weight is on the bottom left.

Fix - Added two more trees along the fence line to add weight on the right. This also helps to pull the eye further into the frame.

OBSERVATIONS:

It's a fact of life that sometimes when we are focused on one thing, we completely miss something else! This was a great reminder to stop and assess before getting too far along... whatever you are doing. And, take a do-over if you can! 

Garden Amaryllis - Small Works Holiday Sale!

Garden Amaryllis, 10x8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022

SOLD - SMALL WORKS HOLIDAY SALE 

20% off with discount code MERRY2022 at checkout.

Unframed. Online (shop at home). Free shipping. 

Through December 15 only.

This piece was a demo for my spring workshop in Austin, TX. We met in the beautiful garden of my dear friend. It's one of those places that is so full of things to paint that it's hard to settle down and pick something. I opted for this simple outdoor still life, and it's delightful pop of color. Here are some shots from the process. (I forgot to photograph, so many thanks to my thoughtful student who sent these!)

2023 SPRING WORKSHOPS (click here):
April 14-15 - The Contemporary Austin Art School in Austin, TX
May 4-6 - Anderson Fine Art Gallery in St. Simons Island, GA

DEMO SHOTS...

Getting started.

Block in sketch.

Adding color, working dark to light.

April Morning with Process Shots

April Morning, 10 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022

Available - Click here for information

It has been a busy spring for me... A big museum show in Kerrville TX, a weekend workshop in Austin TX, and a couple of commissions! I got behind in my blogging, and will try to play a little catch up starting with the workshop. I had a great group of students and I always love seeing their work and progress! So rewarding! Here is the break down of my demo on the second day...

Loosely outlined shapes of major masses.

Indicated dark values in the layers to give a road map for rest of painting.

Painted shadow family in upright plane – began to establish foreground, middle ground, background. 

Painted light family in upright planes, muting and cooling as each plane recedes.

Added ground plane and sky plane. It's important to get the canvas covered completely in order to see what is working and what needs adjustment... 

Made adjustments to better define values and separate layers. Saved highlights till the very end. Always!

The Road Goes on Forever - process shots (and a song!)

The Road Goes On Forever, 8 x 10, oil on panel

SOLD

Today's painting title comes from a song of the same name by Texas singer-songwriter, Robert Earl Keen. It's fun to be in a concert when he sings the chorus, "the road goes on forever and the party never ends!", because EVERYONE joyfully jumps in. It's contagious!! Robert Earl announced his retirement last week... but I have to say, it's for all the right reasons. He wants to go out while he still LOVES what he is doing (not because he is sick or tired or bored). Good for him!! 

This painting is a demo from my last workshop. Throughout the painting session we all kept singing that song's refrain (well, some did, and you Texans know who you are), so I had to use it for the title. An homage.

And below... process shots... the road goes on forever... 

1) Sketched outlines of big shapes for placement, size and composition.

2) Blocked in masses of value, to indicate the planes of the landscape:

Upright plane, distant upright plane (or slant), ground plane, and sky plane.

3) Massed in best average value of greens for the uprights.

Distant uprights are cooler and more muted than foreground uprights.

4) Massed in ground plane observing color changes within the overall value.

5) Added sky plane, and included a variety of temperatures at the horizon. 

Broke up masses in each plane with highlights and lowlights. 

... and the party never ends!!! 

Thank you, Robert Earl Keen!

Tree Line Vista with Process Shots!

Tree Line Vista, 8 x 10, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021

Available - Click for info

Today's painting is one of my demos from the last workshop I taught in Georgia. We had a beautiful time in spite of overcast skies, unseasonably cold weather, and lots of rainy surprises. My students were troopers and kept their focus through it all. Most importantly, they encouraged each other and made it all fun, which is always the most important ingredient!!

Below is a step-by-step explanation of how this painting came together... 

1) Painted loose outline to position subject on the canvas 

(used burnt sienna and ultramarine).

2) Blocked in masses and value hierarchy within the scene 

(still used only burnt sienna and ultramarine).

3) Massed in upright planes in foreground and background. 

4) Toned ground plane to pick up some warm colors of the marsh.

5) Massed in ground plane, muting and cooling it as it goes back to distant upright.

6) Massed in sky plane, observing transitions of temperature and value. 

7) Made final highlights, refining shapes and edges. (I did not love that big gap in the middle of the trees, so closing that up was part of the refining process.) 

The view from my easel.

Part of the gang, hard at work! Thanks, guys! 

Marsh's Edge - Demo with Process Shots!

Marsh's Edge, 8 x 10, oil on panel, L.Daniel © 2021

Available

One of my students pointed out that I had never posted the demo from my last workshop on St. Simons Island. Of course, I am HAPPY to oblige! MORE than! And by the way, if you are looking for an "in person" plein air workshop this spring, join me back in Georgia in April (the week after Easter!)

Upcoming workshops:

Click here for registration information.

Compose with Lines and Shapes.

Create an "envelope" to contain shapes using ultramarine and burnt sienna.

Block in dark value pattern of large shapes.

Keep marks loose and expressive. Still using only ultramarine and burnt sienna.

Mass in Upright Planes.

Paint "shadow family" first, using best average value (not highlight value).

Mass in Ground Plane and Sky Plane.

Paint around uprights, "cutting" and "carving in" for details and sky holes.

Final Marks.

Break up large masses by adding "light family" in all the planes, and final highlights.

From A Distance - Demo Process Shots!

 

From a Distance, 8 x 10, Oil, L. Daniel © 2020

Available

Yesterday I had the great privilege of doing a LIVE interview and painting demo with Eric Rhoads, publisher of PleinAir Magazine, and Fine Art Connoisseur. He has been broadcasting with a different artist every day since the pandemic started... what a gift to artists all over the world! I was interview #224! 

Click HERE to watch interview and demo on YouTube

For my short LIVE demo, I showed my "Block In" technique - how I get started on a painting. I worked from a completed demo piece I had done for my most recent workshop. The images below show where the painting would've ended up if I finished it, AND aprocess shots of how it would have all come together. 

To My Workshop Students: 

As promised, these process shots are also for YOU... a reminder of the steps we took in class!

Block In Sketch

Loose lines define simple shapes for placement of subject matter. Shapes only, NO detail. (Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna)

Block In Values (darks and lights)

Loosely massed in value indicates the light and family side of the upright planes. Notice that the nearer upright planes have darkest darks, while distant uprights begin to lighten and become less defined.

Upright Planes - Shadow Family and Light Family

Mixed color is consistent with block in values and loosely massed in. Notice that distant uprights are cooler, lighter, and have less contrast. The farthest upright is muted, lighter, and leans toward blue.

Ground Plane

The ground plane is much lighter than the upright planes because it is parallel to the sky and light source - the sun. Notice that the ground plane becomes cooler and slightly darker as it moves into the distance. Conversely, the ground plane becomes more vibrant as it moves closer.

Sky Plane

The sky plane recedes by becoming more muted and lighter on the horizon. Space for clouds is left white, to be painted after all the other values and colors are established.

Clouds - Breaking up the Masses - Highlights

After all the large areas are massed in, I break them up with subtle value shifts and highlights. I have learned (the hard way) to make sure all the value planes are all reading correctly before adding these final details! ;)

My palette of mixed colors used in the painting.