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! 

Tree Line Vista with Process Shots!

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

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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! 

Courtyard Entrance - Demo

Courtyard Entrance, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

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A couple of weekends ago, I taught a plein air workshop at The Contemporary Austin Art School. The focus of the class was all about working smart in the field. It's easy to get outside and flail. What works best for me is to carefully invest in my initial block-in (see below). In this block-in stage, I focus on composition and the value placement. Getting a good foundation in the first sketch has a direct impact on my happiness with the final result. I try to resolve most issues in that sketch before moving on. 

This demo shows four different ways to interpret the same subject. It helps me to consider different angles before I begin. Selection of a subject can be hard when choosing from 360 degrees in every direction! I am often surprised and delighted, by a not so obvious second or third idea. 

Composition #1 - 6x8 Block-in

I chose this one for the finished demo because I wanted to include a few more details on the building. 

Composition #2 - 6x6 Block-in

I liked this one for its simplicity, and how it worked in the square format. 

Composition #3 - 8x6 Block-in

Another angle on the courtyard - same building, opposite side. 

Please stay tuned (next post) for the finished version of this angle! 

Composition #4 - 8x4 Block-in

Another format for second angle on the courtyard. 

Three Palms - Demo and Process Notes

Three Palms Demo, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2014

NFS

This weekend I taught a workshop in Austin to a group of wonderful, hardworking painters. I promised them that I would post process notes from my demo from the first day, so here goes… a step by step explanation of how the painting came together. 

Step 1 - Sketch/Composition

This is a simple sketch of the scene using a mix of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna. The triangle in back indicates how the forms work together to create a pyramid type composition. (Putting in the triangle also helped me reign in the elements as I blocked them in.) 

Step 2 - Block in large Shapes and Values

Using the same dark neutral mix, I established a range of values in the composition. At this point I kept the paint fairly dry and thin. 

Step 3 - Mass-in Upright Planes

Working dark to light, I painted the uprights planes, adjusting the values to cooler and lighter as they receded into the distance (color becomes muted and contrast softens as elements recede).

Step 4 - Mass in Ground Plane and Sky Plane

The sky was overcast and grey; but rather than go straight to those muted tones, I laid down a foundation of warm peachy tones that I observed in the atmosphere. My hope was that those warm tones would bring some life into the misty sky. 

Step 5 - Break up Masses and Add Highlights

Once the values of the planes were all working together, I began to break up the large masses. I added the grays of the sky and the brighter greens of the ground plane, using subtle value and temperature shifts. I saved the little details (like the fence and house) and the brightest highlights until the very end. It's always an exercise of restraint to hold off on those final marks!

Arbor Fence - Plein Air Demo

Arbor Fence - Plein Air Demo, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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Last week I taught a 3-day workshop to 12 wonderful students in St. Simons Island, GA. I began this demo on the first day, but a storm threatened our session and I never finished it. (As it turned out, the rain never came.) I promised to complete the demo after the workshop, but ended up starting over completely in order to take process photos for my students. Here are the notes... for my students and for you. :)

1) Block-in and underdrawing (ultramarine and burnt sienna.)

2) Mass in dark uprights - in the shadow family.

3) Mass in dark uprights - in the light family.

4) Mass in sky plane and ground plane.

(The pink ground came from the sand color beneath the grass.)

 5) Work grass color into ground plane. Adjust values as needed.

Remember that values come together as they recede into the distance. 

(Less contrast, less chroma in color, less detail, less texture.) 

6) Add final details and highlights. Push color relationships.

(I painted the fence wet into wet, using a liner brush.)