Plein Air Painting by the River Bank

I have been enjoying this summer.  However the weather and season will be changing soon.  Here is a picture I took of the Tennessee River.  I took this picture before I started to unload my painting supplies.  I liked what I was seeing.  Here is some small trees at the edge of the river bank.  

I started out with a very quick under painting done in a yellow ocher wash.  I used a small flat brush and a liner brush to establish the main features of the landscape before adding color and more detail.

This is the finish photo of the painting alone with the scenery of the landscape.  At this time as you notice the sun has went down behind the trees to the west of my set up.  

"By the River Bank" done in acrylic 5x6 by DWeaver Art ©

Process of Still Life Painting Pear and Apple

Last week I started on another still life painting.  I was inspired on a new technique to shift in a different direction in the way I paint.  I wanted to expose more of my brush strokes in my painting.  I am still learning how to paint more in a impressionistic style with  the use of broken color.  I took an old soft pastel painting I did and changed the back ground color.to more of an aqua blue. I did not use a palette knife, instead I only used a flat brush and a liner brush for details.

In the first stage I diluted brown wash of acrylic to tone the paper.  The paper is a Canson mixed media.  I used a flat brush to produce the line drawing of the forms.  I also establish the shadow maps for the dark values to be blocked in later.

In stage two I continued to use a flat brush however a had more brown paint than water in the mixed to get a darker value for the shadow zones.  Also I establish the highlight zones by allowing the lightest value to be left exposed.  At this stage not only a dark value is blocked in but also a middle value is blocked.

In stage three I premixed my paint into 4 groups blues, reds, greens, and light values of brown. I always use a palette knife to mixed my color out.  I'am using glass to mix my colors on and lay out. 

Stage four I started to add color to the background using the blue values I had premixed earlier.

Finally I added more color the values of green red and browns. 

 "Pair & Apple © DWeaver Art are completed done in acrylic 6 x 6 on mixed media Canson paper.

Landscape Snow Scene

"Snow Path" done in acrylic 6 x 7 with flat brush and liner brush on Canson mix media paper.

How to Paint and Set up a Still Life Part 1

"Ceramic Container with Egg" 10cm x 10cm in Acrylic ©  DWeaverArt

It has been a little while since I've done a still life painting from from life.  Like all of my painting I enjoy the process from inspiration to the complete creation.  This is no different however, to be open with you while working on this still life painting I was a little bit disappointed in the process because I was being a little impatient and I came very close to throwing in the towel figuretively speaking.  I had never done a realistic painting this small and during the process it was not looking like I wanted it to be.  My experience as a painter help me to remember every time I do a painting during it's process it never looks like what I expect it to be.  As you can see it turned out very good.  

Here is how I accomplished this painting.  I used a cardboard box. Then I used a box cutter to cut the top flap and side of the box.  I used some fabric gray and black to creation a back drop.  Finally, I used my drawing lamp which bends and pivots to provide a light source.

All of my realistic painting I start out with a brown undertone painting.  In this process I want to establish the very dark tones and middle values which provided a guideline for the paint intensity. Intensity takes a look at how bright or dull a color is. I used a liner bush and a flat brush.  Thank you for taking the view my art blog.  I truly appreciate it.  If you are interested in purchasing this painting then please email me at deeweaver15gmail.com 

Still Life Painting in Acylic

 Apple and Pitcher Still Life Painting

  

One Sunday afternoon this past summer I set up this still life of a apple and pitcher.  I had the purpose in mind to start do a painting of a still life.  I had been doing a few drawing of still lifes but this time I wanted to paint one instead.  When I set up most of my still lifes I use a dark back ground. I love the use of values and tones with the use of reflected light on the subjects.

Step 1 The Underpainting 

For the first step I began with a underpainting in a water down acrylic brown with a filbert brush.

I normally began with a drawing but in the case I chose not to. When I start my realistic paintings I use a filbert brush.  I just lay in the dark tones and block in the lighter values with a more watered down brown color.

Step 2 Adding Color 

Next I added color to the subject in the picture, this happened after I mixed the desired colors that were needed.  When I darken my colors I use blue or brown and sometimes I use black.  In this case, I took acylic red and darkened the tone with some blue.  When it came time for me to lighten the color I just used white.

Adding Color Continues

I repeated the same process with the blue sheet in the fact that I lighten with white and darkened it with black or brown.  I was still using the filbert brush during this stage of the painting.  However when it was time for me to paint the edges I used a flat brush and a liner brush to create a straight edge.

Finished Work

Landscape Painting of Red Barn and Storm Clouds

Approaching Storm

"Approaching Storm" is a painting that I'am pleased to share.  This painting depicts my intrest in storms and barns.  I really like storms and barns.  Partically, old run down barns.  However this painting shows a red barn in good condition. This is a painting I finished this past weekend. It took me a week to complete it.  Althought about 5hrs went into it.  "Approaching Storm" was done on an 18x24 inch canvas with acrylic paint.  I painted this from imagination something I really don't do. I usually go by a image. I had a lot of fun like most of my art work.  This painting is the only one I have this at this size.  I do plan on painting more at this size and larger.  I wanted to share with you my process in creating this peice. 

Sky and Clouds

I first drew in the barn mountains and tree.  This created my blueprint for what and where I need to paint. I started out with a flat brush with blue acrylic paint to create the sky.  I preped canvas with water by spraying water on it with a fine mist.  I applied the paint with a large 1 1/2 flat brush and went in a horizontal motion left to right to smoothly coat the canvas.  Next I mixed some blue, black, and white to create the clouds. I used a filbert brush to paint the tones and values of the clouds.

Base of the Cloud

Next I mixed more of the blue black and white to apply and blend in the darkness of the base of the cloud.  I still used a filbert brush to apply the paint mixture.  At this point you can see the contour of the horizon line of the mountains and the barn. 

Underpainting of Landscape

Well here I am. Next I used brown acrylic paint with a light wash to create the underpainting.  At this stage and with most underpaintings I just wanted to block in the dark tones and mid tones.  Now at this stage you can see the mountains the barn and the paths layed out.  Whenever I do an underpainting I alway use most water into my brown paint.  This is how it creates a very light tone. Usually I allow this to be the highlight tone in other paintings.

Adding Hue and Details to Landscape

Finally this is the last process picture showing most has been painted except barn being painted.

Whenever you do a landscape paint you always paint sky background to the fore ground.  I laid down the tones of color for the distant mountain.  The atmosphere away form the sun has a cool tint to it when the sun is out of object from a great distance.  This gives your painting depth (the illusion of distance) on a flat 2 dimensional surface.  I used a flat brush to paint the mountains. The furtherest mountain I used more blue and white in my mixture of green.  The mountains more upclose I used more green and this created a tonal contrast of the 2 mountains. Next I used my filbert brush to apply yellow paint to give the illusion of yellow flowers.  Next I used the same filbert brush and apply brown paint and darkened the paths in the meadow. Next I used a fan brush to paint in the peaks of grass.  I only applied green paint on the tip of the fan brush.  Next I used a small liner brush and created the trunk and branches of the tree.  Finally, I used my fan brush once again to apply different shades of green to my tree to create leaves. Note whenever you paint leave make sure you have a sense of light direction.  If your light is coming from the right then let your leaves be the brightest on the same side of the light source and vice versa.  I hope you like my painting "Approaching Storm". Please feel free to like, share, or comment on this blog. Thank you.