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 ©

Acrylic Painting of Cumulonimbus Cloud

"Orange Nimbus" done in acrylic using liner and filbert brush 5x7 © 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 

Mixed Media Landscape Painting

For the past 2 weeks I have been working with mixed media in my art work particularly in my abstract paintings. I have been working with watercolor, soft pastels, charcoal, and prismacolor pencil all on one painting.  For those who are not familiar with the term mixed media it means a  technique involving the use of two or more artistic media, such as ink and pastel or painting and collage, that are combined in a single composition.    I have worked in mixed media before only with watercolor and prismacolor pencil but not in more than two.  I have been getting more comfortable with three or more.

                                                                                                                                                                     

Reference Photo of "Colorful Sky Over Shore

I cropped off the painting with masking tape first. began the painting by mixing watercolor paint on a glass pallete before to lay out my colors.  Next I wet the entire surface with water using a large liner brush. The paper that I used for this painting  was Canson watercolor paper on the smooth side or back side. Then I used a small liner brush in the details of the clouds.  

I continued with most of the painting appling watercolor using a small liner brush to the paper. As you can see in the painting below I also added details and waves to the water and reflection of light.

I continued to add more color to the surface after the paper was dry.  I use a blow drier most of the time when I paint for a quicker process.

Here is the final image of the painting 11x13cm done with watercolor, soft pastels and charcoal.

Watercolor Portrait and Process

Watercolor Portrait

Ever since I was very young in age, I have always had an interest in drawing portraits.  I have been drawing portraits for many years now.  However, it was not until last year that I did my very first watercolor portrait and the previous year I started working with watercolor media.  After a few pictures produced in watercolor from landscapes to still lifes, I wanted to test my skills in working in watercolor doing a portrait.  This is my third time in producing a watercolor portrait. 

Here are the colors used and mixed in the process.

The color were mixed with a liner brush and water.

The picture was drawn with a 4H pencil very lightly.

Lighter tones are layed down at the beginning.

Additional colors are added to the portrait.

Next other aspects of the portrait are added in with tones.

Hair is added to complete the portrait alone with signature and copyright.  

Thank you for coming to and viewing my blog.  If you have any questions or would like to contact me please contact me at deeweaver15@gmail.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