painting lesson... # 5

We both survived the busy weekend filled with
two shows. Both shows went well and we roll
right into all the work that goes into making my
Annual Open House a success. The paintings are
picked for printing, in fact we have an appointment
with the printer tomorrow. Linda redesigned the
invitation. Smiths are going green! We are going to
a large postcard instead of using an envelope an
invite and two tear sheets. Saving paper and printing.
I think Linda is 3/4 finished with the new design.
My job is to paint, paint and paint some more!
So that said, I spent my whole day on the demo painting.
You need to go back to review the previous days.

Step 1... It is important to remember I have limited
my palette because it
is what the painting
requires. It becomes
a study in warm
earth tones.

I painted the pegs on
the moulding. And now
concentrating on the
windows. Start with

a wash of cad. yellow and cad. red deep
to bring out the detail. Add a bit more cad red and
a little paynes grey for darker shadowed areas. This
is fine work so dry it hard so it does not turn muddy.
I continued on both windows, over and over until I
am satisfied. Add an even darker mixture for the
darker shadows. Build and dry hard! Now lets move
on to the walls. They had nice tone but I want them
stronger and more solid. I want an old feeling. I mix
paynes grey, pthalo blue and tiny amount of permanent
rose. Use a #6-8 round brush and stroke the paper.
Again, paint and dry hard 4 times. Build that wall,
remembering where your shadows belong.

Step #2

Now the mirror. It was
untouched and the paper
bare. I outlined it first with
paynes grey and a dab of
colbalt blue. Then inside, one
wash of cad. yellow light and
then went over the glass with perm. indigo in a
dry brush fashion. Dry and then add the
reflections with paynes grey and burnt umber.

Step #3

Lastly I need to finish
the view outside the
window. I took a
moment to sketch
an idea in my
sketchbook to get
my bearings.
I wanted a fall scene.
This may not look
like much but it
is a map of what I
want to do.

Step #4
OK, I am ready to finish the window.
I sketched my outline and am ready
to add color. Now we are adding color!
I underpainted the grass with
new gambouge. Leaving three areas
negative for my trees and the sky.
The sky is underpainted with a light wash
of cad. yellow. I am going to now work my
way down the sky with cobalt and pthalo blue.
thinning it out to a lighter shade. Now the
mountains... I work a mixture of perm. green yellowish
with naples yellow and I dab it in with drybrush, leaving
spaces for other color. Dry it!! Touch in a light orange
for the trees. Now back to the grass. Use pthalo green
and burnt umber and place small drybrush brush strokes
to form grass.

Presenting...the finished painting!!