Last week I was preparing some panels and I noticed out the window that the sun was shining on the silos to the north. There were great shadow against the grain where some of the corn had been harvested and some was still standing(actually quite a few acres). So I hurried and set up my easel, grabbed a palette with paint globs and painted the scene. I found out with a brilliant day outside and a dark inside, it was very hard to even see the paint I mixed. I felt like I was painting blindly, but I didn't want to turn on the lights because I don't know if the bulbs are warm or cool. This was not my studio room. I finished the painting and it's okay. Somehow , I lost my darks and if I was to paint it on a larger canvas would have to make some changes . So, did I really paint plein air , since I was inside looking out, or did I do a "studio painting"? or did I do a studio plein air?
I have read other painters doing the same scene over a length of time-a month, a year etc. A scene they see out their studio window-and I assumed they painted it from inside, but maybe they still went outside and set up under/in front of their window...........because if you paint from inside you do have the glass to consider-it alters the color because the light/color has to pass through it, but how much? And does it alter the tone passing through glass-it must be a little darker. And also our windows have permanent screens, so of course that causes a value shift from the actual tone and would grey down the color also.
If there are any more nice days I think I will experiment. I'll prepare 2 canvases for the same scene-one from a first story window and paint the scene from the inside and then paint the scene outside and hope the sun doesn't change drastically before I can get out and set up. Of course, if I pick a typical Michigan day it'll be cloudy as we advance into November so there shouldn't be too much altering in contrast between painting inside and getting outside. That is the downside of living near the Great Lakes. Many, many, cloudy days.
A reminder-when you go plein air painting have a check list . I did not and congratulated myself on packing everything and not needing one. I scouted the site-my friend's farm yard, taking reference photos, deciding on the best place to set up -an interesting view with contrast, and an area I could set up in the shade. Yes, I had it all, ......................except odorless mineral spirits. The last thing I was going to pack and what I left behind. ......so I did not paint, and haven't had the combination of weather, the right time etc to get back.
But first, I need to find the time to make that checklist..........................
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Tery Mieura's Notes on Color
A sunny day in Michigan and a good day to do some plein air painting-this afternoon which is a good reason to review some of Terry's color notes.
Going along with the color is his mantra of do not copy value but organize your values-so you have 3-5 in a painting and ave large connecting areas of the same value. Also if you tend to paint to dark-as a reminder use a white canvas , and if you paint to light-use a mid toned canvas
Paint colors he uses are:Titanium white, cad re light or medium,alizarin, Transparent red earth (or transparent oxide red referred to by some artists as TOR, cad. lemon, cad yellow deep, yellow ochre . The yellow ochre should be mid value not a dark one. These vary from paint company to paint company. he uses a lot of Gamblin paints as do I.
These paint mixes are general, of course, the daylight circumstances may call for the colors to be tweaked.
Remember-color hue gives you the direction of the color only
1. To lay in darks-he uses ultra marine blue, and TOR. This makes for cleaner more intense transparent dark and you want your darks thin and transparent. I also added Alizarin to the mix by mistake (see why you always need to put your paint in the exact spot on your palette?) and it worked okay but had a more purplish hue.
2. To paint a road he starts with-TOR, grey and white. You can mix your grey with complements or black and white.
3. Dark green-Cad Lemon,Cad Red and either Uultra Marine Blue or black
4. Warm green- Ochre, black or Ultra Marine Blue and just a tad of Cad Red
5. Mid green-add more yellow to cool the green . If you just add white to change the dark green to a mid green it could get too chalky-so add the yellow first then a little white if you still need to lighten.
6. The color of the sky is relative to colors around it-add a little of the environments colors into the sky
7. White in sunlight is the color of "vanilla ice cream"-so if you need to go have a cone to get that down-go right ahead. He makes it with - Titanium White, a touch of Cad Lemon and adds a little Ultra Marine Blue to grey it down . Not too much of either or you'll have a pale green instead (anyone for mint choc chip ice cream without the chips?)
8. Do muted colors last -you can't get them down without some context.
9. For a green color in foreground, midground and background-he mixed his foreground color first, adds blue for the midground so it moves further back,and then just a tad more blue and white to move it even further back . He makes the three piles at one time.
10. Brightest green -Cad Lemon and Cerulean Blue
11. Do not let under colors mix with top colors you will get MUD
12. Make sure your color is right on your palette -spend as much time as you need getting it right-you can't change it /alter it once it's on the canvas-it'll be wrong or you will have to scrape it off.Ask yourself-what is the hue-then is my puddle cooler, warmer, darker, lighter etc. I had a yellow that was the right color family but it was too bright and did not recede-I had to add the complement to grey it down(which was a grey from Ultra marine Blue and Alizarin). Terry mixes his grey first- he gets the value right with his grey then adds the color to it. Much easier than trying to grey down the color and then trying to adjust the value .And you waste less paint.
Going along with the color is his mantra of do not copy value but organize your values-so you have 3-5 in a painting and ave large connecting areas of the same value. Also if you tend to paint to dark-as a reminder use a white canvas , and if you paint to light-use a mid toned canvas
Paint colors he uses are:Titanium white, cad re light or medium,alizarin, Transparent red earth (or transparent oxide red referred to by some artists as TOR, cad. lemon, cad yellow deep, yellow ochre . The yellow ochre should be mid value not a dark one. These vary from paint company to paint company. he uses a lot of Gamblin paints as do I.
These paint mixes are general, of course, the daylight circumstances may call for the colors to be tweaked.
Remember-color hue gives you the direction of the color only
1. To lay in darks-he uses ultra marine blue, and TOR. This makes for cleaner more intense transparent dark and you want your darks thin and transparent. I also added Alizarin to the mix by mistake (see why you always need to put your paint in the exact spot on your palette?) and it worked okay but had a more purplish hue.
2. To paint a road he starts with-TOR, grey and white. You can mix your grey with complements or black and white.
3. Dark green-Cad Lemon,Cad Red and either Uultra Marine Blue or black
4. Warm green- Ochre, black or Ultra Marine Blue and just a tad of Cad Red
5. Mid green-add more yellow to cool the green . If you just add white to change the dark green to a mid green it could get too chalky-so add the yellow first then a little white if you still need to lighten.
6. The color of the sky is relative to colors around it-add a little of the environments colors into the sky
7. White in sunlight is the color of "vanilla ice cream"-so if you need to go have a cone to get that down-go right ahead. He makes it with - Titanium White, a touch of Cad Lemon and adds a little Ultra Marine Blue to grey it down . Not too much of either or you'll have a pale green instead (anyone for mint choc chip ice cream without the chips?)
8. Do muted colors last -you can't get them down without some context.
9. For a green color in foreground, midground and background-he mixed his foreground color first, adds blue for the midground so it moves further back,and then just a tad more blue and white to move it even further back . He makes the three piles at one time.
10. Brightest green -Cad Lemon and Cerulean Blue
11. Do not let under colors mix with top colors you will get MUD
12. Make sure your color is right on your palette -spend as much time as you need getting it right-you can't change it /alter it once it's on the canvas-it'll be wrong or you will have to scrape it off.Ask yourself-what is the hue-then is my puddle cooler, warmer, darker, lighter etc. I had a yellow that was the right color family but it was too bright and did not recede-I had to add the complement to grey it down(which was a grey from Ultra marine Blue and Alizarin). Terry mixes his grey first- he gets the value right with his grey then adds the color to it. Much easier than trying to grey down the color and then trying to adjust the value .And you waste less paint.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Exhibit and more Terry Miura Tips
The Keller Williams building is a beautiful space. I met some really interesting and positive people, was well supported by family and friends and even made my way home without getting lost! Thank you to ACT ,
Keller Williams Rivertown, Bransco Properties,Bransco properties, The Gordon Group The Gordon Group, Transnation Title Agency of Michigan,www.transmi.com , Bella Leon LLC, West Michigan Caterer, www.westmichigancaterer.com (they make the best cornbread I've ever had), and Americas Preferred Home Warranty , Inc aphw.org. In addition to what has been on display I also had available art cards and two paintings that had been in the Mary Free Bed exhibit.
This Clouds and Field #2
Waiting-Gondolas both are 11x14's selling for $250
All paintings will still be at Keller Williams RiverTown until noon on Oct 26, 2015
Now what you've all been waiting for -more of Terry's Tips: This is short and on toning your canvas. My comments/explanations are in parantheses.
Reasons to tone a canvas:
1 To kill the starkness-many painters also use a glass palette over a midtone grey paper (terry does) to help judge value better ( and with a toned canvas that can only make it easier ).
2. The toned surface will come through and help harmonize( if it is not a complementary color to the main color in your painting).
3. Mid tone greys are often used-cool or warm (depending on what you want to achieve) or Transparent Oxide Red.( for a mostly brown painting-remember most tonal paintings are in values of grey or brown)
4, Don't use a complementary tone for the background, because it will then come forward, only the foreground. (Unless for some reason you WANT your background to come forward and not the foreground)
When using the complementary undertone it will make the foreground vibrate (think Christmas-if you had a red undertone and painted green over most of it with smallish areas of red showing about the green-it would vibrate)
5. High key paintings are not toned-you want the white canvas to brighten the painted surface-to reflect light through the transparent layers.
6. Tonal paintings can have toned surfaces and the tone is usually darker than the painted layers. If you're doing a painting with lots of sky , it's better to tone only the lower part(the land).
Next Time I will write on Terry's color Tips. And the post will be on time !
Keller Williams Rivertown, Bransco Properties,Bransco properties, The Gordon Group The Gordon Group, Transnation Title Agency of Michigan,www.transmi.com , Bella Leon LLC, West Michigan Caterer, www.westmichigancaterer.com (they make the best cornbread I've ever had), and Americas Preferred Home Warranty , Inc aphw.org. In addition to what has been on display I also had available art cards and two paintings that had been in the Mary Free Bed exhibit.
Waiting-Gondolas both are 11x14's selling for $250
All paintings will still be at Keller Williams RiverTown until noon on Oct 26, 2015
Now what you've all been waiting for -more of Terry's Tips: This is short and on toning your canvas. My comments/explanations are in parantheses.
Reasons to tone a canvas:
1 To kill the starkness-many painters also use a glass palette over a midtone grey paper (terry does) to help judge value better ( and with a toned canvas that can only make it easier ).
2. The toned surface will come through and help harmonize( if it is not a complementary color to the main color in your painting).
3. Mid tone greys are often used-cool or warm (depending on what you want to achieve) or Transparent Oxide Red.( for a mostly brown painting-remember most tonal paintings are in values of grey or brown)
4, Don't use a complementary tone for the background, because it will then come forward, only the foreground. (Unless for some reason you WANT your background to come forward and not the foreground)
When using the complementary undertone it will make the foreground vibrate (think Christmas-if you had a red undertone and painted green over most of it with smallish areas of red showing about the green-it would vibrate)
5. High key paintings are not toned-you want the white canvas to brighten the painted surface-to reflect light through the transparent layers.
6. Tonal paintings can have toned surfaces and the tone is usually darker than the painted layers. If you're doing a painting with lots of sky , it's better to tone only the lower part(the land).
Next Time I will write on Terry's color Tips. And the post will be on time !
Sunday, October 11, 2015
More terry Miura -tonal and Impressionist painting
I'm sorry for the week delay in my posts. I was still working on marketing aspects which need the computer and being frustrated, Finally I called graphic artist and tech guru Jeremy Mullens www.jeremymullens.com who sat down with me and patiently taught me and advised me. Worth the drive to Grandville and the time. I also met his wife Liz Mullens who is a fantastic artist and is on Facebook.
Art prize-I only got to Frederik Meijer Gardens to see the Japanese Ceramics. Just a small part of the huge event, but a very nice part. How did they get their pieces so huge and perfect? How did they get those magnificent glazes? How did they get them all over here without breaking any of them? Such a variety of techniques and ideas. A favorite-especially among the children were the dog couple whose bodies were made up of smaller dogs by Naoto Nakata. I was there to also see the West Michigan Bonsai Club's show-no, I wasn't, I was a day early.....................
The next post will be about my exhibit sponsored by ACTion Art showing at Keller Willaims RiverTown in Grandville so I want to include in this post two paintings by Terry Miura www.terrymiura.com.the first a cityscape and the second a landscape. The first one is titled "Late Return No. 2 ",
and the second is titled "Working Day".
Miura is primarily a tonalist. Tonalists change value by lightening or darkening colors and impressionists change value by using warmer or cooler colors. Impressionists have more color in shadows and are usually in a high key (lighter values). Tonalists are more low key, have little color in the shadows and use mostly browns or greys. Although you might have some of one or the other in either kind of painting, the artist must decide if the painting is to be done tonally or in an impressionist manner.
Art prize-I only got to Frederik Meijer Gardens to see the Japanese Ceramics. Just a small part of the huge event, but a very nice part. How did they get their pieces so huge and perfect? How did they get those magnificent glazes? How did they get them all over here without breaking any of them? Such a variety of techniques and ideas. A favorite-especially among the children were the dog couple whose bodies were made up of smaller dogs by Naoto Nakata. I was there to also see the West Michigan Bonsai Club's show-no, I wasn't, I was a day early.....................
The next post will be about my exhibit sponsored by ACTion Art showing at Keller Willaims RiverTown in Grandville so I want to include in this post two paintings by Terry Miura www.terrymiura.com.the first a cityscape and the second a landscape. The first one is titled "Late Return No. 2 ",
and the second is titled "Working Day".
Miura is primarily a tonalist. Tonalists change value by lightening or darkening colors and impressionists change value by using warmer or cooler colors. Impressionists have more color in shadows and are usually in a high key (lighter values). Tonalists are more low key, have little color in the shadows and use mostly browns or greys. Although you might have some of one or the other in either kind of painting, the artist must decide if the painting is to be done tonally or in an impressionist manner.
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