Paint Small Scale

I have taken a close up photo of the painting I did in the paddock.  I forgot yesterday, probably because I was so cold by the time I got back indoors.  Then I had to clean up my brushes before having, at last, lovely hot soup...

'Last of the Snow', Artisan oils, 10x8"

Have realised how tricky it is to photograph oil paintings when they are fresh.  There is a sheen that makes light bounce off the surface.  One aspect I did enjoy was working on this scale - it can help to stop all those fiddly details.

If this is one of your goals, why not try this?  Big brushes - small scale support - and save the little brushes just for a few tweaks at the end?

Painting Plein Air in the Paddock

Yesterday it snowed nearly all day but only really started to settle in the evening.  On waking this morning there was a light covering but as the sun came out it began to rapidly thaw.  As I glanced out the window and up our little paddock the sky looked quite dark and mauve and I loved the tracery of bare branches and snow lying amongst the clumps of grass.  I resolved to get out and paint!!!  This was the perfect opportunity to road test my equipment - if I realised I had forgotten anything I could easily nip in for it.

Pochade box, tripod and backpack

This is my equipment which I have organised to have ready in the studio to take out whenever the urge strikes.  As the box is fairly heavy I wouldn't want to carry it too far so I have bought a 2 wheel shopper trolley to use for occasions where I may be having to walk a bit further, or for around urban locations.  I'm sure you'll get to see it some time soon.

 

All ready to go...

It is great having everything to hand.  The 10 x 8" canvas board gets secured upright, the wooden palette surface I have decided not to use, I prefer to lay my paints out on a tear-off paper palette for the time being.  The brushes I select can slot into the drilled holes on the left.  The paints, palette knife, brushes are stored securely in the drawer.  The thermos cup dangling off the side is my water container.  I am working with water mixable oils and just used this to dilute paint in the early stages and to clean my brushes between colours.  If you look really close you can just see that the board actually had the beginnings of a previous old painting, I gessoed over this with a pale blue tint so I had an overall mid tone to work on.

Diluted underpainting to establish composition



 

I diluted the paint with water and used a small round to get the gist of the composition before changing to a filbert to start blocking in some of the main shapes.

Developing the painting

Still working with a bigger filbert brush start developing colours of the field, paint still diluted.

Finished painting

As I worked the snow 'pockets' were thawing fast.  The sky was also changing fast and becoming lighter, less interesting.  As the dark sky was what inspired me in the first place I decided to stick with my original concept.

The whole 'trip' was about two hours.  I had been standing close to a hedge which afforded some shelter from the chilly wind, but as I packed up I realised suddenly how cold my fingertips had become (I was painting with fingerless gloves on).  Once back indoors I cleaned my brushes before settling down with a bowl of hot tomato soup.  Whilst not a brilliant painting I am pleased with it as a record of my first official plein air outing.  Here's to many more...

Painting Plein Air (Almost)

Oh dear!  Over a month since my last post.  However I have not been idle.  Alongside the weekly preparation I do for the pastel and the mixed media classes I teach I have also been organising a water mixable oils workshop for April.  I have painted a demo canvas of 'Agapanthus', photographed the stages and hope enough people will be inspired and sign up for the session.



'Agapanthus', water-mixable oils, 16" x 16" box canvas
 

I have so enjoyed working with these Artisan paints that I plan to do a lot more with them this year.  In fact my plan involves painting 'en plein air'.  Yes, on location rather than in the studio from photos.  I have a Mabef pochade box and wood tripod I have not really used - so now is the time (well, as the weather improves maybe).  I have already organised all my painting equipment together so that I can just grab it and go.

I have been very eager to have my first experience.  I am used to working in a sketchbook on location but this is small scale, tended to be dry media, and definitely unobtrusive.  I am sure I will have a lot to learn - all those greens for a start!!!  Despite the awful weather last weekend I had my heart set on doing something.  Rain, sleet, and a windchill factor of minus seven convinced me it would be foolhardy to try my first time in situ so I opted to set up in my freezing cold conservatory instead.  It has no heating and I resisted the temptation to use a fan heater.

 

Create mid-tone as base...

 

Establish composition, get some loose colour across whole canvas...

 

Starting to add definition, broader colour and tonal range...
 

Final painting - in about 2 hours!
 

It certainly isn't perfect but for just two hours work in cold conditions (my fingers were going numb) I was reasonably happy.  With hindsight I would definitely want to soften the thin branches against the sky to the left as they should be further back in space.  Possibly the snowdrops around the foreground apple tree could extend to the right and leave the canvas.  But for what it is, I'm happy.

Painting a view from life is a very different experience.  Until the weather improves have a go at a scene through your window whether it's the garden or a view up the street - it is certainly an enjoyable way to pass a few hours!