At the beginning of the summer I decided to take pictures of 6 or 7 places along my way to work and turn them into paintings. I had just really gotten into working with gouache and oil paints and wanted a good way to practice with them both. The plan was to get them all done before the end of the summer, but as everyone knows how plans work out... I only got 2 done and technically the second has finishing touches left to do. I have put much more time and effort into these paintings than I had thought I would. But I discovered that I love each of these mediums for their own unique qualities!
I paint my oil paintings on a stretched canvas. They come pre-primed but I like to add a couple coats of white gesso and then a light layer of tinted gesso to help me keep my canvas divided correctly. Sketching out the larger shapes of the trees was my next step. I like to think through how things layer in the real world. So the sky would be the lowest layer of the upper portion of my painting and the road would be the lowest layer of the bottom half. I keep a reference picture close by to keep the lighting and shadows in the right places. This was my first ever finished oil painting so I took the chance to play with palette knives and different mediums added to the paint. It was a lot of fun and I am very happy with how it turned out!
My second oil painting was still an experiment of mediums and tools. It still needs final details ( I will update a final picture as soon as I'm done) but I will say I am more content with how most of this painting is turning out. I got better depth in the oak tree than I did with my gouache painting of the same subject. My largest criticism is the Spanish moss. It didn't end up as wispy as I had hoped. The perspective ended up better than I expected. I enjoy walking by this one and seeing it from further back!
I want to use this blog as a place to share my artworks and the processes I use to paint them. I also want to strive to give my honest opinions about them. I thoroughly enjoy painting and learning the new medium and I want to keep myself learning and growing. I truly hope you all enjoy the open conversation about my artwork.
Find peace in yourself. Create peace around you.
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