More Seniors' Art -- Acrylic Landscapes

My recent class at Franke Tobey Jones' Senior University was about learning to paint landscapes using acrylic paint on canvas. Acrylics is a great medium and much more forgiving than oils. The paint dries quickly and allows one to layer and easily correct mistakes. There were eleven students, some returning from my earlier sessions. As with my pastel painting class, I showed examples and shared methodologies, tips and tricks. Some students brought their own favorite photos while most selected their subject from landscape photos that I provided. 

When using a photograph as inspiration, recreate the scene for the shape (of shadows too) and lighting (value), its arrangement (composition), not (necessarily) for the colors depicted in the photo. Begin by drawing on paper or canvas using pencil, charcoal, or flair pen/markers. While students were sketching, I began instruction and limited it to <30 minutes. I allowed 90 minutes to complete a landscape painting.

Sketching

o Keep the same composition, if you really like it, or
o Edit out certain elements in favor of finding more pleasing ways to compose your painting
o Grid-up your adjusted composition lightly in pencil on your paper or canvas
o Avoid pressing too hard, especially if using a fine-tipped marker

Methodologies -- Tips & Tricks

o Choose your focal point.

      o Highest contrast should be closest to your focal point.

o Toward the end of your painting, re-establish highlights and deep shadows.

o Choose colors that create a mood for your landscape.

o Consider painting your skies in tones and hues closer to those of the foreground.
    (i.e. “Think outside the blue box”)

      o This will help mirror the elements so they complement one another.

o Use value-appropriate colors, constantly evaluating the balance of color and value

      o Far away colors get bluer and lighter as they recede, fuzzier and less detailed.

Related Concepts - Form & Space

The Gleaners (1857), Millet

While discussing the concepts of Form and Space, I used Jean-François Millet’s The Gleaners as a good landscape example (my favorite). We reviewed art elements, principles and vocabulary (foreground, middle ground, background), then discussed how artists create depth in their paintings.

Form refers to objects or shapes that are 3-D, having length, width, and height. As artists, we work to create the illusion of form in drawings and paintings.

We use Space (or the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or within objects) to show the relationships between forms. We further create the illusion of 3-dimensionality in a 2-dimensional space by creating Depth. 

There are six ways to create depth in a 2-dimensional painting:

1.  Placement – Objects placed higher in the picture will seem farther away

    a. The Rule of Thirds is a guideline that helps the artist with the placement of elements and the focal point within the composition.

2. Overlapping – Obscuring farther away objects with closer objects that overlap and using contrasting values

3.  Size – Far away objects appear smaller less distinct

4.  Detail – Far away objects should have less detail

5. Color or Value – Cooler colors or objects Lighter in Value will also appear farther away
6.  Perspective – The illusion of objects moving away via lines that converge to an infinite point.

I showed examples of my own acrylic paintings (and some from PawsWithCause paint parties). I gave a slideshow of the progression of my painting of Bo the homeless shelter dog. We also discussed color choices, value distribution, detail, establishing a center of interest, creating a sense of perspective, vibration of colors using opposite colors, and under painting.

Mountain Reflection by Linda

Paintings by My Seniors

So, now I'd like to share some of the paintings created by the seniors who took my class. The first landscape was created by my quilter, Linda. She chose to paint this beautiful mountain reflection. She told me that she was going to give her painting to her son.

Mary's Autumn Sunset

Next we have Mary's autumn sunset painting. I like this one for its limited color palette. Mary spent a lot of her time perfecting the turbulent looking water. I recommended that everyone take a photo on their phones as a way of looking at their masterpiece through different eyes. Somehow, your brain is more forgiving and less judgmental when seeing your artwork as a photo rather than a canvas that you've been staring at for hours. Like paintings in an art museum setting it is good to view them from close up and far away.

Kelly's Pastoral Landscape

Owl in a Tree

The next two paintings surprised me. The first student painted a large autumn tree, then at the last minute added an owl perched in her tree. The second painting is a pastoral landscape that turned out looking like a watercolor. Kelly is a returning student who listened well to my instruction for placing highlights on eyes in a portrait, using the wooden end of the brush. Here, she used this dotting technique to simulate rows of crops in her wavy field.

I told her that it reminded me of the landscapes of Port Townsend artist, Don Tiller.

John's Lighthouse Landscape

Speaking of Port Townsend, here is John's painting of the Point Wilson Lighthouse. John brought his own picture for inspiration. He successfully captured those classic windswept trees that remind me of an African savannah. I love the texture of the grey sky and drybrush technique.

Ocean Cottage

I call the next landscape, Ocean Cottage. It is very impressionistic in its brushstrokes that lay down broad areas of color suggesting a turbulent sky and rushing waves. This also reminds me of a watercolor painting. My student was frustrated with her image of the cottage and wanted to paint over it. Thankfully, I was able to talk her out of it. I love its simplicity and the movement she was able to create.

On a larger scale this painting would make a great image to hang in someone's living room or dining room.

Castle Pond Landscape

Finally, this last landscape is just as playful as the image of the painting that inspired it. It reminds me of how Vincent Van Gogh would 'copy' the works of Jean-François Millet and make them his own. While recognizably similar, once again I am getting a Monet-like impression with a watercolor feel. One of the hardest things to teach students is how to get the right mix of paint and water. It's mostly about the flow of the paint and the opacity or translucence you're trying to achieve. Mastering this medium takes lots of practice and experimentation.

For my own next painting challenge, I am going to teach myself how to paint using Paint 3D on my new tablet with the help of my brother. My first effort will be to paint the above castle pond landscape. My brother will outline some steps for me as I learn to use this (new to me) computer tool, initially using the mouse on my PC. Eventually, I will purchase a Microsoft Surface and stylus to make it easier on me. I plan to take pictures as I progress.. In between, I may post other examples of the masterpieces my brother has created using the tool. Stay tuned!