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Collections Galleries - Paintings now in private, corporate, public holdings |
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DEMONSTRATION: "CANOPY" oil on board, 16 x 20 |
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Step 1. The surface is a coat of red gesso that I applied to dry canvas already coated with white gesso. (I like the vibrant red made from equal parts Carmine and Orange from the Holbein color gesso line.) Then I used a white charcoal pencil to sketch the composition. Next, I completed the sky, using Titanium White with a small amount of Cerulean Blue. I painted the sky first allowing the branches to remain red, rather than trying to paint the sky between other objects later. Using little or no linseed oil, I painted lighter background shapes separately with varying mixtures of Cadmium Yellow Lemon and Cerulean Blue. |
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Step 2. I completed the distant background trees as simple light and cool shapes, using Titanium White mixed with small amounts of Ultramarine Blue, Viridian, and Permanent Violet. I concealed the red ground in these areas with overlapping paint strokes. Concentrating on the lighter areas first, I avoided the slightly darker foreground trees. Then I painted the remaining tree shapes, using a mixture with less white. I covered all of the red canvas to eliminate any hint of color intensity in the background, which allowed cool and low-contrast colors in the background to recede. |
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Step 3. Applying brighter colors in close areas contrasted the foreground against the dullness of the background, creating a stronger sense of depth. I painted backlit, closer tree foliage with bold strokes of Cadmium Yellow Lemon both unmixed and mixed with Sap Green. As a transition between midground and foreground, I combined Cadmium Yellow Lemon and Sap Green again, using more Sap Green toward the front. I allowed the red canvas to show through to project the foreground. Also, I repeatedly skipped small spaces between leaf and grass shapes, creating strong color contrasts and vibration effects. |
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Step 4. The foreground gained density and weight with added darkness. Viridian and mixtures of Viridian with Sap Green, Ultramarine Blue, and Indigo created the darkest foliage and landmasses in the foreground. I painted tree trunks and branches, using Ultramarine Blue mixed with Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna. I continued to leave bits of unpainted red canvas, adding to the brightness and projection of the foreground. |
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Step 5. Glazes of Ultramarine Blue and Indigo strengthened shadows on foreground grass and enhanced the sense of depth. I achieved background haze by applying glazes of only white, or white with a small amount of blue, over distant background trees, softening any edges that may still separate the sky from the trees. The completed painting: |
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copyright, Caroline Jasper |
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