Process, paint and thought

14 x 11 inches Acrylic on wood panel

Day 8 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  A good friend of mine makes wine and uses photos of her pup for the label.  She was kind enough to give me a bottle of her latest batch.  So thought it would be nice to give her something back.  This painting is for her. Thanks Deb.

But thought I would share the painting process of this one with you.  I started out just planning to paint the bottle, roughed in the form and built up the layers with acrylic paint on a wood panel.  But as I went along it need something to add some more interest and balance the composition a bit.  Thought adding the pup peeking over the table was just the ticket.

Drawing is Important

"What Cats Do"  Acrylic on watercolor paper 24 x 18 inches

     Draw, draw, draw important advice to any painter.  This loose painting of cats, (what my cats actually do most of the day) started with a number of drawings.  Quick charcoal sketches help for getting to know your subject and for planning a composition.

my easel with reference drawings

   After doing about a half dozen charcoal drawings of various cat poses, I picked my favorites and used them for reference while painting.  My models do not sit still for very long, so quick drawings, (lots of them) really help me to capture posture, and the attitude of each stance.

abstract layout

   I also use black and white chalk, to create an abstract of what I plan to paint, this is extremely helpful for planning the basic composition.   With this step I am not trying for any realism just light and dark contrast, and line movement.

   So when ever you have time grab a pencil, or charcoal stick and sketch.  You never know what those sketches will lead to.

Mary

All about layers

"Indecision"  14 x 11 inches Acrylic on canvas

                                         

Finished today for day 28 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  

I started this yesterday and count that layer of the painting day 27, because it could have been a finished work at that point, but decided to do more. 

    

   I plan to do a small video of the process and the thought process soon and add to my YouTube channel.

   Day 26 is another painting that came together with layering...

"Dances with Light"  !4 x11 inches  Acrylic on canvas panel

                                         

   This painting branched off from this painting...

The painting need more, wasn't sure what for a while.  Finally I decided to let intuition take over.

Now it feels complete.

Mary

Early change

Poppies in a Daisy Vase, Oil on canvas panel, 10 x 8 inches

Starting out an oil painting with an underpainting is a great way to see how well the composition will work.

The first idea was to include a seashell with the flowers.  But after looking at the lay-out, the shell added nothing to the composition. The shell was too centered and actually distracted from the flowers.  At this point the changes were easy to make, to complete the painting.

Just bought I would share the idea, do not be afraid to change your plans, and earlier in a painting is much better than later.

Mary

SchirosArt

Finding time to paint

Started this early with a rough acrylic underpainting.  Working with gesso and some magenta color is a quick and loose way of putting down a composition idea.

Purple Passion, 8x8 inches, Acrylic on canvas panelAvailable at DPWs

After canning up 6 quarts of garden veggie soup, I went back and added the green leaves and darker accents.  This was a multi tasking day:)
Mary

Oil painting today....

10 x 8 inches, oil on panel, "One In One Out"Available at DPWs

     Planned to do a lot more on finishing this paintings today,  but after spending some time just sitting and looking at it, decided there was not much I wanted to change.   As a painter I spend much of my time when painting just looking.  Looking at the subject, looking at the painting.  Think that is what I love about painting from life, there is a kind of meditation that goes with it.
    I realized that I really liked the soft feel this painting has so just a bit of glazing to bring up the color of the roses was all it needed today to call it done.
   Did the under painting with a new color Greenish umber by Utrecht,  really like the color for laying out the composition and also to create a dark neutral color for dark accents.

Mary

Day 18 ...already

I started the underpainting for this yesterday, and enjoyed finishing today painting at good friends studio.

"Tes for Two", Acrylic on canvas panel, 8 x 10 inchesAvailable at DPWs

This one of my many Teapots, ( I tend to collect them).  I did one underpainting in acrylic, and a second underpainting in oil that I may work on another day.  I always find it interesting how different oils and acrylic paintings look.  So it will be interesting to compare the two.

This is how this one started....

I like using orange for underpainting (adds a bit of a glow), also wanted to put down an idea for composition.   I change a bit from start to finish but still very happy with it.

Mary

Some more red...

Finished up this painting this morning.....  Day 12 of 30 in 30

24 x 18 inches, acrylic on canvas, "The Bath"Available; original of print at FineArtAmerica

I know I am posting this late, but my day was busy with some of my favorite things: painting in the morning,  gardening in the afternoon, then canning in the evening.  Yes I like canning, something cool about growing your own food, putting it up for the Winter.  Kind of old fashioned but thats me.
    This painting I started at the open house for the Flint Institute of Arts, and it was painted with the same colors of the painting from yesterday. I worked on both paintings at the same time.  I find that working on 2 paintings will keep me from over working one.  I  taped several  1 and 2 minute gesture drawing on the wall in front of my easels and used them for reference.  One suggestion I can make is, if you ever have the chance to take life drawing please do.  There is no other form of drawing that will fine tune your skills as much as having to draw the human figure from life.
Mary

Color theme

"Tools of the Trade",  Acrylic 14 x 11 inchesAVAILABLE AT DPWS

Today my three colors are:Ultramarine Blue (Golden brand), Nickel Titanate Yellow (Daniel Smith), and Quinacridone Coral (Daniel Smith).  Picked these three just because they are colors I like, pretty simple reason, but why not? Thought I would mention the brands because different brands of paint are a little different.  Yesterday the Viridian green I used was Liquitex and I think it is a little less blue than other brands.
When I am planning these "harmony paintings" I pick the colors but also decide on one color being a dominate color, in this case it was the blue.  Probably will do another but using a different one of the group as dominate.  Called this Tools of the Trade, wine and paint brushes, why not:)

Mary

How I Paint a Still-life

Pear and Silver,  11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas

                                Available at DPWs

Blue Plate Special, 12 x 16 inches, Acrylic on canvas

                                          At Bishop Gallery, FIA, Flint Mi June 2014

Thought I would share a peek at how I work on painting a still-life.  

One of the most important things I do to start, are small drawings of a still-life set up.

The drawings helps me plan the composition to work from.  Even thought I have a physical set up, deciding how I want to approach the painting really begins with the rough sketch.  

The drawings are tonal, white, grey and black, three basic values.  I do several of these drawing focusing on areas of the set up I find most interesting. Once I pick a favorite it used as a guide for my painting.

In this case I did four drawings, and ended up with two different painting. For one painting I followed the colors present in the set up and focused on the pears. 

For the another painting I went with more earth tones, and work directly from the drawings.  I also utilized my color charts to help with the colors.  

Drawing in a key part to painting because it give you a foundation to work from.  Drawing is not just for paper and graphite.  If you want to paint better, take time to draw.  Draw with pen, ink, graphite, and paint, especially paint.  Quick sketches with a paint brush helps build skill in handling a brush, and can create some very interesting pictures, also.

Mary

Schiros-Art

Learning to Paint

Sometimes I have to paint something, so I can paint it.  This is an example.

This set looked interesting to paint, flowers, pottery, and a cup.  I first painted everything.

But it felt a bit busy. 

 

 

So I did the next one simplifying all the objects.

After sitting a bit and look at the first two paintings, I realized the flowers were the most interesting to me.  So with the final painting I focused only on the flowers. 

The last painting I feel like I learned how to paint this subject, in other words, I painted to learn how to paint.

14 x 11 inches, watercolor

                                                    Available at DPWs

Mary

Schiros_Art

Sharing the process

Thought I would share the steps involved in making my latest seascape.  

"A Dusting of Yellow"  Oil on canvas,  9 x 12 inches

                                 Available at DPWs

I started with a combination of texture and color combinations.  The texture is a mixture of oil paint, pigment and egg yoke, this mixture is nice because it dries at the same rate as the rest of the oil painting.  I put down my dominate color of blue and a point of red as a focal point.

Then a layer of yellow high light is added to bring back in light and warmth.    

The third step was to develop structure.  The last step is to refine the painting over all.

Mary

Schiros_Art 

Over and Under

I have the bug to paint some dramatic sky scenes.  I also want to try some new techniques.  After doing several black and white studies, decided to start with the one I liked best.  Did an under painting, but instead of the traditional earthy umber color, used black, red and gold.  

16 x 20 acrylic gesso on wood panel

Almost stopped here, really love the abstract look!  But decided I can always do more, so laid in the over painting.  The under painting was done with colored gesso, the top in oil.  The painting is now resting in a spot I can view it and decide if more needs to be done or not.

 

One thing I have decided there is a series here…..

 

 Mary

Schiros_Art

Surprise Ending

Day 26 of 30 paintings in 30 days, and it started out  rough, but ended ok...

Acrylic, "A Pose",  10 x 8 inches on canvas panel

                                                                                         Available at DPWs
This painting started out life as a tree, a simple tree.  What started out as a simple painting tumbled out of control.  Got up early and had a small sketch I planned to quickly paint for today's painting.  It started out well but did that mistake that happens, went too far and lost the original idea.

where I started

Still interesting

A point to far

Should have stopped here, I wanted it abstract and colorful,  did I?  No...
Got to this point and just wasn't happy.  While it was still wet dumped some pinks and iridescent paints on it, scraped in some texture, and start over.  Love what I ended up with, so sometimes a failure and change of direction is a good thing!
Mary
Schiros_Art

Light and Dark

Day 22, thought about skipping to painting to today, but this daily painting is really becoming a habit.  Trying to avoid my paint brushes just did not feel right.

"Fire Fade", 6 x 6 inches, Acrylic on wood panel

                                                                                                                Available at DPWs
I started this painting focusing on the light and dark to capture a setting sun over a lake.  A site I know very well living in Michigan.  As I worked on it I realized it is not just the light, dark, or fire like colors, the size and shapes are just as important.  The bright light distorts objects.  Branches tend to twist and warp in the light.  This one of those things you see but don't see.  Feel like a my eyes opened a little wider today.
Mary
Schiros_Art

Painting Mistakes

Sunflower Stages, Oil on canvas, 14 x 11 inches

     There are tons of rules about painting.  You learn them in classes, from books, but the ones best remembered are from experience.  That is why I say every painting is a learning experience, no matter how long you have painted. 

    I am going to share one of these with you.  Yesterday the sun was shinning, the sky clear and my sunflowers looked great, time to set up the easel outside and paint.  I grabbed 4 canvases, a pile of brushes and paint and went to work.  Each canvas I used a different approach (yes I tend to multi task).  The one I am sharing today had a light green base color already on it and dry.  As I was looking at the sunflowers, I quickly applied some random strokes to the canvas. 

     Mistake #1, Composition, didn’t think about it at all.  Sometimes that works and it is pure luck, but most of the time if that basic foundation is skipped, like a house it comes crumbling down. 

     Mistake #2, rule of odds.  As I was working on it I put two sunflower buds in it, neither one worked as a focal point.  Oh that is right, mistake #3, lacking a focal point.

    Proceeded to try and correct this by adding a flower.  Mistake # 4, perspective, although they overlapped, the painting just looked flat, the clues to foreground and background were just not happening, they just looked bunched up.  So I removed a bud, better, still just not right.  At this point I had to set it aside and work on something else. 

That is why I always work on more than one painting at once. 

   Later I sat and studied my problem child and saw mistake #5, not taking into consideration focus.  In life when you are looking at something only one area will be in true focus, the rest is slightly out of focus.  This error was actually fun to correct, big brush mess up everything that that had too much detail; except for the area I wanted the detail. 

    At the end I am fairly pleased with this one, maybe because it was a great reminder of rules that need to be remembered.  So it doesn’t hurt to keep this things tucked in the back of your mind while painting, just remember to pull them out and use them once in a while.

As Robert Genn said: "I go from move to move--working out the puzzle--until it's either completed or abandoned."

    Next time I will share my other big mistake, from the same day, just another canvas.

 Mary

 Schiros_Art

Color and Temperature

"Warm Pear"  Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 9 inches

I have often admitted I am an art supply junkie, and of course that includes books about art.  So, it is time to start sharing some reviews of painting books.  The latest one in my collections is “Color Theory” by Walter Foster.  This is an easy to read, small book that really covers the subject well. 

   A good way to use a book on painting is to read it then go through and pick some examples and give it a try on your own.  Thought I would share my first practice.

I painted a pear trying to capture the difference in warm light and cool light, just one of the subjects covered in this book.

"Cool Pear" 

 Mary

Schiros_Art

From Pencil to Paint

20 x 16 inches oil on canvas

To follow up on my last post, thought I would share the first painting from my last sketching session.  I picked the drawing I liked the best, then drew a grid over it to help decide the lay out.

 From that I sectioned off the area I wanted to redraw on my canvas.  Then I did a quick acrylic painting to use as an under painting.  For the under painting I used Matisse back ground acrylics they are matte and have more tooth that regular acrylics.  When the under paint was totally dry (gave it 24 hours), I finished it in oil.  Used Weber water mixable oils starting with brush work then finished with a palette knife for a little more texture. 

 Mary

Schiros_Art