Wet Paint -- The Painting Classroom: October 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

"Hohenberger Farm" 12" X 16" Oil on Canvas Panel - $105 Donation - BENEFITS HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

"Hohenberger Farm" - Oil - 12" x 16"

""I have painted several larger works from this sketch of a fetching scene near Cambria, California. Though I don't know who owns the picturesque farm, I dubbed it 'Hohenberger Farm' for my fellow artist and friend, Rose Hohenberger, who was painting with me." --- SFG

VIEW EBAY AUCTION

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Keep your field sketches for a while. Even less-than-your-best sketches can serve as a color reference as you use your onsite photos to experiment with alternative compositions. Some sketches will merit their own frames, like this one did.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

"Fruit and Silver" 6" x 8" Oil on Canvas Board - Donation: $65

EBAY AUCTION IN PROGRESS - BENEFITS AMERICAN RED CROSS

"Fruit and Silver" - Oil - 6" x 8"

"Quick little paintings of still life objects are a training tool for artists. They keep the eye alert to value, color, and draftmanship. Additionally, they are pure pleasure!" --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
One of my teachers had a saying that has stuck with me and served me well for many years. He said, "Paint every day and you will get better. Paint every-other-day and you will stay the same. And paint every third day and you will get worse."

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

"Farm on Turri Road, Los Osos" 8" x 10" Plein Air Sketch - $85

ON EBAY AT 6 PM PDT TODAY -- BENEFITS AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

"Farm on Turri Road, Los Osos" - Oil - 8" x 10"

"Turri Road, between San Luis Obispo and Los Osos, is a favorite of local artists. It presents plentiful subjects for the plein air painter, especially farm and mountain scenes." --- SFG

Titled "Farm on Turri Road, Los Osos", the field sketch is 9" x 12" and is oil on canvas on Raymar canvas panel. These excellent boards are archival and the canvas will not flex, reducing the risk of future cracking of the paint or damage in shipping. The paint is professional quality. There is a 100% satisfaction guarantee on the purchase amount.

GreavesArt has sold over 1000 paintings by Greaves on eBay with the highest customer satisfaction. More info on the artist: susanfgreaves.com.

Join the "Good (Art) Works" effort. 100% donation to the selected cause.

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
When painting hilly country, I often use diagonal lines to move the eye through the composition, as I did here. The asymmetric balance is achieved with the darkest trees to the left and the largest building and another tree to the right.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

"Elevations" - 8" x 10" - Oil on Raymar canvas panel - $75 donation

eBay auction begins tomorrow at 6 PM Pacific Time. Benefits Good News Rescue Mission in Redding, CA.

"Elevations" - Oil - 10" x 8"

"This scene in southern California was a study in warm and cool contrast. The distant mountains were in delightfully cool tones that enhanced the dry grasses of the foreground. I placed the horizon line low to emphasize the scale of the farm vs. that of the mountains." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Before beginning a landscape, experiment with where you place the horizon line. The psychological effect is very different, so choose the placement according to what you are trying to say. A low horizon line like this one minimizes the importance of the viewer (makes him smaller) compared to the subject. I wanted to emphasize the scale of the mountains in this painting.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

"Dark Mantle" Oil on Ramar Canvas Board - 14" X 11" - $95 Donation

AUCTION BEGINS WEDNESDAY AT 6 PM ON EBAY

"Dark Mantle" - Oil - 14" x 11"

"This model's dark hair offered a solid form that reminded me of mideval armor. I explored her facial structure, especially her nose and mouth. The cool tones around her eyes, plus the lovely blue of her irises, gave balance and relief to the warm tones elsewhere." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Painting portraits in a limited amount of time is tough. I go for accurate drawing, big shapes, and overall color. I must pay attention to the edges to keep one element from taking over and being inconsistent with the rest of the work.

The mistake I see most often among my students is making the far edge of the face too hard. In an effort to draw accurately, they flatten the image into a cut-and-paste cartoon against the background. Softening that edge immediately gives the head more form.

Friday, October 12, 2012

New Benefit Auction on DailyPaintworks.com: "In the Trees" 8" x 10" Oil - Starts at $85

"In the Trees" - Oil - 8" x 10"

Choose YOUR favorite charity from the "Good (Art) Works list.

"Paintings are everywhere I look. This was a sunny afternoon and the sun lined the top of the deadfall and reflected up to warm leafy branches. It's not the subject...it's the painter that makes it special." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
When I search for a subject in the landscape, I simply look for light against dark or dark against light. A touch of color in or near that focal point will reinforce the effect.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Auction Starts Tomorrow -- "Cool Day at Clear Creek" 11" x 14" Oil Field Sketch

"Cool Day at Clear Creek" - Oil - 11" x 14"

"The viewing platform along Clear Creek in Shasta County, California, offers a fine view of the small canyon. There is dramatic lighting on the sides of the steep, rocky gorge, especially in the morning. Below, the creek is transparent and salmon spawn and lay eggs in the gravel streambed. A stunning subject!" --- SFG."

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Be sure to remove your sunglasses! As tempting as it is, you cannot mix accurate color through colored lenses of any sort unless you are doing just a value study. I had to re-paint much of this work because of the distortion.