Thursday October 12 2023 – 1pm-3pm EST
Zoom link (Passcode 189664)
We’ll be starting off with this scene. Lovely clear shapes and values. To start we’ll be treating this as a color exercise (although we’ll probably end up with a nice painting too). We’ll be focusing on really nailing the values and the colors as well as simplifying the detail where needed.
I will record the drawing ahead of time and send out a link to it (it will also be on the youtube playlist too). If you want to do the drawing ahead of time please go ahead. I know that often people want to take time over this.
(All session materials are linked off the main page)
Materials:
- Student paper for mixing color swatches
- 100% cotton paper for the full painting (I’ll be using 11″x14″ but 9″x12″ is a good size too)
- Value scale (See the Useful Tools page)
- Pencil/Paint/Palette/Water/Paper towels/masking tape
- Brushes: A larger brush for the sky and foreground washes. A slightly smaller (10 or 12) for the trees and more detailed areas.
- Colors: Cobalt blue, Ultramarine, Burnt sienna, Vermillion/napthol/cad red (orangey red), Cad lemon/hansa yellow (greenish yellow), black.
Reference Photo (click to enlarge and right click to download)
Reference Photo with grid
My Color Exercise Version
Yes it’s a little stiff but that’s ok. The values are good and I think the simplification in the rocks works well. The colors are slightly off (especially the sky and sea) but still work well.
Drawing Video
Class Video
I will kick off the sharing! I will enjoy seeing how everyone interprets the image. Michele, you have me thinking a lot about value and chroma! thank you for a great class.
Oooh nice. Great values, good chroma. Fantastic job.
I’ll post mine with the photo for what its worth. It definitely looked better the next morning.
Sorry I had to miss the first class. Enjoyed the video: the scene looked daunting but Michele made it approachable! My darks need to darker, and grayer, but otherwise I was pleased with the result.
Looks great Laura. You’re right about the darks but the value relationships are good. Those dark greens have a lot less chroma in than you think (at least in the photo which is all we have).
And interesting you say it looked daunting. Was it the rocks? You did a great job on those.
I have a hard time with tree shapes/foliage–and the tree is so important here! I never feel my tree shapes are convincing.
I’m with you on that. I tend to fuss with them and they end up spherical. I’m thinking of having a foliage session in a future class.
That would be great!
Liz’s painting from session one.
Ritu’s painting from session 1.
So I’m playing catch up and have started with lesson 1.
I lost the tree trunk and the foliage was a complete disaster – and in not sure the rocks sand or sea were much better! But worst of all was the grass which I tried to touch up and made worse!!
Oh well! That’s why I need to improve! Hopefully onwards and upwards
Oh I don’t think the foliage is a disaster at all. You have a wonderful subtle change in value from light to dark that really works. You’ve simplified the rocks really well too.
I can see what you mean about the grass – just a few too many hard edges that draw the eye too much.
But a wonderful version. Really nice.
Thank you – still playing catch up but I think I may do this one again as it was a great tutorial and I learnt a lot!