Before I left Perth to move to the country, around 14 years ago, I bought some watercolours, brushes and a pad of watercolour paper , with the expectation that I might start doing some plein air watercolour paintings.
It never happened.
Since buying them, the paint tubes have remained unopened.
I recently discovered the Youtube channel of British watercolour artist Tim Wilmot, where he methodically demonstrates his approach to loose, semi-abstracted representational painting. It's a style of watercolour I have always liked and his demonstrations make it look possible.
So, with my new-found enthusiasm for watercolour, I dug out an old plein air oil painting - which has it fair share of issues - and decided to repaint it in watercolour while fixing some of those issues along the way.
In the hope it wouldn't be complete disaster, I also decided to video my progress. And since it wasn't a complete disaster, I edited the video and uploaded it to Youtube.
I hope, soon, to do an updated studio oil version of the original plein air painting. It will be interesting to compare the results.
Showing posts with label sketch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sketch. Show all posts
Friday, September 1, 2017
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Bob Katter - Digital Caricature
Bob Katter
Original 1200x1400px
Digital Caricature
© Andy Dolphin
Original 1200x1400px
Digital Caricature
© Andy Dolphin
As Australia waits to find out the identity of it's next Prime Minister - the 15th in about six years, I think - one man stands out from the crowd.
Bob "Mad Hatter" Katter.
Famed for owning an Akubra for almost any occasion, Bob ventured out today and threw one of those many hats into the ring to help bring an end to the federal election count, some time before Christmas.
While some in the mainstream media have entertained the idea that Bob could become something of a kingmaker in a hung parliament, I think that after today's chat with the press he's looking more like he wants to be King.
With that in mind, I had to try a caricature of a man who is already a life-size caricature of himself.
I recently polished the drawing surface of my Wacom Intuos Pro (because I found it to be unusable with the nib-eating sandpaper surface Wacom gave it) and it is now a beautiful thing to behold... so I used that to draw the caricature on a 27" iMac and captured the action with Quicktime while I was at it.
You can watch the time-lapse caricature drawing on my Youtube channel.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
iPad finger-paintings
I received an iPad from the family for Christmas and just had to have a go at finger painting.
I downloaded an app called Procreate as I had seen this before in the (in)famous, viral, Morgan Freeman finger-painting video, then messed around to see what I could do with it.
At less than $10 Australian, it's an astonishingly capable program that would give Photoshop a run for its (considerable and never-ending) money if it was ever available on the desktop.
I've uploaded a video of my first fumblings in Procreate. Don't judge the program by my efforts, though.
I downloaded an app called Procreate as I had seen this before in the (in)famous, viral, Morgan Freeman finger-painting video, then messed around to see what I could do with it.
At less than $10 Australian, it's an astonishingly capable program that would give Photoshop a run for its (considerable and never-ending) money if it was ever available on the desktop.
I've uploaded a video of my first fumblings in Procreate. Don't judge the program by my efforts, though.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Treasurer's poor apology
If you're not into politics, feel free to skip down to the picture.
Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has a had a bad week.
Tasked with the job of a selling a budget no one likes, Mr Hockey decided to dismiss the concerns of "the poor" by saying they won't much be affected by a rise in the fuel excise, because they don't drive cars anyway.
He went on to describe the fuel excise as a progressive tax, and became possibly the first treasurer in history to not know what "progressive tax" means. In fact, he might be the first high-school graduate in history to not know what progressive taxation is - assuming he graduated.
Challenged over his insensitivity, he dug in his heels and said the statistics backed him up. Unfortunately, he couldn't find any actual people who would back him up, not even among his closest workmates, and eventually began to realise he might need to give up and say "sorry".
And say sorry he did. Although, reading the full transcript of his on-air apology, it mostly seems like he's sorry people noticed that he's completely out of touch with the needs and concerns of low-income Australians.
If he wants to remain as Treasurer, he really should have apologised for not understanding basic tax philosophy.
Anyway, that was just a long explanation of why I felt compelled to do another Joe Hockey caricature.
Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has a had a bad week.
Tasked with the job of a selling a budget no one likes, Mr Hockey decided to dismiss the concerns of "the poor" by saying they won't much be affected by a rise in the fuel excise, because they don't drive cars anyway.
He went on to describe the fuel excise as a progressive tax, and became possibly the first treasurer in history to not know what "progressive tax" means. In fact, he might be the first high-school graduate in history to not know what progressive taxation is - assuming he graduated.
Challenged over his insensitivity, he dug in his heels and said the statistics backed him up. Unfortunately, he couldn't find any actual people who would back him up, not even among his closest workmates, and eventually began to realise he might need to give up and say "sorry".
And say sorry he did. Although, reading the full transcript of his on-air apology, it mostly seems like he's sorry people noticed that he's completely out of touch with the needs and concerns of low-income Australians.
If he wants to remain as Treasurer, he really should have apologised for not understanding basic tax philosophy.
Anyway, that was just a long explanation of why I felt compelled to do another Joe Hockey caricature.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Clive Palmer digital caricature
Considered by some to be the current leader of the Australian Parliament, larger-than-life MP Clive Palmer is the subject of my latest caricature sketch.
Despite some obvious features, Mr Palmer was surprisingly difficult to caricature.
This isn't exactly a finished piece, but it will do for now.
Before copying, please read the copyright details at the bottom of the sidebar.
Clive Palmer MP
Digital caricature sketch.
Original 1000x1000px
Original 1000x1000px
© 2014, Andy Dolphin
This isn't exactly a finished piece, but it will do for now.
Before copying, please read the copyright details at the bottom of the sidebar.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Dr Oz digital caricature
Dr Oz in the headlights
Digital caricature sketch.
Original 830x975px
Original 830x975px
© 2014, Andy Dolphin
After reading a few recent news reports from the US, I quickly knocked up this preliminary caricature sketch of TV personality and cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Oz.
Nicknamed "America's Doctor", Dr Oz found himself in front of US Senator Claire McCaskill, and facing some heavy questioning about his enthusiastic promotion of "miracle" weight loss products on his show.
Video of the doctor's testimony resulted in some "roo in the headlights" moments ("deer in the headlights" moments, if you're in the US. Others can insert their own local variant.) as the much-adored surgeon tried to answer the Senator's questions.
Those moments were the inspiration for me to finally caricature Dr Oz, something I've been planning for a while.
NOTE: Permission is NOT granted to use this image for any purpose. Sorry.
Small floral oil painting
My latest painting is a 9 by 5 inch oil on plywood panel and will be donated to the Plantagenet Community Art Centre to be auctioned in a fundraiser for the facility.
Several local artists and community members have been invited to participate, with all works presented on a similar 9 x 5 panel. Entries will include 2D and 3D work.
The "9 by 5" has a special place in Australian art history as it was the approximate size of cigar box lids favoured as painting surfaces by some artists in the mid-late 1800s. In 1889 the "9 by 5 Impression Exhibition" was held in Melbourne and featured such luminaries as Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton.
My aim here was to produce a fast, loose explosion of bold colour. I already had the image in my mind before I arranged the flowers in the set-up. Set against a dark backdrop and facing in different directions the flowers look, to me, like fireworks.
The 9x5 exhibition opens on Friday night, July 11, and runs for a week at Mitchel House in Mt Barker, WA. Purchase is by silent auction and, with opening prices starting at just $25, I imagine there will be many bargains to be had.
Several local artists and community members have been invited to participate, with all works presented on a similar 9 x 5 panel. Entries will include 2D and 3D work.
The "9 by 5" has a special place in Australian art history as it was the approximate size of cigar box lids favoured as painting surfaces by some artists in the mid-late 1800s. In 1889 the "9 by 5 Impression Exhibition" was held in Melbourne and featured such luminaries as Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton.
Floral fireworks
12.5cm x 22.5cm oil on ply panel.
© Andy Dolphin
12.5cm x 22.5cm oil on ply panel.
© Andy Dolphin
My aim here was to produce a fast, loose explosion of bold colour. I already had the image in my mind before I arranged the flowers in the set-up. Set against a dark backdrop and facing in different directions the flowers look, to me, like fireworks.
The 9x5 exhibition opens on Friday night, July 11, and runs for a week at Mitchel House in Mt Barker, WA. Purchase is by silent auction and, with opening prices starting at just $25, I imagine there will be many bargains to be had.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Retrospective
For much of the last week or so I've been sorting out my garage. The time had almost come where hard hats and climbing gear were recommended attire for anyone who dared enter.
During the clear-out, I discovered a couple of boxes of illustration board that had obviously been "put away for later" when we moved here ten years ago. When I checked the contents of one of the boxes, I discovered some long-lost artwork from my teenage years.
Here's a little of what I was into back in 1978-82, when I was 17-21 years old (and when my CB radio call-sign was "Grot" as you might note in the signatures).
Back then, custom paint jobs, including airbrushed murals, were all the rage. My brothers had oodles of magazines of custom-built cars of all shapes and sizes and I would spend hours dreaming up my own designs and paint schemes, using the magazine images as reference.
As the years went by, I got quite good at illustrating reflections.
During the clear-out, I discovered a couple of boxes of illustration board that had obviously been "put away for later" when we moved here ten years ago. When I checked the contents of one of the boxes, I discovered some long-lost artwork from my teenage years.
Here's a little of what I was into back in 1978-82, when I was 17-21 years old (and when my CB radio call-sign was "Grot" as you might note in the signatures).
1978-1982.
Felt-tip pen and coloured pencil
on scrap book "butcher's paper"
on scrap book "butcher's paper"
© Andy Dolphin
Back then, custom paint jobs, including airbrushed murals, were all the rage. My brothers had oodles of magazines of custom-built cars of all shapes and sizes and I would spend hours dreaming up my own designs and paint schemes, using the magazine images as reference.
As the years went by, I got quite good at illustrating reflections.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Rapids: a new plein air challenge
This week I was granted access to private property which the Hay River runs through. There is a section a couple of hundred metres long where the river drops over several granite outcrops. We've had a very wet start to spring so there is plenty of water in the river.
I've never painted rapids plein air before, (I've hardly ever painted them at all), so this was going to be a new challenge. Heck, just carrying all my gear down the steep grassy embankment was going to be a challenge.
I hope to visit here several times in the coming weeks, in order to become familiar with it. I'll begin by attempting exercises, rather than finished paintings. If I can solve one or two problems each time, I should be able to get a decent plein air painting out of it before too long.
Yesterday was the first spring-like spring day we've had this spring. It was warm and sunny with clear blue skies. So, in the afternoon I headed down to the river to see if I could manage a painting. Before I started the walk from the car, I emptied as much stuff as I could from my French easel and backpack.
Here's exercise number one...
I was looking directly toward the sun and the reflections were intense. I actually wandered around for almost an hour to allow the sun to move across a little, but it was still very bright when I started.
Here's the location shot...
And here's me doing a "long-distance, time-delay selfie" while pretending to paint...because I could...
We had clear skies again this morning so I returned to the same spot to try the same scene in different light. Here's the result...
This time the scene was more front-lit, with very few shadows. I assumed some shadows would arrive as I painted since I knew, from yesterday, that the scene would be back-lit by afternoon. I focused in a little closer this time.
And, ta daa, the location shot...
There's a lot to consider in a scene like this. There's the various textures of rocks, foliage and water. The water itself presents multiple challenges - flat water, falling water, clear water, flat foam, frothy foam and reflections. Plus, the water is tea-coloured so it takes on distinctly warm hues as it travels over and around the rocks.
Looking at photos of the place, it seems like it should be fairly easy to translate into paint. Some things are dark, some things are light and others are in between. Even the foam patterns and reflections make sense in a photo. But when you're standing there, paint brush in hand, things never stop moving and every brushstroke requires a good deal of thought.
Once again I find myself wondering why people think painting is good for relaxation. I find it an absolute adrenalin rush, from start to finish.
I've never painted rapids plein air before, (I've hardly ever painted them at all), so this was going to be a new challenge. Heck, just carrying all my gear down the steep grassy embankment was going to be a challenge.
I hope to visit here several times in the coming weeks, in order to become familiar with it. I'll begin by attempting exercises, rather than finished paintings. If I can solve one or two problems each time, I should be able to get a decent plein air painting out of it before too long.
Yesterday was the first spring-like spring day we've had this spring. It was warm and sunny with clear blue skies. So, in the afternoon I headed down to the river to see if I could manage a painting. Before I started the walk from the car, I emptied as much stuff as I could from my French easel and backpack.
Here's exercise number one...
Hay River Rapids.
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
I was looking directly toward the sun and the reflections were intense. I actually wandered around for almost an hour to allow the sun to move across a little, but it was still very bright when I started.
Here's the location shot...
And here's me doing a "long-distance, time-delay selfie" while pretending to paint...because I could...
We had clear skies again this morning so I returned to the same spot to try the same scene in different light. Here's the result...
Hay River Morning.
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
This time the scene was more front-lit, with very few shadows. I assumed some shadows would arrive as I painted since I knew, from yesterday, that the scene would be back-lit by afternoon. I focused in a little closer this time.
And, ta daa, the location shot...
There's a lot to consider in a scene like this. There's the various textures of rocks, foliage and water. The water itself presents multiple challenges - flat water, falling water, clear water, flat foam, frothy foam and reflections. Plus, the water is tea-coloured so it takes on distinctly warm hues as it travels over and around the rocks.
Looking at photos of the place, it seems like it should be fairly easy to translate into paint. Some things are dark, some things are light and others are in between. Even the foam patterns and reflections make sense in a photo. But when you're standing there, paint brush in hand, things never stop moving and every brushstroke requires a good deal of thought.
Once again I find myself wondering why people think painting is good for relaxation. I find it an absolute adrenalin rush, from start to finish.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Spring: plein air cloudscape in oil
Earlier this year I decided my next major project was to be plein air clouds.
Clouds are sods of things to paint on location because they move much faster than we would usually realise. Even those massive cumulus clouds, that look too big to move, refuse to stay still when you try to paint them.
Last weekend, at the end of a particularly gloomy day where the sun refused to shine, I took the gamble and headed down to the coast where I thought I might get some good views of clouds in the evening light. I was prepared to paint grey skies if that's all I had to choose from.
I walked along the beach for quite a while, looking in different directions and doing small thumbnail sketches of mostly-grey scenes before finally seeing some colour creeping into a bank of clouds in the eastern sky.
Most people probably think of the dramatic reds and oranges of western skies when they think of sunsets but the eastern evening sky can be especially attractive as the clouds reflect the warm but subtle, almost-pearlescent sunset colours.
The thing that really caught my eye when I decided to paint this scene was the strong reflection of the sunlit cloud in the ocean. By the time I'd set up my easel and laid out my colours, the cloud had moved - a lot. I used a combination of different clouds and a dose of memory to put the main cloud where I wanted it.
When I began, there was no sunlight hitting anything below sky level, but as I was working the central breakers were pleasantly spot-lit, for about ten minutes, so I decided to include that effect.
I did a little work on this one back in the studio, mainly darkening the ocean which looked much paler, once I could see it properly, than I thought it was on location. Other than that, it's pretty much how it was when I left the beach.
Palette: French ultramarine, permanent crimson, cadmium yellow light, titanium white.
I didn't get a location shot because it was dark when I packed up. I had to put my LED headlamp on to find my way back through the dunes to the car park.
Clouds are sods of things to paint on location because they move much faster than we would usually realise. Even those massive cumulus clouds, that look too big to move, refuse to stay still when you try to paint them.
Last weekend, at the end of a particularly gloomy day where the sun refused to shine, I took the gamble and headed down to the coast where I thought I might get some good views of clouds in the evening light. I was prepared to paint grey skies if that's all I had to choose from.
I walked along the beach for quite a while, looking in different directions and doing small thumbnail sketches of mostly-grey scenes before finally seeing some colour creeping into a bank of clouds in the eastern sky.
Most people probably think of the dramatic reds and oranges of western skies when they think of sunsets but the eastern evening sky can be especially attractive as the clouds reflect the warm but subtle, almost-pearlescent sunset colours.
Perkins Beach, Spring Evening.
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
When I began, there was no sunlight hitting anything below sky level, but as I was working the central breakers were pleasantly spot-lit, for about ten minutes, so I decided to include that effect.
I did a little work on this one back in the studio, mainly darkening the ocean which looked much paler, once I could see it properly, than I thought it was on location. Other than that, it's pretty much how it was when I left the beach.
Palette: French ultramarine, permanent crimson, cadmium yellow light, titanium white.
I didn't get a location shot because it was dark when I packed up. I had to put my LED headlamp on to find my way back through the dunes to the car park.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Colin Barnett - AAA-rated caricature?
With the news today the Western Australian state budget has been so badly managed that our AAA credit rating has been downgraded, I thought I should repost a caricature I drew a few weeks ago.
Colin's a popular boy today.
Colin's a popular boy today.
Colin Barnett
Digital caricature. 580x680px
© 2013, Andy Dolphin
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Newdegate Field Days
The Newdegate Machinery Field Days began in 1972 and are run by volunteer committee. Spread across the first Wednesday and Thursday in September, the Newdegate Machinery Field Days is an event that keeps our committee busy all year round and our community busy in the weeks leading up to our event. Our aim is to host a world class agricultural machinery display, which has now expanded to include livestock, family and recreational interests.
The successful running of the Newdegate Machinery Field Days has enabled us to support our local community with donations to many local projects.
All of our volunteers record their hours to a local club or the Royal Flying Doctor who benefit with a donation from NMFD. We are also in partnership with National Disability Services and honour their Companion Card Scheme. [source]
I've been telling myself for the last 10 years, since moving to Mt Barker, that I should enter some work in the Newdegate Field Days art competition. I finally did it this year and decided that I should also go and take a look at the exhibition. It's a little under 300km by road from Mt Barker to Newdegate and it takes a little over three hours to drive there.
It was a fantastic couple of days. My wife and I had two nights' accommodation arranged on a farm about 50km north of Newdegate. I sold both paintings at the exhibition, so had nothing to pick up and bring home. The weather was perfect - clear skies, warm, sunny days and still nights with starry skies.
The 3,000 hectare (7,500 acre) farm features wheat and barley and around 3,000 head of sheep. Our wonderful host, Doug, gave us a tour of the property which features some amazing landscape painting opportunities.
I was up and about at sunrise on our first morning and headed to a spot I'd noticed the previous evening, where a farm track deviates around a group of Salmon Gums. It's a simple landscape featuring a white sand track. I love white sand tracks and this scene was made for painting - so I painted it. It's not often that things are arranged exactly as you want them.
Around the trees.
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Salmon Gums are beautiful, stately trees. The leaves are incredibly dark green and form massive canopies, sometimes resembling giant umbrellas. The trunks are pale and glossy so they change colour dramatically, depending on the time of day and the hue of the sunlight.
I began with a rough wash of cadmium scarlet to tone sections of the board before laying in the painting. I used a limited palette of ultramarine, cadmium yellow light and cadmium scarlet - something I plan to do more of when painting on location. Most of the trunk on the main tree was added using a palette knife and I was really pleased with the result.
While I was painting, a large flock of sheep moved through the shadow cast by the trees. If I do a larger version of this one, I might add the sheep in.
Here's the location shot...
That afternoon, I headed out to a spot where the mostly-flat land rises abruptly up a white limestone escarpment.
The sun was dropping fast and I knew I was going to be pushed for time on this one. I had to think fast and make sure I got the most important shapes locked in before all the shadows had shifted. I painted for about 45 minutes, but the main rock face fell into shadow after about 10 minutes. I relied on a quick under-painting to guide me as to where the sunlit areas were supposed to be.
I used the same limited palette as above but added permanent crimson to give me better purples in the shadows.
Here's how it ended up.
Newdegate escarpment.
Plein air sketch. 25x30cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
It's rough and suffers a bit in the composition department, but I think I've captured the general feeling of the spot. Between this plein air painting and a couple of location photos, I might be able to produce a decent studio piece.
I don't have a shot of the painting on location but you can see me working on it in the photo at the top of this article.
Big thanks to Doug for looking after us, showing us around and allowing me to explore the property.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Lowlands Splash - digital painting video
A while ago I promised to upload a digital painting tutorial and today it's finally done.
I recorded this over a month ago but it's taken me a while to do the voice over and editing. Anyway, here it is.
This painting is based on a section taken from a plein air seascape oil painting I did at the start of the year.
NOTE: As I always say, you can watch it here on the blog but I'd recommend going to Youtube and viewing it at full size (480p).
It's a pretty simple sketch and is unlikely to win any digital painting awards anytime soon - but it only took around 45 minutes to throw together one evening. Another hour or so of tightening up and adjustment could turn it into something special.
Thanks must go to Chris Wahl who has made a heap of Photoshop Brushes available for download from his Art Brushes blog.
Lowlands Splash.
Digital painting.
© Andy Dolphin
Digital painting.
© Andy Dolphin
I recorded this over a month ago but it's taken me a while to do the voice over and editing. Anyway, here it is.
This painting is based on a section taken from a plein air seascape oil painting I did at the start of the year.
NOTE: As I always say, you can watch it here on the blog but I'd recommend going to Youtube and viewing it at full size (480p).
It's a pretty simple sketch and is unlikely to win any digital painting awards anytime soon - but it only took around 45 minutes to throw together one evening. Another hour or so of tightening up and adjustment could turn it into something special.
Thanks must go to Chris Wahl who has made a heap of Photoshop Brushes available for download from his Art Brushes blog.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Early morning - plein air landscape in oil
Third update for the day.
I was up just after 7am and the sky was clear and the sun was just beginning to shed light on things. So I got my gear together and headed out for a little "early-morning" painting.
If you've been following along in the last few weeks, you know what happened next. Yes, the clouds rolled in. But I soldiered on.
I set myself up in a paddock looking towards the abandoned cottage I painted last weekend. I noticed this view yesterday afternoon and realised it would light up nicely in the early morning.
And I was right. Things were exactly as I expected, when the sun broke through the clouds.
I did a quick thumbnail while the sun was shining and committed as much of the scene to memory as I could. It was far too cloudy to risk a big painting so I grabbed a small board and set about doing a sketch.
It was cloudy most of the time, so plenty of memory was required and it rained on me, again, and it was cold (I wore my gloves again and even took a mid-painting warm-up walk) but things progressed pretty well. I spent about an hour and a half on this one, which is a bit longer than usual for a small sketch but things do slow down when the clouds roll in. I finished off the foreground and touched up a few details when I got back to the studio, so add another 15-20 minutes.
I used a limited palette of ultramarine, burnt sienna and cadmium yellow deep. The lack of a true red meant that shadow tones and greys would retain an earthy hue rather than leaning toward purple. The burnt sienna under-painting shows through in a few spots too, including the warm glow in the otherwise-grey sky.
And here's the "oops, I packed up and almost forgot to take a location shot so I'll just lean it against this fence" location shot...
So now I've done eight paintings in the last few weeks and have been rained on six of those times. I think that's a record for me. Lucky I don't do watercolours.
I've checked tomorrow's forecast and apparently we're in for some more rain. So I guess I'll venture back outside and see what happens.
I was up just after 7am and the sky was clear and the sun was just beginning to shed light on things. So I got my gear together and headed out for a little "early-morning" painting.
If you've been following along in the last few weeks, you know what happened next. Yes, the clouds rolled in. But I soldiered on.
I set myself up in a paddock looking towards the abandoned cottage I painted last weekend. I noticed this view yesterday afternoon and realised it would light up nicely in the early morning.
And I was right. Things were exactly as I expected, when the sun broke through the clouds.
I did a quick thumbnail while the sun was shining and committed as much of the scene to memory as I could. It was far too cloudy to risk a big painting so I grabbed a small board and set about doing a sketch.
It was cloudy most of the time, so plenty of memory was required and it rained on me, again, and it was cold (I wore my gloves again and even took a mid-painting warm-up walk) but things progressed pretty well. I spent about an hour and a half on this one, which is a bit longer than usual for a small sketch but things do slow down when the clouds roll in. I finished off the foreground and touched up a few details when I got back to the studio, so add another 15-20 minutes.
Early morning, Narpyn.
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
SOLD
SOLD
I used a limited palette of ultramarine, burnt sienna and cadmium yellow deep. The lack of a true red meant that shadow tones and greys would retain an earthy hue rather than leaning toward purple. The burnt sienna under-painting shows through in a few spots too, including the warm glow in the otherwise-grey sky.
And here's the "oops, I packed up and almost forgot to take a location shot so I'll just lean it against this fence" location shot...
So now I've done eight paintings in the last few weeks and have been rained on six of those times. I think that's a record for me. Lucky I don't do watercolours.
I've checked tomorrow's forecast and apparently we're in for some more rain. So I guess I'll venture back outside and see what happens.
Paperbark - plein air landscape in oil
After some fairly dismal weather over the last few days, the sun managed to pop out for a short while yesterday afternoon.
I found a washed out winter creek line on a property not far from home and spent half-an-hour or so wandering around it, taking photos. A gnarled paperbark arching over the creek caught my attention and I decided to grab my easel and see if I could capture something in paint before the rain returned or the sun set.
It did rain on me and the sun did set, but I got something that required very little attention back in the studio, so I'm not sure who won that race.
We'll call it a draw.
Here's the finished plein air oil sketch...
As has been the case with almost every painting I've done in the last couple of months, the sun disappeared behind clouds for most of the time I was painting. It was a fairly simple scene so it wasn't to difficult to remember where the highlights should be but I had to be a little inventive with hue and saturation.
And it was cold (by Western Australian standards, not by Moscow standards), it snowed in the nearby Stirling Range in the morning. I actually wore gloves for this one – another "first" for me. And it rained on me half-way through this painting. And it was windy so I had my backpack sitting in my easel tray to stop it blowing away. So relaxing!
I used the painting knife again on this one. I think I'm slowly getting to grips with it. It's amazing how, sometimes, it gives you detail you would never have thought to add with a brush, but which looks like it should be exactly where it is.
And here's the "how do we know you were there?" location shot, taken with a flash because it was pretty dark at this point...
By my count, I've painted at this location seven times now in the last few weeks, and it's rained on me on five of those occasions. Who said painting was relaxing?
I found a washed out winter creek line on a property not far from home and spent half-an-hour or so wandering around it, taking photos. A gnarled paperbark arching over the creek caught my attention and I decided to grab my easel and see if I could capture something in paint before the rain returned or the sun set.
It did rain on me and the sun did set, but I got something that required very little attention back in the studio, so I'm not sure who won that race.
We'll call it a draw.
Here's the finished plein air oil sketch...
Narpyn paperbark, winter.
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
SOLD
SOLD
And it was cold (by Western Australian standards, not by Moscow standards), it snowed in the nearby Stirling Range in the morning. I actually wore gloves for this one – another "first" for me. And it rained on me half-way through this painting. And it was windy so I had my backpack sitting in my easel tray to stop it blowing away. So relaxing!
I used the painting knife again on this one. I think I'm slowly getting to grips with it. It's amazing how, sometimes, it gives you detail you would never have thought to add with a brush, but which looks like it should be exactly where it is.
And here's the "how do we know you were there?" location shot, taken with a flash because it was pretty dark at this point...
By my count, I've painted at this location seven times now in the last few weeks, and it's rained on me on five of those occasions. Who said painting was relaxing?
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Cottage - plein air oil painting
I mentioned recently that I've found a new favourite painting spot. It's a farm, less than 10 minutes from home, with a history dating back to the late 1800s.
I've been given permission to do some painting around the property and have spent quite a lot of time out there over the last week and have taken a lot of photos since the weather has been less-than-forgiving and mostly not suited to painting outdoors. So far, I've managed to paint five times, and it's rained on three of those occasions.
On my first visit, I wandered around an old, derelict cottage and was captivated by its sunlit eastern face. I photographed it and studied the photos over the last week. I even did a rough Photoshop sketch of it.
Today we had clear skies again, so I headed out to the farm knowing exactly what I planned to paint. It was time to test my "contemporary impressionism" skills again.
So, without further ado, I bring you "Narpyn Cottage, winter morning"...
At 38x35cm, this is probably the second-biggest plain air painting I've ever done and, at somewhere between 3.5-4 hours to complete, it took the longest, by far. I don't think it's finished yet, though.
Here's stage 1 - the under-painting...
This is a combination of washing-in and wiping-out. Although the idea is to keep things fairly loose, a lot of important questions are asked at this stage. Where are the major darks? What's warm, what's cool? Is it too centred, too high, too low? Why do people say painting is relaxing? Should I have taken up golf instead? The questions just keep coming – the same questions, every time. Some remain unanswered.
There's 15-30 minutes work here.
And here's stage 2, almost two hours in (I didn't know it had taken that long, but that's what my camera claims)...
By this time, the sun had risen pretty high and shifted across to the left, so the shadows had all changed. It was important to try and stick with my layout and not be tempted by what I was seeing in front of me. By the time I finished, the sun had moved far enough that none of these walls were sunlit.
Ordinarily, a thumbnail sketch is a useful reference for dealing with the changing-shadows problem but, in this case, I'd had the image stuck in my head for a week, so I didn't do a thumbnail.
I used the palette knife quite a bit in this painting - for adding and removing paint. That's a whole new world for me. Until this week, I've usually only used a palette knife for mixing paint or, more often, cleaning my brushes - or, sometimes, deleting sections of paintings, or deleting entire paintings. I still have to tame the knife, but this property will offer me a lot of opportunities.
I was exhausted, mentally, when I got home. So I had some lunch and a nanna nap. Then I got up, had coffee and went back for more before sunset. I didn't have much time so I almost literally threw this one together...
There's just less than an hour's work here, and much of that time was spent on the two sheds. Actually, most of it was probably spent on the white shearing shed. So many shades of "white"!
When I put the brushes down, the sun had set and the entire scene was in shadow. But when I turned around, the sky was a brilliant orange-violet. Five minutes later, it was all gone.
It was great to have a day with mostly-clear skies.
I've been given permission to do some painting around the property and have spent quite a lot of time out there over the last week and have taken a lot of photos since the weather has been less-than-forgiving and mostly not suited to painting outdoors. So far, I've managed to paint five times, and it's rained on three of those occasions.
On my first visit, I wandered around an old, derelict cottage and was captivated by its sunlit eastern face. I photographed it and studied the photos over the last week. I even did a rough Photoshop sketch of it.
Today we had clear skies again, so I headed out to the farm knowing exactly what I planned to paint. It was time to test my "contemporary impressionism" skills again.
So, without further ado, I bring you "Narpyn Cottage, winter morning"...
Narpyn Cottage, winter morning.
Plein air. 38x35cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Plein air. 38x35cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
At 38x35cm, this is probably the second-biggest plain air painting I've ever done and, at somewhere between 3.5-4 hours to complete, it took the longest, by far. I don't think it's finished yet, though.
Here's stage 1 - the under-painting...
This is a combination of washing-in and wiping-out. Although the idea is to keep things fairly loose, a lot of important questions are asked at this stage. Where are the major darks? What's warm, what's cool? Is it too centred, too high, too low? Why do people say painting is relaxing? Should I have taken up golf instead? The questions just keep coming – the same questions, every time. Some remain unanswered.
There's 15-30 minutes work here.
And here's stage 2, almost two hours in (I didn't know it had taken that long, but that's what my camera claims)...
By this time, the sun had risen pretty high and shifted across to the left, so the shadows had all changed. It was important to try and stick with my layout and not be tempted by what I was seeing in front of me. By the time I finished, the sun had moved far enough that none of these walls were sunlit.
Ordinarily, a thumbnail sketch is a useful reference for dealing with the changing-shadows problem but, in this case, I'd had the image stuck in my head for a week, so I didn't do a thumbnail.
I used the palette knife quite a bit in this painting - for adding and removing paint. That's a whole new world for me. Until this week, I've usually only used a palette knife for mixing paint or, more often, cleaning my brushes - or, sometimes, deleting sections of paintings, or deleting entire paintings. I still have to tame the knife, but this property will offer me a lot of opportunities.
I was exhausted, mentally, when I got home. So I had some lunch and a nanna nap. Then I got up, had coffee and went back for more before sunset. I didn't have much time so I almost literally threw this one together...
Evening, winter.
Plein air sketch. 34x30cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Plein air sketch. 34x30cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
There's just less than an hour's work here, and much of that time was spent on the two sheds. Actually, most of it was probably spent on the white shearing shed. So many shades of "white"!
When I put the brushes down, the sun had set and the entire scene was in shadow. But when I turned around, the sky was a brilliant orange-violet. Five minutes later, it was all gone.
It was great to have a day with mostly-clear skies.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Stirling Afternoon - plein air video
My latest plein air landscape sketch video has just been uploaded.
This painting features a view across farmland to the Stirling Range, home to Bluff Knoll – the the highest peak in southern Western Australia.
It was a very cloudy day but the sun did break through occasionally and light up the view. Days like this can be challenging if the sun spends too much time behind clouds but it peeped out often enough on this occasion to keep me almost sane.
I actually began this painting on a board I'd previously used for a plein air painting that ultimately failed. I had only laid in the foundational wash of that painting when the sun disappeared behind heavy cloud and all semblance of light and shadow vanished with little hope of returning that day. I scraped the paint off the board and wiped it back with a paper towel. This left me with a board already stained with a warm, transparent earthy tone.
NOTE: You can watch the video here on the blog but I'd recommend going to Youtube and viewing it at full size (click the little "cog" symbol and choose 480p if your internet connection can cope).
Thanks again to Kevin MacLeod, who offers hundreds of royalty-free music tracks on his Incompotech website.
Uploading this video generated an interesting copyright dilemma. If that sort of stuff fascinates you, you can read about it here.
You can see my first painting video, Barrow Road, on Youtube too.
Or my second video Winter Light - plein air painting.
This painting features a view across farmland to the Stirling Range, home to Bluff Knoll – the the highest peak in southern Western Australia.
(Stirling afternoon. Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board. © Andy Dolphin)
It was a very cloudy day but the sun did break through occasionally and light up the view. Days like this can be challenging if the sun spends too much time behind clouds but it peeped out often enough on this occasion to keep me almost sane.
I actually began this painting on a board I'd previously used for a plein air painting that ultimately failed. I had only laid in the foundational wash of that painting when the sun disappeared behind heavy cloud and all semblance of light and shadow vanished with little hope of returning that day. I scraped the paint off the board and wiped it back with a paper towel. This left me with a board already stained with a warm, transparent earthy tone.
NOTE: You can watch the video here on the blog but I'd recommend going to Youtube and viewing it at full size (click the little "cog" symbol and choose 480p if your internet connection can cope).
Thanks again to Kevin MacLeod, who offers hundreds of royalty-free music tracks on his Incompotech website.
Uploading this video generated an interesting copyright dilemma. If that sort of stuff fascinates you, you can read about it here.
You can see my first painting video, Barrow Road, on Youtube too.
Or my second video Winter Light - plein air painting.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Narpyn Afternoon - plein air contemporary impressionism
One of the things that first caught my eye about this local farming property was a collection of old sheds that could just be seen from the road. I walked around part of the property yesterday afternoon and, after taking a lot of photos of all sorts of interesting things, I looked back at the sheds and decided they needed painting.
I rummaged through the collection of primed boards in my car and they were mostly long and thin, suitable for panoramic landscapes, but not really for this subject. The only board I had that came close to a "normal" format was 49cm by 34cm. This is much bigger than I've painted plein air before but it would give me an opportunity to further experiment with the loose-tight style that I'm working on.
I knew the shadows in the scene would shift fairly rapidly so I did a quick thumbnail sketch. This helps to cement the image in my mind, simplifies everything down to the most obvious tones and provides a reference for later, when the light has changed.
The principal focus of this painting was to be one bright white shed half-tucked under a large tree. It shone like a beacon against the very dark green shadows that surrounded it but it soon disappeared into shadow as the sun headed west. The thumbnail sketch, and the image in my memory from doing it, saved the day.
I began with a large, semi-random wash of some warm earth colour. I gently wiped over parts of this with a clean cloth to get rid of almost all the white primer. I didn't want any bright whites competing with the shed.
If I was into abstract painting, I'd probably stop here and call it done.
I developed the wash a little further, giving some attention to where the major dark tones would be.
From here it was just a matter of painstakingly developing the details of the trees and buildings.
Much of the under-painting remained untouched, as was the plan. The sun didn't hide behind clouds this time, so I wasn't tempted to start messing with things not directly related to the main subject area.
I knew the shadows in the scene would shift fairly rapidly so I did a quick thumbnail sketch. This helps to cement the image in my mind, simplifies everything down to the most obvious tones and provides a reference for later, when the light has changed.
The principal focus of this painting was to be one bright white shed half-tucked under a large tree. It shone like a beacon against the very dark green shadows that surrounded it but it soon disappeared into shadow as the sun headed west. The thumbnail sketch, and the image in my memory from doing it, saved the day.
I began with a large, semi-random wash of some warm earth colour. I gently wiped over parts of this with a clean cloth to get rid of almost all the white primer. I didn't want any bright whites competing with the shed.
If I was into abstract painting, I'd probably stop here and call it done.
I developed the wash a little further, giving some attention to where the major dark tones would be.
From here it was just a matter of painstakingly developing the details of the trees and buildings.
Much of the under-painting remained untouched, as was the plan. The sun didn't hide behind clouds this time, so I wasn't tempted to start messing with things not directly related to the main subject area.
Narpyn afternoon.
Plein air sketch. 49x34cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Plein air sketch. 49x34cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
It's a radical departure from my usual style but it's something I've wanted to try for a very long time. I just needed the right subject matter.
You can go to my previous post to see the obligatory plein air location photo.
Narpyn cottage - plein air oil sketch
This painting represents a very different approach for me. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time but it's not always possible to get close enough to a subject.
It is inspired by the likes of Richard Schmid, whose work I discovered in an issue of International Artist Magazine around 12 years ago, Harley Brown, whose book "Eternal Truths" provided guidance to me almost ten years ago, and Tibor Nagy, whose work I discovered online just a few years ago. I've long-admired their combined loose-tight style, where focused impressionism sits atop an abstract foundation. It's something I've been drifting toward for the last couple of years, especially with my plein air works.
This abandoned and somewhat derelict cottage provided a perfect opportunity for me to develop my style further.
Here's the thumbnail...
As you can probably see, it is all about the hard shadow cast across the wall of the house.
Here's the under-painting. The finished piece was mostly going to be cool greys but the cottage had a sort of organic, rustic charm, so I wanted a warm, earthy feeling to flow through.
I was soon challenged by the sun disappearing behind clouds,before I'd locked enough of the painting in place. In fact, it rained on me half-way through.
When the clouds roll in and the sunlit areas of the subject are cast into shadow, the details that used to be hidden away in dark shadow areas suddenly reveal themselves. It's easy to start fidgeting when this happens and unnecessary detail can creep into the painting.
And indeed, that's exactly what happened (you'd think I'd learn by now to just walk away or something, but no).
My original intent was to create a very loose, high contrast sketch with detail only around the focal point, the window. But I played with it while I waited for the sunlight to return and it tightened up more than I'd planned and I lost almost all the contrast. One of the major pieces of information I lost without the sunlight was just how the leafless, woody creeper was supposed to look. My thumbnail shows that it was probably very striking, and mostly brightly lit, but I no longer had any reference and, without the sun shining, it was just a drab collection of twisted grey sticks. I had to invent light and shadow for it.
But here it is. I popped it in a spare frame, as this can often help to identify issues (I think this one mainly needs more brightness on the sunlit wall)...
I regard this one as little more than an exercise – not good enough to sell but not bad enough to scrape. I will go back and try this same painting again when the weather is more stable. I might even throw this one back up on the easel and see what lessons I can drag out of it by making changes.
It is inspired by the likes of Richard Schmid, whose work I discovered in an issue of International Artist Magazine around 12 years ago, Harley Brown, whose book "Eternal Truths" provided guidance to me almost ten years ago, and Tibor Nagy, whose work I discovered online just a few years ago. I've long-admired their combined loose-tight style, where focused impressionism sits atop an abstract foundation. It's something I've been drifting toward for the last couple of years, especially with my plein air works.
This abandoned and somewhat derelict cottage provided a perfect opportunity for me to develop my style further.
Here's the thumbnail...
As you can probably see, it is all about the hard shadow cast across the wall of the house.
Here's the under-painting. The finished piece was mostly going to be cool greys but the cottage had a sort of organic, rustic charm, so I wanted a warm, earthy feeling to flow through.
I was soon challenged by the sun disappearing behind clouds,before I'd locked enough of the painting in place. In fact, it rained on me half-way through.
When the clouds roll in and the sunlit areas of the subject are cast into shadow, the details that used to be hidden away in dark shadow areas suddenly reveal themselves. It's easy to start fidgeting when this happens and unnecessary detail can creep into the painting.
And indeed, that's exactly what happened (you'd think I'd learn by now to just walk away or something, but no).
My original intent was to create a very loose, high contrast sketch with detail only around the focal point, the window. But I played with it while I waited for the sunlight to return and it tightened up more than I'd planned and I lost almost all the contrast. One of the major pieces of information I lost without the sunlight was just how the leafless, woody creeper was supposed to look. My thumbnail shows that it was probably very striking, and mostly brightly lit, but I no longer had any reference and, without the sun shining, it was just a drab collection of twisted grey sticks. I had to invent light and shadow for it.
But here it is. I popped it in a spare frame, as this can often help to identify issues (I think this one mainly needs more brightness on the sunlit wall)...
Narpyn cottage.
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
I regard this one as little more than an exercise – not good enough to sell but not bad enough to scrape. I will go back and try this same painting again when the weather is more stable. I might even throw this one back up on the easel and see what lessons I can drag out of it by making changes.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Winter Light - plein air video
It's winter down here in the southern hemisphere so it's been a bit cold and damp lately. However, a few days ago we had scattered showers combined with moments of bright sunlight and this made for interesting painting conditions.
I found a spot beside the highway with a view across farmland to the Porongurup Range. There were clouds draped over the peaks of the range and a strip of sunlight lit up a distant paddock. It was a scene ready for painting and it looked like an interesting subject for my second plein air painting video.
Luckily, the rain held off long enough for me to get the sketch done.
NOTE: You can watch the video here on the blog but I'd recommend going to Youtube and viewing it at full size (click the little "cog" symbol and choose 480p if your internet connection can cope).
Thanks again to Kevin MacLeod, who offers hundreds of royalty-free music tracks on his Incompotech website.
You can see my first painting video, Barrow Road, on Youtube too.
Winter Light.
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
Plein air sketch. 30x25cm oil on board.
© Andy Dolphin
I found a spot beside the highway with a view across farmland to the Porongurup Range. There were clouds draped over the peaks of the range and a strip of sunlight lit up a distant paddock. It was a scene ready for painting and it looked like an interesting subject for my second plein air painting video.
Luckily, the rain held off long enough for me to get the sketch done.
NOTE: You can watch the video here on the blog but I'd recommend going to Youtube and viewing it at full size (click the little "cog" symbol and choose 480p if your internet connection can cope).
Thanks again to Kevin MacLeod, who offers hundreds of royalty-free music tracks on his Incompotech website.
You can see my first painting video, Barrow Road, on Youtube too.
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