Landscape .. painting using a photo as reference

[Enyaw]

11 x 13 oil on paper .. alla prima .. painted dec 11/22

Hopefully this will answer Terri's question about having the best of reference photos to work from.
So here we go. First we get out photo:

Then I removed the viewer left top branch and cut it down to size. I then turn it to black and white:

Next I turn it into a 4 value notan.

As you can see I have changed a few values in a few places but basically this is the picture I want to work on.
So next I need a detailed drawing for my painting support. So as you can see my idea of detail and yours could be very different.

Then the fun part. Applying the paint. I look at my photo and see the colors. Ok, so I see cool and warm yellows, blue, a little red. My palette of Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow, Prussian Blue, Permanent Rose, and White will get me anything I need. I don't try to match color as the colors in the photo are mostly bull---- anyway so I mainly get a homer warm and cold yellow/green, yellow/red for the field, green for the evergreens, grays for the distant hills and sky. I then get a brush and apply the homer colors staying with the values of my notan. Only after filling in the notan do I start applying more color to the painting. Adding light and shadow, etc. I alter the values or rearrange them according to how I feel the painting is moving. I muck with it till I get a tree in a field. As you can see, it is not the photo as the photo is strictly a starting point.

black and white 4 value of the painting: changed but still much the same in spirit as my notan ..

 

[CaliAnn]

Beautiful painting Wayne. Thanks for sharing your process

 

[ErikRak]

Yes, great to learn your process ! Thank you I learned two words: 'notan' and 'homer colors' ... I had never heard about it ... Is it widely used in english ?

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you CaliAnn and Eric

notan is from Japan and homer is just a short cut expression
Homer.. an apple is red
Nota .. a separation of values from 2 to 4 preferably that denotes the light and dark. Ying yang

 

[Donna T]

Thanks so much for sharing your process, Wayne! It's so helpful to see how you used the photo to design the painting. Keeping to those four values must take discipline ... I tend to get distracted by an array of beautiful colors. Your painting is very nice!

 

[Enyaw]

Thanks Donna .. I only stick to it for the block in .. after that all bets are off the table

 

[Terri]

Wow! Very impressive, Wayne! Thank you for sharing your process, this is fascinating. And a beautiful result!

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Terri.

Thank you Hermes, John, and QueenB

 

[snoball]

Lovely painting and excellent interpretation of photo. Thanks for the step by step.

 

[Artyczar]

Wow, THANK YOU for sharing this Wayne! I LOVE seeing a peek into your process. It's so inspiring.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Sno.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Ayin.

 

[Enyaw]

Thanks Zen

 

[rcleary171]

That came out great - thanks for including the creation process. It was very educational.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Rcleary. I did not include the painting side as once I start I would not want the interruption and it's simply applying paint in a way any artist deems too. I will add one more note on this tomorrow with a better light on what it all means: to me anyway.

 

[Jo Castillo]

Thanks for the tips, always good to know how others work. I sort of go the same way.

 

[Enyaw]

Thanks Jo. I think a lot of people do.