Two little studies

[Donna T]

I'm having a good time with oils so far and enjoying the process of color mixing and figuring out how to do layers. I mixed a little cold wax into these because I wanted to see what it would do. The still life was set up in a box with a hole in the side because I have to have a strong light source or I go off the rails. The landscape was an attempt to portray the quiet winter colors where I live. Still life is 5x9 on paper and landscape is 6x6 on paper mounted to a cradled board. If anyone can tell me how to maintain a sense of transparency in shadows I would appreciate it. I'm not happy with the shadows in the still life but don't know what to do about them. Thanks!

 

[stlukesguild]

I quite like these… especially the landscape.

 

[PaintBoss]

Yes, I feel they’re very successful paintings. Look at you go girl!

 

[Enyaw]

Hello Donna…hope you have a good year. The landscape is very well played. Your values in the still life is the cause of your shadows not working. Shadows are just darker values of what the shadows are cast on.

 

[PaintBoss]

Donna you are asking about keeping transparency in shadows and how to maintain them. I believe that would be in glazes. And you can play with the colour a little bit in that making it rich. Yes they always say the shadows have to be based on the surface coloring. But I’ve seen artists do a beautiful job using the opposite colour to the object just hint of it in the shadow if it’s warm, let’s say.

 

[Donna T]

Thanks for the comments St.Luke, Christine and Wayne. I like the landscape better too but landscapes are always more forgiving. I’ll keep doing still life studies because they force me out of my comfort zone.

Christine, my hand is paying for all those brush strokes - ow! I think all of those little hand muscles went on vacation when I had surgery and they are not ready to come back to work! I was wondering about glazing so I’m glad you mentioned it. I’ll see what happens when this dries.

Wayne, the oranges are sitting on a wood box so a dark wood color? The strong light actually made the shadows really dark but I know there should be more blue in them. I always struggle with shadow colors. Looks like glazing might be the answer. It certainly can’t hurt!

 

[Enyaw]

Looks like glazing might be the answer.

... whatever it takes to make them look good on the painting ..

 

[PaintBoss]

Oh, I’m glad that suggestion helps. I can’t do oil because I break out into a massive body rash and I can’t breathe. But I used to love it the little bit I did of it. Now my friend in class when we were learning oil years ago…she loved glazing. She would almost shellac it-so many layers on her paintings. Thin layers and it was so beautiful deep and rich. Like looking through beautiful panes of glass. Of course you can’t put thicker stuff on top of it later because you have to remember that fat over lean principal. So do the work you want and then start doing your thin layers and be patient in between them. I know now a lot of oil painters use certain products so that they can work a little faster. You can look into all kinds of videos about this. We have some very accomplished oil painters he would definitely be able to help you out with that.
I don’t know after that many layers if you even need to oil out like you would if you had less layers of thin glaze. It might even it out. You’ll have to ask people who know better than me. But just think of all the hints of colours and layers and richness you can add to a painting that way, including your shadows.

 

[Joy]

I don't know squat about oils, but I understand general artistic principles. I really like the composition and the variation of color on the oranges. The depth you achieved with the landscape is laudable - excellent integrity of plane.

 

[Donna T]

Thanks Joy. Oils are so foreign to me. Thank goodness for lots of good instruction on YouTube!

 

[Artyczar]

These are excellent pieces. I love them...a LOT!

 

[Bongo]

Colors and soft focus in the foreground capture that winter chill. Love it.

 

[john]

The shadows look pretty transparent to me. Not like they are opaque blacks or greys. In fact they look like good examples of transparent shadows. But maybe I should hasten to add that I am no still life expert.

And the landscape.......wonderful. Love the background unifying texture strokes. And that sky is so interesting. It's like there is an embroidered veil that we are looking through. Very cool. Yeah after water based media oils can really allow some good stuff. Glad to see you working with them.

 

[Terri]

Fabulous work, Donna! I'm just sorry your hand is punishing you for it. Sounds like me and my back if I stand too long working at the drafting table. :shakes fist at the sky: damn you, bodies!!

Both of these are just exquisite - I think your values and layers in the landscape are phenomenal - especially for you just beginning to play with oils. That palette could not be lovelier! Your oranges look like perfection, especially your highlights. Yay!! Shadows can be tricky, but I like Christine's suggestion and Wayne, of course, is a shadow master - you'll get there.

I'm so happy you're enjoying the oils - looking forward to seeing more (when your hand decides to allow it). Happy New Year, my friend!

 

[Donna T]

Thanks so much Arty and Bongo.

John, I appreciate your thoughts on both. There must be tricks to doing transparent shadows in oils that I haven’t heard of yet. Maybe I should have used thin, cool paint on top of the dried warm underpainting for the shadows? Experiments need to happen!

Terri, thank you and Happy New Year to you too! Haha I wish shaking my fist at the sky helped too. I hope you’ve got another printmaking project in the works!