A Useful App

The only app I use that relates to painting is the Art Set Pro.  I learned about it in a workshop last year with Bill Davidson.  He gave a slide presentation that included examples of how this app can be useful.  The cost is around $7.  I am not going to discuss the technical aspects but it comes with a instructional video.  I do not use it to create new digital art but I will show you how you can try different compositions  on photos of your artwork or on your reference photographs.

Last May I posted a critique of one of my paintings (thanks again to Bill Davidson- same workshop). If you did not read that post you might want to take a look now. https://colleenparkerart.blogspot.com/2016/05/take-advantage-of-good-critique.html To summarize, my composition had several issues- a big bad shape, a focal point that was in a bad location, and nothing to lead the eye around the painting.

Here is the original painting-

The bad shape should be obvious- the big green area on the left side.  The moon is close to the edge of the canvas and is too bright.  Some light on the water to the right would lead the viewer away from the focal point.

In my post I said that I painted over the original painting to make the recommended changes, then painted the same painting again on a larger canvas.  What I didn't say was that before I painted over the original I used this app on the above photo to help me make some decisions.

Here is the result-  you can click on the image for a larger view.

I digitally painted the moon in a better spot, covered the first one with blue sky, added some reflections in the water on the right lower side and changed the bad shape. Compared to the first composition this is much better and it served as my reference when I repainted the canvas.

You can do the same thing with a reference photo to experiment with various compositions.  Here is an example of a scene I painted and posted last year in June. https://colleenparkerart.blogspot.com/2016_06_01_archive.html

Inspired by a painting of Monet's of a very similar scene, I wanted to push the trees farther into the distance and exaggerate the atmospheric perspective.

Here I have pushed the groups of trees into the distance by raising the values and cooling the temperatures. The tree in the foreground now has a more interesting shape.  I made more adjustments when I painted the scene but this helped me get started.

Consider the possibilities- you can move trees or mountains, simplify by removing details, make the photo more painterly with digital brushstrokes, and experiment with elements (such as clouds) you'd like to add.  Someone recently told me that when I'm not actually painting I should be mentally painting.  This is one way to do that.

I do not mean to suggest that this is a replacement for sketches and value studies.  It is just another tool to have at your disposal and it's a LOT of fun.  Load your reference photos into you tablet and work with them the next time you're stuck in an airport- a time burner that is productive!

Keep growing and experimenting!

A Helpful Tool

I want to show you a great way to remove a brushstroke that didn't go well (rather than painting into it again and making a mess of things) or make a small revision of a freshly painted area on your canvas.  It is the Kemper Wipe Out Tool-

Inexpensive and easy to find.  I bought mine at Dick Blick- http://www.dickblick.com/products/kemper-wipe-out-tool/  and it can be found in art/crafts supply stores.  I keep one in the studio and one in my plein air backpack.  Note that there is a slanted tip and a pointed tip.

I still struggle with the habit of painting into fresh brushstrokes even though I was taught from the very beginning not to do this.  When I need to revise a large area of my painting, frequently the foreground in landscapes for some reason, I wipe the area with a good quality paper towel or rag.  But I often want to make minor adjustments.  Here is an example of how I employ this tool.

This is a work in progress of shrimp boats and one smaller boat grouped together.  After I got this far I realized that the little boat on the left wasn't right.  The hull of the actual boat was much longer and the bow would have gone off the canvas if I had drawn it correctly. Even if it had been a shorter boat I didn't like the proximity to the edge of the canvas. Most likely if framed the tip of the bow would have just touched the edge of the frame which  is not desirable (a "tangent"- always look for them).  The paint was wet and I knew I'd make a mess if I tried to paint over it.  If I waited for it to dry I would have had an unwanted thick brushstroke to deal with.

Here is a close up-

Here I am removing the thick paint on the boat using the slanted tip of the tool-

And here I have removed most of what had been painted between the boat and the edge of the canvas-

With the unwanted paint removed it was easy to repaint that small area.  The boat is closer to the correct shape and the composition is improved (in my opinion).  Some might feel that the little boat leads the eye out of the painting, but the dominant group of large boats keeps my eye on the canvas.  When finishing the painting I will not to do anything that makes the little boat look important.

I had been painting for several years when an instructor, trying to keep us from overworking our paintings, said- "Load up your brush, lay a stroke on the canvas and leave it alone.  If it doesn't work out, wipe it off and try again".  Bells rang!  I didn't know that was allowed.  I was under the impression that painting alla prima (all at once, wet into wet) meant you had to keep on painting into wet paint no matter what.

You can use the pointed end of the tool to sign your name in wet paint.  I especially like doing this on location but I do it in the studio sometimes as well.  I really don't like signing with paint simply because I'm not very good at it.

Signing this way is as easy as using a ball point pen.

Another use for this tool is scratching into paint for fine lines, such as tiny branches or grasses.  I rarely use it that way, but in a few paintings it has been the perfect finish and it is a fun way to experiment.

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This is my last post of my first year as a blogger.  I thank everyone who has taken the time to visit and I have appreciated the feedback.  I plan to continue this blog next year and welcome your  suggestions for topics.

Meanwhile, Happy Holidays and Happy Painting!

Exploring Different Palettes

I love to read articles by artists about their palettes.  There are so many approaches to color mixing. As long as there is harmony I don't believe it matters whether an artist uses many colors or just a few, but limiting the number makes harmonizing easier, especially for the beginner.  An added benefit of using only a few colors is the ease of taking inventory and restocking.

The simplest palette is one of each primary and white.  There are more mixing options with a warm and cool version of each primary plus white, such as ultramarine blue, Prussian blue, alizarin crimson (cool), cadmium red (warm), cadmium lemon (c), cadmium yellow medium or deep (w), and white.  I usually use this latter choice (but often with ultramarine as my only blue) with one or more "convenience colors" thrown in.  I like cadmium orange because I cannot mix an orange with this much staining power and I use it regularly to gray my blues.  I also like to include an earth tone such as burnt sienna or raw umber to gray other colors, mix earth color variations, or add to ultramarine blue to make darks.

That said, I always use the palette recommended by the instructor in workshops so I can experiment. Whenever I find interesting articles about color mixing and palettes I save them for future reference.  Here are a few that have been especially helpful or interesting.

Terry Miura recently posted this on mixing greens and I encourage you to read it. http://terrymiura.blogspot.com  He lists the colors on his palette- a warm, cool and low chroma (grayed down) version of each primary plus white.  He goes on to discuss how he uses these colors to mix different greens, a problematic color for the landscape painter. He uses the same palette for his other subject matters as well.

Kathleen Dunphey paints majestic west coast landscapes/seascapes but she also paints still life and animals.  Her palette is quite limited (just 6 including white) and she lists her colors in this post- https://kathleendunphy.com/blog/32062/keeping-it-simple-using-a-limited-palette  Take a look at her choices.  She lists which brand she uses for specific colors (there can be a big difference between brands).  I have worked with this palette a bit and have found it to be very versatile.

Thomas Jefferson Kitts has written a great article regarding the various plein air palettes of contemporary painters.  http://www.thomaskitts.com/2013/04/the-contemporary-outdoor-painters.html  You can see what many of your favorite artists are using in the field.

Try this challenge- paint one (or more) paintings using the Zorn palette:
white, black, yellow (usually yellow ochre) and red.  That's it!  Black is blue when white is added, yellow and black make a great green.  Anders Zorn was a Swedish artist.  He didn't always use such a limited palette but was well known for it.  Look up his work if you aren't familiar.

Here is a scene I painted in the studio using titanium white, ivory black, cad. yellow light and cad. red medium.

I didn't have trouble mixing the colors I needed but I missed the transparent darks I can get with my usual palette.  With practice I could probably get the hang of thinning them down.  This palette lightens the load for outdoor painting and travel. Color harmony is a given.

And last, regarding all those tubes of weird colors that you never use and don't remember why you bought them in the first place, try adding only one at a time to your usual palette to see how it mixes.  You might make new discoveries and you'll use up some of that paint!

I have barely scratched the surface of this huge subject but I hope I called your attention to some helpful links.

Keep mixing and experimenting!

Taking Reference Photos

I've carried on and on about painting from life, but in reality most of us are going to paint from photos at least some of the time if not all of the time.  The plein air movement has gained so much traction that I think painters sometimes are made to feel that it is wrong to paint from photos and if they do they shouldn't admit it.  Reference photos can be invaluable.  Try painting a chicken from life and you'll see what I mean.

If you are a skilled photographer who has mastered Photoshop, etc. you might want to skip to the list at the end of this post.  The following paragraphs are for painters who usually paint from their photos just as they are.  I know you are out there and I used to be one.

Learning to take good reference photos is yet another skill on the list for painters to acquire as if we didn't have enough going on already.   We know that the camera cannot do what our eyes can.  In high contrast photos the shadows can look completely black and the bright areas may be white-outs.  If you paint outdoors enough you can learn to interpret your photos with this in mind.  If you are a really good photographer (I'm not) you may know how to correct much of this when you take the photograph.  But you can also do it on your computer in the photo app under "edit".  You can lighten shadows and darken the the light. I have an iMac so I'll show you how to do it on that device.

Before-  The shadows are way to dark, the sunlight maybe a bit too bright.

Under "edit" in photos select "adjust".  To lighten shadows move the shadows bar to the right, to darken the highlights move the highlights bar to the left.  Hit "done" and that's all there is to it.  You can revert to the original if you don't like it.  Click on the image below for a closer look.

After-  This looks much more like the actual scene.  You can now see the low lights and objects in the room.

With respect to composition you can crop photos to evaluate different formats.  I love a square format so I often try cropping them that way.  You can compare vertical vs horizontal crops.  Of course it's a good idea to try shooting them different ways in the field but you can explore endless options on the computer later.

In my March 20th post I showed examples of the files I keep of other artists' work to study.  I do the same thing with my reference photos.  Anything deemed to be a "keeper" goes into my "Art Ideas" folder, grouped by genre.  I have my iTunes set up to transfer new photos in these files to my iPad which I now use in the studio instead of printed photos.  Every time I back up my iPad my reference shots are updated.  When those dreaded days of not knowing what to paint come along I open those files and looks around to see what grabs me.  Something usually does.  Other benefits- I've saved a fortune in printing costs, I prefer the image on a computer screen (don't have to deal with bad prints) and when I go to workshops that require reference photography I have everything with me- as long as I don't forget my iPad.

In closing I have another list for you.

1.  Do paint from your own photos.  There are many reasons for this.  Barbara Jaenicke posted a very helpful discussion of this and I encourage you to read it.  http://barbarajaenicke.blogspot.com/2016/08/beyond-copyright-infringement-question.html

2.  Check the camera screen for composition before and after you take each photo.  Try different formats in the field and on your computer.

3.  After you take a photo, look at the image in your camera.  Then study the real life subject and notice the differences.  If you need to, take a few notes to help you remember later.

4.  Best of all worlds- paint a small field study to document values/color temperatures in the field AND take a photo.  (More plein air propaganda...)

5.  However you decide to do it, organize your photos so they are easily accessed.  Cull through them periodically.  If you haven't used a photo after many months or years, the memory of that scene is long gone.

Happy shooting!

What's in the Backpack- some plein air tips

If you are thinking of becoming an outdoor painter or have recently taken it up you might be interested in this post.  The process of painting on location can be daunting in the beginning.  My first attempts were pretty discouraging.  Having the right gear is the best insurance for getting off to a good start and makes the practice much easier. This is kind of long and if you don't want to read the whole thing please read the last paragraph.

Fortunately I do not have photos of my early set ups.  After refining things for over 3 years this is what I need to go into the field-

A backpack, wet panel carrier and an umbrella in its carrying bag.   I don't always take the umbrella (if I know I'll have shade or if the conditions include strong winds).  The backpack weighs 16 lbs. when fully loaded.  That's a bit heavy but I can wear it while riding a bike and can hike a fair distance with it if I need to.

I'm going to show you what I have in each compartment in the pack which is an Odyssey 39 by Jansport (from REI).  There are packs on the market specifically designed for painters but I have never tried one.  This pack has 5 zipped compartments- 2 larger ones and 3 smaller (i.e. not as deep).

Here are the contents from back to front-

Shallowest compartment-

A collapsible mesh trash container and a brush holder.  Both are flat when closed.   I never have to remember to bring plastic bags.

Next- one of the deep compartments-

My Strada "mini" paintbox with one side tray for extra mixing and/or brushes.  A very lightweight compact tripod and a rag.  The tripod and paintbox fit side by side and the tray alongside.

Next- the other deep compartment-

An over half empty package of baby wipes, an over half empty roll of paper towels with bungie cord to serve as towel holder.  A small sized bush washer (Holbein recommended- size small), a food container for paint tubes, hook to hang brush washer (Strada make a good one for their box, not included) and a small but good quality vise wrench for stubborn tube caps. The brush washer and paint holder go in first, the wipes and towels on top.  Remember my advice from the last post- try to use the most limited palette you can outdoors.  Paint is heavy.

Next- a shallower compartment-

I like the fact that this pack has zipped pockets and pen holders.  I always carry my viewfinders, value markers, palette knife and a pen and pencil.

The last compartment which is also fairly shallow holds my sketchbook which I don't always carry, just depends.  There is a small flat zippered pocket on the front of the pack and I put lip balm with SPF and business cards.

There are outside stretchy pockets on each side for a small can of mineral spirits (in case of a spill) sunscreen and 2 bug sprays.  One has DEET and is for mosquitoes/ticks.  The other is "No Natz" which specifically wards of gnats- great product.

I always bring a water bottle and maybe lunch in a very small vinyl cooler with some ice.  And a good sun hat.  My phone, wallet and keys go in my pockets or waist pack.


So here it is all set up-

You can click on this photo for a closer look.  The bungie cord holds the towel roll on the front of the paintbox.  The back pack hang from a  hook on the tripod for added stability. The brush washer hangs on one side of the box and the side tray is on the other side. This provides plenty of mixing space for me.

In the first photo I showed the wet panel carrier I use which is made by RayMar.  They are reasonably priced, very strong,  lightweight and come in a variety of sizes.  Many of the products I have mentioned today are posted as links below.  Though I love my tripod (made by Mefoto) it is a bit fragile and some of my friends have had trouble with the leg adjustments.  I am gentle with mine and have not had any problems.  It can hold up to 8 lbs. which is more than my set up. For a lot more money you can get stronger lightweight tripods.  When fully collapsed the Mefoto is only 12" which is ideal for a back pack.

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN THIS POST-
The above is what works for me and my choices might not be the best for you, so try different things and talk to other painters about their set ups.  The best advice I can give you is to keep your gear ready to go at all times.  Do not use your studio equipment/supplies for outdoors.  I used to keep a plein air packing list and each time I went out I had to pack it up all over again from my studio.  This is both a time burner and a deterrent.  Now as soon as I get back to the studio I do the following:

1.  Clean the paint box and put clean mineral spirits in the brush washer.  Repack.

2. Empty the trash container and repack.  (Unless you have a large amount of trash you can collapse it an put it in the pack to empty at home, though I use a public receptacle if available.)

3. Restock consumables (baby wipes, paper towels and paint).  I have made a habit of putting almost empty paper towel rolls, wipes and paint tubes (especially the large ones that are almost empty) in a box by my back pack to make restocking more convenient.

4.  Restock your panel carrier for next time.  This way you won't realize at the last minute that you are out of the panel sizes you use outdoors.

5. Figure out how your backpack wants to be packed and always repack it the same way.  This makes it much easier to take inventory and to set up and break down.

6. Since I never need to take my umbrella inside I keep it in the car.  One less thing to remember!

So... the message is PAINT- RESTOCK- REPEAT.  Got it?

Links to some of these products-

Plein air umbrella
Foldable paper towel basket
Wet panel carriers
Strada easels
Holbein brush cleaner
Gnat repellent

A Plein Air Event

Though I paint on location a fair amount I had never participated in an official plein air event until last weekend.  I entered one in Georgetown, SC that was part of the annual Pawleys Island Music and Art Festival.  Almost 30 artists were there painting for a competition and wet paint sale at the end of the day.  The entry was non-juried so anyone could sign up.  We were allowed to pick our painting sites and could paint as many paintings as we wanted, but only one could be entered in the competition.  Our blank canvases were stamped at 9:00 a.m. and the painting time concluded at 3:30. We were expected to have our wet panel framed and ready for display and were asked to bring display easels for the reception which was outdoors.

This was an enjoyable way to stretch myself and I'm glad I gave it a try.  I painted 2 paintings and took a short lunch break to cool off in the shade.  It was very hot but fortunately not buggy.  That said, it was stressful knowing that the pressure was on to have something framable within a specific time frame for a competition.  There was a considerable crowd and painting without interruption was not an option.  The press was there interviewing us while we painted.  By the end of the day I was exhausted, more so than after any other day of plein air painting or workshop I have ever done.

This experience caused me to have an epiphany.  I follow many artists on Facebook and frequently see posts about prestigious plein air events all over the country.  I have attended the one in Door County, WI as a spectator.  I never thought it would be easy, but after just one day of the experience I gained a huge amount of respect for the pros who go to these events, produce 2-4 paintings/day for up to a week (sometimes even adding a nocturne when the day is done) and framing them for a big show at the end of the week- all while competing against their friends/peers.

I recommend this to any outdoor painter who wants a challenge.  Before committing consider the following-

1.  Keep your set up as light and compact as possible and use the most limited palette you are comfortable with- paint is heavy!

2.  Be sure that all of your equipment is in good working order and that you can set up without assistance.  Take a careful inventory of all supplies when you pack and don't forget extra consumables such as paper towels and mineral spirits (in case of a spill).

3.  Bring frames that are already wired and ready to hang and the tools to finish the job, such as a point driver if you use panels.  I used 9 x 12 panels and brought 2 frames- one wired for a vertical format and one for a horizontal so I would have that flexibility.

4.  If possible, visit the site(s) beforehand.  Take photos and do some sketches to see what feels right for you.

5.  The more you paint out before the event the better.  It's like going to the gym- you want to be in shape!

For fun, read the hilarious article by Scott Freeman-  "The Perils of Peeving a Plein Air Painter". https://artandlifenotes.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/the-perils-of-peeving-a-plein-air-painter/
Link is to the right on my blog site.

Next time I'll show my outdoor set up which I have refined over a period of several years. I think I have it about right, that is until the next "must have"easel comes along...

Thanks, and get out there!

Photographing Your Work

Though I have taken photographs my entire life I am embarrassed by my scant knowledge of photography.  When I was young I took photos of my friends.  Later I took travel pictures.  Now most of my photographs are reference shots for paintings.  After I started painting I realized that I also needed photographs of my work.  At first this was just to keep a record of everything I had painted because, as previously discussed, I regularly discard the older unsuccessful ones.  I look at these periodically to remind myself of where I started.  Now I need photos for my website and to enter juried events.  After a few years of frustration and many failed attempts to understand technical discussions online I came across a very straightforward "how to" article that completely changed my approach and results.  Rather than parroting the process here I recommend that you click on How To Take Great Photos Of Your Artwork in the right hand column under favorite blog posts/articles and start reading.

I now own a very good Canon digital camera and I set it on "automatic everything" including white balance.  I use ISO 200.  I rarely do anything other than cropping the photo once I have downloaded it.

The equipment needed for lighting can be bought inexpensively on Amazon.  At the time of this writing this kit by Emart is available on Amazon Prime and costs just under $60.  It does not come with assembly instructions but I was able to figure it out so it can't be that difficult.

Here it is in my studio-

Important features- the white umbrellas diffuse the light of the natural light fluorescent bulbs which come with the set up.  This eliminates both glare and excessively warm or cool light.  The camera is on a tripod to avoid movement and is not extremely close to the painting.  It is better to zoom in.  Set the camera on the highest possible photo quality. Don't use the flash.  Take the painting out of the frame if it is in one.

I had heard of all kinds of ways to get natural light, such as photographing outside in the shade.  I never found a way to eliminate glare until I used this set up.

So you can see the difference I have included 2 photos of the same painting.  The first was taken with natural light coming in the window of my studio, a north exposure which should be good.  I held the camera in my hands and got close to the painting.  The second is with the set up shown above.  Click on each photo to get a better look.

Actually I got kind of lucky with the first one this time, but if you look closely you can see a fair amount of glare on the left side of the painting and also a bit in the distant mountain. But also notice that the rock formation on the right is almost completely dark.  You can't see the half tones that are visible when the panel is evenly lit.  I did not have the ceiling lights on when I took the first photo but if I had there would have been a lot more glare though the lighting would have been better on the right.

I hope this was helpful.  Be sure to read the article I referenced above for a more detailed explanation.

Thanks for reading!