Summer 2018 Acrylic Class

Acrylic Class Project: Marsh Madness Week 4

This week we really started getting into detail. Starting with the trees on the left, I made a highlight color of burnt sienna, a little blue to grey it and white (gesso) to make it lighter, then I took my #4 flat sable brush, so I would have more control, and using the very end edge created a series of marks going up the trunks to suggest the bark of the tree. Do not cover the whole trunk with this color, the darker previous color becomes shadow and texture so leave some of it. 

The big tree in the back as well as the smaller trees in the back are the same colors, same technique but I used very little gesso to keep the color more towards the sienna side. Look at the photo and adjust your colors accordingly.

Next we added smaller branches to the main branches with the liner brush. This liner brush is a fun little brush and it can do some amazing things but you do need to practice with it if you have not used it much.

First you want to dilute your paint until it is very ink-like then fill the bristles to the metal ferrule by wiggling it around in the ink-like paint. As you lift off your palette, roll the brush in your fingers so it comes to a point. Hold the brush at the very end and slightly down so the paint will flow from the bristles. If your paint is too thick it will not flow so you will need to add more water. If you press the bristles to the paper it will leave a fatter mark, as you drag your brush across your canvas gradually lift it up to the tip of the brush as you pull until it lifts off. You should have created a line that starts thick and tapers to nothing, that is your first branch. To create branches off your branch, if you loaded your brush correctly you should still have paint for several branches, start back in the fatter part of the branch you just painted and as you pull and lift, go off in a different direction. Yes, I make it look easy because I have been doing this for decades but I also did a lot of practice when I was learning how to use this brush and I watched others use this brush, it will come IF you take the time to practice.

I actually need to had more smaller branches, but for now, this is good. I want some of them to overlap the sky in the background because it was a big uninteresting negative shape, the branches and leaves will break it up in to smaller more interesting shapes. The dark color was a mix of sienna, blue and a tiny touch of purple.

I used that same dark color to add the twigs and branches to the bushes on the right side, I also used my liner brush to create some reeds and grasses coming up out of the water using various greens, light to dark, but as I looked at it I realized I need more reflection in the water from those bushes, so some of them may need to be redone next week.

Another thing I did was mix a color similar to the hazy sky just above the trees and dry brushed that in behind these bushes for a couple of reasons: One, to repeat the sky color in the water and two, to make the area behind the branches a bit lighter for the contrast.

On the left side I used the dark color to make some reflected branches in the water. I also started something in the water that I will do more of next week and that is to put a glaze over the water to create a sheen to it.

I also realized that I hadn't put in the dry areas in the back part of the water. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I think it is where the water is receding and high spots are starting to show. I used a mix of sienna, a touch of blue to grey it and gesso to lighten, the with a very dry flat bristle brush I lightly scrubbed the dry areas in using flat strokes the keep them looking flat. I also reflected some of the lighter green from the tree line in the water between those dry areas.

This is where I left off in class. I may be able to finish this next week because I am really getting close to being done. I have some reflections to put in, some weeds, a few leaves and branches to add along with some final highlights and shadows but really, not that much - at least for me. We still have a month to go so don't feel rushed to finish, I will be doing demos as needed once I finish so there is still a ways to go before we can put this semester to bed. So keep painting and I will see you in class.