Winter 2020 Acrylic Class

Project: Desert Refuge Final

I only had a few things left to do on my painting before calling it done, you need to decide for yourself how you want to finish you painting. As I always say: If you like your painting the way it is, leave it alone! You DO NOT have to finish it the way I do, if you like it, leave it. At least set it aside for a few days or a week then look at it with fresh eyes, if you can't find anything that jumps out at you, you are done.

To the bank of the levee, I added some quick little grasses or weeds with my liner brush along with a few rocks which were just added with a small sable brush: A light color for highlight, and a mix of blue, alizarin and gesso to make a shadow color. Don't sweat bullets making these rocks, the are too small to be more than blotches.
I also took my #4 flat bristle brush and added some shadows from the trees down the bank. Look at the photo to see where the shadows fall and remember they must follow the contours of the thing  it falls on. Study shadows when you see them, it will help you paint them later.

I also took my liner brush and added some individual reeds to the dark shapes I had made earlier. I added light and medium colors of green and gold and even some very dark ones near the bottom.

Remember you need to add enough water into your paint so that the paint is very ink-like, that way it will flow off your brush. You might want to practice before you get to your painting.

I also added some cattails to the tops of some of the reeds with the liner or you can use a small sable. I just used burnt sienna and remember to vary the height so they aren't all in a row.

This is where I will leave my painting for this class. I could come back in and work on it if I feel I want/need to but for a project, I think I am done.

Keep painting and I will see you in class.