Kick'n Green's Butt Today

I just spent the afternoon kicking green's butt.  I actually feel I have some pretty good greens in the woodpecker painting now.  Going to drop off some art in King George Virginia tomorrow and then hurry back home and try to keep my momentum going. 

Did I Mention - I Hate Green

Everyone has a favorite color.  Everyone has a color they hate.  Guess my least favorite color to try and work with.  YUP, Green.  I buy green in tubes and when I squeeze them out, I think to myself, no way this looks natural.  But, if I mix a green myself using anything but green, I find it actually grows on me after a bit.  The two bottom leaves (blobs at this point) are out of the tube green.  The two above were made using Cobalt Blue, Yellow Ochre and some Cadmium Scarlet.  OH and a bit of white to lighten in spots.  If I force myself to continue and ignore the color, looking for light and shadow, I finally get to a point where I just may be happy with what I have painted.  What's your nemesis color?

Day 2 of the Underpainting

Still not finished with the underpainting.  I hate green, obviously why I am leaving the leaves for last. 

Workshop Today at Studio Frame Shop

Today I am teaching a workshop called, Drawing The Human Form with Graphite.  It runs from 10 am until 2 pm.  and is held at The Studio Frame Shop in Warrenton.  Stop by and say hi if you are in
town.

Woodpeckers Underpainting

This is my version of an underpainting.  I go for solid paint, no glazes at this point.  After the first pass and all the white is covered.  I will then go back in and hit the whole thing again with final color and details. 

Now Teaching Classes at New Studio

ART CLASSES  beginning June 25

Drawing, Oil Painting, Pastels

Taught by Portrait Artist, Linda Lawler

Contact at lindalawler@outlook.com or call 540-686-6107

Woodpeckers - Grayscale

Here is something I have learned this year in the SmArt School classes.  Before committing paint to the canvas, do a map of your value areas in grayscale.  I have used four values here in an effort to plan out an interesting composition.  There is interesting negative shapes and good value contrast to lead the eye to the center of interest.  Next comes the under painting. I did a few color comps also, but on the computer and did not save them.  I am not very good at that yet, so its just as well you don't see that.