Timon Sloane Pastel Landscape Paintings

Studio Painting Process

2012-02-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

I recently used one of my Point Lobos studies to do this larger pastel painting in the studio ...

"Serpentine Coast", Pastel, 18x24

Here are a couple of shots of the pastel painting in process. First I started with blocking in some of the darker shapes.

I then washed this down with isopropyl alchohol using a large brush. This turns the dry pastel into something very close to watercolor, and it sinks into the painting surface. This process allows me to quickly establish the composition and the major shapes. It also sets up my darks and established some initial color I can then react to as I develop the painting.

Notice I don't underpaint the sky. I did lay in a bit of pink right at the horizon, but I wanted to use the color of the board as the underpainting for the sky. I also find underpainting tends to darken things, and I find it essential to keep the sky light to generate a feeling of luminosity.

I unfortunately don't have a picture of the painting just after finishing the underpainting - so you'll have to use your imagination.

Here's my studio setup. I have both a swivel mounted computer monitor (on the left) and my framed plein air study on the right.

Here's the painting as it develops. See the tree on the foreground rock? I completely scrubbed it out because I thought it was looking overworked, and once it was gone I thought the painting was stronger as it let the eye move into the painting a little more easily. This painting has a number of different secondary subject areas, and I decided simpler would be better ...

And then the final piece:

"Serpentine Coast", Pastel, 18x24

For those who like all the details, this was done on pastelmat that I had mounted to rigid gatorfoam.

Point Lobos Trip

2011-12-08T13:35:00.000-08:00

I've just returned from a few days in Carmel, California painting Point Lobos.

Sunday afternoon I was checking out the weather forecast and it looked like fabulous weather was headed for Carmel. I fired off some emails, and in less than 12 hours I was down in Carmel. Both Kim Lordier and Paul Kratter were nimble enough to swap their busy schedules around to meet me down there.

This iconic location is truly one of the most remarkable and beautiful locations, and such a joy to paint.

That's me painting with Paul Kratter

Painting with Kim Lordier

Pt Lobos, Standing Solo, 9x12, Pastel

Pt Lobos First Light, 9x12 Pastel

Pt Lobos Hidden Cove, 9x12, Pastel

Pt Lobos Last Light, 9x12, Pastel

It's just awesome having some friends who are flexible enough (and crazy enough) to make it on a trip like this. We had a great time, got lots of terrific work done, and kept kicking ourselves that we get to do this for a living. Sure beats working in the coal mines (where both my wife's grandfathers made their living).

Scott Christensen Demo - Carmel Coast

2011-10-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of attending Scott Christensen's 5-day workshop this last week in Carmel.

Here are some images from the demo ...

completed demo/study, 8x10 oil

His setup - a tiny 8x10 open box M

He did this in about 45 minutes using a little 8x10 pochade with a tiny mixing area. The man is nothing if not fast :-)

High Sierra UFO

2011-09-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

Check out this crazy cloud that went floating by when I was up at almost 11,000 ft in the sierras. I've never seen anything like it.

It looked like 3 of 4 layered disks, but it also had these funky dark holes punched through it. Very weird.

Anyone know what this type of cloud might be called?

Some More From The Sierra Trip

2011-09-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more images from my recent Sierra trip. This first one was a quick stream study I did as we were hiking in:

"Sierra Stream Mini", 6x6, Pastel

For this painting I setup just along the trail, and then of course our mule train with all our gear caught up with me and wanted to pass. I cleared out what I though was enough room, but that last mule in the lineup must have been really curious. He swung over towards me and his pack whacked my pastel box. Luckily I saw him coming and I jumped forward and grabbed my box before the impact. I kept things mostly intact. My box got scrambled and required some cleanup, but only one stick was broken. That could have been a disastrous way to start the trip!

Then the next morning I woke at daybreak and painting this view. What a place to wake up and have my first morning cup of coffee! I think the view woke me more than the caffeine.

"Sierra Morning Glow", 8x16, Pastel

Artists on the trip

Bill put together this list of pointers to everyone's website. Thought I'd duplicated it here if you're interested in seeing more work from the trip:

High Sierra Painting Trip

2011-09-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a week in the mountains. A group of us (10 artists in all) packed into Chicken Foot and Gem lakes off the Rock Creek trail in the eastern sierras. This was a trip designed to let us focus on painting, so we had mules bring in the bulk of our supplies and a cook for the duration to keep us well feed.

I had fantastic time and the days quickly flew by. Each day went something like this:

- Wake at dawn (or earlier)

- Grab of cup of coffee head off to do a morning painting

- Breakfast at 8:30 or so

- Pack up a lunch for the day

- Head off to some more distant lakes or views and spend the late morning and afternoon painting

- Return for dinner

- Hang around drinking wine and swapping stories and tried to stay awake until 9pm (without much luck)

I don’t have time for a long post (I’ve got a big backlog of framing to get to for a Sept 10^th show), but Terry Miura is posting a fabulous day-by-day account of the trip that you can read about here:

http://terrymiura.blogspot.com/2011/08/sierra-pack-trip.html

OK - I'm going to get back to framing now ...

Figure in the Landscape

2011-07-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

I've recently completed this painting, and have noticed that for the first time figures have started making appearances in my landscapes.

As humans, we are naturally drawn to any figures or people that appear in paintings. I've been trying to add these figures in such a way that they are not the immediate focus of the painting, but rather fun discoveries one can make while looking more closely.

In this painting the figures are particularly small. Click on it to see a larger image of the painting if you can't find them ...

http://timonsloane.com/artwork/gallery2/v/Hidden-Cove-900px.jpg.html

What I particularly like is that by using figures I can more explicit control the sense of scale in the painting. In pure landscapes, it can be hard to imply the true sense of grandeur or vastness of a scene. With a figure added, we suddenly read everything in relation to the scale of the figure.

http://timonsloane.com/artwork/gallery2/v/Making-Memories-900px.jpg.html

Timon Sloane TV Interview

2011-07-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

I did an interview for a local TV program a few months ago. In the interview I talk about plein air painting and the process of painting landscapes from life. If you're interested, have an look and let me know what you think ...

Timon Sloane Video Interview

If you have any trouble viewing it, please drop me an e-mail. This is the first time I've integrated a video into my website, and the process of converting the video format and installing a flash video viewer wasn't as trivial as one might hope/expect. Youtube makes it look so easy :-)

Carmel Art Festival

2011-05-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

I had a really fun week at the Carmel Art Festival last week. I looked all foggy and overcast as we were checking in, but then magically the skies cleared and we had really nice weather for both of the painting days. Aside from some high winds, it was perfect.

I was up in the dark painting in the morning, and painting through sunset each day. Here's a painting I did from the road overlooking the Carmel River. This was a good evening spot given that it was protected from the winds coming off the ocean.


"Cypress With A View" Pastel 9x12 Sold

The show days (Saturday and Sunday) we didn't have quite the same luck. There was some rain on Sunday, but overall it was bearable.

I love Carmel. It really is my favorate place to paint. There's so much variety and beauty in such a condensed area. And since Monterey is a peninsula, I can find morning and evening locations with terrific lighting by flipping back and forth between eastern and western views.

Capturing a brief moment

2011-03-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

I was out painting on the coast a few weeks ago, and as the sun was coming up there was this brief moment when the ocean's foam glowed as it reflected the pink light of the sky. I did a quick plein air study, and then just recently did this small version of the scene for an upcoming mini show ...

A Moment of Pink Foam, Pastel, 6x6
Click here for more info

One of the great things about plein air painting (vs painting from photos) is the opportunity to meld together a series of visual phenomena that might occur over the course of doing a painting. This is one perfect example of such a 'mash up', and I named the painting to reflect the fleeting nature of the moment.

Evening's Inkling

2011-03-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Just recently finished an 18x24 pastel, starting it from plein air studies and then finishing it in the field. I like working this way, but an 18x24 is a bit unwieldy when it gets windy.

Evening's Inkling, Pastel, 18x24
Sold

You can find more info here:
http://www.timonsloane.com/artwork/gallery2/v/Evening_s-Inkling-900px.jpg.html

Recent Painting & Morro Bay Workshop

2011-02-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

I just finished this painting from a number of studies I did over the last few months. I started this in the studio and then took it on location to finish it off ...


"Pacific Gateway", Pastel, 18x24 Sold

I was also just invited to teach a pastel workshop in Morro Bay, CA in April. Click here if you'd like to learn more.

Couple More ...

2011-01-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

I took full advantage of the break in winter weather and got out to the coast twice last week. I lucked out - it was truly beautiful. To top it off, Kim Lordier joined me on the send day to make it even more fun.

Here are the two I painted that 2nd day with Kim ...

"Pink Bluffs", Pastel, 8x10

Orange Bluffs, Pastel, 9x12

Seascapes

2011-01-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

Another plein air piece done over at Pescadero on the Pacific Coast ...

"Morning's Highlight"
Pastel
9x12

I loved how the morning marine layer was undulating in and out, obscuring the lower mountains in the distance and making it appear as if the mountain peaks were floating in a sea of glowing mist.

Ocean piece from plein air study

2010-12-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

Here's an piece I just completed in the studio ...


"Pacific Shimmer", Pastel, 12x16

... using this plein air study:

"Coastal Repetitions", Pastel, 9x12
Sold

My goal was to try shifting the focus away from the bright rocks and move the focus out further into the painting. I wanted to highlight the water and pull the eye out towards the horizon. About half way into the painting I put the plein air reference aside. It's interesting to see the extent to which they organically deviated from each other as I let the painting go where it needed to go on its own.

Large Commission

2010-12-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

I just finished and shipped off this large commissioned painting:

"Intersection of Elements"
Pastel
24 x 48

It was interesting because I was asked to make a larger piece based on a plein air painting I had done earlier this year. The plein air piece was done during the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival under very unusual lighting conditions when a layer of fog was undulating in and out right on the edge of the coast. Because of the conditions I never got any decent photos, and because it was painted a few hours away I couldn’t easily return to the site (and the odds of returning and getting comparable weather and lighting were virtually zip).

"The Tales They Could Tell", Pastel, 12x16
Painted Plein Air

Lousy reference photo

Given the relative lack of reference material, I was forced to draw heavily on my visual memories from the day. The size (24”x48”) was also larger than I usually work in pastel (although I used to paint large oils). To top it off, I started with an oil underpainting which is something I have only tried once before.

Turns out changing all these factors made the painting process really enjoyable and I was very happy with the final result.

Post Impressionists Show at San Francisco De Young Museum

2010-10-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

I got out tot the post-impressionist show at the De Young museum yesterday and really enjoyed myself. The show really concentrates on the period after impressionism, and had few works by artists like Monet. It did have a nice collection of Van Gough, but what struck me most was a Sargent piece (left) and this work by Albert Besnard (right):

As if often the case, neither of these images do the originals justice - in both cases fabric of the dresses just shimmered with light.

What really made the show for me was going late in the day midweek and then doubling back to the beginning of the show about 30 minutes prior to it closing. At this point they haven't been letting people in for about an hour and I got to spend big chunks of time in the galleries all by myself (well, and a security guard too). It's really so much more enjoyable then navigating crowds. Both of these pieces are really large and should be appreciated from 20+ feet away which just can't be done in the normal course of these shows.

San Luis Obispo Plein Air - The Work

2010-10-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

I’ve just gotten back from dropping my paintings at the museum for the San Luis Obispo Plein Air. I’ve had a blast all week painting dawn to dusk through a crazy heat wave. To survive the heat I painted out by the coast the entire week where it was a cool 85 vs. the 105 degrees in town.

I’ve been painting like a madman doing 15 paintings Sunday through Thursday. Back when I started plein air painting I was having back problems and I couldn’t envision standing for a whole painting. I swear painting plein air has helped my health. Testament to this greater stamina is that I did 5 complete paintings on Tuesday. It also helps that I’m getting better at pacing myself. Even when doing 5 paintings in a day I took time to take a nap midday when the light was flat.

Now I need to take a long hot shower, get my act together and head back over to the museum for the first of the weekend's events. The ticketed opening starts at 4pm tonight, and the show then opens to the general public at 6pm.

Here are a few of the paintings I framed and delivered ...

"Le Cove", 8x10, Pastel (sold)

"Morning's Mystery", 12x16, Pastel

"Three Groves", 9x12, Pastel (sold)

"The Tales They Could Tell", 12x16, Pastel

"Morning Magic", 9x12, Pastel

Dune Studies - Painting in the Hamptons

2010-08-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Here are three of the dune studies I did through the week in the Hamptons.

I picked these images to post because they show an interesting progression (and least it's interesting to me). I found myself challenged to develop compositions from a landscape that was dominated by clumpy/spotty lumps of grasses. These three images show how I developed a handling of this situation with greater and greater simplification along with taking bolder risks in altering the shapes to create interesting ways for the viewer's eye to move into and through the painting.

Dune Study I
Pastel
8x10


Dune Study II Pastel 9x12

Dune Study III
Pastel
12x16

Now I have to make some time to get down to Carmel and give this subject a try down there.

Next Up - Painting Dunes

2010-08-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

I've been in the Hamptons (Amagansett, NY) this week and I've been taking the opportunity to work on studies of rolling dunes. This is a subject I've never spent any time on, but I've always admired the way Terri Ford and Kim Lordier have handled the subject (they are typically painting Carmel, CA).

Amagansett has it's own unique flavor, and I've been setting out at dawn most days to see what I can come up with. Stay tuned - I'll post images when I get back to my studio.

The 5th layer of streams with rapids

2010-07-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Earlier I made the statement that I think there 4 layers in a painting of water with rapids, but I was just looking over a painting from the series and I think a 5th layer might be worthy of it's own category - underwater reflected light from air bubbles. This would make the list:

Stream bottom (underwater rocks)
Reflected/refracted light from underwater bubbles
Water surface
Reflections on water's surface
Bubbles/foam on top of water's surface

You can see this near white water where bubbles are forced under the surface and often vivid greens are apparent (from the sunlight (yellow) mixed with the blues of the water).

This is definitely going to take some time to master ...

Stream Study #4

2010-07-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the last painting I did on the trip ...

"Stream Study IV"
Pastel
9x12

In all painting it's important to simply. I found it particulary important and difficult simplifying paintings of streams with rapids because of the complex interrelationship between the objects. The rocks shape the water, and the water (over time) shapes the rocks. If one removes of relocates a rock all the surrounding objects are impacted.

My goal is to get comfortable enough with the subject to be able to arbitrarily move elements around in order to arrive at a more compelling composition. In each of these paintings I took successively more and more liberty is altering the scene - but this is much more complex than altering an ocean seascape scene given the complexity of the layers. I sense there is a lifetime of work to pursue here :-)

Stream Study #3

2010-07-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Here's the next in the series ...

"Stream Study III"
Pastel
9x12

(sold)

Stream Study #2

2010-07-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Streams are fascinating in how there are 3 (or 4) distinct layers that are sometimes visible:

Stream bottom (underwater rocks)
Water surface
Reflections on water's surface
Bubbles/foam on top of water's surface

Here's the next study that I'll post ...

"Stream Study II"
Pastel"
9x12

This example shows a large underwater rock that I found interesting but few reflections other than reflections of skylight.

Stream Study #1

2010-07-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been traveling and I decided to focus on painting a subject that I love but which is difficult to paint and hard to find where I live - streams and rapids.

Here's the first one I'll share, with more to come ...

"Stream Study I"
Pastel
9x12

Quest to paint whitewater

2010-07-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

This week I've been heading out to find and paint whitewater. Logistically I'm finding it much harder to get to the places where I really want to setup. Lots of hiking and scrambling over wet or mossy rocks.

I'll post some images of the work as the week progresses ...

Santa Cruz Plein Air Festival

2010-07-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

I just framed the two pieces I painted this week for the Santa Cruz Plein Air. This week was tough because it was foggy and cold most days. By the middle of the week I figure out it was best to drag my feet around the studio all morning and go out in the afternoon and evening. After much hunting around and working my way up and down the coast I found two beautiful evening scenes.

"Leaning In"
Pastel, 9x12

"Evening Hour, Pleasure Point"
Pastel, 9x12

Now I'm off to drive over to the coast to deliver the work. It's been a busy week with over 500 miles logged on the car so far.

Impressionists Show at San Francisco De Young Museum

2010-06-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

I visited the impressionist show at the De Young museum last month and was struck by a number of the paintings. Although I've visited the Musée d'Orsay two or three times over the years, there were a number of striking pieces that I don't recall ever seeing. It could be I didn't see this work (perhaps it was out of rotation), but I suspect it has more to do with circumstance. Lighting conditions and gallery positioning can make or break how a painting is perceived and received.

I just found an image of a Monet (a painting of turkeys) that I found striking at the show. This image doesn't do the painting any justice - this large piece just glowed with beautiful lighting. This is just another example of how reproductions just don't cut it and why one needs to see work in person.

If you have a chance, go see the show before it's gone. I think it runs through September.

Pastel Landscapes Show

2010-06-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm in an all Pastel Landscape Show June 1-30th, 2010 in Woodside, CA.

"Brightly Lit Barn"
Pastel
18x24

It is a beautiful show with a couple of terrific pastel artists including:

Kim Lordier
Linda Roth
Teresa Ruzzo
Vicki Coe Mitchell

There is an opening Saturday 6/12/10 from 4pm - 7pm. Come say high if you have a chance. The address is:

        Allegro
      3056 Woodside Road
      Woodside, CA 94062
650-529-1800

3 Paintings from the coast

2010-06-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I headed over to the California coast to get in some plein air painting. I went to Davenport just north of Santa Cruz.

I realize that I haven't been posting paintings that I've just recently done plein air because I'm getting pickier and pickier about my own work. It often takes me weeks or months of contemplation and a few passes making small (or large) changes before I frame new work. It thought it might be healthy for me to just show some raw work - so here you go ...

I thought the sequence was interesting because I painted all 3 in the same general location but I moved closer and closer into the grove of trees as the day progressed. I've noticed this tendency in the past where I unintentionally move in tighter and tighter on a subject. I don't do it on purpose. In fact between each of these pieces I was in the car out scouting for other locations. It just so happened in each case that I returned to a same subject/area.

SWA Annual Show

2010-05-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

I recently completed this new piece and it was accepted into the Society of Western Artists 60th Annual Show.

"Evening Lull"
Pastel on board, 12x16
Sold

The show is hung at the SWA gallery in Redwood City now through August 15 2010. The gallery is open daily, but I hear it's a wonderful show so stop in if you can:

2625 Broadway Street
Redwood City, CA 94063

From Plein Air to Studio

2010-04-11T12:08:00.001-07:00

One of the things I've been working on is the processes of using plein air pieces as source material for larger studio paintings.

Today I completed framing a series of pieces all different interpretations of the same scene. I'm staging for a number of shows. These pieces are all about to go off their separate ways to different venues and it struck me they are interesting as a series. I figured I could publish them here as a grouping as well as talking about the process. Here goes ...

This is a photo of the original scene.

Not a great photo - is it? It's actually hard to discern the main tree that I choose as my subject and I find the photo somewhat uninspiring. If someone had handed me the photo I never would have chosen it as a subject for a painting. This is not an uncommon experience as often photos can't capture the beauty of a scene.

Here's the first 9x12 painting I did on location:

"Softly Lit Afternoon"
Pastel
9x12

A few months later I returned and did another painting on location of the same scene:

"Arching for Sun"
12x16
pastel

Then recently I did a larger 18x24 in the studio using these two plein air pieces and my memory as the only source material (if I had looked at the photo I probably would have lost all my inspiration to paint :-).

"Basking in the Sun"
Pastel
18x24

I didn't even think about the evolution of the the paintings or the extent they incrementally deviated from the photo reference until I saw them all together today. I guess you'd call it natural evolution?

California Juried Open Show

2010-03-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to have had a painting selected for the California Juried Open Show sponsored by the Los Gatos Art Association and held annually at the Los Gatos Museum.

The show is open March 25 - April 24, 2010.

The opening reception is Sunday March 29 from 1-4pm. If you live nearby come stop in and say hello.

"Morning's Silhouette"
Pastel
18x24

2010-01-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

Why Paint Plein Air?
Plein air painting is the practice of painting outdoors from direct observation of nature.

When I tell people that I do most of my painting on location I know in the back of their minds they are wondering “what’s up with that - why’s isn’t he painting in the comfort of his studio.”

I have a plein air workshop scheduled for April, so I figure it might be helpful if I can put words to why I think plein air work is so crucial to developing as an artist.

The camera is a poor substitution for the human eye
When I was first studying art I used to hear people talk about how the camera cannot capture all that we can see. I’d nod and I thought I knew what they were talking about. As I’ve developed as an artist I now realize that I didn’t really appreciate the extent to which this statement is true. The camera either washes out the highlights or loses all color variation in the shadows. The camera can only capture a limited range of values and colors whereas the eye can see the full range. Once you begin to see this difference (and it takes quite a bit of practice to really appreciate the magnitude of this difference) you can never go back. I now feel as if I have my hands tied behind my back if I need to paint in the studio without at a minimum having plein air sketches and my memory of the location to supplement any photo reference.

Forced to paint fast and loose
I started painting plein air to loosen my painting up When I caught myself standing in front of a big canvas with these little brushes I concluded I needed to shake things up. This was the moment I starting painting in the field. When painting plein air you have no choice but to paint fast and loose. You have about 90 minutes to capture the light (and sometimes much less time). You learn to observer more accurately, paint more decisively, and you build a visual memory that will serve you well for the rest of your life.

Opportunity to really learn how light and atmosphere affect all that we see
When your try plein air for the first time you’re likely to find it very difficult and frustrating. Even accomplished painters struggle when first painting from nature. There is just so much information and things are changing all the time. However, working through this adversity lets you slowly build up a much greater understanding of how light and atmosphere (moisture, haze, etc.) effect what we see. This knowledge will ultimately help inform all your painting. Just know going in that your first dozen paintings are going to stink and go easy on yourself. It’s well worth the effort because your paintings will get better and – likely exceeding where you were with your studio work.

Healthier way to work
Since I’ve been painting plein air I’ve noticed a notable improvement in my health. Physically I can now stand for an entire day (or week :-) without experiencing any discomfort or pain, and mentally I feel refreshed. When outside there is no accumulation of dust (when working with pastels) or solvents (when working with oils). The sunshine is good for us and gives us an opportunity to add some vitamin D to the system (studies are showing we take in WAY too little vitamin D). To top it off, the University of Essex found that spending time in nature is the equivalent of taking a dose of an anti-depressant. So cut back on the Prozac and start plein air painting!

Stay away from the computer
Plein air painting keeps you away from the computer and other day-to-day interruptions. It’s easy to get sidetracked when working in the studio and I’m much more focused when painting on location.

Makes driving more enjoyable
Everywhere I go I see more: more color, interesting compositions, negative shapes. To top it off all these bits of information help inform my painting. Painting plein air teaches you to process vast amounts of information and to wean it down into the fewest possible number of marks to express a feeling or sense of place. This ability then makes it possible to process scenes while speeding down the highway. You’d be amazed at how much more enjoyable this visual acuity can make a long road trip.

Camaraderie of painting with other like-minded people
I started this piece lamenting that most people have a hard time understanding why we paint outdoors in the first place. Doing it with others that have tasted the joy and understand the benefits of painting this way helps confirm that we’re not insane :-)

Joy of being outdoors
Plus it’s just a joy to be outdoors.

California Winter Paintings

2010-01-12T11:23:00.001-08:00

Last week I took advantage of the 'good weather' in California and got out painting plein air a solid 5 days. All things are relative, and with record cold temperatures everywhere across the US and Europe except the Pacific coast I figured 55-65 degree highs were nothing to take lightly.

The days were generally overcast. In the past I've been turned off when painting these kinds of days. Interestingly I'm finding that by immersing myself in the the overcast weather I'm discovering a whole new appreciation for the various forms of gray sky.

I'm even getting a bit addicted. One morning I was painting a beautiful foggy valley and when the sun suddenly broke out I found I was disappointed.

Here are two of my pieces from the week. What do you think? Can overcast paintings still deliver an upbeat emotional response?

Poplar Beach, Half Moon Bay

2009-08-06T15:29:00.001-07:00

Here's another of my favorite locations of late for plein air painting.

Cliff-Defying
Pastel
12x16

Poplar Beach in Half Moon Bay offers dramatic views. Take the pathway South from the parking lot, and you come to this cyprus grove overhanging a cliff.

View Larger Map

Pastel Underpainting

2009-02-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

A number of times I’ve been asked about my pastel underpainting process. I’ve developed a unique technique of using a monotone (or sometimes duotone) underpainting to start my pastels. Here’s an example of a painting done on location in Half Moon Bay California. This was a beautiful day in December looking East around 10am.

I started with a few quick sketches each around 2” x 3” to try different compositions. From this I quickly moved to blocking in a composition using a water-based media on Wallis sanded paper mounted on museum board.

My goal when underpainting is to block in the major shapes and relative values to develop the composition. I do this fast and loose. Using a single color makes it very easy to add and subtract paint rapidly without concern for the color composition or for colors going muddy. I also like using a uniform color because later I’ll let some hits of underpainting color peak through the pastel and the consistent color adds cohesion to the painting. I also often use very vivid colors to add liveliness to the finished painting.

For this painting I primarily used magenta gouache (Bengal Rose by Winsor Newton). Near the end of the process I also used a darker blue to push some of the darker values since the magenta isn’t very dark even when used thick and full strength.

When I’m using a toned support (this was Wallis Belgian Mist) I sometimes find that bits of the paper color peaking through a very light value sky can be distracting. For this reason I blocked in some very light values where I anticipated I’d be adding clouds.

Here you can see the start of the underpainting in relation to the site.

And here's the finished underpainting.

For this underpainting I used 2 colors plus white (duotone). I’ll often only use just a single color (most recently I've been drawn to magentas), and I find this works really nicely as well.

And then the final piece …

Cleaning Up Photos of Paintings in Photoshop

2009-01-23T13:00:00.000-08:00

Artists often struggle to get good professional looking photos of their work. It used to be very important when shooting slides to have pristine lighting conditions and to shoot bracketing shots at various exposures. But in this digital age I have found that with Adobe Photoshop the quality of the photo is much less important (within limits).

In my critic group I was explaining the steps I take to cleanup photos of my paintings. There was a fair amount of interest, so I thought I’d write it up for those that are curious. Following this process I can now reliably touch up a photo in just a few minutes.

First - it's a good idea to have your computer monitor calibrated. I use a product called 'color munki' from x-rite. Otherwise you might adjust a photo to look good on your monitor, but it will look wrong/incorrect elsewhere. The first time you calibrate your monitor you will probably find that the monitor needed to be tweaked quite a bit (which incidentally also points out that anyone viewing your work without a calibrated monitor is likely to see variability in the colors, so don’t get too worried about perfection if you are only cleaning up photos for use on the web).

I photograph artwork in my studio. I'm fortunate that I have good natural light, and I often rely on this. But I also have good artificial light with a mix of full-spectrum bulbs - and I find I can take photos at night with acceptable results. The photo must be in focus and evenly lit with no hot spots. But color temperature and dim lighting can be adjusted. The photo should also be nice and square in the viewfinder (it should look like a rectangle with 90 degree corners – not like a trapezoid).

Once I have the photo, these are the steps I take with Photoshop to clean it up:

Crop - cut the photo down to just the artwork. Be sure to square up the horizon line at this point if it doesn't appear level. In photoshop you can correct the horizon by dragging the mouse outside the crop box to slightly rotate the image to get the horizon level if necessary. Another great trick is to shrink the crop box so that the bottom edge overlaps the horizon, then rotate so the bottom of the crop box aligns with the horizon, and then re-stretch the crop box. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of the alignment process.
Levels - Under Image->Adjustments->Levels you will find a tool that shows a spectrograph of how much information you have across the full value range. You’ll almost always find that you have no information within the darkest darks or lightest lights. With this tool, you can slide the sliders to ‘cut out’ these unused area, and photoshop will re-stretch your existing values across the full value range. This makes a huge difference.
Color Balance (Image->Adjustments->Color Balance) - this lets you separately adjust the highlights, midtones and shadows. I find that if I adjust the highlights very slightly towards yellow and the shadows very slightly towards blue this usually brings the photo closer to the original artwork.
Exposure (Image->Adjustments->Exposure) - sometimes I take the exposure down just a touch if after these previous steps the photo seems too bright or over saturated.

If you’re unfamiliar with the tools I’ve mentioned, use Photoshop help to get some additional instructions on using any of these tools. Good luck.