Plein Air Convention 2014 - Another Demo

FogLights

8x10"

Oil on Linen on Panel
DPW

Notes on the

DEMOS GALORE

and all the great words of wisdom...starting with:

 Joseph McGurl

"Nature is a mix of order and chaos"

Order to make it real and chaos to make it natural.

 

 Joseph started his demo with a warm undertone on the canvas.  

He explained that part of creating that wonderful effect of sun light for this painting is making the white warmer and slightly darker as you go back in space and cooler as it comes forward.

(Great tips, because I wouldn't have instinctively thought that the light would get warmer moving back in space.)

 The effect is also enhanced by showing the light reflecting on the cliffs around the lightest areas, lighter at the lower end of the cliffs.

A tree is either in light or in shadow, very little in the middle.

Change your methods - you'll get different results
You can't solve every problem the same way.

When it comes to making the color work, ask yourself:

Is it too light or too dark?

Does it need to be cooler or warmer? 

Tools to try:

A Wallpaper plastic painting scraper - for making straight horizon lines

 Liquin - impasto

longer flexible palette knives - good for introducing that chaos.

Gamblin Flake White Replacement - Stiff Paint good to use on top

Fan brushes

Hansen Yellow - holds the yellow punch

I learned a lot and it is always fascinating to hear other artists' view on their individual approach, as I'm in the quest of finding my own way - or perhaps accepting my own way:-)
Joseph considers himself a Contemporary Luminist and I appreciate what he said about his technique in regards to the surface.   He doesn't want people to know about how he did something so he obscures the brush marks.  That way he continued: "It's not about me and my marks, more about the meaning of life - existence - nature and physics."

As he said that I realized that I do like to see the brush marks, showing the confident commitment to the process, a sense of the fresh impression of something...haha... I don't always achieve it....but I want to!