2008 August :Art Instruction For Beginners

Artist Spotlite – Anita Lee

Artist: Anita Lee

Location: Originally From California, Now Living In Chapala, Jalisco Mexico

Title: “Boats on Lake Chapala”

Dimensions: 36×24

Medium: Pastel On Board

Comments From The Artist: I am a board member of the Ajijic Society of the Arts where we try to create and nurture a community for all mediums of the arts in the Chapala region. The membership is primarialy comprised of Americans and Canadians with a few Mexicans who are always welcome even though the meetings tend to be conducted in English.

Tags: artist spotlight, Artist Spotlite, original art, original pastel paintings, pastel original paintings, pastel paintings original

Artist Spotlite – Dan Young

Artist: Dan Young

Location: Big Island of Hawaii

Title: “Hawaii’s Red Road Sunrise”

Dimensions: 16×20

Medium: Oil on Birch Panel

Website: http://www.danyoungartist.com

Comments From The Artist: This Impressionist Hawaii Tropical landscape is of a rural red cinder road on the East side of the Big Island of Hawaii….. Life here is very dramatic with amazing sunrises, torrential rain, then puffy multicolored clouds drifting lazily by. At sunset there can be turquoise water, teal and ultramarine skies with violet, scarlet and blazing yellow clouds, framed with swaying coconut palms. This road is a true Zen experience with a canopy of mango, mahogany and waving coconut trees , pounding surf and salt water scents. Life is grand living here just 10 miles from where lava is pouring into the ocean, creating a steam cloud that billows thousands of feet into the air. There is a true connection with the ancient lives and current experience of all things nature. The cycles are very present here from full moons, clouds, waves, tides. Sunrises and sunsets are celebrated every day.

Tags: artist spotlight, Artist Spotlite, dan young, hawaii paintings, Oil Painting, original art, original artwork

Oil Painting Technique – Painting Drips and Drops – Part #2

How to paint water drops on a horizontal surface in four easy steps. By Karin Wells

This little 8″ x 10″ painting has a lot of water drops. I like to add fun (and fast) details to a dry painting surface at the end.

I posted the largest file allowed for this so you could see better detail if you click on the above picture.

Here’s how to do it when the light source comes from the upper left:

Karin Wells Demo 2

DROP STEP 1

I use a dark color – raw umber works for me but any transparent dark will do. You are making the shape of a drop. A cast shadow will be on the lower right (i.e., Darker).

This particular view is from the side on a horizontal surface. If you had a top view, for example, you would draw it differently of course, but the principle is exactly the same.

Karin Wells Demo 3

Detail (above)

Karin Wells Demo 4

DROP STEP 2

You will be looking through the water and it creates a soft shadow on the top left and the harder, sharper cast shadow on the lower right.

Karin Wells Demo 5

More detail (above)

Karin Wells Demo 6

DROP STEP 3

Light will be reflected on the top right and will define the top of the drop.

I use Zinc White so the original color shows through. The light does NOT touch the shadow and the color of the surface shows through between the light and shadow.

Karin Wells Demo 7