About Don

Don Jusko is a very talented and knowledgeable American Artist and founder of the website: RealColorWheel.Com. RealColorWheel.com is by far the most comprehensive website on the topic of color. It is jam packed with free information, lessons and tips on color that Every artist should see. Don is very excited about sharing his painting demonstration below as well as getting the word out about his site.

Here is Don’s recommendation on how to navigate through his website:

“I suggest you start on my end page (reverse to forward pages). All my pages have links backward and forward and I think my last 6 pages are very important. Especially the page that shows the colors the children used and the secondary colors they made.”

Don also stresses the importance of the following:

“Well I think this 3 color watercolor palette of mine that uses the same 3 Transparent colors that I use for printing four color process images on my 50″ giclee plotter and painting what I see on location is VERY important. http://www.realcolorwheel.com/rcwplotter.htm”

Two printing passes, one primary color over one secondary mixed color will print a black hue neutral dark. just like mixing the pigment in clear media.”

Jacaranda Trees – Acrylic Painting Demonstration

15×22, acrylic on panel -
May 20, 2002

This is two hours from the start. Using a 3/4″ sable filbert. I wet the whole support and washed in the sky. While the sky was drying I captured the grass, I went with the big areas blocking in the foliage, big branches background trees and the road. I see the tree as having a foreground, middle ground including the trunk and branches and inside background.
To get ready for tomorrow I cleaned up the posts with two coats of white.

Day 2

What a great day. A dreams come true kind of day. This morning I set up my solar power to run my computer with an inverter. Hee hee, happy camper. By 12:00 I was on location setting up. On and off all day I had to laugh, the sun was shining, the wind was blowing and it was raining. My umbrella was set so low I had a two foot space to see my view.

I’m up in the clouds tonight, 4,600 feet, Chillier … It’s great, country radio on the van’s radio, the computer on the extra battery. Alone at the top of the world. I’m a hermit at heart. Speaking about hearts, I’m staying beside an image in our mountain, The Busman’s Heart, w/c. I made a computer coloring book page from this painting.

The Jacaranda painting coming along well, not quite 100% coverage yet, but no hurry. Every day more blue flowers bloom!

This little 5×8 ink cross hatch drawing with a Pigma 01 is all I have to show for the next day.

It was to cold for me so I dropped down to my favorite spot on the mountain at the 4,000 feet elevation. It was so pretty I stayed here for the day. I need the brake after 6 mos. in the hot Lahaina sun.

I removed the painted in hi-way sign by sanding and repainting the area. I had added it in too early.

Painting Notes

Sit down and point your nose at the direction of the center of your picture. Set up your easel and be sure your support is level. Move your eyes when you look at different areas of the view, not your whole head. It’s best to look with one eye only. Follow one concentric ring across the (support, panel, canvas). This and visually marking the left and right sides of the image should give you your final painting image width.

If your painting for more then one day on location, mark everything about your easels position.
When going after accuracy not speed everything must stay in the same relative position.

Day 3

I changed the pitch of the green middle ground slope and fixed all the fence posts.
I’ve given up on trying to catch the sun so I’m spreading the cool around with a glaze of Cyan..I considered it 100% covered by 3:00.
I still haven’t got the shape of the main tree yet but I will right after this break.

I would say there are 30% more flowers today. Soon the petals will blow on the hi-way, I’ll have to be here at 6:00 in the morning to catch that. The day after tomorrow I hope.

4:48 finished for the day, ten to five, I thought I was out of that rut.. It was a perfect day, and it just happened to be my 61st birthday!

After such a great day I left for the higher levels, the 7,000 foot level of Hosmer’s Grove. Now were in the cold. I think I’ll stay here a day and give the flowers another bloomin’ chance. See the inside of the creator and another small painting.

Day 4

6:30, on the paintings location. There are petals on the road and more flowers on the tree. It’s perfect. Shortly it will warm up. A young kid on a road luge just whizzed by, it looked like he had a school backpack on.
No breaks and going 35-40 mph, kids..

I’ve taken out the left post, my perception was wrong, when I got back to basics and looked at the whole painting and viewed it with one eye and applied paint with one eye, I saw I had missed on the foreshortening.
Here it is with the white outs and the enlarging of the tree, pulling it more into foreground.

It’s 10:57 and the sun has gone for the day. Perfect timing, I got all my correction work done in the paintings with the 4:00 colors by using the same colors that were already down. Now the colors are here and I can go forward. 1:17, Got to take a break, the suns back out again. It really is a beautiful day. I won’t get cloud cover for another couple hours.
It’s 4:00, I think I’m done for the day. I never got the cloudy day. It was good for the flowers though, tomorrow should be the one where I can glaze in all my colors, I have all the shapes right.

The Geneva International Middle School bought my CD of the color course and likes it. I’m so happy. I spent the rest of the daylight hours watching polo practice, this area of Maui is cowboy country. The night was spent at the 5,000 foot level.

This is whiting out corrections, it will take two coats for a clean start.

Day 5

To catch each pattern of the tree correctly, look at the tree and paint it with one eye.
Just relax yourself, you can do it.

Using one eye to view the painting and the image, which are stacked over one another is key, the most important drawing factor.The other is to paint with two eyes open after you have mentally found your marks with one eye only

It’s been a great day, just the right amount of overcast. My strokes are getting smaller so I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

There is as much character in a tree as on a face, and much more intricate.

3:00, I’m adding the little branches that make the larger branches look real. A #3 script liner now that I have the patterns in place. I’m looking for the details that make the character of this type of tree. The petals are usually darker green underneath. that’s because they are pods of flowers, each pod sticking out from the green leaves. that always casts a shadow in the sun and even in cloudy weather. the green leaves are very small on a shaft like a feather.

I’ll try to mimic that in a stroke.

The tree is 30% covered now, way up from when I started. The petals are bluer purple in the shade and redder in the sunlight. The leaves go from a purple-green split complementary to a yellow-green opposition to the purple. It’s Great the way nature works that way.

The colors remind me of the first transparent yellow Giotto’s painted with. Arsenic, his green would have been an iron green. He couldn’t use the copper sediment which would have been better and more transparent because lead turned copper black. If he had Egypt’s tin white it would have been easier. We have come a long way since than as far as poison pigments and compatible colors are concerned but today we don’t have a transparent yellow acrylic. It’s that old Church-Ostwald Color Chart where manufactures match their colors to. We really do need an overhaul on how we use color pigments.

Here is the day 5 image.

Finished. Jacaranda Tree at the 2,000 Ft. Level

All content and images in this painting demonstration are copyright of Don Jusko and may not be copied, reprinted, published, reengineered, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission of Don Jusko.

To learn more about Don and view more of his work, please visit his website by following the link below:

http://www.realcolorwheel.com

I often browse around YouTube and other video sharing websites in search of new talent to post here on my blog.  Today I hit the motherload!   The following is a two part video demonstration of a landscape by the amazingly talented artist Maxim Grunin.  I was in absolute awe when I watched Maxim create this work of art in what seems like a matter of hours.  When you see the finished product you will be amazed as well.  The finished painting looks as though it took months or even years to create. It looks so complicated but Maxim makes it look so easy.  I think we can all learn a thing or two from this artist. I do hope you enjoy this demonstration as much as I did and I hope this inspires you to create something as equally amazing as this.

Acrylic Landscape Painting Demonstration by Maxim Grunin

Thanks for making this video available Maxim!  We appreciate you sharing your techniques with us.  If you would like to see more of Maxim’s videos, please follow this link to view his YouTube Page. You can also visit his blog by following this link.

Part 1

Part 2

About the Artist

Rod Lawrence graduated with a fine arts degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan in 1973. Since then he has been working full time as a professional artist.

Lawrence has exhibited in many group and one-man shows, including the prestigious Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s “Birds in Art” and “Wildlife: The artist’s View” shows. From these shows, his work has been chosen several times for their national tour. His art has also appeared as covers, illustrations and features in many outdoor magazines.

A log cabin in the hardwoods of northern Michigan, overlooking the North branch of the Manistee River, is home for Lawrence and his wife, Susan. The symbol preceding his signature in each of his painting shows the importance of his family in his work. The oddly shaped “S” is for his wife Susan (an accomplished basket weaver and instructor), and the “M” and “B” represent their sons, Matthew and Brett.

To learn more about Rod, please take a moment to visit his website by following the link below:

http://www.rodlawrence.com/

About this Demonstration

This acrylic painting demonstration is from the Book Titled: “Art of Acrylic Painting (Collector’s Series)“, published by Walter Foster Publishing. This demonstration was reprinted here with permission from the Artist, Rod Lawrence. All the artwork and text that appears within this demonstration is protected by Copyright laws and cannot be distributed, copied , republished or sold without the permission of the Artist. Thank you for your cooperation.

“Wolf” – An Acrylic Painting Demonstration by Rod Lawrence

Cropping In

I especially liked the angle of this wolf’s head and the bright backlighting. When cropping in on the head, I left enough negative space around it to close in on the wolf without confining it too tightly.

Step One

First I mix the overall base color for the head using cerulean blue, white, and smaller amounts of burnt umber, violet, and ultramarine blue. For the background, I create several values using many different combinations of burnt umber, cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, white and violet–sometimes adding yellow ochre and cadmium yellow light. I apply these mixes wet-on wet, blending as I paint.

Step Two

Now I transfer the main lines of the background branches from my sketch to the painting, beginning with the background mixes from step one. I apply washes of both lighter and darker values to soften the edges and slowly build up the foliage forms. Then I use a darker value on the area just to the left of the wolf, and I apply both light and dark values to the areas above and to the right of the wolf’s head. In the lower-left corner, I start to add some lighter value “holes” (the negative spaces) to the background.

Step Three

Now I wash in the background lights using a mixture of white, yellow ochre, and orange. I build the lightest areas using white mixed with yellow ochre, cadmium yellow light, and cerulean blue. Then I transfer the facial and fur details from my sketch, painting them with a slightly darker value than the base color; I also build up the eye and nose darks, applying several washes. And I add fur details with a value in between the base color and the darker values.

Step Four

When painting the lightest areas, I use thin washes and slowly build my paint into thicker layers. Then I lay on a darker value to create depth, indicating deeper areas of fur and dark markings. When painting fur, look for clumps of hair as well as color patterns. Fur varies in length and color, and it tends to clump in areas where it is thicker or where it is constantly compressed by movement. Take the time to really see how the clumps overlap, shadow each other, and weave in and out. This will help you paint fur more realistically.

Step Five

Now it’s time for color washes (see the samples below), which will enhance the wolf and begin changing the overall look of the base color in some areas. I use a lot of water, treating these mixes like subtle watercolor washes. When dry, these colors will look darker than they do when applied, so you must use some restraint when painting them. This wolf is primarily a grayish-white, so I do not want to add too much color to the body.

Buff + white +cadmium yellow light	Burnt umber + cerulean blue + ultramarine blue + white + violet + dab of yellow ochre	More burnt umber + more cerulean blue + more ultramarine blue + white + violet + dab of ochre
Burnt umber + ultramarine blue + cerulean blue + violet + dab of buff	Burnt umber + cerulean blue + ultramarine blue + white + violet	More burnt umber + cerulean blue + more ultramarine blue + white + violet

Step Six

I establish the eyes with yellow ochre and add a cadmium yellow light wash around the wolf to warm the highlights. Then I paint the next darker value, adding cerulean blue where I want a more grayish-blue and adding more burnt umber where I want more intensity and warmth.

Step Seven

Now I’ve finished with the darker values. Next I apply yellow ochre washes to the head and chest, sometimes adding burnt umber and cerulean blue. For the eyes, which need subtle washes to make them look more realistic, I also add a tiny bit of white and cadmium yellow light.

Step Eight

For more contrast, I emphasize the eyes, nose, and ears with a mix of cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, and violet. I start the wash above the eyes and between the ears, continuing over the base of the ear on the left. Next I use thicker paint to construct the darker areas. I continue adding the darker value throughout the wolf’s head, applying washes for small changes and several coats of paint to cover really dark areas. Then I mix my darkest value–burnt umber, ultramarine blue, and violet–and apply it over the last wash.

Step Nine – Final Step

With a cerulean blue, yellow ochre, violet, and white mix, I punch up the detail of the fur tips around the eyes, in the cheek and muzzle, and on the chest. Next I use white with a hint of violet to paint the backlit edges, starting with washes and then switching to thick layers of paint. I drag the tip of my round brush into the background to create the finer hair highlights. Next I add the final details, beginning with washes of white tinted with yellow around the left ear. I also paint some darker and lighter fur in the cheek and throat area to emphasize contrast. I apply a bluish-purple tint on the nose; then I stroke in the fine, delicate whiskers.

About Julie

I am a self taught artist who has been painting and interested in art all my life. My favorite medium is acrylic due to its versatility. One of my favorite things to do is teach painting to other people. I currently teach classes and we couldn’t have more fun if we tried. It’s just so gratifying to see the excitement on student’s faces when they see what they can accomplish with a little instruction and effort. When your ready to forget the theory and produce the art, visit http://www.IamPainting.org. Learn Painting Techniques and create your own remarkable portraits or landscapes.

Tuscan Landscape – Acrylic Painting Tutorial By Julie Shoemaker

Use whichever brush you feel comfortable with. I usually use a flat bristle brush for most of my work. And remember there is no right or wrong way to paint! If your painting doesn’t turn out like mine – then congratulations! You created a unique one of a kind painting.

Sky – First wet the sky area or top half of canvas with white gesso.

Then with a little yellow and a touch of orange added to the same brush, start at bottom of the sky area and work your way up. Use long horizontal strokes. Take the strokes right off the canvas while blending the yellows and orange into the white gesso as you work upward. Gently blend right up towards the top of canvas. Wipe the brush off with a paper towel.

Now add a touch of ultramarine blue and purple to the brush and start at the top of the canvas and work your way downward in the same fashion as you did the yellows.

The bottom part of the painting is under painted with any earth tone colors. Nothing fancy here!

Use sky colors (a mixture of white blue and purple) and paint in furthest hills – mountains. Notice how these hills show very little detail and are very soft looking.

Darken the mountain (sky) color and paint in next layer of hills. You want to make sure that you let some of the previous mountains show. Keep the tops interesting with some variations.

Add some earth tone to the very distant hills. You can use browns, tan, etc. Keep it dull though. Just add white to dull paint color. These are in the center of painting.

Add some hunter green and start dabbing or scrubbing in the bushes. This should be a dull green.

Landscapes typically get darker and more vivid as you work forward.

Lay in the foreground hills. (you will do the one the left first) Make this one lighter to look like sunlight is hitting it.

To do this start on the left of the painting and pull the paint brush into the center of the painting. Notice the slope of this hill. If you want you could add some rows of green for a field of crops look. (see next picture)

Now darken the mixture and add the hill on the right. Darken it with browns or tans. Too much green will make your picture look unnatural. This hill will be painted the same way but starting on the right side of the painting pulling the paint into the painting and overlapping the previous hill. Continue painting until the entire canvas is covered.

Don’t over blend! Let variations of color show.

Now start adding the tall trees.
If you are using a flat bristle brush, hold it on the side and dab on the paint in the shape of the tree.

In the background they will be duller – or lighter. The ones in the foreground are hunter green. Add purple to the paint to darken the side that will be in shadow.

Add some tree shadows to the ground.

Add one more foreground hill in the very front. The more layers – the more depth your painting will have

Add touches of reds or oranges for flowers, and some tiny shadows if you want to. Highlight the trees. (use yellow or light green and dab in brightness on the sun side of the trees)

You could easily be finished with your painting now, and let the dramatic tall tree shadows be the focus.

Or…Add some houses. Just draw in simple house shapes paint in the shapes with “dirty white “ and red for roofs. For shadows on the house, darken the roof color under the eaves. Dry brush in some white for highlights on the roof. Add a touch of orange for lights in the houses.

Add birds – Birds are just little v’s – Practice first and keep then dainty! and sign your painting….

About Terry

Terry Honstead is an artist that enjoys using all kinds of media. Her favorite is acrylic collage, but watercolor collage and glass work are a close second! Feel free to check her work at: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/terry-honstead.html or email her at honstead@paulbunyan.net. She doesn’t have a website at this moment, but it is in the works. She lives and works as a full time artist in Bemidji, MN.

Acrylic Collage Demonstration

Step One

I am using Multimedia Artboard for this piece. I started out finding some pictures and papers that I wanted to use. The diamond pattern, the stripes, and the snake pattern came from tissue paper that I found. I added some musical notes from a music book with a copyright from the early 1900’s. The pictures were from some I found in the public domain. I cut what I wanted and “glued” them onto my 18 x 24 Artboard. I also use watercolor paper and canvas at times. Any of them will work. I glue the papers on with matte medium if they are very lightweight (like the tissue) or with soft gel gloss if they are heavier (like the paper with grass in it ). Then you need to let your paper dry. I usually dry mine over night so as to be sure it is very dry!

Step Two

After coming back to my painting, I first put on some acrylic glazes over the whole page. ( here I used Sap Green Hue, Quinacridone Crimson, and Quinacridone / Nickel Azo Gold) When the glazes were dry (you can dry them with a hair dryer), I added some thicker paint with a large piece of cork with the green (the cork is about 3 1/2 in. in diameter. I also used a small wine cork for the smaller circles. I applied Violet Oxide with a pallet knife on top of a piece of gridded plastic. and removed the plastic right away. Be sure to wash the plastic immediately after using it on one spot, and before you put it in another spot. You can use other found objects to stamp paint or use as a stencil. I often use things such as card board, bubble wrap, plastic wrap, gauze, etc. At this point, I decided to put some found objects on the papers to add more texture. I used gauze, skeleton leaves, and eyelash yarn. Again I let it dry over night

Step Three

I decided that I didn’t like the bright red colors (the Alizarin Crimson) of the painting so I put white gesso over some parts of the painting to tone it down. Once that was dry, I put a glaze over the whole painting with Quinacridone/ Nickle Azo Gold.

Step Four

Once the gold glaze was dry, I did add some spots of violet oxide with my pallet knife on various areas to bring out that color some more. Next I had to decide what the subject of my painting was going to be. I decided on a mother and baby giraffe. I tried to draw it on, but found I could not see the picture at all, so I drew it on with white paint instead. I also put in the black for the eyes and nostrils. When “drawing” this onto the painting, I used some of my found objects that were three dimensional, to use as parts of the drawing. (See the dark line of the mother’s mouth)

Step Five

Next, I used Titan Buff to tone down the white of the areas between the spots. Also begin to use Raw Umber along the outside of the animals so as to differentiate the animals from the background, fading it as you go further from the animals.

Step Six

Continue to darken the outside and build up the colors in the animals

Step Seven

I decided I needed to add some color to the background to help differentiate it. I put several glazes of Turquoise (Phthalo), while still continuing to add more details to the giraffes

Step Eight

Continue to darken and add details until you are satisfied with the result. Don’t forget to sign your painting.