About Steve Fleming

Good art is the result of hard work and dedication. It only happens when the artist finds his or her own story to tell and then learns to do so with his or her own unique language.

I am an artist who works in watercolor and acrylic, and I teach both for The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia, as well as workshops across the country and abroad. My goal as an artist is to be creative; my goal as a teacher is to help my students learn to interpret the world around them, not to promote the belief the goal of art is the perfect rendering of a subject. One of my core messages: art is a creative process and is not just the sum total of the work we sell. In this era of digital cameras, I caution artists to look — really look both inside and outside — for the subject matter that lights our artistic fires. Otherwise, our work will be lacking everything but technique.

Click over to my blog for behind-the-scenes insight into some of my paintings in progress, musings and a few complimentary lessons for you to take and learn from.

Enjoy. — Steve Fleming

Creative Jumpstart

The “Creative Jumpstart” section of  Steve’s blog is designed to help all artists, regardless of medium, with ideas to get them thinking in expressive ways. They are intended to take about 30 minutes to an hour to finish and are warm-ups not finished paintings. Each one has a specific focus, such as gestural drawing with color accents, and they will be of value to artists of all levels. I plan to do at least 1 per week and hope to challenge readers to really broaden their horizons and move beyond their comfort zones. Along the way the artists will enhance their skills in drawing, color usage and have general less fear when being creative.

Follow this link to learn more!

Opaque Figure Painting Demo

18 x 24 opaque watercolor on 140lb arches cold press paper

This demonstration will show you how to use strong transparent colors as an under painting, and then a fairly dry application of more opaque colors, Titanium white, Naples Yellow from Da Vinci, and Coastal Fog, Peachy Keen and Sky Blue from Cheap Joes’s American Journey line of watercolor. Two things to know before starting are that you apply the opaque colors with a very stiff brush, ox hair filbert or one of the really expensive Skipper Brushes from Cheap Joes, you need the stiff hairs to push the paint on to the paper, and then you need to remember to shake the extra water out of the brush when applying opaque colors. You need some water to make it spread but too much will really dilute the under color and create a nasty, cloudy mess.

Start the painting with a simple line drawing of a figure, no details are important, you are just looking for an interesting shape to apply broad passages of colors.

I must tell you now I think my drawing is pretty boring but sometimes even the instructor has moments of lack of expressiveness. The painting is basically just a warm toned figure with a cool background. Really use bright colors because the opaque colors will grey them out when you put them on top.

After I get the drawing on the paper, I use some Higgins Eternal Black ink to create some nice dark accents on the edge of the figure. For the ink I am using a regular no. 12 wash brush.

Without letter the ink dry I mover right into the rich passages of transparent watercolors. I am using New Gamboge, Cadmium Scarlet, Cobalt Blue, Skip’s Green from American Journey, and Olive Green. I put the colors down in a middle value with very little water.

Again without letting the transparent washes dry I begin to over paint with the opaque colors.

I really control the water in the brush, I shake the brush into a trash can that sits right next to me, and try not to over rub the paint, I want a nice interplay between the under painting and the opaque colors. I work on the edges of the figure with the edge of my brush charged with rich thick whites and Coastal Fog. I also use the occasional knife to scratch the edge.

I pull some of the background colors across the edge of the colors on the figure. I really try to modify the edges with scraping, and the use of dry brush paint.

Now I start to adjust the colors adding warmer and cooler colors into the broad passages in the background. All of the time I am thinking of edges and the variety of color. Keep moving without letting the paint dry, don’t add water because at this point, watery paint will push a hole in the color. It will be very hard to fix later.

I get to the end of the painting and I find the background is boring and flat. By adding more whites, grays and blues, I begin to get a more interesting look.

I modify the edges and colors merging the figure in and out of the background. It is not a great painting but it does works as a solid demonstration.

Keys to remember:

Don’t rub the paint

Use a stiff brush for the opaque colors

Use less water with the paint

Really work on the edges.

By Philip Howe

The following oil painting demonstration is courtesy of Philip Howe . When you are finished viewing this demonstration, please take a moment to visit Philip’s site to view more of his artwork and to learn more about him.

You may also be interested in Philip’s New Book:

“Angels – The Artwork of Philip Howe”

This book is 134 full-color pages of the beautiful artwork of Philip Howe. The reproductions are from his spiritual and dream series of oil paintings, with dozens of images, exclusive close-up shots from the originals, and over 40 pages of demonstrations for artists and collectors. It is printed on soft matte paper, the same as our quality prints, so the color is rich and clean, with each spread designed to fit the images.

Follow this link for more details on the book.

Morning- demo using oil over gouache technique

This painting is all about color and light, so I pushed my usual palette to try and achieve a nice tonal effect that suggests the first light of morning, that magical time of only a few minutes where the cooler ambient glow gives way to warm sunlight.

On this piece I used an old technique of gouache, a water-soluable opaque medium, as an underpainting for the oil. I did a fairly loose drawing with pencil then spray fixed the drawing a few times with light coats. I took a 3″ house painter’s type brush and quickly blocked in all the major areas of color using a lot of gouache mixed in a plate as I progressed.

The gouache drys very quickly and leaves stroke edges so to get a soft effect here and there, I used an airbrush with only water in it to mist areas then took a soft mop brush and simply blurred the areas. This leaves a nice, smooth base on a gessoed board or thick watercolor stock, but on canvas, it absorbs into the weave and is fairly stubborn about moving around the surface even with a heavier mist. For my purposes here, I just need a good color base that allows me to pull out the highlights and achieve quick chiaroscuro lighting.

The gouache leaves a gritty pull, unlike acrylic or even oil washes, and is an ideal surface for pastel. I checked with a few conservators and they agreed that it makes a very good underpainting for oil and is very permanent, so long as you stay away from the fugitive processed colors which contain dyes for commercial purposes.

Same size concept rough

Gouache block in

Gouache subtracted or pulled out from soft color areas

The top image is the gouache fully brushed on and smoothed over with just a few highlights pulled out of the mountain area in the lower left. This is ‘subtractive’ painting, a technique used by many illustrators in various ways. One method is to do a very finished pencil drawing then coat the drawing with gouache or oil. This requires very little opaque work as the half-tone drawing beneath is simialr to a tinted photo and the realism is immediate.

The value, or lightness and darkness of the image, is based more on the accuracy and completeness of the drawing rather than the color that goes over it. So I have always looked at subtractive work as more like colored draings than painted pieces, but the effect can look beautiful and rich since the colors are thin and often luminous. Some of my favorite illustrators use this approach. Its fast and easy and produces a beautiful effect once you learn how to control the thin color without opaquing for corrections. Once you opaque an area, it defeats the translucent effect, but you can let that dry and glaze over this area if needed.

The lower image shows the full painting with pulled out areas to create highlights, using various wet brushes, Q-tips, rags or whatever else thats absorbent enough to pull off the dry color. The cool thing about subtractive painting is that the thin color over white, once pulled out, leaves a tint, or lighter natural highlight of the surrounding area. And the added benefit of the gouache is its reworkable, to a degree, simply by spraying more water over it and buffing the area again, I usually use oils over a tighter drawing, but the oil effect is a bit more time demanding to get right before it drys and gets sticky if you try spraying a solvent over it, like turps or mineral spirits (which you should never breath in anyway). Since most of my work is very inventive, as in the mountains, foreground, wing and sky here, I can work without rushing and worrying if the paint will dry too soon for me to play with the overall tone until I get it right as a base for the oils. With gouache, I can wait years and come back to this point and just keep going until I get the effect I want.

Gouache highlights pulled out of rock area

Above, the rocks are a natural area for contrast lighting and the subtractive approach. The highlights are simply stains left from pulling off the paint. With gouache, its very easy to add opaque hightlights, say a white here and there, by simply painting on opaque color. You can even easily airbrush a soft tone or if the panel is stiff enough as this one is here, canvas backed with masonite to keep it from flexing, I could add dry pastel for some nice drawn lines and color strokes, then seal it with fixative. You can also erase or even sand areas, depending on the surface worked on.

You probably shouldn’t sand canvas, but on masonite or a gessoed panel, this could create some interesting abstract texture effects. On the sides of the work, I flipped a wet brush and splashed on water then quickly pulled it off with a towell. I never use paper towells as this leaves paper fibres and lint. Water based paints can add a lot of interesting techniques to keep the painting process interesting and the advantage of gouache allows for an much longer working time for certain effects than oils or acrylics.

Oil over fixed gouache, first coat

Oil for body base over gouache underpainting

Glazed yellow coloring over white contrast underpainting

The top image shows the additional white gouache highlights I painted in opaqely, just prior to spray fixing the gouache and adding any oil. The rich tone that immediately comes through from the oil enhances the gouache base and builds a solid color look without much additional effort. Over this I added additional glazes to build up the gold tones until I felt it had a solid feeling overall without loosing the ethereal quality I prefer.

Working on toning down the wing area

Above, the figure is nearly finished but the wing still looks too heavy, or gaudy. I want it to fade back more so here I plan to use complemetary color in semi-opaque layers to force the wing to recede and lighten up a bit. A disadvantage to the gouache base is the tendency to use bright colors and wash in color too hot for the intended area. I used to teach this technique to enthusiastic students wanting to jump into color after sealing a tight drawing on illustration board or gessoed panel.

The interesting thing is that nearly every student, out of hundreds, would invariable go for hot, even bright colors without considering atmosphere or natural color harmony to create a realistic painting from. I think thats part of the lure of gouache- these small tubes of rich, opaque color that easily flood the surface and look very illustrative.

Bright, hot color may help sell illustrations for book covers but it takes a more sophisticated approach to control a more grayed palette. This is why I use a plate as a gouache palette, with cool hues on one side and warm ones on the other- the more saturated colors are easily muted and grayed down by simply smearing warm into cool or vice versa. I have to remind myself to do this on the palette, as unlike oil, once the color is down, you can’t simply mix the paint around on the canvas. The best gouache painters seem to know this and put well calculated strokes down opaquely. Gouache on canvas is difficult to blend, but gouache on a paper surface is very easy with a soft, wet brush stroke in a scratching motion and a light touch.

Final toned down wing area

Lower right side showing gouache through oil glazing

Above, the lower right rock area came out well. I think I like this area as more of the gouache base shows through and you can see the pulled out area where I played with the paint, pushing it around and freely drawing forms from the stained area. This is similar in appearance to a fully glazed oil on canvas, but the look here comes primarily from the gouache with one two thin glazes on top for additional color.

This shot of the final, below, is fairly accurate, showing rich coloring and an overall wash of light cascading across from the left. I had first mounted the canvas on a 1/4′ masonite panel using glue, and on the back, thin wood strips for additional support along the outer edge. The framing, which I prefer to do in my studio, should be easy to fit because the edge is somewhat thnnner than streched canvas. In the future, however, I may glue thin strips to the back of masonite or find a lighter weight support thats acid free, then simply stretch the canvas around the board so that it can be removed easier if need be.

Morning final gouache/oil on canvas mounted to masonite 4×5′

Final head detail

About Karin

Karin Wells is an artist of amazing versatility. She graduated with honors from both the New England School of Art and Design, Boston, 1965, and the Butera School of Art, Boston, 1986. Karin has enjoyed a career as an award-winning graphic designer, illustrator and sign painter. She also taught Life Drawing and Painting for many years. She has most recently studied for three years at The New England School of Classical Painting in Greenfield, New Hampshire, under the direction of Numael Pulido.

To expand her craft, Karin has traveled throughout Europe studying the Old Masters. Her art reflects the deep influence of these great works. Karin demonstrates a remarkable facility for likeness and for the use of light.

The artist is a member of The American Society of Portrait Artists, Portrait Society of America, The Portrait Society of Atlanta, and The Copley Society of Boston.

To learn more about Karin and to view more of her amazing work, be sure to visit her website and blog by following the links below:

Website: http://www.karinwells.com/

Blog: http://karinwells.blogspot.com/

If you would like to be notified when Karin updates her blog, be sure to click the “Follow” link in the upper left hand corner of her blog.

Painting Skin Tones – One Layer at a Time

There’s a Zen to painting in layers.

You have got to enjoy the process or this isn’t the method for you….(but don’t worry, there are lots of ways to paint a portrait & get a similar result). Personally I like any way that is easy. And this is pretty easy – but alas, it isn’t fast ’cause you just have to wait for those layers to dry before moving on.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

-Ursula K. LeGuin

On the left side is a picture of the last completed layer (uncorrected).

On the right is the current layer (uncorrected).

That short journey from left to right is the subject of this little mini- demo on how to paint a layer on a face. (Of course, the same process works for hands, feet, all skin showing).

I use this method (multiple layers) to build light and form in small increments in order to get the luminosity of the Old Masters.

The more layers I paint – the more luminous it gets.

This example is only one of the many “middle layers” and merely illustrates a small (and relatively easy) step that goes into painting a portrait.

This particular face is small, only 3.25 inches high and this entire layer (shown) here only takes me half an hour (more or less). It is a lot easier and faster than it looks – really!

The hard part is waiting for my paint to dry so I can begin to build the next layer.

While I wait, however, I work on background, clothing, props, other paintings, this blog, run errands, eat lunch…you get the idea.

This is the corrected face from the last demo on losing/finding a likeness. It is now ready for yet another layer.

I begin by reinforcing the lights (Titanium White) and the darks (Raw Umber thinned with Liquin) to increase the contrast. I try to avoid hard edges in this.

I let this dry thoroughly (i.e., overnight).

This is the palette I use in a layer. It does not matter if the skin tone is light or dark…the colors are the same but obviously the values will be different.

I mix/match the approximate skin tone (raw umber, burnt umber, raw sienna, titanium white), mix it with Liquin and scumble it over the entire face.

Note that my paint is never so thick that I cannot see through it to the layer below.

See why I reinforced the darks & lights to bump up the contrast?

Into the wet surface, I add color. See my demo on Old Master Color Banding in Portraiture for particulars.

I blend those colors in.

This is how I mix “The Universal Color of Light.”

I use this “Universal Color of Light” to build light on the face (or just about anywhere).

If the light looks chalky, I add more yellow.

If the light looks too yellow, I add more white.

I continue pulling the light down into the face. I am only working with light – not color.

I continue adding light. I locate and reinforce the centers of light with thicker paint.

I add more light, work it in and let the light build and define the form.

I continue to define the form with light.

I add even more light into the centers of light (as defined by the highlights).

I work this light in and build form. I allow the light to go into the hair.

This layer is done and it must be allowed to dry thoroughly.

I did correct the above pix, then went on and painted the next layer below.

ABOVE: Here is a peek at the next layer (uncorrected as to likeness, without a skin tone glaze and ill-defined features). The light is now so thick you cannot see the weave of the canvas through it. I’ve started to work on the hair. I wish this photo wasn’t so small – it is really quite a jump forward.

This is a detail. You can see the color locked underneath as I build light on this face.

Next:

*
I’ll correct the likeness and define the features with raw umber and let it dry.

*
Next I’ll glaze this back into a skin tone and let it dry.

*
Then I’ll match a scumble to the skin tone and work color (bands) into the face

*
I’ll let this dry – and repeat the process if necessary.

Considering how “unfinished” this stage looks right now, it is relatively quick and easy to transform a face with several layers of light into a finished face.

This is a detail showing how the light flows over the face with what is underneath still being visible. Do NOT paint around features like eyes, eyebrows – and don’t be afraid to paint over the entire face in order to define the light. It is the paint that shows through that gives a painting its subtle beauty of form.

NOTE: I usually do the face LAST as the skin tones are really determined by what surrounds it (i.e., the background). So I’m going to stop working on the face now and bring the rest of this painting into being before I get all the color into this face.

I just keep repeating this entire layering process until the face tells me when it is time to stop and finish.

“Everything the same; everything distinct.”

- Zen Proverb

Grab a cup of virtual coffee and stop by my Painting Studio to see what’s happening. Also come visit my Portrait & Landscape Galleries.

One of the most difficult and challenging aspects of figure and portrait painting is learning how to mix realistic and believable flesh tones.  There really is no set formula to recording flesh tones.  The color you use to paint flesh really depends on the rest of the colors in your painting.  Its the relationship of colors in your painting that is most important.  That being said however, it is always helpful to have a starting point or to see how other artists record human skin on canvas. The following post contains resources to help you. I have done my best to include information on a variety of mediums including oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolor and pastels.

Please Be aware: Some of the following videos and articles may contain tasteful nudity.

Website Articles/Demonstrations

Forum discussion on painting shadows

Painting Skin Tones – One Layer at a Time

Portrait Painting and How to Paint Skin Tones

Setting a Palette with the Portrait Colors

Painting Skin Tones

Painting Skin Tones In Oils

Mixing Skin Tones

Creating Flesh Tones for Oil Painting

Painting Flesh

Painting The Luminous Skin

Ron Lemen: Skin Tones Part 1

Ron Lemen: Skin Tones Tutorial Part 2/Painting Heads

Creating Realistic Flesh Tones In Your Oil Painting

Eye and Flesh tone Painting Guide

Ethnic Skintones

Skin Tone Pallet: (caucasian) – Mixing Your pallet for your figure painting or portrait

Videos

How to mix flesh tones: Painting-Course.Com

Xhatch — Mixing a Base Flesh Tone

Oil Painting Techniques : How to Mix Oil Paint Colors

Watercolor Painting : How to Paint Skin Colors

Watercolor Painting: Skin Tone

Painting Skin Tones in Watercolor- Fairy Art Painting Demonstration Tutorial

Painting out a Few Skin Tones with DANIEL SMITH Quinacridone Watercolors

Mixing Skin Tones with DANIEL SMITH Quinacridone Watercolors

How to mix skin tones with paints

How to Mix Skin Tones

Brown Skin Tone Demo

Portrait Painting Techniques with PanPastel

How To Draw – Creating Flesh Tones in Pastels

Painting Skin Tones

Sharon Sprung: Understanding Value in Skin Tones

Skin Tones part 1.

Skin Tones part 2.

Demi Lovato Painting + Skin Tone Tutorial

Oil Painting: Skin Tone

I found a couple of excellent videos today on how to draw realistic hair by artist Darrel Tank. Darrel is an amazing artist and author of the website: http://www.fivepencilmethod.com/.  Darrel has perfected a unique technique for drawing amazingly realistic portraits and I invite you to visit his website above to learn more about him and his portrait drawing techniques.

Below are two videos Darrel created that demonstrate his technique on how to draw realistic hair in your portraits.  I know his techniques are going to be a huge help for beginners who are struggling with portrait drawing, especially with drawing hair.  Enjoy !

How to Draw Realistic Hair Demo | Part 1 of 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpMZ8bo1Jz8

How to Draw Realistic Hair Demo | Part 2 of 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcYdizSG4l4