I've decided to do some larger pieces - using 18 x 24 heavy Linen paper with a combination of brush and palette knife. This one I did the other day - the sky & distant hill was done using a 2 inch brush wet into wet and my loose painterly style. The ocean and beach was done with palette knife with gusto and emotion with efficiency of strokes. Of course the painting was done wet into wet - alla prima.
I first make a quick sketch of the horizon - the distant hill and the shore line - nothing fancy - just some lines to use as a guide.
I never stay within the lines - just not in my chemistry!!!
The photo has been darkened to show the lines
I load plenty of paint onto a slightly wet 2" brush or as I like to say blobs & globs of paint - "use paint like you are a Millionaire!"
I quickly throw in the sky blending the blues and white across the surface. I then using sort of a circular motion - much like you may have seen "Bob Ross" do, I continue the blending action until I get a sky/clouds look that I like - occasionally adding more blues or white as needed.
I was once told if the painting is not about
"the sky" do not make the sky too dramatic - good advice.
"the sky" do not make the sky too dramatic - good advice.
Detail of sky area
I now paint in the distant hill with the 2" brush and throw in the ocean using my palette knife - ocean at the horizon darker as it is further away and the ocean gets lighter as it proceeds forward due to the sandy bottom reflecting light back up to the surface. The shore line at an angle produces sort of a dramatic vision of a "sweeping" sandy beach.
Once again using my palette knife I toss in the sandy beach
Detail of beach
When I do the sand, I load multiple colors onto my knife in order to get variance in color and as with most palette knife work, I hold the knife blade almost flat against the painting surface so I can get variation of depth when spreading the paint.
The sand on a beach just "ain't" a nice pretty smooth surface and the palette knife loaded with blobs & globs of paint is ideal to create this uneven surface
BAM-BAM-BAM
We now have a beach and a finished painting!!!!
18 x 24
"BREAK IN THE CLOUDS"
Hope you enjoyed this demo as much as I enjoyed doing the painting
Enjoy your week my friends and remember smile at people you pass by - it will enlighten your day and their day.
JR :>)
