Chontele, Elora, and I recently got back from a short trip to Montville in Queensland, Australia. It’s a quiet town in the Sunshine Coast hinterlands. The weather was miserable by usual standards, but it felt right for the area and its lush plants and sweeping hills. A dense mist filled the air. Even at midday, … Read more
I have been fond of painting high-contrast scenes lately. Below is one I’m currently working on, Minnippi, Green, Contrast. High-contrast paintings are stunning when they work, but garish when they don’t. It’s a careful balance between pushing the contrast without overdoing it and whilst making sure the painting works as a whole. In light of … Read more
Let’s take a closer look at Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d’Ognes by Marie Denise Villers. I first saw this painting at the European Masters exhibition. It was a popular painting in a room full of great art. I’ll cover: (Click here to see a high-resolution photo of the painting.) Who Painted It? There has … Read more
Last week, Chontele, Elora, and I visited the Van Gogh Alive exhibition here in Brisbane. It was good, especially if you’re a fan of van Gogh’s work. The main feature was a room filled with floor-to-ceiling screens showcasing van Gogh’s work. We were taken on a journey through his inspired and tragic life. There were … Read more
Broken color is a wonderful technique. Done well and your colors will vibrate and shimmer. It can transform even the most basic of subjects. Take Monet’s haystack series for example. Let’s take a look at some of the techniques you can use to convey broken color. The Multicoloured Brush Strokes How to perform: Pick up a … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: Time-Lapse Finished Painting Progress Shots Reference Photo Click here to download the full resolution reference photo. If you ever want to learn more, you might be interested in my Painting Academy course. Thanks! Dan Scott drawpaintacademy.com
Let’s take a look at how to paint overlapping objects. As you might already know, I’ve been working on a tree series lately. The main challenge with this series has been dealing with the complex arrangement of overlapping objects. All the leaves, branches, sky, grass, dappled light, and shadows are so tightly woven together it … Read more
(This follows from my previous email: Traveling and Painting.) A few readers asked how I go about traveling with wet paintings. That’s a good question, as oil paint can take a few days to dry to touch. I only recently started using Guerrilla Painter boxes. These things have made painting on location much easier. I have two 6×8 boxes … Read more
One of Claude Monet’s defining processes was to paint the same subject over and over again under different conditions. The constant subject allowed him to carefully study the often subtle relationships between color and light. I have been following in Monet’s footsteps for the last two months. Every few days, I go for a run … Read more
In my last post, I took you on a virtual journey of the European Masterpieces exhibition that took place here in Brisbane, Australia. Someone commented that each painting is so beautiful it warrants individual study. I agree. So over the next few weeks, I’m going to be taking a closer look at a handful of … Read more
I attended the European Masterpieces exhibition the other day with Chontele, Elora, and my parents. On arrival, we were met with a line that spanned from the entrance, all the way across the front of the building, and around the corner. Not what you want to see when you are with a nearly 4-month-old baby. … Read more
I found some of my childhood paintings the other day. They were stored away in a dusty corner of my parents’ garage. I figured you might like to see them. They aren’t masterpieces, but they are invaluable to me as they represent the start of my lifelong journey at the easel. I always find it interesting … Read more