For your inspiration today is Isaac Levitan’s Trail in Deciduous Forest, Ferns. This painting is a great lesson on simplification, feature details, and analogous colors. Dimensions: 10.6 x 15 inches (27 × 39 cm) Year Created: 1895 Medium: Oil on Canvas Current Location: Saint Petersburg, State Russian Museum Click here to download a high-resolution photo … Read more
I recently put the finishing touches on my painting Montville, Lush Greens, Rainy Day. This was a tricky one with all the plants, leaves, flowers, and trees weaving in and out of focus. All up, it took about five hours spread over several sessions. The last couple of hours were just spent tinkering and adjusting … Read more
(My “On the Easel” posts give you a behind-the-scenes look at what I am working on, what went well, what went wrong, and lessons learned.) Below is one of my recent paintings, Montville, Red, Yellow, and Green. It depicts the beautiful landscape of Montville, Queensland, Australia. We spent a few nights there around the end … Read more
Below is Sierra Nevada. It’s perhaps my favorite recent painting. Let’s take a look at how I painted it. Reference Photo and Study Below is the reference photo I painted from. It was taken by my brother from his hike through America. Given the recent lockdowns around the world, I have been exploring other sources … Read more
Let’s take a closer look at Woman With a Parasol by Claude Monet. This painting embodies Impressionism and Monet’s work. A fleeting moment captured with light colors and fresh strokes. I’ll cover: (You can download a high-resolution version of the painting here. You get to see Monet’s strokes with remarkable clarity.) Key Facts and Ideas … Read more
Here’s another painting based on one of my brother’s photos from his hike across America. It’s a showcase of nature’s light, color, and texture. Reference Photo and Study Here’s the reference photo I painted from (thanks again Tim). Feel free to paint it yourself. Tim doesn’t mind. Just let us know how it turns out. … Read more
Below is Morning Lookout. It depicts Toowoomba’s landscape (Queensland, Australia), just before the sun peered above the horizon. All of nature’s pastel colors were out to play. Reference Photo and Color Studies Here’s the reference photo I painted from: I also painted a few watercolor studies on location (see below). I haven’t touched watercolors in … Read more
I’ve been experimenting lately with color ranges and techniques. I’m particularly interested in high key value ranges, where all the colors are pushed towards the light end of the value scale. Below is a recent high-key painting based on Maleny’s beautiful landscape. The idea was to capture the midday sun’s shimmering colors and sense of … Read more
Let’s take a look at my recent painting, Maleny, Late Afternoon. It captures the tranquil landscape as the sun’s warmth battles nature’s cool greens. Reference Photo and Study Below is the reference photo. Feel free to try and paint it yourself. I also painted the following small study in preparation. Though it ended up being … Read more
I recently put the finishing touches on Tree, Dappled Light. A simple painting with some challenging aspects. Reference Photo I painted from the following reference photo. I believe it was taken in Tasmania some time ago, but the location is hardly relevant. This is a study of trees and nature rather than a specific location. … Read more