Linseed oil and clouds

A couple years ago I found a second-hand book called "Traditional Oil Painting" by Virgil Elliott. It contained many technical tips that made sense; the book was more up-to-date than most. Finally last week I took a closer look and found there was also a website: Link (and even a Facebook group).

One useful idea I've taken away is that you don't need turps or even odorless mineral spirits to clean your brushes as you paint. You don't even have to switch to water-based paints. You can simply use linseed oil. I tried this and it works. I bought a container of raw linseed oil at the hardware store and used that to clean my brushes as I painted. (I'm not sure if "raw" is the best kind to buy for this but that's all they had.) He suggests you first dab your paint onto the rag, then dip it in the oil, dab again on the rag and repeat once more. Then for painting, of course, you use the art store version.

"Cloud Study"
10x15cm, oil on gessoed hardboard 

More flowers!

"Cheerful Bouquet"
13x18cm, oil on canvas

I'd been meaning to try the same subject using two different mediums ever since Carol Marine posted the challenge on Daily Paintworks last year. So, today I decided to try an oil painting of the photo by Denise McGuillan that I'd already drawn in colored pencil in April. She posted this in the Free Reference Photos for Artists Facebook group, which is useful when you're stuck indoors looking for inspiration. My first version below dates back to a rainy period in April and the new one above got me through the last day of our recent heatwave (31°C in June in Belgium!).

"Flower Lines"

14.9x21cm, colored pencil on Daler Rowney Heavyweight drawing paper

“Le Pont Boïeldieu à Rouen, temps mouillé” d’après Pissarro

Pissarro started doing "series" paintings when he was 62 years old. He would rent a room with an interesting view and work on several canvases, studying various light effects and documenting urban life. I like his paintings of port activity in Rouen so tried copying this one to learn more about his technique. His dabs of paint expertly suggest people, horses, carriages, trams, windows, water, awnings, umbrellas, and so forth. The colors in my version are brighter than the reproduction I consulted but, in any case, it's difficult to get an idea of the true colors of a painting without having seen the original and this one is in a museum in Ontario.  

 

I was not aware of Pissarro's urban landscapes until I came across the book "The Impressionist and the City, Pissarro's Series Paintings," published on the occasion of an exhibit that was held in Dallas, Philadelphia and London in 1992-93. Until then, his series paintings had never been shown together as they are isolated in collections throughout the world. It's incredible that he painted over 300 of these urban views from 1892 until his death in 1903, yet he is known more for his earlier rural landscapes and experiments in pointillism. (An example is Pissarro's "Paysage à Chaponval" in the middle of my page: copies.)

Copy of "Le Pont Boïeldieu à Rouen, temps mouillé" by Camille Pissarro (1896)

Oil on 60x70cm canvas (the original is 73.7x91.4cm)

Tonalism Spring Challenge

The Tonalism Facebook group still hasn’t selected the photo for their Spring Challenge but I was inspired to try one of the “contestant” photos already. The photographer is Dave Ridge but I don’t think his will win because there’s another that’s way ahead in votes. We’ll find out on the 12th.

"Tonalism Challenge"
30x30, oil on canvas

Cats

These two are from the "Photographers Donated Reference photos for Artists Art Sharing group” on Facebook. Sue Rickhuss photographed her cats, Bailey and Willow, and let us use the photo for inspiration. She says I captured their expressions. Well, it wasn’t as easy as I thought. I liked the contrast of the two colors and tried to stop while I was ahead. I could always do another one to experiment further. In fact, this might be fun to paint really big next time. 

 “Cats”

20x20cm, oil on canvas

(private collection, Bristol, UK)

Pick-me-up

 

Just the thing to get through the depressing days of this corona winter: Ilona E. Stefan has been posting some wonderful flower photos in the Facebook group “Free reference photos for artists”. She combines strong lighting with soft backgrounds and has a collection of attractive vases. I decided to try painting her bouquet of hydrangeas.

“Pick-me-up”

30x24cm, oil on canvas panel

Purple Tuesday

 

At first I wanted to paint the plant in its transparent plastic film and ribbon as it came from the florist but I was too late. Then, just as I had decided it would be fun to paint the large flower buds before they opened, the hyacinths started blooming. So in case I didn’t have much time to catch the flowers in full bloom, I quickly set out my painting gear and got started on “Blue Monday”. By Tuesday I had finished.

“Purple Tuesday”

22x30.5cm, oil on gessoed HDF board

Monet Therapy

I have some extra square canvases with matching frames so decided this Monet would be just the thing to get back into painting mode. The original is 200x201cm which must have been a completely different experience but I had fun concentrating on this small copy. It’s from the 1915 to 1919 period when he painted a series of large water lily canvases. By this stage his work was becoming increasingly abstract. I kept having to remind myself that these were lilies in a pond as I matched the colors and shapes.

“Monet Therapy”, copy of Monet’s water lilies
20x20cm, oil on canvas

Inspiration on EARL

 

“Letting off steam”
13x18cm, oil on canvas panel

 

I’ve been following two Facebook groups with similar names. One of the two (Artists Free Reference Photos) recently changed theirs to EARL (Every Artists Reference Library) so now keeping track has gotten much easier.

The above steam locomotive is based on a photo by Michael Marcon in EARL. I’d always wanted to try painting smoke after seeing Monet’s Gare Saint Lazarre series so this was a good way to get started. The sunset below is from a photo by Wendy Parkyn in the same group.

 

“Sunset with tree”
12.5x18cm oil on canvas panel

Postcards to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Last year I didn't get a chance to send out any New Year's greeting postcards and the year turned out to be in many ways a complete disaster so in order not to run the risk of jinxing 2021, here goes... Besides, I have several pads of postcard paper I've been meaning to try out and I'm also aiming to take the time to use all the art supplies I've accumulated over the years. 

 

"Christmassy Cardinal" to try oil on gessoed Harris postcard paper,

 based on a photo by Vanessa Mullins Hollan in the Free Reference Photos for Artists FB group.

 

After starting the cardinal in colored pencil this time, 

I added a chicken using a Pentel brushpen.

 

Sunset in the park in colored pencil on Harris pc paper This is based on a photo by Moragh Dann in the EARL FB group..

 

"Sunflower in watercolor" using a reference photo 

by Ilona E. Stefan, from the Free reference photos for artists FB group.

"Snow in the village", watercolor and colored pencil
on Harris postcard paper, based on photo by Ilona E Stefan,
from the Free reference photos for artists FB group.

Copy in water color pencil and colored pencil
on Harris pc paper,

 of painting by Ludwig Munthe.

 

Also a copy of Ludwig Munthe in water color pencil
on Harris postcard paper.

 

Another one based on a FB group photo (by Pam Fretwell in EARL), using

gel pens, Rapidograph, and colored pencil on Harris postcard paper.

 

"A white bouquet" sketched with Rapidograph,

 from a private photograph on Harris postcard paper.

A viral cartoon for January 2021.

Rapidograph and ink wash on Harris pc paper.

 

 

My first attempt at the Tonalist group's challenge 

to interpret a snowy winter landscape by Edward Seagro
(watercolor on Daler Rowney postcard paper for watercolors).

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