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At this point I'm not really looking at the photo, but instead trying to study what values work best. I decide to make this high contrast, and start with the darkest shape, then the middle shape (sky), then the almost white, and finally white cactus. I learn from this:pic.twitter.com/CipmPEWZQP
I learn from this study that my "almost white" really is almost white, as there's no difference between the white cactus and rocks. Each value should be distinguishable from the other, so I have to make this pile darker and repaint that. Hmmm, ok next study...pic.twitter.com/UG3bfaR9R6
Next I try a high-key version, where everything is basically "up a value". The rocks and cactus are white, so then sky is almost white and shadow is middle. The process for painting it is the same, usually dark shape, then middle, then light shapes.pic.twitter.com/oMwsA5BcJO
How about a low key scene, and in fact, this could easily be a nocturnal scene. I just decide that the *sky* will be almost black, that then means I make the shadow black, the rocks middle, and the cactus almost white. Keep in mind something about cameras:pic.twitter.com/zgpTwww7OV
The camera will try to balance out the values as best it can, so when I take these closeup photos you may not be able to see that they really change too dramatically. When I take the final photo of all of them together you'll really see how different they are.
For the final study, I'm really liking this evening scene, but I want to do a combination of what I like from each scene. I'll go with the sky being middle-light, the rocks being middle, the shadow and plants almost black, and finally the cactus white.pic.twitter.com/QL8HpnROCJ
Now I have my final set of 4 studies all in context (and with a better camera) and from this you can choose what you like best to push farther. I'd say, if you want clarity go with bottom right. If you want strong color go top right. Top left is garbage. Bottom left though:pic.twitter.com/RcLUZiHLUc
The bottom left painting is very interesting because it *could* be the most dramatic. You could paint this as a nocturne painting, but you could *also* paint it as the calm before a storm. The sky is dark because a storm is coming and that cactus is in trouble.pic.twitter.com/FtEGFVogKM
Now I'm going to stop there for the day and save this for tomorrow to continue. As a beginner painter, how can you use this to get started (the 3 tweets version, so ... YMMV):
1. Get you some black and white paint, one big, one medium, one small flat brush. 2. a pad of 6x8 (or 12x16 and cut it) of primed canvas. 3. 1 big tube of white and 1 black. 4. A bottle of medium. Your paint brand will have it. 5. This: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/grey-matters-paper-palettes … 6. Cardboard box.
Cut your box like this (6x8 same size as your canvas pad) on the "front", and like this triangle on the bottom.pic.twitter.com/mHXRrpytfm
Tape a piece of canvas pad on the side of the hole in the box that is your dominant hand (mine's right), tape a piece of palette paper on the other side of the hole. Now, just put random white, gray, or any objects into the hole in the center kind of like how I have here.pic.twitter.com/M93uxV4Gck
Then your goal is to do *simple* copies of these objects from what you see inside the hole, over to the canvas. This is called sight sized drawing and it's a very well established method that works well. The key is to GUESS THEN MEASURE:
Sit in the middle of the hole in the box and the canvas so your eyes/nose are between them both. Then get far enough back that you can see both without moving your head much. Now, guess where you think a shape it and make a little mark, then measure to see if you got it. Fix it
Keep doing this, through the drawing to get basic shapes, then through a simple block-in like I did above with the 4 studies. Go just that far, then scrape it off, use a little water to wipe it down cleanish, and after the water dries go for it again.
If you can do a ton of *just* simple sight sized drawings and first step value studies, until you can do them fairly consistently, then the rest of painting is fairly smooth. Getting very good at the start pays off big time later. It's also fun trying to solve the puzzle.
There ya go, that's the end of the lesson. I may do another one tomorrow, so if you have questions feel free to ask.
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