contacted me around Thanksgiving and asked if I could paint a commission for her husband for Christmas.
I was thrilled that she asked.
So thrilled I said YES!
I have a basic contract I send out for all commissions and even though we've been friends for well over 20 years, I sent it to her as well, so we both knew what to expect.
She sent me a beautiful photo of a sunset on a river or a lake, with one kayaker in it and asked me if I could put another in it also.
The first one was her husband and she wanted me to add her in the painting.
She sent me photos of them in their boats so I could get a feel of the colors, the types of paddles, clothing and hats they usually wore.
Next, I did a pencil sketch of the scene.
I start with this sketch and if we agree I'm the right person for the job, we move forward.
My process is to keep a client involved in the creativity of the piece all along the way so they know exactly what they are getting. I can fix things much earlier in the process than be ready to deliver the work and find out I went totally in the wrong direction.
Missy liked the feel of the sketch even though the boats were wrong, the perspective is what we were looking for at this point.
This is the first sketch in acrylic paint on the canvas.
I'm looking to get the perspective of the distance and the size
of the boats correct.
You will see almost none of this in the final painting.
The clouds were dramatic in the photo as was the sun,
so they went in first.
Refining the clouds, the sun and beginning to add in water and reflections. Still haven't don't anything with the trees.
Toned down the sunset a little, started adding the trees, and
putting the boats in.
Getting more color and definition on the boats,
and trying to get a glassy effect on the water.
Here's a closer look at the kayakers.
Here's an even closer look.
I usually send the client a time-lapse video of the work progressing and a close-up video of the finished painting, just so there are no surprises for either of us.
Sometimes in doing commissions, the artist is trying to get a vision of something out of someone elses head.
Not always an easy task.
But so far, my method has worked well for me.
If you would like to commission a painting we should talk.
My contact info is in the Contact Me tab (pretty sharp, huh?)
on the front page of this blog.
If you email, put the word commission or whatever you want to talk about in the subject line.
in this video is the first time I've ever used a synthetic.
It's no wonder I did better with the natural hair brush.
In this video I'll show you how to paint a small tree with
many branches as well as grasses with pods.
A new artist should just pull off a large sheet of freezer paper,
(yes, from the grocery store)
and paint on the shiny side.
Over and over and over.
Fill that paper with trees and branches and limbs.
When you start to get the feel of it,
then you can move on to the grasses.
If you enjoyed that video, how about giving it a thumbs up,
and subscribe to my channel. Next to the subscribe button there is usually a little bell. Click that little bell and you'll get a notification when I upload a new video on Fridays.
If you like the video, please click the thumbs up button and subscribe to my channel and then click that little bell next to the subscribe button.
That will notify you whenever I post a new video. I've created a FREE printable, 7 Tips for Mixing Color, for you to keep handy where ever you paint. Click HERE to get it.
When you paint on canvas, the paint can sink into your canvas, and sort of get lost, or it can skip over small parts of it and small little dots of white will show through. When you're in the middle painting, you might not notice because you are absorbed in the work, and then, boom, you start to see them after the paint dries.
For years gesso was only white and then a few years back suppliers started making black gesso, and now it is available in colors.
Just like paint, you can buy a student grade or artist grade gesso. Just like paint, the artists grade will have more pigment and will cost more.
I have used white gesso for years, and I have toned canvas with a mixture of student grade burnt sienna and white paint, or burnt sienna, ultramarine blue and white if I wanted a gray canvas.
I recently was ordering some different paints to try from Jerry's Artarama and came across several colors of colored gesso. I decided to give them a try so I ordered two colors, terracotta and gray. I couldn't wait to try them out when they arrived.
This short video shows how I applied it to a 5" x 7" stretched canvas and to a 1/4" thick poplar board using a #12 bristle brush.
There are several theories about gessoing your canvas. One is, it smooths out your canvas to accept the paint better. I agree with that. But it is interesting that on canvas it does give a smooth surface to paint on but on the very smooth board I used, it gave it a little tooth. (It must be magic.) It gives the paint on the board something to hang on to. Just an interesting observation.
Most canvases today say they are primed with 3 coats of gesso, but since I seldom, if ever, buy really expensive canvas I still feel the need to gesso the surface. If you stretch your own canvas, then you will definitely need several coats of gesso.
Which brings me to another point, how many coats do I need?
Good question. Most artists believe you need 2 and you need to make sure the first coat is dry and then sand it, and make sure there is no dust and then do another coat and then sand again. I do know of one artist who advocates 6 coats of gesso. I tried that several years ago but for one thing it took forever to get a canvas ready to paint and for the other, it seemed to me like there was too much build up. I didn't like the finished product as much.
I've also read where you can gesso an item that you wouldn't normally paint on and it will accept the paint. I haven't tried that, but you know I'm gonna.
One last thought about using colored gesso. It does affect how the paint looks on the canvas. It can either warm or cool your canvas and therefore your painting. Since most paintings will have variations of warm and cool it probably wouldn't make a ton of difference which color you use. But if you're going for a primarily cool look, you probably won't want to use a warm gesso, like terracotta and vice versa. I know! One more thing to consider when painting. Well, what's one more thing?
Or you can stick with white.
So, as you see in the video, I have 4 supports ready to paint on so I guess I need to get to work.
I'll be reviewing the paints I purchased in the near future.
I hope this was helpful. If so, share it with your buds.
Click HERE to visit my Etsy shop for a mix of my art and some interesting vintage home decor such as glassware, linens and even dolls. If I find something interesting it might show up there.
If you liked this post, click HERE to see the tab on 10 minute free art lessons on all sorts of topics.
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I know, not very original, but it does the trick.
Finally, click HERE if you'd like to look over my online beginning painting course, an individual class on painting iris, or a free class on painting daisies.
in his part of a Carrollton Beautification project.
Around the town square there are cut outs,
that until recently haven't been utilized well.
Some businesses planted flowers in them
and other places were just left bare.
Then they started an adopt a cut out campaign,
and that's how I got involved.
He brought me a big rock and little business card,
and wanted me to marry them up.
I drew out the letters on a big piece of craft paper,
got his approval
and then cut it apart and transferred it to the rock.
I'm working outside as you can see
I'm under a pop up tent to protect me and the rock.
This is how I transferred the writing.
I had to cut it apart to transfer because when I created the template, I wasn't happy with the spacing in several places.
Mayor Adams cut out is the largest one on the square
and you can see here where to stone is.
There are all sorts of beautiful
perennial plants in his garden.
Carrollton is located at the confluence of
the Ohio and the Kentucky Rivers.
The rock had an indentation on one side,
and lots of interesting crevices along the bottom.
I used them to represent the two rivers and in
the corner represents Point Park,
where they come together in Carrollton.
Where Rivers and People Meet
Eastablished1838.
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It also gets you entered to win all the goodies I'm giving away in September for my Blogaversary,
as well as a monthly painting I give away.
I'm a nature artist and I love to paint old barns, rivers and lakes, trees and fence rows and flowers. I work almost daily.
You can purchase paintings by contacting me at slgraves6@gmail.com and there is also a tab across the top of my blog for available paintings and one for small paintings with buy now buttons. You can also purchase through my Etsy shop using the name of Fine Nature Art.
. Thank you so much for stopping by.
