Started the backgrounds

This is the way it goes. Mix the paints I’ll use on my glass palette and transfer the paints to the old school beechwood palette that can be held while painting. I laminated the photo so I can mix a color I need then actually paint a very small spot on the laminated photo to see if I got it close enough. I also have a “color checker” that a friend made for me a while ago. You mix the paint and put a little bit on the tip of the color checker. Then “aim” the color checker at the color on the photo you are trying to duplicate and see if the color on the tip of the color checker matches the color on the photo.

Painted the thin strip of distant hills and slopped some paint on the middle and foreground to block it in a little bit. It isn’t easy, at least for me, to get everything in the right location.

We all know about Linear Perspective, things getting smaller as they become more distant. There is also Atmospheric Perspective. As things become more distant, colors become duller and fainter, and things become fuzzier.

This morning I finished my copy of a William Wendt landscape and my first still life. The still life was finished. I just rubbed it out with a little refined linseed oil. Oil paintings can “sink” and look dried out, some areas more than others. Rubbing the painting with a few drops of linseed oil repairs the sunk areas. Months after a painting is finished it can be varnished.

Before rubbing with oil

After rubbing with oil

This is just a start. Next I’ll rough in the canyon. After the sky and roughed in canyon are dry, about a week, I’ll rework the sky and then begin more detailed work on the canyon. While it’s drying I can start on my other paintings. I’m not sure yet how accurate and detailed I want the canyon. It’s a real pleasure painting on this Belgium Linen.

Finally received the final photo and finished transferring the photo drawings to the linen panels. Tomorrow I can start on the new paintings and finish the two old paintings.

Transferred three photo drawings to the linen panels. This afternoon I’ll get the remaining photo from Shutterfly. It’s the 16″ x 20″ landscape.

I’m waiting a few days for my brown umber washes to dry and for photos to arrive.

I wasn’t thrilled with the linen in my photos so I set my lightbox up and took some photos of just the linen that I’ll be able to use for reference.