Month: September 2019

• Start by adding detail to the edge of the darkest form using the small pointed brush.
• Look for where the forms are softer or harsher, and where you can find small elements like branches and twigs sticking out.

• Then start to look for more detail at the edges of lighter masses of tone.
• This could be more trees or reflections etc.

• Finally, heighten the lightest tones, to create a subtle sense of glow.
• Don’t use pure white paint though as we need to keep the general painting a bit darker to ensure that the lights on the opposite shore stand out and glow against the parvading gloom.

Materials

• Small oil painting surface (primed canvas, panel or oil paper)
• Ivory black, Titanium White and Ultramarine Blue oil paint
• One medium bristle brush
• Small pointed brush
• Mineral spirits
• Easel
• Palette
• Palette cups

• Using the mineral spirits to dilute the paint, begin by sketching the major forms of the landscape.
• Ideally, you should use a dark midtone mix of white, black and blue.

• Once the major shapes have been blocked in as a line sketch, you can start filling in the masses of tone.
• Start with the darkest part (pure black).

• Then you can start mixing, and painting on, lighter masses using gradually more white and blue paint.

• Keep working this way until you have covered all the white of the surface.
• Ideally try to suggest the texture at the edge of the masses (in the case of this piece, I have suggested the ragged edges of the forest).

Materials

• Small oil painting surface (primed canvas, panel or oil paper)
• Ivory black, Titanium White and Ultramarine Blue oil paint
• One medium bristle brush
• Mineral spirits
• Easel
• Palette
• Palette cups

This lesson will show you a simple approach for drawing all sorts of hair types and styles. We will be using a separation of light and dark masses as the basis for the hair forms before layering texture over this base.

• Start by finding the darkest shapes in the hair.
• Sketch these shapes simply.
• Fill in the shapes with an average dark tone.

• You can then start to find gradient transitions that go from dark to light – away from these shadows and towards the highlights.

• You may need to use the eraser to amplify the highlights.
• You can also use gradual passes of light tone to soften the texture of the hair.