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Subject: Autumn Glory

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gene
Posts:1236

12/17/2007 8:08 AM	Alert
This is a small 4" x 6" pastel painting done on location in the neighborhood park with NuPastel paints. A very few Great American soft pastels were added at home mostly on the highlights. I was trying to be looser than I usually am when I painted this. Please comment. Thanks. Gene

Jim

Posts:2268

12/17/2007 7:17 PM	Alert
This is looser than you normally do. I like it though. The texture and the colors are great. You can definitely tell it's Autumn. Jim www.paintingsbyjim.com

All the best, Jim www.paintingsbyjim.com

mikec@pols

Posts:791

12/18/2007 9:09 AM	Alert
Nice use of color, Gene! I like it... Mike

"You either grow or regress...nothing stays the same...." (unknown) "A man may fall several times in life, but he is not a failure until he says that he was pushed..." www.portraitsoflifestudio.com

bggordon

Posts:220

12/18/2007 11:04 PM	Alert
Nice Gene, I like the loose look! It looks like the wind is blowing through the trees, and the color is vibrant! Bill

Chalk Dust Studio

Posts:20

12/19/2007 6:56 AM	Alert
This has a great "wispy" look to it, the loose technique adds to the fall breeze. Carolyn ~ www.ChalkDustStudio.com

gene
Posts:1236

12/19/2007 7:13 AM	Alert
Thanks, all. This is one of my rare "plein air" efforts. I need to get out there more, but I have such a hard time separating what I want to paint from all of the rest of the view. Does anyone else have that problem. I have tried using a viewfinder to separate my painting, but that sort of bothers me to look through that. Jim: Yes, I was definitely trying to loosen up. The only other one of my paintings that is really loose is my Woodland Impressions, a painting of my back yard, that I posted a while back. Mike: The colors were definitely very orange and gold. Not many reds in that particular area..........no maples, I guess. B.G. and Carolyn: Yes, it was quite breezy that day and I was definitely attracted to that movement in the trees. I'm glad you feel that I captured that. Thanks so much for looking at this. Even though it is very small, I think I will take it to my critique group next month for their comments. They know how much I am trying to loosen up.................Merry Christmas, Gene

sboyko
Posts:55

12/22/2007 7:24 AM	Alert
Gene, I think the hardest part of painting outdoors is figuring out what to paint. A couple of months ago, I bought Kevin Macpherson's latest book Landscape Painting Indoors and Out, and it has really made a difference in my outdoor work. Macpherson works in oils, but the concepts are the same. I've been working on a series of oil sketches of a Japanese maple around the corner from the house - just small vignettes of the one tree. I just use my fingers squared off as a viewfinder to get the elements I want, I don't try to paint looking through a viewfinder. I find it works best for me to just work fast, get down the right color and value notes and not worry about a finish when I'm outdoors, just do several pieces of the same subject and let it go. Then if I want to, I have several studies of that subject I can use to work up a larger piece in the studio. I usually do oil sketches outside, because it's a simpler setup than pastels, then I do the pastels in the studio. Some people do the opposite. I like the shapes in your painting, and the composition. I'd go for stronger color. Susie

gene
Posts:1236

12/22/2007 8:17 AM	Alert
Thanks for the suggestion on Macpherson's book. I think I have seen that one somewhere, but I'll definitely take another look. What did you mean by going for stronger color. I thought the color in this painting was quite strong. Maybe I'm not understanding what you mean by stronger. Do you mean darker? Please help me out with this phrase. Thanks.............Gene

sboyko
Posts:55

12/23/2007 8:59 AM	Alert
Perhaps "bolder" is not the right word. It seems to me that the browns/oranges are of a very similar value/hue and the same is true of the greens, 'though maybe to a lesser extent. Perhaps some more color contrast in the brown foliage, so that some of it is going back and some is coming forward, a bit more color variation within the masses, not so much value variation. Susie

sboyko
Posts:55

12/23/2007 9:18 AM	Alert
Perhaps "bolder" is not the right word. It seems to me that the browns/oranges are of a very similar value/hue and the same is true of the greens, 'though maybe to a lesser extent. Perhaps some more color contrast in the brown foliage, so that some of it is going back and some is coming forward, a bit more color variation within the masses, not so much value variation. Susie

gene
Posts:1236

12/23/2007 3:57 PM	Alert
O.K, Susie, thanks for responding. I think I see what you mean. I must admit this was one of few ventures into plein aire work, and I am sure I was concentrating so hard on trying to get this down fast enough, that I totally painted the colors that I saw and didn't even think enough of values. I have to remember, that I can change the colors from what I actually see. That'll take a lot more experience than I have, I think. I tend to paint so literally! Have to get more creative. Thanks for taking the time to explain what you meant. I appreciate it.............Gene

ida
Posts:5

12/30/2007 11:59 PM	Alert
Painting small outdoors is a great way to start in plen-air. Remember you can move things and leave things out. And remember the should be a focal pt. Remember trees in the background plane need to grey a bit or add blue to make them go back. Choose one of your more pretty red or orange or yellow trees to be the star. What direction is your light source? Try to let your viewers know. Keep up the good work.

iglazier
Posts:82

12/31/2007 11:28 PM	Alert
When you are outdoors painting another thing to remember(as if there aren't enogh things to remember!) is to squint your eyes to see values. It really helps, then connect the darks------then the lightss. Move things if you need to and not lose your focus. Viewfinders do help, for your value plan. No need to hold it while you paint. Do a small 2x3 thumbnail value plan. It will help in the long haul. And keep going out there to paint! Maggie Price has a great pastel book thru North Light.....worth getting, she has a lot of hints. She says we must paint at least 500 paintings to show improvement. Pleir-air! So you have begun.

Ida M. Glazier

gene
Posts:1236

01/01/2008 12:16 PM	Alert
Hi iglazier..........Thanks for the hints. Actually I do know that stuff, but can't quite see the change in values as much as I'd like. And, yes, I have Maggie Price's book and about every other pastel book I can find. Just got Alan Flattman's for Christmas. And yes, I know I have to paint tons more. I just started painting when I retired 7 years ago, and am an old dog trying to learn all of these new tricks!............Right now I am working on a painting of my two little granddaughters outside on their tricycles. Doing it from a photo, needless to say. Thanks again for your help....................Gene

Mike Major

Posts:195

01/25/2008 11:56 AM	Alert
500! Maggie Price is a great pastelist but I would hope it does not take that long to show improvement! That seems crazy!-Mike

http://fineartbymikemajor.com

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