Building a Painting Part II

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Building a Painting Part II

Posted on 3/13/2019 6:56:41 PM - 4 Comments
Topics: Q&A Series | Talks/Instruction

Building a Painting Part II

Almost Invisible

How do you build a painting? It’s architecture? What do I mean? You start somewhere, and then you "block in," and then you do what? What are the stages a painting goes through?

Sidney Oliver

The first installment on this question can be found at this link: How Do You Build a Painting?

My plan was to paint a red barn in blizzard-type snow. I really wanted to paint this with the feel of the snow enveloping the barn in sequence, hence I painted the barn the same way. Scroll down to see what I mean.

Blocking In and Getting to Work

Decide on the composition.

Some people spend a lot of time on this like my mother, who discussed this ad nauseam. I, on the other hand, just barge in and switch it up if what I'm doing is not working.

Below is very little commentary. The images tell the history.

The initial block-in.

I really liked this one and would have left the barn gray, but I was painting a well-recognized barn around here and that wasn't an option.

As you can see, I painted the trees behind the barn dark in order to contrast with the soon-to-be snow white of the roof. I still preferred the look of #2 above.

The barn needed straightening and the roof needed to be refined among other changes.

The red changes the look a lot.

The image from which I'm working can be seen in the monitor. I tend to not paint exactly what I see. I might even move a mountain or two.

Knowing a lot of this will be hidden by snow, some of the wood of the barn is still painted in.

Experimenting some at this point.

Framed and in the hands of the new owner.

This was a lot of fun to paint and I always

Enjoy the process!

Ruthie Windsor-Mann

This post is part of a series of Q & As between Ruthie Windsor-Mann and Sidney Oliver.

We invite the reader to join in with other questions in the comments section. This needs to be interactive in order to work.

All photographs are by Ruthie Windsor-Mann unless otherwise credited.

Comments

4 Responses to Building a Painting Part II

Ab fab, Ruthie! Pictures really do tell a thousand words. I'm so glad you stepped this out for us in this detail.

Like you, I think Version 2 is a keeper, but I love the way you finished it. That deep snowy blizzard must have been a challenge to paint-- well, it would have been for anyone else--but you hit it out of the park.

I'm glad to see the monitor. That adds one more detail to what we know about your studio equipment.

Posted by Jane Oliver · via ruthiewindsormann.com · 91 months ago

Thanks, Sidney. I use the monitor at the beginning and infrequently after that. I alter and move things around far too much later in the painting for it to be of much use. I also use my iPad to let me see things a little closer if I need to do so. After my initial block-in and the early stages of the painting, I take off on flights of fancy, hence the less of a need for it.

Posted by Ruthie Windsor-Mann · via ruthiewindsormann.com · 91 months ago

It's great to see this progress step by step! Stopping it anywhere along the way would have produced a fantastic painting. I'm torn between the last three stages...the red just reaches out and grabs the viewer. So wonderful to read and to see. Your flights of fancy are a gift to the beholder!!!

Posted by Susan M Hersman · via ruthiewindsormann.com · 91 months ago

Susan Hersman, thank you for your kind comment. I share your enthusiasm for Ruthie's excellent way of answering the question. Keep on commenting when you see something that needs your insight!

Posted by Jane Oliver · via ruthiewindsormann.com · 91 months ago