Aaron Holland Fine Art

Nature's impressions are fleeting, so it is a good idea to know what the end result of the painting is going to look like before starting!

A great feature of plein air painting is that these quick, little studies can be brought back into the studio to be used as a reference for larger paintings. Photography can be an art form in and of itself, and can be a useful tool to the artist, but the "Impressionist" is often better served by relying on a study like this and memories about the place; The painting will reflect more clearly what is important, and will help strengthen skills of observation.

Below is a demonstration on a Plein Air technique that I use for painting in one session:

Step 1: The Drawing

Begin by drawing an outline of the major elements in the scene. I used a thinned mixture of Ivory Black and Permanent Alizarin. Begin to make notes of any and all shadows; in this picture the sun was high so there were only a few prominent shadow shapes.

Step 2: The Wash

With thinned, and somewhat transparent, paint I cover the canvas. I want the painting to look like the finished picture as soon as possible! I work in simple, flat masses of color. Often-times I will work with the flat side of a china brush in a scubbing motion (against the bristles) to apply paint. When the canvas is covered I begin to paint opaquely.

Step 3: Thick Paint.

I now begin to add opaque paint ( once the canvas is covered), and at the same time I continue to develop more specific shapes and colors.

Step 4: Finish

Develop details, refine shapes, build up thicker paint in the lights. More blended color in the background, more broken color in the forground.

"Gill"s Rock" oil on linen 8 x 10" HOLLAND

The Nina was reported to be Columbus' favorite boat.

This last weekend, an authentic replica sailed into the harbor of my hometown. The captain of the vessel said that it is authentic even down to how she was built. This Nina was built by shipbuilders in Brazil who still practice making boats the same way as the original.

The Nina is currently on a tour of the Western Hemisphere, according to the shiphands. Since its conception 16 years ago, she has already logged over 300,000 miles.

"The Nina"

oil on linen, 8 x 10"

" I was also lucky to have had great teachers- not only academic men who drilled me in the fundamentals, but also teachers who stressed the importance of feeling and imagination.

...I felt free to move things, making them bigger or smaller as best suited my purpose. I said that Carlson made us do meticulous tree studies in order to increase our understanding of nature. But once we understood a subject, he encouraged us to alter it to fit our mood. We could interpret the scene in a lyrical or tragic way- as long as we got the feeling of the place.

-Emile Gruppe, Quote and Painting from his book 'Gruppe on Color'

"More than any other subject, water must be painted in terms of rhythm. It is impossible to capture each rivulet and splash of foam. Rather than drawing the anatomy of the water, you should squint your eyes and look for the areas of contrasting value. Squinting eliminates the unnecessary details."

Paul Strisik was born in New York, but lived in Rockport, Ma. since 1952 where he painted full time and frequently traveled in this country and abroad to enjoy the challenge of new subjects. He was a dedicated plein air painter, finding that even the briefest outdoor studies serve better than photographs to carry him back to the subject to remind him of the feeling, the light and the mood of the place. An occasional interior or still life offers him a change of pace from his outdoor activities. He worked in both oil and watercolor.

Paul studied at the Art Students League in New York with Frank Vincent Dumond. It was from Dumond that he learned about cause and effect, to learn what causes appearances in order to paint the effect with understanding.

These are random rules for landscape painting, and will be an evolving list. They are compiled from random sources and experience. If you have any comments or additions please let me know.

1.A landscape should have a background, middle ground, and a foreground

2.The darkest and brightest colors/values should be in the foreground.they should lighten and cool comparitively as they fall away into the background (white is the exception to that rule- which tends to become slightly darker and bluer).

3.Yellow is the first color to fall away in a landscape, as it receeded into the distance.

4.Atmospheric perspective states that things become lighter and bluer as they recede into the distance(depth). refer to#2

5. The color of the sunlight affects everything it touches. If the sunlight is peach and it lands on a white house, the house will appear peach.

6.The shadows should be transparent- some reflected light should be visible inside them, as they are reflecting the sky to some degree. In other words,avoid making the shadows heavy and opaque, as it will not look natural.

7. Black does not exist in nature ( only in black holes, or perhaps a cave at night!) so make sure your shadows have depth and transparency(as stated above).

8. when working in watercolor, the three-steps-forward rule should be applied. Background first, then middle ground, finally fore ground. Lightest to darkest.

9 The color of the sun is considered white light at its zenith, then as it starts its downward arc toward the horizon, the light gradually becomes lemony, then yellow, to orange to reddish, and towards a violet before it sets. *things to look for and observe in your own work.

10. Part of your job is to be selective. That is why a camera can be a distraction to the artist. The camera does not discriminate, it merely records all the details equally. It also changes the colors and flattens out the scenery. It can be a useful tool, but be sure you are also studying from nature!

11. Work bigger to smaller- establish the "big picture" before you attempt ANY details. General to specific. Simplify!

12. If something is wrong about your drawing/painting, change it as soon as you know what to do.

13. "Don't wait for inspiration to start, start and inspiration will find you". Even a commonplace scene can be made beautiful if it is felt, and carefully handled.

14. Soft edges suggest distance. For example a hill on or near the horizon will have a softer edge where it meets the sky that an object that is in the foreground.

15. When painting outside, try to start the forground about 50 feet from where your standing. In other words, don't get to close to your subject.

16. Don't paint things, paint light. And try to notice the color of light and how it affects everything.

17. Colors change, values stay constant.

18. For grass- anything goes.

19. If you are having difficulty painting color, try deciding it's temperature first. Is it warm or cool?

20. Not everything in a landscape has to be colorful. As a matter of fact, if everything is colorful- nothing is! Try instead to see beautiful greys, colorful greys, and reserve your most colorful spots for the centers of interest- The WOW areas!

21. One artist said when questioned about his art and his style: "I see things this way", and he pointed to the left, "another artist sees this way. and I think the message is that we are not to try to paint like someone else, but to discover our own "vision", and paint faithfully according to that.

22. Toning the canvas to a light orangish color will help the sky look like it is radiating sunlight for small, quick plein air sketches. Try other colors for noticable effects on the finished product.

23. I find it helpful to "posterize" what I am seeing onto the canvas to start. What I mean is to simplify what I am seeing, so that it is like a cartoon image- simple, flat planes of color next to each other in accurate shapes. Then when that is done I can start to add details. That is known as capturing the "Big Look".

24. Design, drawing, values, color, edges- that is how I look critically at a picture. In that order.

25. Mix twice as much paint as you think you need, then use it all.

26. Unless it is a foggy day, try to avoid mixing white into your shadows and darks.

27. Details should be put in last, if at all! Remember, the power of suggestion can be more effective sometimes than spelling out every last detail. It is also important to remember that painting is interactive, and

28. You should know the color of the light at all times for each painting.

29. start with a strong drawing and the picture will almost paint itself. The view should sense the accuracy of the drawing even if they don't notice it acutely.

30. Concentrate on first getting the major dark values placed accurately and in the correct place.

31. What is the subject? Start there. Everything else should support it, and it should be clear to the viewer what it is as well.

32. Generally: everything in light is going to be warm, and everything in shadow will be cool. The vibration of warm and cool will create interest and color vibration.

33. The brighter the sunshine, the darker and more opaque the shadows will appear. Overcast or lowlight days will have more depth and visibility into the shadow areas.

34. As a rule, value is more important than color.

35. Texture in the foreground, smoother as the landscape receedes into distance.

36. Contrast between values should be avoided, for example: when a dark horizon meets a light value sky, try to find a transition, say a distant hill, to soften the jump.

37. Feel the water, draw objects. Feel the water, the movement, the rhythym. Concentrate and draw objects such as boats or buildings.

38. Light and Dark in a picture is different than light and shadow...both are important and should be understood before starting.

39. The background color should be mixed on the palette, while the middle ground should be mixed on the canvas. Likewise the foreground should show the most broken colr effect giving it the appearance of nearness and texture- this concept is similar to that of texture (minimal or no texture in the background, higher texture in the foreground).

40. The canvas should be massed in if possible in one sitting, and then painted at the same time of day each time it is painted on. special attention should be payed to the direction of shadows, and color/quality of light, maintaining cohesion during the entire painting.

41. It is not wasted time to study your chosen scene at different times of day and during different atmospheric effects, choosing the most flattering to depict your subject. The more familiar one is with the place, the better able to convey it in a picture.

42. generally speaking- sky is lightest, ground is middle value, trees are darkest.