Lone Tree
9×12″
Oil on gessobord
©2012 Lucinda Howe

At a recent meeting of the Log Cabin Art Guild at Sesquicentennial State Park, I gave a talk about how to decide on a subject when painting outdoors and how to get started on your painting.  This demo was quite an adventure because I forgot to bring any white paint!  Fortunately, I had a tube of a warm light gray paint that I had received as a sample and was able to use it to mix a light sky.  Whew! I might have make the sky lighter, but in the end I thought this gave  nice subdued color harmony and left it alone.

Here are some notes from my presentation and the finished painting.

• Paint (or draw) outdoors if possible.  You can see colors better than the camera.  Absorb the feel of the place.
• Scout around and pick a spot in the shade.  Look for light from the side.
• Frame with a viewfinder or camera.
• Stay off the “idiot line”.

Stay off the “idiot line”. Don’t put the horizon or a major linear element in the middle of the picture plane.

• Compose using the rule of thirds

Use rule of thirds to establish location of the horizon line.

• Place the horizon at 1/3 or 2/3. Is it about earth or sky?

Low horizon line, focal point at lower right

• Establish focal point (area of impact) in one of the sweet spots using contrast of color and value.
• Tone your canvas or board with a warm color (red or yellow ochre) in advance
• Use a limited palette and mix colors in advance
• Paint darks first, then lights.  Once you have established the value structure, the middle values can be any color.

Remember:  You are the artist.   You control the composition.  Don’t be confused by reality!