Similar to Coloring Book

At this stage, I'm just filling blank areas with colors. Just like kids would do with coloring books. The differnce from coloring books is I'll put layers of colors in each area. Also I might ignore some line drawing.

Composition Change

After some second thoughts, I came up with this composition. Excluded a lemon but kept a lime in, then added a knife and napkin. The others are a red onion and two apples. I didn't want it to look too busy on the canvas. Since I didn't move the positions of the bottle, glass and vase, the last sketch for the part on the canvas is intact. I just move the fruits around.

"Landscape Painting"

When I visited Lisa Harris Gallery last Sat, this book was on the counter. This book was written by Mitchell Albala, one of the gallery's featuring artists. After leafing through, I decided to get one, which I did at Amazon.com. Now it's in my possession and I started reading it.
There are many how-to books out there for oil painting. But only a few for landscape painting specifically for the styles I like to learn further. This book looked like covering the topics what I've been looking for. I just started reading for first a few pages and he's discussing the palette he recommends. So far so good.
If you're a landscape painter in oil, or a want-to-be, and do painting outdoor, I recommend this book.

The details are blow:
Title: Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice
Author: Mitchell Albala

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill; 1 edition (November 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823032205
• ISBN-13: 978-0823032204
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.2 x 0.8 inche

List Price:US$35.00 ($23.10 at Amazon.com)

New Landscape Painting:Untanum Ridge

While I'm still changing the objects of the still life painting I just started, I started a new landscape painting tonight. This is from the on-site painting I did last Sept. The size is 20"x28". 2" wider than my recent standard size. Closer to 3:4 ratio. I wanted to put those interesting valley lines of the ridge this much while keeping the colorful sagebrush in foreground. I spaced those key shapes out on canvas. I think this is pretty close to the reference photo.

Still Life

Started the still life, which is for commission. To simplify the composition, I decided not to have a plate and put those fruits on a piece of light color cloth. For the rest, I kept my original idea; a vase, wine bottle, and a wine glass. I spent some time to set up lighting (or remove unwanted light) only to come from left side. Those objects are arranged to have some sort of flow from mid or upper left to the lower right corner. The fruits are apples, lemon, lime, and tomatos. Well technically (ahem) tomatoes are fruits. So the title would be "Wine Glass and Fruits". I might change my mind later though. The size of canvas is 15"x20".