Enhanced tree colors

Moved on to the opposite side of the canvas, and improved colors of these trees. This time I was careful making these colors.

Progress on Cattle Painting

Started shaping the front cow. This cow would be the focal point because the colors and lights on the body. For the same reason, shaping this cow is relatively easier than the dark one behind.

I guess I failed today

  I tried making progress on the front hill behind those mid-range trees. I think I looked at too much details of the hill in the photo. The lighter values were too light and they're too close to the colors of the trees, which caused to lose depth. I think I need to make much better colors and simplify their patterns.

Started New Cattle Painting

I started this more than a week ago. But last Portland visit last weekend and some big updates at ArtsWest Artist Association(AWAA) web site kept me away from making progress on this painting. I took the photo in June when I painted outside (see the post on 6/27/10). Size is 14"x18" on standard stretcher bars. I decided to make animal pieces smaller based on consideration of better chances for sale. I titled this "Family Time" because the front cow seemed to be a mother of cubs behind. I'm not sure the black one is actually the father of them though.

New Canvas Plier

Today the new plier I ordered at Jerry's Artaram arrived. The head is quite wide. Maybe 1.5 times wider than the previous one. You can compare the size based on the piece of canvas underneath the plier. I used the same piece when I took this photo. See the post on 9/5.

The teeth are plastic. I haven't tested yet but I can imagine it would provide much better grip than the metal teeth.

Trying to decide colors of trees

The color of the yellow green tree in the center of the canvas has become a good reference to decide colors of the other trees. The tall tree is warmer than the others. So I added some orange to it. Others are more greenish green rather than yellow green. I need to decide the color of the hills to make this painting interesting.

Starting with the center

After I broke the plier yesterday, I went to Dick Blick in Capitol HIll today. But the type of plier they carry at the store was a similar with the one I broke. There was a stopper to prevent from over-squeezing though. I was disappointed and came back home and ordered the one I was thinking on-line at Jerry's Artarama, which I don't have to pay tax.

Anyway, I made some progress on the painting. Refined the values of the front of the barn. Then worked some on the shorter tree in the center. To define the outline of the tree, I needed to put more colors on the background hill as well.

I thought it was a lifetime

 Today I went to Utrecht to get 4 pairs of 11" and 14" standard stretcher bars. I already ordered 2 dozens of 9" ones online. I'm waiting the arrival. I need to make about 10 relatively small stretched canvas in various sizes for the upcoming Jim Lamb's plein air workshop in two weeks. Then I was stretching canvas tonight and I broke the plier. I thought it would last at least for my lifetime. Apparently I kept over-squeezing it last  7 years. I bought it at Daniel Smith almost as soon as I started painting in oil back in 2003.
  I'll get a different kind, like the one coming with rubber teeth. It would be around $30. I wouldn't spend more than $100 (Holbein one costs $130. I'm assuming it's "made-in-Japan"). Otherwise I would buy just a regular plier at a Home Depot for $20 or less.

Quickly covered entire canvas

Now composition and placement of major shapes are clear. The cows are still a little lower than I intended them to be. I might adjust it later. Or not.

As always all colors are much darker than the final. But that's all right. I'll let them dry up a little bit. Then from here I'll start working on each part one by one slowly.