Joe Mac Kechnie Workshop

Yes, I attended a workshop two weeks in a row. But this one was only one day. The title was "realistic landscapes from abstract beginnings".
But it was basically the same approach most landscape artists do; blocking bigger approximate shapes with thinner paint before building up thicker paint. One thing different was there was an option to paint completely random abstract underpainting w/ acrylic before selecting and putting a landscape, or portrait or whatever, on top. In my case oil over acrylic (the right photo above). It might work well for me.

But the true discovery, or I knew but haven't tried, was gessoed on paper surface would work better for quick thicker application like we need to do en plein air. I prepared the surfaces that way for this workshop. I'll get some canvas-paper pads to try more for outdoor paintings.

Knocked down annoyance in the background

As I mentioned before, I knocked down too light part in the surrounding background not to get in the way. Now the background looks ok generally. So I now put much more paint on the main subject and highlight full color background part a little more, then I'm done.
This would be the last update for this deer piece.

Much thicker applications

This is the first time I painted after Tim Deibler's workshop over the weekend. I put more paint on the right-top background corner of full color part.
It's definitely much thicker than I put on this before.
I might try using M. Graham paint that Tim and other students were using in the WS since Utrecht paint is sometimes stiffer than it should be. Or at least inconsistent.

Tim Deibler Workshop - Day3

Last day of this workshop: We painted totally 3 scenes (the first one was severely damaged during transportation). I guess I failed the second one (ocean waves) but the last one was done in 40 min after watching at how Tim did in the demo. You might not be able to see other than the damaged part at the center, but it's quite thick. I started with shadows on the mountains then finished the snow mountains before touching any other part. So that I didn't have to worry about contaminated snow white, which how Tim did in the demo. I tried copying exactly how he did in 15-20 min, except his brush strokes in the foreground, which I need to take more practices.

The bottom line is if you want to finish a piece quickly, you have to put thicker paint on top of the below layer. Means the brush barely touches the surface while you're put the brush down on. But only the paint on the brush touches it. That's the main things I've leaned and, more importantly, experienced.

Tim Deibler Workshop - Day 2

Today was about "water" and "trees". My continuous problem was - from the beginning of my career - not enough paint to manipulate edges and colors on the surface.  Also Time gave me some phthalo blue to make vivid sky color, which includes blue and green. He also gave me his demo piece as a gift to be able to see how thick he applied paint.

Tim Deibler Workshop Day 1

Today I attended Tim Deibler's workshop - day1 on Bainbridge Island. This time, unlike last year's plein air, we're studying components of landscape in studio setup. He did some demo first, then we tried clouds and rocks.
In above photos, the left one is Tim's demonstration. And the center and right ones were mine.

Worked on Deer Part

Spent some time to give life to the deer. It's getting close to. Now I need to go back to the background especially inside of the front square, which has full colors and contrasts.

Finally covered most of areas

Although orange underpainting is still showing up at some areas I finally covered most of area with approximate values and colors. Now I can decide where I want to go with this painting. I can push value differences and colors more or pull them off, or generate sharp edges with decisive shapes, if I want.

Further pushing and pulling values

After further pushing and pulling values back and forth, the background is becoming more forest like. But at the same time they're getting too much attention than the main subject. I need to tone them down some point. I'm not going to worry about it until later stages though.

Woking on mid-range rock shapes

Tonight I worked on mid-range rock shapes and values. I tried a couple of brushes to work on the part; 25mm(1") longer/thinner/softer flat brush, Utrecht 209 series #10(1") and #8 brushes. I ended up using the #8 for its firmness in soft feeling and not too broad to be able to define some sharp edges at the same time to cover planes.

End of an era

Tonight I took my Northwest H2O Alchemy show down at Parklane Gallery in Kirkland. This is the end of my two year experiment at this coop gallery started in Nov. 2011. It was a mixture of good and not so good experiences among about 40 artists at a time. I've definitely established some good associations with grass-root artists on the East Side.
Now I'm planning or already started my new chapter as an artist based on the experiences there.

Still not fnished filling in

Although I'm almost finished and satisfied with the deer shapes, white canvas is still showing up at some parts. Just like Series I, it would take some time to finish defining spruce shapes. They're complicated ones unlike the deer.