Daphne Goes to Venice (Part 3)

Saturday I really put Daphne to the test.  If we're going to sketch Venice in real life, we'd better practice sketching canals right now.  I was a bit scared for her (and for me...I figured she'd balk, or worse).

I showed her the following photo, pointed out a few things like "See how the reflections fall right below the buildings themselves?" and "See how the building on the left disappears off the page at the top?"  I saw her looking at the photo and I thought maybe her eyes were glazing over when I heard her say "I totally understand what you're saying."  I leaned in and said "You don't understand what I'm saying?" "No.  I TOTALLY understand."  (She's 6.5!) That was my cue to say "I'm leaving you now to draw.  See you in a few."  

Those of you that took my "Venice Vicariously" workshop might
remember this photo was the one I painted from.

...and here's Daphne's sketch.
She drew the main shapes first and then, as she said, 
she "drew the details last".  That's my girl!

What do you think!?  Other than some angle issues (perspective issues...which even my adult students encounter!), she completed it beautifully in about 20 minutes.

We leave for Venice in 2.5 weeks.  My itinerary will be slightly different this trip because I don't want to take her where it's crowded (I'll share our itinerary at some point...I'm hoping to see things I don't usually get to see).  I typically stay away from crowds anyway, but at some point you do have to go through them or around them (although April is a splendid time when tourists have not quite arrived en masse).

P.S. in the reference photo she worked from, she saw the flag in the top right and asked me about it.  These are hung throughout Venice and the lion represents St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice.  I myself own 2 Venice flags so I gave her the smaller of the 2 for her room.  Happy camper = Happy grandma!

So...please tell me if you've ever taken your grandchild on a trip with YOU!  Where did you go?  What did you do? HOW did it go??

You might also enjoy:

Daphne Goes to Venice (Part 1)

Daphne Goes to Venice (Part 2)

And remember, in September, I'm teaching 
at a castle in France (where we'll LIVE!)

You can find all that info right HERE.

Come, and bring your non-painting spouse too! 

READ MY LATEST POST HERE

www.HelenKBeacham.com

Are you afraid of bricks?

There's still time to learn to paint bricks, stone and perspective because my 2-day workshop will take place this weekend in Columbia, SC.

Here's the reference photo we're using.  I'll teach you how I tackle each step of the way, up to the finish line.  I don't want you to paint like me...I just want to help you be a better YOU!

Reference photo for our 2-day workshop on bricks, stone and perspective.

Details for the workshop(sponsored by the Trenholm Artists Guild) are HERE.  Sign up today to join me this weekend in Columbia, SC.  We have a couple of spots still open.

 www.helenKbeacham.com

Come paint with me! 

In 2015, we're going to Venice, Niagara Falls, and so on!!!  
Find details HERE

"A Time for Us" (a.k.a. I sure wish I was there!)

We could all use a little peace and quiet in our lives.  Sometimes, it's my paintings that bring that feeling to my collectors who are busy, busy, busy!  

I painted "A Time for Us" after taking a walk at #CharlestowneLanding in #Charleston, SC.  The mood was serene and the water was calm, reflecting the beauty of the Spanish moss hanging from the live oak trees (for those of you that are not familiar with the term "live oak", it's actually the name of the tree and doesn't mean the opposite of dead oak, thank goodness!)

If you follow my blog, you know that I love to show work in progress whenever I remember to actually take pictures.  So here's the progress on this one.  The earlier images are bluish in cast...sorry about that.  I took them in fluorescent lighting and forgot to change the setting on my camera.

p.s.  those of you who know me and my style will recognize that I've used a lot of masking fluid again in this painting.

Here I've applied my first wash (or layer of paint) over my somewhat detailed sketch.

I've started adding paint to create negative shapes and to start defining the masses of shapes.  It gives me a blueprint so I can more easily determine what to do next.  Although these dark shapes look pretty darned dark on your computer screen, they're really only a middle value at this point.  The contrast of the camera was too strong.

More middle values being added.  Again, to help me determine what I need to do in the lighter areas.

Here it is in a yellower cast once I adjusted the White Balance in my camera.  It's still not "right on" in color, but much better than the bluer ones posted earlier.  

Here's the final result.  "A Time for Us" (watercolor, framed size 31" high x 41" wide) by Helen K. Beacham
(Note:  Professional image provided by Fine Art Reproductions in Charleston, SC)

(Who doesn't love adirondack chairs?)
My goal, in a scene like this, is to give the illusion of distance and perspective.
I accomplish that by showing:
1. overlapping objects (palm fronds in front of trees, trees in front of other trees...diminishing sizes)
2. by the use of color (warm tones in the foreground, cooler tones in the background),
3.  by subtle things like bigger brushstrokes for movement in the near water, as compared to almost no visible strokes in the water furthest away.
4.  Texture in the nearer trees.  None in the background.

Do you use other methods to show distance in a painting?

Come with me (Helen K. Beacham) and Kelly Medford to paint Venice this October...

Just 2 Oil Painting spots left in the workshop.

Click HERE for details!

SEE MY LATEST POST HERE.

Tippette #19 - The Mystery of Perspective...Debunked

Tippette = Snippet of a Tip (in watercolor).  One per day...during April...right here!  Tell a friend!

The Mystery of Perspective...Debunked

Let's face it.  If I start talking about 1, 2 and 3-point perspective (and about vanishing points), your eyes are going to glaze over and I'll lose you!   So I'm not going to do it!

Instead, I'm going to tell you how I SIMPLY approach drawing buildings.  Here we go.  Hopefully with a combination of my "words" and the pictures I'm about to show you, it'll make sense.

This first one (above) is an easy one.  If you're facing a building straight on (and you're standing in the center of the building), all your lines are horizontal and parallel to the bottom of the page, aren't they?  This angle might be the easiest to draw, but it's also probably the most boring painting.

Here you're standing to one side of the middle, so all of the lines are moving to one constant vanishing point.  Do you see how that vanishing point is WAY off the photo itself?  Here's what I do to make sense of it.  I tape my photo down to a bigger piece of paper.  I use a ruler to draw the bottom of the building where it meets the street (and I extend it way to the right).  Then I find a line to place my ruler on, near the top of the photo, and I draw it.  Where the two lines meet is the vanishing point for this scene.  EVERY OTHER line automatically falls somewhere inside of those two.  Pull out your own photos and give it a try!

I added this photo (of the red shutters) to illustrate the fact that, so long as you determine the position of the vanishing point, you can ADD to the photo and it'll feel right (pivot your ruler off of the vanishing point to create those lines)!

In this photo, you can see TWO sides of the building, so you have two vanishing points. 

So, did I confuse you more than I helped? Let me know about your own trials and tribulations with this phenomenon!

Come with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford to paint Venice this October...

click HERE for details!

www.helenKbeacham.com