"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.

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Tippette #30 - Taking great reference photos & Opaque Pigments

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

1.  Taking great reference photos.

2.  Opaque Pigments.

Can you tell that it's the last day of April and I'm sad? I'm sneaking in 2 quick tippettes for you today as my parting gift!

Taking great reference photos:

I've got to give credit to Michael Cyra, my friend, painter, photographer and owner of PHOTOGRAPHICS (located at FreshFields near Kiawah) for sharing this tippette with one of my painting groups earlier this year.  Note: Although I'm about to try to explain to you what he told us, I know I don't have the photography jargon down pat (sorry, Michael!).  Try to bear with me.

You know that, if the highlights in your photos are always too white and your darks too black, you must correct for that when you paint.  The photo is lying.  But HOW do you correct it?  Check out this photo below of some Spanish moss that I took this week:

Highlights are blown out.

I knew when I shot this (and looked at the file on the camera), that it was wrong.  That is NOT what I saw in front of me in real life.  Although the trunks and water look right, the moss area looks like there's snow on it.

To correct the situation, hold down the shutter while hovering over the moss (the lightest area).  Then, while still holding down the button, reposition the camera so it's in the center of what you want to shoot, and click the shutter button.  What you'll get looks like this below:

Darks are too dark.

What do I hear you saying?  This one's not right either?  Right!  In the 2nd one, the top looks right, but the bottom is too dark.  As the artist, you need to combine the two and then you have a shot at having a realistic painting.  Bracket your shots!!!  Thanks, Michael, for this invaluable insight.  p.s.  there are more scientific ways of bracketing your shots, but my artist's mind won't allow me to go there.... :(

Opaque Pigments:

I try to stick with transparent colors for the most part, but sometimes when you drop one transparent color into another one, you'll get a very subtle result for the most part.  However, think about dropping opaque color into transparent, and you'll ALWAYS see the result.   Check out this close up of a painting of mine.  I used a combination of Naples Yellow & Cerulean Blue for this mixture that I dropped into my dark wash.  Notice how it holds its shape pretty well too!  

Have fun.  Be courageous.  Be curious.  It's only paper and paint.  

Let's keep in touch.  It's been my pleasure to share a few things with you this month.  

Ci sentiamo presto!  Talk to you soon!

(pronounced TCHEE   sehn-TYAH-moh   PREH-stoh)

SEE MY LATEST POST HERE.

www.helenKbeacham.com

Tippette #23 - Painting Spanish Moss

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

Painting Spanish Moss

One of you asked me how I tackle the subject of Spanish Moss.  That's a difficult question to "answer".  I thought that I'd show you some closeups of some of my paintings and maybe we could draw some conclusions from them.  So, here goes.  (Note:  The first 2 are on traditional paper.  The next 3 are on Yupo.)

So, what conclusions can we draw?
1.  I DON'T use gray (made from blacks) to paint moss.  I use color.  Refer to Saturday's post HERE where I talk about mixing pretty grays.
2.  Sometimes I leave the backlit portions of the moss as white.
3.  You have to be careful about how you paint the "top" of the moss.  I like to make it look like it's coming "out of" its environment.
4.  Show SOME branches in and amongst the moss.  It's more natural that way.
5.  Treat parts of the moss as a mass.  They're not all just long stringy things.  They have form and mass.

I hope that helps you to look at moss in a different way.  Do you have other tips for painting moss to share with us?

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

Two Spots Left!

click HERE for details!

www.helenKbeacham.com 

READ MY LATEST POST HERE.

Day 6

www.helenKbeacham.com

Mission:  30 paintings in 30 days
Focus:  Watercolor with pen and ink on Italian-made Fabriano 140# paper.

Today's scene could be anywhere in our beautiful Lowcountry, couldn't it?  The sounds around me were peaceful and unobtrusive.  I was the one doing the intruding.  

"Silver Veils" (watercolor with pen and ink) 4" x 6"  (Available)
  By Helen K. Beacham

www.helenKbeacham.com

To purchase (or view)  my whole collection of paintings in this 30-day project, click on:  ARTWORK

Please also enjoy the other 220+ artists' paintings by visiting LESLIE SAETA.

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