Zorn Palette Exercise

I am teaching a head painting class this summer and after about of week of monochrome exercises, we moved on to limited palette. I decided to introduce the students to the possibilities of color that Anders Zorn's limited palette.

 I have always been impressed with the color range Zorn was able to achieve with just two colors, Yellow Ochre and Cadmium Red, plus black and white. There is some discussion as to what were the exact colors on the palette (Vermillion or Cadmium Red for example) as well as if additional colors were used, but for the purpose of this exercise, I used just those four.

I mixed up a number of hues for the benefit of the class before we got started in order to demonstrate what is possible. Above is a Richard Schmid style grid palette that shows the range of color you can get with these four colors including a surprising greenish gray arrived at by mixing the yellow ochre and black.

I gave it a shot in class, never having used it before and enjoyed the process. Between helping the dozen or so students, I managed a little more than an hour on this one. I think I will push the clarity of color a little more in upcoming classes, but I really liked the subtle shades of green and violet that I got in the shadows.

Rabbit Brush - Sold

 

I recently got a check for a small painting of a piece of sage brush that I did on location  in Bishop, California.The expanse of open space in this area of California was a challenge and delight to paint. I immediately liked this when I painted it and felt it was quite successful. It then hung in my house for several months and continued to grow on me. It has always been a bit melancholy for me to sell a piece of original art. For years I have accustomed myself to licensing out the rights of my illustration work to my clients and then having the paintings returned to me after their use. I am at a bit of a crossroads now in this regard. Most of my current illustration work is digital so there isn't even a physical artifact to hold in my hands and my focus has also expanded to gallery work where the whole objective is to sell the original art.

Wow, what a contrast! I am slowly coming to grips with letting my paintings go. I have shifted my attitude in order to be excited that I get to share my work with others. The emphasis is now on the creation process instead of the end result. In the sharing and not the keeping. Besides, I have WAY too many old paintings stacked up in my studio and its time to let them go.

See my latest offerings at Williams Fine Art

Painting Moraine Lake- Banff

 

Last week we got back from a fantastic trip to Canada which included a couple of days in Banff, Alberta. One day a minor miracle occurred in which I convinced all three of my kids to draw along with me at Moraine Lake, the often overlooked little brother of Lake Louise.

It must have been the cool but pleasant weather or possibly the stunning scenery which persuaded them, but they never once asked if I was finished yet. I brought enough sketching and painting supplies for all of them to choose something, and that possibly helped make the outing enjoyable as well.

I just got to soak it in and paint for an hour or so, which was great. It didn't hurt that when the boys finished (or got bored), that there was an incredibly turquoise glacier fed lake to skip rocks on.

The ice was still coming off the lake and plenty of snow still clung to the peaks which made the view even more stunning. I broke in my brand new Moleskine watercolor sketchbook using pencil and my portable Cotman watercolor set.

I also broke out a couple or Niji water brushes for the first time and I have to say I was impressed with their functional practicality. My youngest son even requested one for his birthday. Overall a great time at one of the most beautiful places I have seen. I can't wait to make a bigger painting of this view.

Vote For Life Needs Art

I want to thank all the readers and followers of this blog. Your support the past two years has truly inspired and motivated me to keep Life Needs Art vibrant, current and informative. The blog has been nominated for a Fascination Award as the best art instruction blog of 2012.

I need your vote now to give me a chance to bring home the prize. Voting begins today and continues through June 25. Click on the badge above to go to the Fascination Awards site, log into your Google+ account, scroll down to comments on the Art Teacher blog section and +1 my blog gregnewbold.blogspot.com. Or click here to go directly to the voting. Thanks for all your votes!

In Maynard Dixon's Footsteps - Part 2

Last week I showed my photo of the fields of Toquerville, UT compared to a painting done by Maryard Dixon in 1933. After I realized that we had stopped at the same vista, I started wondering if there were other spots we had seen or painted on our trip that had also been painted by Dixon.

Subsequently, my friend Dave Meikle who went on the trip with me sent me the above painting. It is exactly the same vista that we chose for our first painting of the trip, but in the afternoon and without all the Dixon drama.

I hesitate to even show the painting I did it since I think it is pretty much a dismal failure as it is. I do think I can use it as an under painting and pull it out of the weeds, but it was pretty disappointing way to start the trip. The pieces did get better after that first one, so all was not lost.

Every time you pick up a brush outdoors, you want to do a good picture since it is always a one shot deal to paint plein air. The truth is that it doesn't always work out. Once I learned that, it was a lot easier to swallow a  "bonk" like this one. Looking at Dixon's interpretation, I am humbled, but determined to make the next one better.

Painting The Virgin River - Zion - Part 2

Boulders on the Virgin - Zion, 8" x 10" Oil; by Greg Newbold

 Here is my second attempt at the Virgin River painted during the early afternoon at Zion National Park. It was interesting that this subject didn't seem to suffer from the dramatic shadow shifts that some of the other Zion vistas exhibited.

 

I think I was more successful at capturing a range of value and color than the first painting I posted last time. I like the arrangement of shapes and the contrasts of the rushing water in this one and for the most part it works. I think this subject will make a nice larger painting and I'm looking forward to taking it on again sometime.

 

The view was stunning- what a pleasure to paint in this spot, despite the heat of the day.

Painting the Virgin River - Zion - Part 1

 On the second day of my recent painting trip to Zion National Park, we decided to take on the challenge of painting moving water.

Perched on a rock right at the water's edge

I had never attempted painting a river en plein air, so I was excited to take on the challenge.

early stage- blocking in

 I liked trying to capture the contrasting colors  and values of the rocks above and beneath the water.

Virgin River Ripple- 8" x 8" oil on panel, Greg Newbold

My first attempt shown here was fairly successful but I felt that I could have pushed the warm/cool contrasts in the water and introduced a few more cool greens. That said, I enjoyed the process and like the abstract shapes that the rocks make.