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Art theory Landscape Oil Painting Outdoors/Landscape Painting

Inspiration Point – Take Two

Oil on Masonite panel, 9″x12″
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This morning on the way to work I started thinking about yesterday’s painting of Inspiration Point and how what I painted didn’t really represent the colors I saw and generally annoyed me.  I started sketching and taking notes about for making another painting of the scene. Also yesterday I talked to technical support at Gamblin Oil Paints about putting together a good limited palette and he gave me some really good suggestions.

So anxious to put my new ideas into action, after work I ran to the art store, picked up a couple colors I didn’t have and set up my palette with the following Gamblin colors: (the ones with asterisks are what Gamblin recommended — the others are my additions)

  • Transparent Earth Red* (used primarily for the drawing and a tonal underpainting using paint thinned with Gamsol which dries in minutes and creates a beautiful glow), Titanium White*, Chromatic Black*;
  • Indian Yellow*, Cad Yellow Light;
  • Quinacridone Red*, Cad Red Light;
  • Ultramarine Blue*, Manganese Blue Hue (a form of Pthalo Blue that looks closer to Cerulean).

I did the sketch/underpainting quickly (a bit too quickly–didn’t quite get the shapes of the hills on the left) and then started in with the rest of the painting. The gessoed masonite is very slick which I kind of like and makes it easy to wipe paint off but also makes it easy to take paint off when you’re trying to paint on top of paint.

I’m happier with this version; pleased that I came closer to what I saw and that I managed to get in a painting after a long day at work.

5 replies on “Inspiration Point – Take Two”

Jana what a difference.
I like this one better also. I little more contrast between the ridges in the hills on the front left will really make it pop. Hope you don’t mind me saying so. I love working with a limited palette. I find I don’t get muddy looking paintings this way.
Excellant! enjoy the class

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Jana, it’s great to see your landscape paintings coming together, and exciting to hear your growing confidence. The only color I’d pull out of your palette is the black. It’s rare to have a true black in a landscape, and a mixed black is so much richer. I’m going to try the Indian yellow. I’m still searching for the perfect cool yellow. The part of your painting that’s not working as well for me are the greens in the distance. They’re a bit chalky, and less vibrant than your greens in the foreground.

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TONI: I’m thrilled to get your constructive criticism–it’s always welcomed. I find it so hard to see the problems in my own paintings and you are totally correct in your analysis of this painting and I will go back and see what I can do to fix that. Thanks so much for taking the time to look and make the suggestion.

KRIS: Thanks so much for the encouragement and good advice about the greens. The Chromatic black is actually made from Thalo Green, Perm Aliz and one other color–a good neutral dark that I’d mix myself but not really necessary. My teacher recommended Mars Black to use to darken colors without changing the hue. I haven’t tried it yet, having been thoroughly indoctrinated about never using black with watercolors.

ELIO & MARTHA: Thanks so much for visiting and commenting!

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