I was going to just leave out the text explaining my steps, but I added a few words at the end. I think the steps speak for themselves. Besides, they say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Frank Gardner © 2009
I picked a few sheep from different photos and painted the dark shapes to place them. Next I added the blue to continue building up the form. Then I painted in the white highlights of the backlit sheep. That is what really sharpens them up. The next step was to cut back into the forms with the background colors to adjust the shapes just a bit. I'll often over paint a shape and then come back with another color to adjust it. You can see what I mean by this best on the head of the sheep to the far right. The last photo shows the painting after I decided to wipe two of the sheep out for a better overall composition. I knew I could always paint them back in if I decided I liked it better with all five.
15 comments:
Thanks for posting this Frank. I always like to see how other artists develop their paintings. And I always learn something from your posts.
I like the three instead of five, by the way.
Your welcome Bill. I am glad that you enjoyed looking.
Thanks for the thumbs up on 3 vs. 5.
Bravo.
They are coming into focus......
and very lovely.
i am always amazed at how you simply shapes and with just a few brushstrokes create what you intend. really nice sheep frank.
I had fun scrolling through those really fast, up and down and up and down.....was almost like one of those little books that you flip through really fast to create an animation........but I marvelled when I looked up close at your process. The sheep on the right - overpainted like a mutant, made perfect and whole, then painted out of existence, 1-2-3!
Yes. I like!
Thanks!
I'm smiling today!
Very useful info, Frank. I like the three sheep and I think the next option would be a whole flock!
Hi Elizabeth, thanks.
Thanks Christine!
Hi Solveg, yeah, I like that too and it's why I did not want to put text between the photos. If I was smarter I would figure out how to turn some of my step by steps into little movies. Like I need something else to waste my time on. LOL
Glad you are smiling.
Thanks Jack. I think the whole flock would make it too much about the sheep and not the landscape as a whole. For this painting that is.
Hey Frank, great demo inside a demo! Your directness and honesty with paint is always refreshing. I don't wanna cause another stampede (and am still waiting on line for the catalog of your work book) but I think you would make one hell of an instructional book, not just "how to" but "why to" nobodys done that yet. sorry if this causes a comotion.. :) Dan
Wonderful stuff, Frank! This is what bloggin' is all about!
Frank- I laughed when I read Solvegs' comment because I did the same thing. Like the early days of cartoons, I got to see your process of adding into and building up of motifs by scrolling up and back.
Very helpful info to read how you place objects into a painting and then refine them. Wonderful.
Fabulous lesson, Frank... I love the highlights .... and the cutting back into them...... They are so simple but they read so beautifully!
How do you avoid muddying things... Do you wait until they are dry???
I love to see how you do things.
THANKS AGAIN!!
Hey Dan, well, I have put the book on hold for the time being. I'll get back to it soon. Maybe once the rainy season starts here or something. Right now I am trying to get some painting done.
Yeah, an instructional book would take a LOT more time to work out. I like the "why to" approach though.
No apologies.... I like a good commotion.
Thanks Dean! Glad you like it that much.
Yeah, I love those flip book things Bonnie. I used to make them once in a while. Like I said to Solveg, I need extra time to just mess around with some video of that kind of thing. We could all use an extra 24 hrs in each day huh?
Hi Marian. Thanks!
Background was dry, but I could have done it the same if it was wet. One brush stroke and leave it alone. That is the key to avoid mud. Or do you mean between colors on the sheep?
Gosh, Frank, could you pretty please write that WHY TO book? I could use one of those.....assuming the principles would transfer to a nonpainter. Perhaps you could include some of that transfer paper they used to put in little-kid art books way back when. I could rub it on my forehead with a popsicle stick. What did they call those books, anyway?
Meanwhile, little films - what a GREAT idea! NOT a waste of time.
I'm a fan of the idea.
Very interesting. I like to see the progression and the process of your work.
Paz (still looking for an art class to take)
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