Do you feel like your paintings just fall flat? Our mind tells us the trees are green, the sky is blue, the clouds are white. So that is how we paint. Often leaving out value, dimension, light and shadows.
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
Henry David Thoreau
Think about how boring a book or movie would be if there wasn’t a development of characters, a description of settings, the drama of a villain and the hope of happily ever after.
Painting should be no different. Just like a good author…writing (painting for us) is what makes you better.
Value is the lightness or darkness of a painting. Black adds shades and white adds tints. A good painting…much like a good book or movie…needs value. Without it….it’s just “eh”
In this video, I demonstrate what adding black and white will do for your painting
I want you to start looking at the land around you, while your driving or walking…and notice the colors…endless colors.
How many shades of green can you see…I bet 50 at least.
How about the bark in the trees…do you see the purples…the greens?
What about clouds? Spring is a wonderful time to look at clouds.
Being a Kansas girl, I enjoy a good thunderstorm gathering across the plains.
How many colors do you see in the clouds…shades and tints…all because of black and white!
Next time you paint…give yourself permission to use ALL the colors…try them out…see what they do…if you don’t like it…cover it up and try it all over again!
I want you to learn to paint FEARLESSLY!
We are all artists, painting our lives upon the canvas of reality.
Mix the colors your own way and apply emotion liberally.
Don’t be afraid to let your brushstrokes show, and about all else, make sure your art has soul.
Cristen rodgers
NEXT UP: Let’s Paint Trees…Pines, Palms, and Plain Ol’ Trees
Come back again next week and I will show you how to paint a variety of trees. Simply.
Wondering where to get my brushes, paints and painting surfaces?
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