This week I made more progress on the foreground of my “Lucie Stern Through the Looking Glass” painting by adding in the leaves of a large tree on the left. I really focused on identifying the variations in color and depth in the leaves.
Usually when people start painting the leaves of tress, they start with just green which provides a very flat, artificial looking tree. Instead, I’ve learned that you need to vary the shades of green with the base color and yellow ochre. I also add a little bit of bright red to my some of my color variations to add additional visual interest. There is always a balance of creating variation without getting so wild, the leaves steal all the attention from the rest of the painting.
You’ll also find that it takes a couple of layers to get the depth you want and it is important to wait between layers so the paint has some time to dry.
I am a little nervous about the next step in this painting where I will add additional trees and bushes in front of the Lucie Stern Theatre. I want to get this right as I really don’t want to have to paint the Lucie Stern building over again.
This week, Lee Hartman, the teacher, is still not back in class. However, word from some other students is that she will be back next week.
I took the liberty while she is gone to select my next painting which will be on a 22″x28″ canvas and feature a couple of people amongst other items in the painting. It will be considerably more challenging. I hope Lee is not going to kill me for choosing such a complex painting. However, I figure you’ll never know what you are capable of if you don’t push it.
