These last few weeks I’ve been working on a painting for
the December issue of ‘Atelier’, a Dutch art magazine. They invited a number of
painters to take pictures of the different stages of a painting and explain
their technique. Ofcourse I said yes when I was asked (vanity, oh vanity…), and
now I’m struggling with a painting and a deadline (October 1st).
The problem with these situations (similar
to a commission) is that you loose the freedom to totally change direction when
you get stuck. How many times did I not grab a big brush and covered the panel (or parts of it)
with a fresh layer. It often presented me with new options. Options I wouldn’t
have seen, had I tried to remain in control.
The problem with this particular painting was the blue of the sky. It needed a soft quality, that I just couldn't get right. Not a saturated blue, but a toned down milky blue. I finally found a solution by mixing transparent white with a hint of prussian blue. I applied it on top of the initial blue in a transparent layer and that began to look like it.
The problem with this particular painting was the blue of the sky. It needed a soft quality, that I just couldn't get right. Not a saturated blue, but a toned down milky blue. I finally found a solution by mixing transparent white with a hint of prussian blue. I applied it on top of the initial blue in a transparent layer and that began to look like it.
This was about a week ago and I thought I was looking at
a finished painting. I started taking pictures for the article, but again I struggled with the blue of the sky. It had a green
hue and even Photoshop couldn’t help me out. So I asked a photographer-friend
to give it a shot and the results were still not okay. Now I’m thinking that
the photograph is not the
Beach In Winter
50 x 65 cm
beste JanHendrik,
ReplyDeletewanneer ik de foto zie op deze blog vind ik niet dat de lucht te groen is. Natuurlijk is mijn kijk op dit schilderij niet dezelfde dan jou, als maker. Ik ben er van overtuigd dat je de juiste beslissing zal maken wat betreft de kleur......
gr. Peter Dijkhuis
Beste Peter,
ReplyDeleteDank voor je bemoedigende opmerking. Het schilderij ziet er nu al weer anders uit. Ik heb het blauw van de lucht toch nog wat zachter gemaakt. Zal het binnenkort online zetten.
Janhendrik
Hello JanHendrik,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Paintings !! The only thing I thought when I saw your painting (and im not sure if this is just because of the photo) but I initially thought it was a landscape. The sky looks fine, but the beach has a very green look to it, which threw me off. But then again, I am no expert.... just an amateur point of view. Best Regards, Jacqui, South Africa
Hello Jacqui,
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for your comment. I can imagine the misunderstanding. The beach is a little greenish indeed, partly because of the picture (in reality it has a brown hue) and partly because of the time of day, just before sunset, with the sun in your back. The light is low and the beach, the dunes and even the sea bath in a color totally different from their usual color.
In the meantime I've been working on the painting, yet again... For the latest version, please visit the recent work section of my site (www.paintingskies.com). It's the second painting. Let me know what you're thinking!
Janhendrik