Painting a Winter Scene–Part 1

Are you guys tired of these step-by-step projects yet?

Sometimes I wonder. I mean, how interesting can it be to look at still shots of paint?

Of course, if you like to paint, or want to paint, I guess you might find them interesting.

What’s funny is, it takes me longer to fix the photos and post the blog then actually painting the picture!

And it seems like I’m taking even more photos than ever.

Ah, well. Just my musings this morning.

This painting of a Winter Scene is for a Paint Party. I'm trying to get a decent selection so I can schedule a few weeks of parties here.

Pretty soon, though, all of these tutorials will be on video – which will make it sooo much easier.

I took so many pictures of this painting, I have to spread it out over a few posts.

It’s not that it’s difficult. It’s really simple – 3 paint colors.

I’m just taking too many pictures!

So let’s start with the winter sky and hills – painting the background.

Looks pretty blotchy, doesn’t it? It’s a background, ok? You don’t need to spend a ton of time on it.

Pick a very, very light blue paint. When you think you’ve picked a light one, go a shade even lighter. I used Ceramcoat’s Blissful Blue.

Now, with long, horizontal strokes, paint blue + white all across the top half of the canvas. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Depending upon the size of the canvas, you might now get a full stroke across the width of the canvas. If not, just be sure to blend your paints fully where one stroke stops.

You can water the paint down a bit for more flow, but you’ll have to paint more coats if you do.

At just about the halfway point, paint blue curves. Shallow curves. These will be your hills.

There’s no right or wrong. No perfect number.

Just paint some on there.

Fill in the ‘hills’ with the light blue.

About 1/3 up the canvas, start leveling your strokes out. This will create your foreground.

The strokes aren’t as straight as the sky, but not as curved as the hills.

Do you see the difference between the hills & the sky strokes?

Wait . . . look at the finished pic again so you see where we’re going.

See the hills in the back and the foreground where the trees are?

Yeah – it’s a subtle distinction, but it makes a difference.

Okay. Now we’re going to deepen the top part of the sky – just a bit.

Generally speaking, skies are lighter by the horizon and darker higher up. Generally speaking.

Don’t know why.

Remember, I’ve only taken one art class. And that was in 1975.

And I quit painting for 20 years after that class.

So here’s the deeper blue at the top.

Now, if you just throw the deeper blue on, you’ll run into problems. You have to add some of the light blue first.

See how there’s a big patch of wet light blue? (I should figure out how to add arrows in Photoshop. I should, but I’m not gonna. Figure it out, I mean.)

If you know Photoshop, I’d love a simple (really simple) tutorial on how to do that.

On top of the wet light blue, add a dab of the deeper blue. Then mix it all together. Back and forth. Back and forth. Horizontal strokes. Until it’s all blended.

See?

There’s another way to do it, other than blending on the canvas.

In case that freaks you out.

Blend the deeper blue with the light blue on your palette.

Notice my very high-priced ‘palette’? It’s a foam plate.

Oh, I do have a high-priced artsy-fartsy palette. But the plates work great.

And for a painting this size – 16 x 20 – I used about a quarter-size amount of each paint color. Maybe a little more white, but not much.

The sky while the paint is wet.

And dry.

Now, start adding white to your hills.

How much white to add? Well, it depends on the brand, and type. Craft paint or tube acrylic – it makes a difference.

Just use what you’ve got.

Keep painting the hilltops until there’s a good distinction between the hills and the horizon. But let a little of the light blue show through.

Okay, that’s it for today.

I could’ve just said, “Throw some light blue & white on the canvas,” and been done with it.

But in school, I was that annoying kid who always raised her hand and asked questions.

I can hear my classmates groaning now.

When the entire class was totally bored and ready to move on, my hand would go up.

So that’s the way I teach. And write.

Just in case you’re hand is raised.

Tomorrow, we’ll do the trees. I’ll try not to be so descriptive.

But don’t hold your breath.