Page 78 - The Decorative Painter Summer 2014

SKILLBUILDER
FINAL DETAILS
I love saving the tiny birds for last. They instill some life and add some depth to the sky. They should come out of the color area and not the white of the sky. It is a little subtler that way. Outside of any small items you would like to add, this completes the painting.
Do you see how the white column in the sky drama- tizes the lighthouse and yet sets a mysterious and spiritual mood? This is the effect you want to achieve with my Ver- tical Shapes Skyscape Technique using my Soft Sky Appli- cation. In Part II of this series, I will demonstrate another Skyscape technique.
artist’s sketch
Keith Sluder, a new member of SDP, is a master watercolorist, cover artist, degreed designer, travel-teacher in
nine states, lecturer, muralist, consultant, and former gallery owner. He is one of the most versatile artists in the
country today and is considered an expert in all water-based media (watercolor, acrylic, gouache, casein, matte
acrylic, egg tempera, inks), oils, pastels, and graphite pencil. Keith paints in twelve subject matters: dynamic
landscapes, wildlife, portraits, Native American, architectural, enchanted visions, seascapes and lighthouses,
still life, Americana, whimsical, art nouveau, and fantasy designs. On his website you can view more than two
hundred images of his artwork. After a forty-year career as a successful international artist, Keith has turned to
travel-teaching. He genuinely cares about his students, and it gives him a great feeling of accomplishment to know that he’s helping to raise their skill levels. Keith tries to give his students everything he can in every class he teaches.
If you would like Keith to teach at your chapter, contact him via email at keithsluder@me.com. Along with his wife, Barbara (the “B” in KB Artforms), Keith will create a class or seminar for your media choice and subject matter preference. Visit Keith’s website at www.keithsluder.com. Sign up for Keith’s newsletter and read his blog at www.keithsluder.com/magicrealism/Newsletter.html.
76 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 2, 2014
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