Page 70 - Australian_How_To_Paint

INSIGHT

OBSERVATION
Observation is about analysing what
is in front of you and deciding if
it is worth the time to turn it into
a painting. Are you excited by the
prospect? Do you see beauty that
others cannot see and feel a strong
need to express it in paint? Do you
see potential of composition but
need stronger, more muted or even
a different angle of light? It is about
looking at the world through an
Late Afternoon - St John Street, Launceston 41 x 20cm Oil on Board artist’s eyes, with the ability to see
it in painted form in your mind long
before reaching for a brush. If taking
a photo to paint later, observe the
tone and colour that will inevitably be
altered by the photographic process,
particularly the scenes of high shadow
and light contrast.

DRAWING
Drawing is something that comes
naturally to me. I learnt perspective
in Year 9 Graphics and have never
forgotten it. Proportion is something
I can still get slightly wrong and
notice it rather late. Any problem in
a drawing can be attributed to errors
in either proportion or perspective.
Learning to see it early is the key,
regardless of your skill level. You can
make your own rules for drawing for
the painting. For a streetscape I go
into a bit of detail so I can relate it to
the reference photo during the colour
placement as the painting proceeds.
Female Factory, Ross, Tasmania 86.5 x 66cm Oil on Canvas For a landscape a detailed drawing on
canvas is unnecessary. Importantly,
during painting, the drawing never
actually stops, you just do it with the
brush instead of with a pencil.

COMPOSITION
There are many rules of composition,
all of which can be gleaned from
good painting texts. I learnt from
these and through the art of landscape
photography which I take as seriously
as my painting. Whether painting en
plein air or from a photo, composition
involves placing or moving elements
within or eliminating elements from
Early Morning - Melbourne Street, Sth Launceston 41 x 20cm Oil on Board the scene in such a way as to form a
pleasing arrangement.
70 Australian How to Paint