Joseph and

GloriaDawle

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BOSTON
PUBLIC
LIBRARY

HI

.'-

PAINTING THE

COWS OFNATURE

--*

Joseph and Gloria Dawley

**w
&>'

Watsoiv(3uptill Publications /New York

My

thanks and appreciation to

Kathleen DeBlasio and Sara

whom

Pender, without

would not have been

this

book

possible.

Edited by Brigid A. Mast

Graphic production by Hector Campbell
Set

Goudy Old

point

in 11

Copyright

1987 by Joseph and Gloria Dawley

published 1987

First

Style

in

the United States

and Canada by Watson-Guptil

Broadway

Publications, a division of Billboard Publications, Inc., 1515

New York, NY.

10036.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dawley, Joseph.

Seeing and painting the colors

of nature.

Includes index.
1.
II.

Painting

Technique.

I.

Dawley, Gloria.

Title.

ND1500.D384 1987

87-23032

751.45

ISBN 0-8230-4761 -X
Distributed

House,

St.

All rights

used

in

in

the United

Ebbe's

reserved.

Kingdom by Phaidon Press

Ltd., Littlegate

Oxford OX1 1SQ, England.

St.,

No

part of this publication

any form or by any means

may be reproduced

or

graphic, electronic, or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and

retrieval

systems

Manufactured
First Printing,

in

without written permission

the United States of America

1987

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

92 91 90 89 88 87

of the publisher.

This book
Terrie

is

dedicated to

Brown two

fans of my

art,

have worked

fellow artists

who for many

tirelessly to

awareness of my
country.

Nancy and
and

years

help create

name around

the

CONTENTS

Introduction
Traditional Style:

Forms Are Defined by

Values

10

Start with the Center of Interest

12

Simplify Compositions by Grouping Values

14

Changing the Composition

16

to Suit the Style

A Muted Palette Uses Broken Color

Color

20

and Contrast Define Space

21

22

Darks Without Black

Colors Shift to

a Higher Key

Dark Tones and Broken

24
26

Colors

Broken Color Enriches Flesh Tones

28

Using White as a

30

Vehiclefor Light

Using Color Imaginatively

32

Handling Edges in a

Variety of Ways

34

Mood of a Street Scene

36

Colors

Change

the

Large Brushstrokes Animate the Surface

Painting

40

Trees: Three Approaches

Mind Eye

Composing a Painting

in the

Making the Parts Work

Together

's

and Contrast Strengthen a

Color

and Composition

in

46

Composition

48

an Improvised Landscape

50

Placing Figures in a Landscape

Establishing

42

44

Assembling a Composition from Several Photos

Color

38

a Strong Focal Point

54
56

Anchoring the Foreground

60

Balancing a Composition with Two Figures

62

Composing a Group of Figures

66

Resolving a Compositional Problem

70

Simplifying

a Cluttered Scene

The Evolving Composition

Adjusting Details

to

Refine the Composition

72

76

80

Fine-tuning the Composition

86

Light and Values Affect the Composition

88

Bright Colors Animate a Busy Scene

90

Using Complementary Colors

92

Using Tertiary Colors

94

Experimenting

to

Develop Color

Complementary Colors Brighten a Character Study

100

Using Low-key Complementary Colors

102

Muted Colors Evoke a Lonely Mood

104

Neutrals Enhance Bright Colors

106

Using Adjacent Colors

110

and Color

1 12

Light

Control Depth of Field

Subduing Strong Light

Sunlight

1 13

and Shadow

114

Sunlight Falling Through Foliage

1 16

Using Broken Color

118

to

Paint Fall Foliage

Capturing Reflections on Water

120

Blending Color with a

126

Palette Knife

Capturing the Motion of Flowing Water

The

Romance of Rain

Reflections

and Color in Windows

128
130
132

Capturing the Essence of a Building

136

New Colors

138

Bringing in

Varying the Brushstrokes

140

Index

143

Introduction

Until August

1982,

was

full-time artist painting in

control and dexterity in

the traditional realist style.

hand, which

had developed a reputation as a

realist painter, and Watson-Guptill
had published four of my books, all

The

dealing with the techniques of this

left

style.

disease, which was

becoming progressively worse and
more disabling. By 1982, although

from Parkinsons

my

whole

The

my

life

had no idea my

nificantly relieved.

An

sig-

unexpected

more than

could

handle under the circumstances:

was

at this

This encouragement spurred

and the more

now had

to paint

especially

the physical ability

and merely lacked the

tight

control required for traditional

realism.

She prodded me

into a

looser style, impressionism

a style

After

came

to

because

it

in-

volves placing one brushstroke next

My
thetic.

first

handling

efforts

was perthis.

were truly pa-

My mind knew what

wanted to paint, but my hand didn't

have enough control to carry
through. No matter how bad the
results, however, my wife and friends

my

who

handles

my

work,

house to see the new

later

learned, by what he might see), and

was surprised and pleased by

my new

paintings. Shortly thereafter, he put

them
were
lic

in a
all

one-man show, and we

ecstatic to see that the pub-

responded with enthusiasm to

the

new

patting

me

of struggling,

works (scared to death,

friends

for

many weeks

art dealer,

had always liked but had never

was perfect

me on,
my

the more

became supremely motivated when

seriously pursued. This technique

tried,

control returned, slowly but surely.

my

my wife

point that

fectly capable of

complication occurred, however,

that was almost

style, in

in a state of constant depres-

blending and modeling.

was about to change.

symptoms were

chosen

un-

to another, rather than meticulously

surgery was a success in that

Parkinson's

me

when

a half

career as a traditional

realist painter.

still

lowing in self-pity was simply not

two hours a day. A surgical procedure was suggested that offered a

good chance of greatly relieving my
symptoms. In 1982, I opted to have
the surgery. I assumed that after
recovery I would be able to continue
to

was

going to be acceptable

was only able to work one and

my

decided enough was enough. Wal-

suffering

was being treated with medication,

right

sion and despair.

It

had been

my

painting hand.

realization that

able to paint in

had no intention of changing

Since 1975,

my

is

found something positive every time

and praised and cheered my efforts.

spite of the success of the surgery,

styles at that time.

with

degree of fine motor

lost a large

style.

knew then

that

my

and loved ones weren't just

me on the back; I really did

have a new

style that

could love

and work with.

my confor me to

After a very long time,

trol

returned sufficiently

have a choice:

could return to

traditional realism or stay with im-

pressionism. By that time,

impressionism so

much

enjoyed

that there

my mind

was no question

in

would continue

in the impres-

sionistic style.

Not only

did

my

gone

technique go

my

through a radical change, but

whole approach to the selection of

subject matter had to change dra-

my

matically. In

traditional works,

to a harbor in search of

an

background.

thing had to change

if

the

new

style

of painting was to work consistently

for

me.

the same scene for motifs for the

learned very early in

new

searching for the perfect subject

to scenes. This
cult

than

entire

we

we would be looking

style,

life

it

was much more

sounds.

up to

this

for specific things

diffi-

had spent my

elements within

with

it.

for

no

this also

sub-

started looking at the hun-

dreds of photographs

had taken

for

ics

viewed the photos changed

leave the specif-

had

looking for a par-

but unbelievably
My wife and

excit-

would

go to the same areas we had gone to

in the past, but with the change in
it

was

like seeing

an

entirely different location. In the

past, for instance,

will establish the gen-

my mind,

then

set

about

filling in
I

want instead of having to settle for

what is really there. I can also

just

go about with nothing particular in

either the

whole or

we might have

now had
I

it.

reference photo-

new

saw how could mix and

match not only objects (which had

ways.

felt

Let

me

lifetime of the traditional

still

what

this

inI

integrate the traditional tech-

nique by blending a

little

here and

done by choice and often

very combination of the tradi-

that

and that is essentially

book is all about.

approach
still

vades some of my work. Sometimes

scenes, incorporating other objects

desired,

say in closing that after a

to painting, a smattering

there. Its

that this technique en-

and creativity, which

basic to good painting.

already done) but entire segments of

if

have

tion, design,

are

a large part of

graphs that could be used in

always

courages a high degree of imaginaI

to look at the larger scene

because

perspective,

Often

the way

as

process.

hours that

interesting-

viewed a scene had changed,

This was a wonderful realization,

many

mind, see the germ of an idea, and

and search for the general overall

Changing a lifelong attitude
to what's exciting and beautiful is

ing

career that

be able to create around that.

scenes.

a very slow

my

the traditional paintings. Just as the

ticular item of interest in a photo,

had to

have

way

also. Instead of

years.

point looking

looking people, old boats, unusual

Now

to

many

the missing pieces to create what

During this extensive learning

I

for

concept of a subject matter in

eral

worked

placements of items, doorways, windows.

tive.

in reverse.

process,

it

might otherwise have been produc-

were suddenly loaded

Of course,

is

matter could waste

Places

it.

previously thought had

ject matter

My conception of subject

matter had to change from objects

thing that

specific

realized that every-

me

not some-

been doing

or occasionally objects alone. In

used a traditional dark

new

is

rugged fisherman and an interesting

the entire vista instead of the

Imaginative painting

old fishing boat or dock; revisiting

usually painted people with objects,

either case,

old,

tional along with the impressionistic

produces the very result I'm seeking.

Traditional Style:

This

is

Forms Are Defined by

an example of my

earlier, traditional style

The

is

colors,

and

if

were painting him now,

brown

colors but put in a

I'd

use

little

painting.

glazing, darkening areas with trans-

ultramarine blue in the shadowed

colors are subdued; every-

parent washes of dark colors. Brush-

parts

strokes are blended carefully so they

orange in the

are almost invisible.

wood paneling

thing fades into darkness at the

bottom. In traditional painting,

worked mainly with values, that is,

with light and dark; in impressionist
painting, I work more with color.
Forms in this painting are defined
by changes in value; colors do not
change much across a surface. There

A Nap in the Attic,

10

a lot of tinting, lightening areas by

mixing white with the

of

Values

oil

on Masonite, 36"

If

were to repaint

this

scene

impressionistically, I'd use

more

col-

and maybe some cadmium

light. I'd

handle the

differently, too.

mostly raw umber and black,

and

it

looks very

much

like

ors,

placing different colors side by

Now

side

and

other colors are in there

show.

letting the

The dog

instance,

x 48" (91.4

cm

is

brushmarks

Here

it is

I'd

wood.

look closer to see what

might

in this picture, for

put in some mauve, some green

mostly black and white;

everything but the kitchen sink.

x 121.9

cm)

The dog
is

in this very traditional painting

rendered mostly in black and white.

His form
value

is

his

highlights

defined by changes in

dark

silhouette, the

and shadows on

his fur.

This dog, from the painting

House
more

II,

on page 29,

is

used blue

in the darkest areas

yellow and white for the

Doll

painted in a

impressionistic style.

and purple

The

light.

and

Color,

as well as value, defines form.

11

Start with the Center ofInterest

good example
This
you can
with
is

tral
it

The
main

how

your cen-

start

work

of

area of importance and

men were

not only the

thrust of the painting but also

the most difficult part to render.

felt it

would be

easier to adjust the

rest of the painting to the perspec-

tive of the

The

men

than vice versa.

came from
photographs taken on the spot;
three figures

bring

had

my

them together

they

task was to

as a group.

to pay careful attention to their

proportions relative to one another,

the way they are standing, their
facial expressions.

The

is

uniform in color and

value, but his cap

is

the lightest area

whole painting. The bluegray of his jacket is picked up in the

folds of his companions' jackets,
in the

Once was happy

I

central group,

with the

added the

rest of

the

scene, working from photographs

once more. The men are coachmen

at St. Peters Basilica
hence the
coach in the foreground and the

was

still

background.

working

in the tradi-

tional style here; the colors are

subdued and forms are defined more

by value changes than by
used a

lot

color.

of black in this painting,

something

would never do

in

my

impressionist work. Traditional

central figure

anchors the group; his clothing

relatively

the group together.

Note that the mens jackets are

yellow, blue, and red
the three

basilica in the

were not together in the photos,

however, so part of

tie

primary colors.

into a painting.

three

helping to

doesn't have to
ever:

mean

The background

rendered

loosely,

and

tight,

how-

figures are

their indef-

initeness of form helps push

them

into the distance and define the

space between the main group and

the basilica.

12

Coachmen at St.

Peter's, oil

on Masonite, 20" x 30" (50.8 cm x 76.2 cm)

13

Simplify Compositions by Grouping Values

This
from

painting was composed

the two photographs re-

produced here. Photo A,

which contains most of the scene, is

very cluttered; had to simplify the
I

composition a great deal.

ing

done

is

colors are

The

paint-

in a traditional style; the

Mended

smoothly, and

did a lot of tinting and glazing.

I

began with an

intricate drawing,

then painted in the background as

area of a single color.

a large,

flat

Next,

added the

table.

Note

figures

and the

that the lightest areas of

the canvas are in the foreground

figure; this brings

him forward and

establishes his importance in the

composition.
quite a bit,

lightened his jacket

compared

to the

photograph, strengthening the

folds, giving

light

dance

warmth

making the
The light and

color,

it

off

it.

of this figure are very impor-

tant to the

mood of this painting.

The onlooker was taken from

photo B;

into the scene,

slightly.

him
repositioned him

in order to integrate

had

to be very careful that

on both men was the

increased the light on the

the lighting

same, so

second

figure.

much

Since

of his

face isn't visible in the photograph,

I

had

make

to

it

clothing so that

up.

also altered his

would be more

it

appropriate.

After
table,

and the
painted the wheel. This was
I

finished the figures

very difficult because the spokes

cross the face of one figure.

Once

the main masses and values

were established,

could turn

attention to the background.

my
Some

of the elements were in the original

photo; others, like the key ring,

made

up. In order to give the paint-

ing greater coherence,

kept the

background simpler and more subdued than that of photo A.

14

Bicycle Repair Shop,

oil

on Masonite,

16" x 20" (40.6

cm

x 50.8 cm)

15

Changing the Composition

two paintings, although
These
couldn't
of the same
subject,

be more different.
is

One

smooth and elegant; the other

explodes in a
brushstrokes.

riot of
I

colored

was looking

for a

left

to Suit the Style

came

first; it

was carefully

planned, and the

It

figures, flowers,

bright flowers in his upraised hands;

from several different photos. The

then the

main

upper right corner catches the eye.

sists

thrust of the composition con-

of two diagonals (see diagram)

The

that cross the canvas.

painting, and changed the composition to accommodate the style.

The traditional painting on the

along each by areas of bright color,

Rome Flower Market,

oil

on canvas, 24"

Bright colors, light values,

light value,

16

eye

and high contrast,

is

led

as

well as by the gestures of the figures.

x 36" (61.0

cm

and strong contrasts

x 91.4

cm)

lead the eye

across the canvas along two diagonal paths. Strong colors

and values are grouped

for instance, to

and background were assembled

different effect in the impressionist

I

seems natural,

follow the gaze of the vendor to the

in the center of the canvas.

The

light

pink bouquet

center of interest

area of the painting,

is

in the

the central

which contains

the whitest whites and a

teresting small shapes.

lot

As

of in-

the eye

moves from the center of the paint-

become
more sub-

ing to the edges, contrasts

dominant subject matter from

not as assertive and has been pushed

more

figures to flowers, the better to ex-

down

of the flowers.

those in the lower right corner.

and
brushstroke. I eliminated some of
the figures and pushed the remain-

While the

ing ones back, allowing flowers to

distributed

subtle

and colors

dued. Compare, for instance, the

yellow flowers

on the

flowers

ploit the impressionist palette

table with

add color and

interest, this painting

is

basically

an

the foreground.

also

arrangement of figures.

background buildings to give a sense

repainted this scene in

The

impressionist style,

Flower Market

in

changed the

Rome,

oil

on canvas, 24"

of deeper space.

composition

x 36" (61.0

cm

is still

x 91.4

tense colors and bright whites are

basic

position freed

X of the

there, but

all

over the canvas.

Most important, the new com-

changed the

When

The eye follows the edge

The central area

doesn't dominate the painting; in-

fill

interesting

a bit.

on the

me up

to concentrate

brightness of the flowers and

the glow of the paint.

it is

cm)

The composition

is

simplified by

removing several figures

and weakening and pushing down

which lend themselves

the X.

to the bright colors

The flowers,
and broken

brushstrokes of impressionism, take over the foreground.

The center of interest

is

no longer confined

the canvas; bright colors

more

and

light

to the center

of

values are distributed

evenly.

17

Changing the Composition

These flowers

to Suit the Style

in the traditional version

of the painting are rendered in clusters

of separate brushstrokes, but there
little

is

color variation within the forms.

Value changes
yellow,

from darker

from cool gray

to lighter

to bright

white

shape the forms.

The brushstrokes have broken free of

the petal forms and float on a sea of
color.

While they

still

convey the sense

of a bunch of white and yellow flowers,

the boundaries are blurred.
red, green,
this area.

18

and

violet

Touches of

add richness

to

This figure

and dark

is

carefully

tones.

dimensionality
little

The
is

modeled

in light

illusion of three-

strong, but there

is

variation in color.

Brushstrokes and flecks of color ani-

mate

this

figure

and

his

surroundings

he almost seems to be moving.

19

A Muted Palette Uses Broken

The

colors in this painting are

suhtle but varied. This

is

transitional painting:

have

begun using broken

than

tints

forms, but

and
I

color, rather

glazes, to describe

haven't

moved

the impressionist style yet.

figures are

some

still

fully into

The

carefully modeled,

colors are blended,

some

and I'm

Color

with spots of red, green, and yellow

make

one place and purple, green, and

brown in another, but the bright
colors do not stand out. Instead,

stand out.

shaped by yellow highlights;

they are optically blended; that

same yellow sparkles on the vegeta-

in

the viewer sees

them

as

one

is,

fairly

neutral color rather than several

bright colors.

could have just mixed

the components on the palette into

the

the poles in the background

man

bles,

The

sleeves

and hands of

holding the cauliflower are

this

the scale, the shopping basket,

picking out forms and pulling the

scene together.

Most

of the values in this painting

fall in

of fairly bright colors side by side.

one solid gray, but the effect produced by broken color is much
richer and more interesting.
have also begun to use color to
define form. The shadows on the

The

bins to the

longer necessary to create the

still

using

black.

The broken-color technique ename to create an area of low-key

bles

color by placing small brushstrokes

vegetables in the

left

back-

ground, for instance, are painted

Vegetable Market,

20

oil or.

purple,

canvas, 18" x 24" (45.7

cm

left, for

instance, are

and pale green highlights

x 61.0

cm)

the middle of the range,

although there are some very dark

areas.

The

only bright white

is

the

cauliflower in the center of the canvas.

Strong value

shifts are

no

sion of three-dimensionality.

illu-

Color and Contrast Define Space

This

is

the most colorful of my

traditional paintings.

The

hues are very saturated and

the contrasts are very sharp.

The

perspective draws the eye

into the scene

fruit

seem

viewer

see

how

the bins of

to be tilted toward the

but

it is

the

warmth

of the

and their intensity, that

makes them come forward.

and the boys jacket. The blue shirt

and the purple scarf stand out because of their intensity and provide

Market Place Rome,

oil

side by side.

by heightening color contrast, bring

The

the oranges even farther forward.

colors here are carefully

blended.

The

oranges, for instance,

have white highlights and bluish

gradual and subtle, and no discrete

in the forefront, are the flesh tones

sit

background.

really

and the woman's black coat surround and isolate the brilliant colors
and push them forward. Less intense, but still warm enough to stay

would let them

This would key up

transitions,

the color intensity even higher and,

shadows, but the color changes are

dull greens, the gray jackets,

smooth

link with the cooler hues of the

colors,

The

Rather than blending the colors into

brushstrokes are visible.

doing

If

were

this painting impressionistic-

ally, I'd

leave the colors separate

spot of white or bluish white as the

highlight

blue

on the

top;

on the bottom,

maybe some
in the

shadow.

Areas of strong contrast also

at-

and thus seem to jump

forward; here, the line where the
woman's white shopping bag meets
tract the eye

her black coat

is

the sharpest value

whole picture.
As the eye moves farther into the

change

in the

background, values become lighter

and closer together, and hues

become

cooler.

on Masonite, 20" x 24" (50.8 cm x 61.0 cm)

21

Darks Without Black

of
scene also appears
Part
in the background of Market
Place Rome (page
the
this

21);

group there appears more or

as in the original slide.

is

closer to

has

in value, so this area

it

less contrast.

tour

on the

right

less distinct as its

less

When

Note how his conbecomes more and

so that a change in color, as well as

value varies with

difference

respect to the background.

decided to paint the three men,

eliminated the background figures

some

value, defines the form.

is

The

most noticeable

in the

large dark areas in the doorways. In

This painting has a wide range of

values and

the clothing, are modeled with blue,

interesting value

contains virtually no

the earlier version, the black

flat,

and the change

is

so

in contrast so

and shifted the trio slightly to set up

an interesting pattern of lights and
darks. On the left, the boundary of

shifts,

but

black.

impressionist

jarring. In the impressionist paint-

the group

color

ing, the

is

defined by the line of

contrast where the contour

of the left-hand

man

on the white

use very

use a mixture

The dark

man

little

black in

my

work because the

so intense. Sometimes I'll

blue and

overlaps the

darkness of the doorway.

is

it

of, say,

mau ve,

ultramarin e

rather than using

black from atube.

also use

com-

great, that these areas look like

is

darkness

made up

is

create an overall impression of

Not only

darkness.

yellow ochre, applied in broken-

lively

middle; his light gray suit overlaps

color fashion, for the dark areas.

up the other colors

in

the dark area of the farther door.

Eliminating black from

much more

my

palette

man stands out

makes

for

sharply against the doorway; his coat

Many

of the shadows, particularly in

The

face of the third

The use of black gives a

totally different

character to

more

this earlier,

tional rendering of this scene.

pure black gives

contrasts,

it

rise to crisp,

tradi-

While the
pleasing

also disrupts the sense of

space and deadens the dark areas.

22

exciting color.

than

it

of several colors that can

binations of ultramarinejalufe-afttl

shirt of the

is

be seen separately but combine to

the center draws the eye toward the

tie

the black
multicolored

"holes" in the picture

flat

is

this

black, but

more
it

picks

in the scene,

strengthening the relationship

between the doorway and the

of the painting.

rest

Three Men at the Portico,

oil

on Masonite,

12" x 16" (30.5

cm

x 40.5

cm)

23

Colors Shift to

The
is

a Higher Key

traditional painting

practically a study in

blacks and browns;

it

tains very little bright color

relies

on

its

con-

value structure: crisp

whites, deep blacks,

and strong

and tinting in this painting the

shadows in the man's coat and pants,
for instance, are all done that way.
brushstrokes

use in impres-

sionist paintings are small

discrete

small

and

The Connoisseurs,

oil

on Masonite,

the bowl of flowers in the lower right

when

used with the

less

prominent, and

added

foreground to increase the sense of

Of course,

changed the

impressionist palette, results in

space.

complex and vibrant

paintings on the wall to impres-

lies

colors. Here,

next to red, red next to

sionist paintings; these, along with

and blues reverberate

the vase of flowers and the Oriental

blue. Purples

throughout the painting. All the

rug, also provided

more oppor-

dark umber tones in the traditional

tunities to use bright areas of

painting have been muted to pale,

color.

soft, pastel-like colors.

I

strokes of different

colors lying next to each other,

of traditional painting. This

yellow

light effects. There's a lot of glazing

The

the

technique,

and

men

rather than the careful blending

changed the picture somewhat

when

repainted

it.

increased the

depth of the scene, thereby making

30" x 36" (76.2

cm

x 91.4

To add

a touch of contrast,

the paper drawing on the

broken

floor.

left

This

white area enhances the otherwise

pastel tones of the painting.

cm)

24

*m

TRADITIONAL AND IMPRESSIONIST PALETTES

Impressionist Palette

Traditional Palette

cadmium

red

medium

alizarin

crimson

sap green

Venetian red

vermilion

phthalo green

burnt sienna

cerulean blue

phthalo blue or Prussian blue

cadmium red medium

cadmium red light
cadmium orange
cadmium yellow

raw umber

yellow ochre

permanent mauve

ivory black

Naples yellow

titanium white

titanium white

chromium oxide green

raw sienna
yellow ochre

Connoisseurs' Choice,

oil

phthalo blue
ultramarine blue
cobalt violet

on canvas, 24" x 30" (61.0 cm x 76.2 cm)

25

Dark Tones and Broken Colors

This painting
When

is

piece.

had a little
ing left in me, but
impressionist, so

ments of both

a transition

broken color

did

the loveseat, the figure (particularly

it,

still

traditional paintI

it

was more of an

contains ele-

styles

in a sense,

it

bridges the gap between the two

There

There

is

are

many

to the eye

it

this

registers as white

of the viewer. Shadows are

blue, purple, gold, orange. This area

was

originally covered with

a bright red

underpainting; because of the texture

of the canvas and the looseness of the

strokes,

some of the red

still

gleams

through, enhancing the already vibrant

colors.

26

Sparkling highlights

on the

in particular,

picture frames

entice

the eye deep into the picture.

passages of

almost no pure white in

sculpture, although

most of the background.

Color changes are used to depict a
complex form in the white statue at
left and its reflection in the mirror.
his head),

those

previous paintings.

in this painting

The palette, while brighter than

many of my traditional paintings, is
not yet as high-key as that of the
full-blown impressionist style. There
are

many

dark tones in this painting

and, as in
works,
at

it

many

of my traditional

fades off a bit into darkness

the bottom. There

glazing as well.

is

a little

Inside

Calvert Gallery,

oil

on canvas,

18" x 14" (45.7

cm

x 35.6

cm)

27

Broken Color Enriches Flesh Tones

many

In

ings,

with a

my

of

traditional paint-

used Venetian red, maybe

little

yellow, for the flesh

tones. Venetian red

or;

it

is fairly dull,

brightest red

is

an earth

but

it is

would use

col-

girls'

in a skin

skin

little

is

painted in this low-key color; there

slightly. The marks

remain separate on the canvas but
are optically mixed by the eye of the

blended only

color variation in the

brushstrokes are carefully blended.

In the impressionist version,

used stronger colors

the

color. In the traditional version of

this painting, the

is

shadows and highlights, and the

viewer; this allows for rich, varied

cadmium

color.

medium, cadmium red light,

some blue in the shadows. The

red,

brushstrokes are small marks of

blue

red

lighter or darker shades of Venetian

pure color placed side by side and

28

I,

oil

on Masonite,

16" x 20" (40.6

cm

x 50.8

cm)

might put down a streak of

on the canvas, then a little

brushmark of alizarin crimson next

L

The Doll House

Rather than working with

to

it,

then maybe a

little

ochre or white, so the

changed

when

this

flesh tones are

many

not one color but

yellow

colors.

scene somewhat

repainted

it.

felt

the

also,

along with the stonework, pre-

sented a marvelous vehicle for the

use of broken color.
colors of the

fire

Note how the

up in the

are picked

rug and in the redheads

dollhouse forward. In the traditional

painting, the central area of the

canvas

is

the center of interest; the

impressionist painting
dispersed.

hair.

One

is

more

of the advantages of

smooth background wouldn't work

with an impressionist style, so I put
in the fireplace, which not only

Another reason for adding the

fireplace was to change the composi-

eliminating a strong focal point

tion by increasing the depth of

across the painting rather than lock-

provided a definite light source but

For the same reason,

The Doll House

II,

oil

on canvas, 20" x 24" (50.8 cm

x 61.0

moved

field.

the

is

that the viewers eye can travel freely

ing

on one strong

area.

cm)

29

Using White as a Vehiclefor Light

used a great deal of white in both

these paintings, but

handled

it

differently to get different effects.

is

relatively

flat

and

The

higher-keyed, slightly

warmer

convey the feeling

painting indicates a sunny day.

The

sky

is

a pale, cool, almost

is

not blended

at all

but dances in small highlights that

coldness into the lower half of the

lie

A great deal of white

used in these sky and water areas;

Clam Diggers

30

I,

oil

on Masonite, 20"

on top of the other

colors and

convey the sparkle of the

is
it

x 30" (50.8

water.

In each case, the use of white was

cm

x 76.2

cm)

painting.

The

and

large areas of color; in

addition to the sky

and

water, the

dark, wet sand adds to the chilly

colorless gray; the puddles carry this

painting.

scheme of the

details

palette of the impressionist

Here, the white

color

traditional painting uses small

large, light areas of sky and water

day.

light

of an overcast day.

In the traditional painting, the

of a cool, overcast

appropriate to the composition and

carefully

blended to depict the diffused

feeling.

The

figures

command

great deal of attention, but small

details,

such as the pebbles and the

dark reflection of the bucket, add

interest to the periphery of the can-

vas

This

is,

in

many

ways, a very specific

painting.
In keeping with the weather, the

and low-key I used

ultramar ine blue and phtb a n hlnp,
with a little black in places; greens

colors are cool

iexemixed from_ghfhrilo blno nnd,

yellouLQ chre; the skin t ones were_^
burnt sienna with Venetian red-and
'

When

and reinforce the sense of place.

a little

cadmium

reworked

this subject,

shifted the perspective

and pulled

cally.

The

more

intense.

colors are cool but

much_

The predominant

col-

back in space so the group of clam-

ors in the water are cerulean blue,

mers was no longer the focal point of

ultramarine blue, phthalo blue, and

the painting.
is

The

overall impression

important here; this painting

general rather than specific.

figures

is

The

blend into the space rather

than stand out. This allows a freer

use of loose brushstrokes.

My

red.

palette has

changed dramati-

white, applied in broken-color

fashion.

also used

mauve, ultramarine

permanent
violet,

cadmium

red light, cadmium red medium,

cadmium orange, cadmium yellow,
chromium oxide green, and ultra-

marine

violet.

EMBOB9
Clam Diggers

II,

oil

on canvas, 20"

x 24" (50.8

cm

x 61.0

3K

cm)

31

Using Color Imaginatively

Photograph A,

which

used for

most of this painting,

dark and
brighten

it

dull.

rather

is

in

more

used cool colors

knew

that the scene was going to

be lighter overall than the photo, so

I

made

the sky

much

lighter.

This

the overall effect

directly affects the reflections in the

The

water and indirectly affects almost

everything
I

fairly neutral.

blue of the water

the green side, to

else.

brought the stand of trees

fit

in

is

little

on

with the

overall tonality of the picture.

for-

violets, blues,

along with a little brown

and some white and yellow to adjust
value and intensity. The idea was to
keep the individual colors bright but
greens

interesting colors.
I

ground; this seemed an ideal area to

exploit broken color to the fullest.

decided to

up and bring

the sand and rocks in the fore-

took

ward, keeping the basic forms of the

the middle-ground figure from photo

photo but using a greater variety of

colors and values to describe them.

B.

mixed several greens and yellows

and applied them in broken-color
fashion, using a little violet and
brown here and there to bring down
the intensity of the color.

T|e clump

of seaweed in

the lower le^ corner

is

green of allkfrecause

it is

the brightest
so far

didn't

want

to use a

flat

gray for

on

this

figure are blue-violet; this effect

on sunny

days.

needed

a figure in the distance to increase

the sense of depth in the painting,

so

simply

made one

This painting
of

how you can

into a painting

is

up.

good example

bring exciting color

amplify what

already there, as

is

did with the trees,

or experiment with
find out

forward.

that the shadows

often occurs

used

duller greens*for the reflections in

the water.

Note

what works

new

colors to

best, as

did

with the sandbar.

32

.,*

*9

CLAMMERS,

oil

on Masonite,

14" x 18" (35.6

cm

x 45.7

cm)

33

Handling Edges in a

Bermuda Carriages,

oil

Variety

of Ways

on canvas, 30"x48" (76.2 cm x 121.9 cm)

34

mm

The

may not be immedi-

ately obvious:

has just docked

muda;

into whiteness, so

subject matter of this

painting

a ship that

It is

Hamilton, Ber-

at

the carriages in front of

it

are

line to define

used a thin, dark

contour.

its

started

out with a dark shape and covered

over with the pink, leaving just

enough of the darkness

to define the

among the disembarking passengers. The side of

form.

the ship provides a luminous white

where

background

over the white background.

awaiting fares from

that,

while not totally

much more

flat, is

be. Because

takes up most of the

it

background and
in the painting,

is

the lightest value

many

of the forms

are defined by their silhouettes.

There

is

actually quite a bit of

variety in the

way edges and con-

tours are handled here.

The

The dark

man's whip
it

lies

line of the

under the pink paint

crosses the umbrella but

their contours, the negative space in

becomes very important. Negative space is the "empty"

space between things. In this painting, the negative shapes between
the branches of the tree form a very
a composition

pleasing pattern.

This was

tree

my

successful im-

first

branches are sharp and emphatic;

pressionist painting,

the leaves are blurry and

much

tinct.

The pink

areas

less dis-

on the

left side

of

palette

with

it

is still

my

they are almost indistinguishable

riage

side,

which

trast

is

is

clearer.

in shadow, the conI

umbrella on the
light value

painted

just

the right

wanted the pink

left to

retain

without disappearing

this

Note

wheel on the

painted

hand.

The

freer.

left,

The

car-

for instance,

painted with a few loose strokes in

a variety of colors;

have come a

long way from the carefully rendered

spokes of the bicycle wheel in
Bicycle Repair Shop (page 15).

umbrella as a dark shape, then covered

enough of the underpainting

edge.

its

is

somewhat dark, but

the brushstrokes are

On

and

left

of the small building are so light that

from the background.

coach-

When forms are described by

consistent in

color and value than the sky would

it

to define the

it

over with pale pink, leaving

form. This produces a nebulous

the variation in the line of the whip,

which

lies

under

the pink paint

and

over the white.

35

Colors Change the Mood ofa Street Scene

wanted

this painting to

convey

bluer shadows, adds to the effect.

The

the tranquility of early evening

on a quiet street. The photo

worked from was taken earlier in the
day, so had to make some color and
I

light

changes to capture the

mood

Evening

light

is

cool, bluish, so

shifted the colors toward that

the spectrum.

The

end of

buildings in this

painting are more colorful than in

the photo, but the colors stay cool

The

for instance,

is

This yellow

is

on the
which is

building
yellow,

usually considered a

warm

left,

color.

colder than most,

however, because

The

coming from the win-

warmer

warm

The windows

yellow.

handled very

is

loosely,

with a

are

lot

of

color, so they will stand out

against the shadowed facades of the

wanted.

or neutral.

light

dows, on the other hand,

it is

grayed down.

blue doorway, with

its

even

buildings.

Some

light spills out

street.
is

The

of that

warm

yellow

onto the sidewalk and

light falling

on the

trees

also cool, almost silvery.

In the photo, the trees cast a

strong shadow

muted

on the

street.

have

that somewhat, in keeping

with the diffused light

this scene.

The

in the rest of

colors in this area

are very cool, with just a

light

from the windows

little

warm

for contrast.

mmammmmammmm

I^B^P

36

fc]"fe

#
Street

in

Georgetown,

oil

on Masonite,

12" x 16" (30.5

cm

x 40.6

cm)

37

Large Brushstrokes Animate the Surface

Usually

paint with small,

carefully placed brush-

once

strokes, but

a subject

comes along

"

in a while

that lends

itself to large, gestural strokes.

This

was one such subject.

to

wanted

capture the overall flavor of the

scene, rather than rendering details

of architecture and tree branches, so

I

used loose brushstrokes to sum-

\MgA

marize the forms.

The

facades of the buildings are

defined by patches of light and color;

sometimes the brush drags one color

into or over another. In other places,

such

as the fence, the brushstroke

makes a very simple statement it

becomes the object. Each post of the
fence was painted with one stroke.

One

key to successful handling of

the large brushstroke

tion

too much

is

modera-

looseness can

make

your painting simply chaotic. Here,

the relatively smooth surfaces of the
grass

and the concrete

walls of the

canal provide a respite for the eye.

I

wanted

to capture the

the water, so
little

waterfall

motion of

concentrated on the

and on the movement

of the water at the foot of the

falls.

used a smaller brush here than in the

rest of the painting,

but the strokes

are longer than usual.

nique

The

tech-

used here was to drag a brush

loaded with white over a still-wet

area of dark paint.

didn't go over

the brushstrokes, as that would blur

them and would

I

and the

bristle

lose the crispness

marks.

Canal
38

in

Washington,

oil

on Masonite, 20" x 24" (50.8 cm x 61.0 cm)

39

Painting Trees: Three Approaches

The

silhouette of the tree in

Bermuda Carriages (page 35)

very strong; the dark

is

branches appear almost

flat

against

the bright white background. There

is

some modeling

in the trunk;

used light colors applied

brushstrokes for

with loose

Because of my

this.

linear approach, the negative shapes

between the branches stand out

sharply.

In Street in Georgetown (pages

36-37), the near trees are sharply

defined against the sky; their dark

branches and clear contours create

There

areas of strong contrast.

very

little

modeling

is

just a few

streaks of slightly lighter color,

loosely brushed.

The

far trees

to dissolve into the sky;

seem

used lighter

values and loose brushstrokes to

achieve this

effect.

Large brushstrokes, twisted

shapes, and stronger colors

the trees in Canal

in

make

Washington

(pages 38-39) seem to writhe on the

canvas. Variations in color and

value undercut the importance of

the silhouette. Negative and positive space

able:

seem almost interchange-

Are the branches

in front of

the light shapes, or vice versa?

The

looseness of the paint handling

makes

it

hard to

tell.

Dark branches form a

flat, linear;

40

strong silhouette against a white background. This tree

negative shapes are prominent.

is

The

trees

become

less distinct

Strong, sinuous brushstrokes

as they recede into the background; the farthest ones dissolve into the sky.

and intense

colors

make

these trees writhe

on

the canvas.

The

silhouette dissolves in the

masses

of color; positive and negative space seem interchangeable.

41

Composing a Painting in the Mind's Eye

knew what wanted
I

to look like:

this painting

two cowboys

travers-

on horseback.
Unfortunately, only one rider came
by while I was at this site, and he
ing the river

much
my imagination and

didn't look

like a

cowboy.

used photo

A for the setting,

but

zoomed in on the bend in the river

and narrowed it somewhat, so it is
more a stream than a river. This
brought more of the far bank into
I

the picture.

kept the background

several photographs of related

and the foreground vague, so they

would be out of focus and not

images to produce a whole that

detract from the figures.

had to use

greater than the

42

sum

of

its

is

parts.

The branch

that juts out into the foreground

helps define the space, but

changed

its

value to a middle tone

with a few highlights so

it

would

blend into the trees and not attract

undue attention.

The
and

riders

came from photos B

C two shots of the same

figure.

rendered them loosely,

keeping with the overall

painting; this also

made

in

style of the
it

easier for

me to improvise. The near figure,

who is based on photo C, presented

largely

something of a challenge.

by the

used

just

the photograph for his general positioning, lowering his right

little

and

hand

raising his left hand.

This

gave his hands an uphill

tilt

complements the

movement

uphill

that

The horse itself is

my own invention, as it

underwater in the photograph.

didn't like the clothing

man

in the photo;

it

worn
didn't

mood was trying to

capture. The clothing worn by the
cowboy in photo D was much closer
convey the

to

what

wanted.

used

it

more

for

inspiration than as a reference; the

D is very

of the horse.

perspective of photo

mostly

different from that of the painting,

Fording the Stream,

oil

is

on canvas, 24"

x 30" (61.0

cm

x 76.2

and anyway,
riders to

As

is

didn't

want the two

be identically dressed.

frequently the case, the

water was a very important element

in this painting.
colors,

making

it

brought in a

much more

lot of

lively

than in the photos, and the shadows

and

reflections that fall across

it

add

complexity to the surface and help

unify the painting.

cm)
43

Making the Parts Work

The

subject matter of this

painting, horse trading

on

breeding farm, had been sug-

me and described in detail.

had the scene firmly in mind when
I set out to find the components.
Three different photographs were
used: the men on the left are from
photos A and B, and the horse and
his handler from photo C.
I began by casually blocking in all
gested to
I

the elements. This

when

tant step

number

want

all

is

a very impor-

you're painting from

of photos, because you

the pieces to be in correct

proportion to each other.

concern was the

light;

My next

had to be
it had
from the

it

the same density overall, and

to fall

on

all

the figures

same direction. In the photos, the

cast shadows are very different; I
didn't want to carry the inconsistencies over into the painting.

When I was sure all the elements

worked well together, I turned my
attention to completing the painting.

The

style

is

fairly traditional,

although there are some impressionistic touches in the

I

background.

applied the paint thinly, in the

and I used quite

and glazing, parthe figures and the horse.

traditional manner,
a bit of blending
ticularly in

My experiences with impressionism have influenced

my

traditional

painting. Consider the horse. In

earlier paintings,

my

used value, rather

than color, to define the forms; I

would have used dark, probably
black, glazes for the shadows on the
horse. Here, however,

used raw"

umber, ultramarine blue, burnt

sienna, ivory black, and raw sienna.

The shadows have

a bluish cast,

while the lighter areas are a

brown.

warm~^

did render the horse very

meticulously;

stalled out with a

4m isllc biushjxit switched qu ickly to

a no.

4 flat sable, which gave me

smooth brushstroke
easily.

44

that blended

Together

Purchasing a Horse,

oil

on Masonite, 20" x 24" (50.8 cm

x 61.0

cm)

45

Assembling a Compositionfrom Several Photos

done
my paintings
Some
from one
two photographs;
of

are

the composition together later on.

or

others pull together elements

from a number of photos

as

many

as

may

use

nine in a single painting.

Obviously, the more sources

use,

the more complex the task of drawing

them

together;

have to take

into consideration such variables as

light, and
which may vary from

used the coconuts and boxes

from photos

A and B,

in the straw hat

is

crates.

man

in the red beret

placement, proportions,

was very menacing, and

color, all of

take his picture.

one photo to the next.

I saw this man cracking coconuts
on the dock in St. Thomas and
thought the scene would make an
excellent painting. Unfortunately,

the

men

graphed.

didn't like being photoI

couldn't get very close

without being threatened, so

had

46

to shoot at

just

random and piece

The

from photo

A; the man with the machete from

photo B; the seated man from photo
C; and the woman on the right from
photo D. The

he looked

when
I

like

didn't dare

remembered what
and sketched him
I

got back to

wanted

my

hotel.

to portray the openness

and beauty of the harbor, so I

removed the boat that blocked the
view and painted a variety of boats
and landscape elements from my
imagination and photos C and D.
I

made up

The

changing the

boxes to solid wooden

man

in the lower left corner;

the empty coconut shell

it is

there

strictly for balance.

strong tropical light really

ties this
I

scene together. Note

changed the

light

on the

man and

particularly the seated

man

how

figures,

the

in the straw hat, to give the

impression of harsh sunlight. This

carried through in the coconut
crate in the foreground

and

is

and

in the

sharp light-and-shadow pattern in

the pile of coconuts.

some adjustments
be hitting

same

all

also

made

so the light

would

the figures from the

direction.

blue shirts of the

men on

either side of the canvas

and the

The

repeated verticals in the background

also help tie this

together.

composition

vh'itfxv

~
Jo+v

Coconuts,

oil

on Masonite, 20" x 24" (50.8 cm

x 61.0

cm)

47

Color and Contrast Strengthen

another
This
scene pieced

St.

is

Thomas

together from

As you

several photographs.

can see, these photos have

no

charm of their own;

most

me

part, they just give

clues that

for the

ideas

can develop into

real

and
in-

teresting paintings.

Much
photo A;

coconuts

at their feet,

comes from

liked the figures, the

and the pink

building in the background.

change the appearance of the

because

much

did
truck,

didn't think a meticulous

rendering of

its

details

to the scene.

It

would add
does serve a

and compositional purpose, though, so I left it as an

structural

indistinct shape

it

looks like a

shallow open container. The man

standing on the right is from photo
B; I moved his arms so he would be

holding the coconut.

The

back-

ground came from other photos.

The
strong,

dark faces against light backgrounds.

The

lower half of the painting

dominated by a

light in this painting

is

very

and areas of high contrast

is

set of dark vertical

shapes: the legs of the

man on

the

the shadowed side of the crate;

left;

the legs of the

man

overlapped by

the truck; and the bed of the truck

partly divided by the figure

itself,

of this scene

a Composition

standing in front of
I

made

it.

the colors more intense

than those in the photos, to make

the painting more pleasing and to

strengthen the composition further.

The most important change was

in-

tensifying the pink of the building

on the left; the eye is attracted there

and then is led horizontally across
the canvas by the sequences of light

and dark shapes. The pink

sail

on

the right echoes the color of the

building, just as the coconuts in the

foreground echo the green of the

mountain

in the

background. These

repeated colors help unify the painting

and keep the eye moving; other

surprisingly colorful areas are the

on the

are important to the composition.

crates

In the upper half of the painting,

coconuts

the shoreline aligns with and em-

ground

phasizes the horizontal sequence of

man

left,

the opened

at the feet of

figure,

and the

the foreshirt of the

in the center.

4cV>*\r

48

^w i>*\

Charlotte Amalie,

oil

on canvas, 30"

x 40" (76.2

cm

x 101.6

cm)

49

Color and Composition in

Sea Grapes at Jamaica,

50

oil

an Improvised Landscape

on canvas, 24" x 30" (61.0 cm x 76.2 cm)

on

got the idea for this painting

trip to Jamaica.

wanted

to cap-

ture the natural beauty of the

land,

lone

and

thought the image of a

woman on

would be

a tropical

perfect.

Once

assembled the image from

several

little

to the left of center

setting

is

from photo A.

and

didn't quite

skirt

embody

the native

darkened her

shirt

so

also

and changed the

skirt to a

deeper red so

her figure wouldn't blend in too

sidewalk in the foreground, replac-

much with the surroundings.

The palm fronds in the upper

ing the latter with sand, so the scene

corner of photo

removed the

light post

would appear more

and the

natural.

also

is

and white
blouse. The box she was carrying
wearing a pink

pink of her

photographs.

The

charm I was looking for,

changed it to a basket. I

beach

again,

is

the painting

left

A just didn't work in

they looked droopy

brightened the colors overall and

and

changed the

corner to balance the composition,

light to suggest the

strong tropical sunshine.

The woman

is

from photo B. She

sick.

needed something

however, so
the

much

in that

used the fronds from

healthier tree in photo C.

51

Color and Composition in an Improvised Landscape

The predominant
is

color in the sea grapes

permanent green, mixed withjglfow

ochre in place's to depict the sunlight

coming through

the leaves.

touches nfpwrf

cadmium

(vcange here.^

andthere.The purple tone

shadow area

is

placed

ultramarine

in the
violet.

There are four different blues

in the

sky: ultramarine blue, phthalo blue,

cerulean blue, and cobalt blue. All are

mixed with white. Some permanent

mauve
to

52

is

blended into the blue in places

provide variety and depth.

_i used ultramarine blue andphthalo

wa ter. They

blue for the

together in

some

the horizon,

also used a

some

areas.

are

mixed

areas, particularly at

where

the sea

is

darkest.

littk_pnnanenLmauveJrL^

The waves were modeled

mjth titrmi um u>hito mirad uiith a

littia

cerulean blue.

"The bask

color

is

cadmhmLQiaxige--^

^joaijiedjvi^xMjQi-of-tixanium whizirto-*
raise the value
I

brushed

first,

and lower

this into the entire

then went over

strokes

jyellow,

the intensity.

it

sand area

with small

of idtramarmcvrolet, cadmium

and other

colors.

53

..

Placing Figures in

The

space

is

a Landscape

broader and

deeper in this painting than

and
more pronounced feeling
of movement, largely because all the
in the previous one,

there

is

figures are in

swing of her dress to one side adds to

scene, rather than any particular

the sense of motion.

location or

moment. The water and

the wet sand, for instance, aren't

from any one photo;

showed the

water ebbing and flowing as

motion.

As you can

capture the general sense of the

see, the

photographs

pleased, adjusting

it

a bit so

of the trees, just using

slides, the setting of the painting

moved the younger

composite of all

54

four.

is

was trying to

The two
wanted
a

for the lithe

of a teenage

girl.

young

the photos as a general reference.

movement
changed some

was looking

hair; the

made up most

they are

older
all

girl's

girls'

clothing and

and the
blouse and bandanna are
girl's

dress

different reds, but

kept the

from photo A.

white yoke of the younger

to differentiate the two, so

for definition.

girls are

child to the

left.

have caught her in mid-stride; the

fig-

also

other

a grown woman in the photo,

slimmed her down because

both

all of the same Jamaican

and
the perspective is the
beach
same. While individual figures and
objects are taken from the various

very similar

details of

overall design.

all

is

but

would

it

work with the

worked from are

ure

The

The

older

girl's

dress

girl is

carrying a fish and a pail in the

photograph;

changed them to

basket in the painting, altering the

shadows accordingly.

sky,

The same fisherman and

pear in photos

C and D;

boat ap-

used both

photos without major changes to

create

an image of two fishermen

and two

that the composition wasn't right.

with some phthalo blue in

The beach was just

places.
I

The
wet,

movement.

darken

for the driftwood.

reference

strengthened the

-JAMAICA,

used a_raw

it.

sigrma. tint to

The waves

lapping the

blue, r a Hmjnm_0angp

v^Kenall

this

in,

oil

on Masonite, 24"

x 48" (61.0

cm

x 121.9

nothing to break
terest.

it

up or add

in-

added the seaweed, which

had left out because it seemed dirty

and unappealing; be that as it may, it
added a great deal to the painting. I
also added the three people walking
in the background.

The woman

in

from photo C; the

other two are made up. They helped

j^

was painted

a large expanse

of clean sand, very consistent, with

the middle

took a long, hard look and realized

debris around them.

Co

it

be ach are yellow och re, phthalo

flowing limbs and eliminated the

Boats

basic color of-ihe-sanxHs

w ochre and white. Where

yello
is

my main

wanted touches of pink, so

and cadmium red mixed with white.

These colors are echoed in the sea.

thing; their positions indicate

Photo B was

brought in some permanent mauve

boats. Again, the figures are

caught in the act of doing some-

used ultramarine blue for the

is

resolve the painting

and added to

the sense of movement.

cm)

55

Establishing a Strong Focal Point

One

of

my
is

sees.

^'irrr'"--

This

in

many

of

impressionist paintings

to
is

my goals

mimic the way the eye

primarily a question of

focus: In general, objects in the

center of the

field

sharp and well-defined and objects

in the

periphery are

less distinct.

Monique's,

56

oil

on canvas, 24"

x 30" (61.0

cm

x 76.2

cm)

my

point in the middle ground, usually

in the

paintings

center of the canvas, and

rendering objects
they

of vision appear

achieve this effect in

by having a clearly defined focal

less distinctly as

move toward the edges

or into

the foreground or background.

farther a color

is

from the focal

point, the less intense

The

The

it

will be.

focal point of the next three

women

and out of focus. The trees in the

background are rendered in a hazy

Because she

characters that

manner

than the other background

photograph.

distant; the

paintings

is

the two

in the

center; they are also the only

all

come from the

basically made up

the other figures and details.

Monique s, I placed a bouquet

of flowers and the corner of a table
in the foreground to anchor the
painting; both are close to the viewIn

The Eavesdropper,

oil

er

that

makes them seem very

brownish purple of their

trunks seemed to

fit

in well

with the

colors in the rest of the picture.

The two women

in

The Eavesdrop-

per are joined by the waitress,

listening in

on canvas, 30" x 36" (76.2 cm

x 91.4

on

who

their conversation.

is

interest,

she

is
is

part of the center of

painted more clearly

figures.

The sharper focus brings her forward.

The colors of this painting are
than those

darker and

less pretty

of the

one; the eavesdropper

first

has added a sinister note to this

scene.

cm)

57

Establishing

Idle

58

a Strong Focal Point

Chatter,

oil

on Masonite, 36" x 57" (91.4 cm

x 144.8

cm

This

is

the most complex and the

most interesting of the three paintings; this scene has more depth and
detail, brighter colors, and stronger
contrasts than the other two.
I reversed the positions of the two
women here because I wanted the
red hat to be closer to the center of

the painting. This balances the color a

little better.

changed the

hand woman's white hat

added

left-

to blue

and

a blue-gray vest over her red

blouse to provide stronger contrast

with the reds in the painting and to

echo the cooler colors of the scene.

The

clarity of the various ele-

ments diminishes in proportion to

their distance from the focal point,
but the change in focus is more
gradual than in the previous two
paintings because of the deeper
space. In this painting, the two

women do not stand out as much

but are integrated better into the
overall scene.

59

Anchoring the Foreground

The

basics of this painting

were

fine,

didn't

come

because

it

a similar

women

for the details,

as the folds in their clothing.

The

color

made up

is

of

Truum" red medium mixed with

used

white, and a

such

The

little

Imi^cejijvith white.

rose

madder

Some

of the blue-

courts and trees were from photo B.

green background shows through

When

the brushst rokes.

painted

had

all

in,

realized the painting

these elements

was too bland and the composition

ochre with a

medium.

solution was to anchor both

little

used yellow

cadmium red
amount of

varied the

white in the mixture according to

ends of the terrace by placing the

-whe^e^thejjghfjeil.

The shadows

mixed with raw

isienna. Usually pink does not work
shrub in the foreground. For the
well with skin tones, but had
sake of color balance, echoed the
enough contrast here to pull it off.
pink in the wall on the right and the
There are a number of greens in
pink flowers behind that.
the trees. I used yellow ochre and
The pink mass in the foreground
pink flowering plant and the green

60

sap green for the mass of trees to the

left,

adding

are ultramarine blue

raw sienna where

a little

the color shifted toward brown.

The

predominant colors in the righthand group of trees are chromium

/
I

oxide green and yellow ochre; where

phe
1

tree gets browner,

in sap green

My

ground

with the touches of

cadmium

technique in these back-

trees

some short

was to use blending and

strokes.

in the center

is

The

viridian

although viridian
.1

brought

ultramarine violet and

Ired.

^ror the skin tones,

didn't look right.

My

so far

touches of permanent mauve, cad-

photo A;

was so overexposed,

photo

painting.

liked the
in

it is

relative to those in the rest of the

together into a
I

out of focus because

forward; the brushstrokes are large

but they just

pleasing composition.
positions of the

is

is

blue spruce

and white;

a bluish green,

added some ultramarine blue

well.

The

tree has

than the others

lighter

The

more

the

lights are

and the darks are

tennis court

and white, with

other colors.

is

as

definition

darker.

phthalo green

a few touches of

At the Tennis Club,

oil

on canvas, 24"

x 30" (61.0

cm

x 76.2

cm)

61

Balancing a Composition with Two Figures

original design for this

My

painting was to have one

boy leaning over and the

other sitting down.

did

some

preliminary sketches to try out

possible arrangements; in the sketch

here,

took the seated boy from

photo

A and the other from photo

C. There was something unsettling

about the standing boy, so
to use

two seated

would add

figures.

decided

felt this

to the serenity of the

scene.
I

in

liked the boy sitting

photo A, so

other boy

on the rock

used that figure; the

came from photo

B.

The

angle of the bank and the view of

the river in photo
so

C were pleasing,

used them, adding the sailboat

and dog from photo D. The

latter

was an afterthought to anchor the

design of the painting and add

human
I

interest.

brushed in these major compo-

nents and then started painting.

didn't like the near boy's striped

shirt, so
I

left

changed

it

to plain white;

the other boy's shirt red with

just a hint of stripes.

bank into the

picture more by lowering it and
I

brought the

adding

far

underbrush, azaleas,

trees,

and touches of sky peeking through.

All this added visual interest and
made it seem more real. I tied it into
the foreground with the leaves in
the upper right-hand area, which
are

from

bush on the near bank.

added a lot of blue to the water,

then brought in the reflections from
I

the far bank.

sailboat to
this point,

show
I

felt

complete and

62

added slight
around the near

also

circular ripples

its

movement. At

the painting was

set

it

aside.

63

Balancing a Composition with Two Figures

After some time had passed,

The boy on

like what
seemed
too comThe painting

looked again and didn't

saw.

mercial

the

colors were too cutesy,

like those of a color snapshot.

Another problem was that I had

combined traditional and impressionistic painting. Actually, that

is

true of the final version as well, but

at this stage

the touches of impres-

sionistic fantasy

evoked by color

were noticeably lacking.

changed the colors of the boys'

shirts and deepened and strengthI

ened the skin tones of the boy in the

foreground. I also darkened his hair.

64

problem:
it

the boy on the rock

the rock presented a

When

darkened

his shirt,

blended with his jeans into an

undefined blob.

The
green;

grass
I

form of his

leaves

lot

on the

right.

his straw hat a bit.

darkened

also

Then

stood

back and took a long, hard look

at

the whole painting.

torso.

had been too bright

added a

clearly; to increase the effect,

darkened the reflections and the

solved this by

moving his arm to this side, with

his hand resting on the rock. This
clarified the

much more

of color, defin-

needed a few
finishing touches now.
changed the
This scene

just

and sprinkling touches of

wildflowers here and there.
The entire background needed
to be toned down, so darkened
everything there and glazed over the

color of the foreground boy's shorts,

pink azaleas, allowing just a hint of

Finally,

ing tones

color to

show through. This

set off

lightened the straw hat again, and

softened the colors of the dog.

brought in some shadows, faint on

the grass, stronger on the rock.
I

added

the water.

a little

more blue

to

Two

Boys by the River,

oil

on canvas, 30"

x 36" (76.2

cm

x 91.4

cm)

65

Composing a Group ofFigures

Whenever

run into prob-

lems with a painting,

change things around

the composition, the colors, the
details

Usually

to try to

make

it

work.

am successful, but somemy best efforts fail. In

times even
that case,

ing

and

set aside the failed paint-

start afresh.

great deal

My

first

from

my

attempt

have learned a

mistakes.
at

66

The

painting this

subject just wasn't

have been that the

coming

size

it

may

of the figures

exaggerated the perspective, or that

the background was too busy.
rate,

finally

this painting

At any

decided that reworking

was too massive an

undertaking and resolved to

start

over on a smaller canvas.

Before
version,

scene was the large canvas shown

here.

together. I'm not sure why;

launched into the next

did a series of composi-

tional sketches to get an idea of

the figures looked in different

arrangements.

how

In

this sketch, I

on

the

gave the

hat with a

man

middle a

in the

more dramatic brim, and

added a beard and moustache

man on

the right.

Here,

moved

all the

and

the

left

to the

figures closer

together for a tighter group.

man on

man

except for removing his

left,

glasses. I

didn't change the

gave the

a wide-brimmed hat

and arm of the

The man on the right

altered the hat

center figure.

changed the most:

removed

his cap,

moustache, and beard.

In the final sketch,

farther apart again
hats

from

the

moved

the

men

and removed

two men on

the

the

left.

67

Composing a Group ofFigures

Now
and

picked up the small canvas

tried again.

This time, things

did work out, thanks in part to the

sketches
basic

did in advance.

arrangement of the

used the

first

To keep the man in the

center from looking too hunched
over and confined, raised his arm,
as had in the second sketch.
changed the features of all
three men and eliminated the cast
sketch.

shadows that obscured their faces ii

the photograph. The predominant
colors in the skin are

cadmium

red

medium, yellow ochre, and white.

I|

also used a mixture of cadmium red

light

and yellow ochre here and

there and, in the shadows, ultra-

marine blue mixed with yellow

ochre. All this was applied in

broken-color fashion, the brushstrokes of different colors side by

side, for

maximum

richness and

saturation.
I

handled the clothing

as simply

as possible, using solid colors rather

than patterns to keep the area from

looking too busy.
I

was tempted to paint the

little

houses in the background, but

remembered my problems with the

first painting, where the expansive
scene detracted from the three main
characters. Instead,

men

isolated the

with only trees and sky behind

them;

this

provided depth without

confusion.

Fritz, Virgil,

and Max,

oil

on canvas,

10" x 12" (25.4

cm

x 30. 5

cm)

68

used broken color for the skin tones: individual touches of

cadmium

red

medium, yellow

ochre,

cadmium

red light

mixed with yellow ochre, ultramarine blue mixed with

yellow ochre, and white.

69

Resolving a Compositional Problem

liked this scene so

that

didn't realize until the painting

was almost finished that

made
I

much

had

a serious compositional error.

used a single photograph and

change it much. My palette

was light and airy, with a lot of
pastels. Note the yellow sunlight
and blue-purple shadow on the road,
didn't

the touches of rose in the sky

at left,

the difference in color and value

between the trees and grass in the
foreground and those in the distance. I cropped out the lower part
of the photo and thinned out the
crowd a bit. The women and
children near the center of the

painting were an important ele-

ment;

added more color to their

clothing to

make them stand out

I felt the painting was comand was very happy with it.
Then someone pointed out that

more.
plete

the pole near the center of the

painting appeared to be emerging

from the

girl's

head. This

an

is

embarrassing oversight indeed;

tunately,

had used thin paint

the pole, so

painted over

more

composition

without

it

any problem. This seemed

off the

for-

for

to

a bit, so

throw

added

foliage at right to balance

The moral

of this story

is

it.

that you

should always check your composition carefully

a basic design flaw

could ruin your painting.

Carousel at Smithsonian,

oil

on canvas, 10" x 36" (50.8 cm

x 91.4

cm)

70

ET*I^

71

Simplifying a Cluttered Scene

liked the

dock and everything

behind

in this

it

photograph, but

much

there was too

clutter.

did

some quick compositional sketches

to see
I

how

to resolve this problem.

started out sketching the scene

pretty

much

as

it

was

in the photo,

devoting most of my attention to the

boats and

water.

needed

to see

how

the boats in the foreground would

influence

my

composition and use

of detail.

so

72

didn't like the foreground boats,

eliminated

them

in the next

sketch and enlarged the grassy knoll.

Trying a different tack,

added a

painting because
to work.

it

just didn't

seem

elaborated the lobster pots

boat tied to the end of the dock and

on the dock

some others alongside the pilings.

knew wanted a couple of seagulls in
the final painting, so added them
here.
also brought in a little more

tried a brighter color for the water.

color than in the previous sketch,

using the same blue for the sky and

the water.

The

boat tied to the dock seemed

too large in the last sketch, so

made

red.

it

smaller and colored

eliminated

it

it

altogether in the final

a little

more

here,

and

73

Simplifying a Cluttered Scene

Lobster Dock,

74

oil

on Masonite,

10" x 18" (25.4

cm

x 45.7

cm)

Thanks

to the preliminary sketches,

the composition of this painting

clear

and uncluttered. The

is

grassy

knoll looms large in the foreground,

but the focus

is

soft

and color

changes are minimal, so

attract

undue

attention.

it
I

doesn't

rearranged

the lobster traps a bit and changed

the color of the building beyond to a

brownish green that seemed to har-

changed the
pilings by eliminating the ladder and
one climbing post, leaving only one
monize with them.

access to the pier.

The

trees in the

background pre-

sented a good dark backdrop for the

seagulls, so

houses.

eliminated a few of the

used blue with touches of

purple for the sky and repeated those

colors in the reflections

on the

water.

75

The Evolving Composition

didn't plan this painting out in

advance;
that

liked

just selected a subject

and

out on canvas.

it

started sketching

As worked,
I

was

continually making changes and

adjustments; this

method

can be very

The

is

a hit-or-miss

of painting, but the results

satisfying.

stimulus for this painting

was a photograph I took on

through a local park.

a drive

liked the diagonal shoreline in

the foreground with one goose feeding

on

it

and another nearby, so

drew that in first. Then I

brushed in the rest of the scene to
loosely

mood. At this point,

the diagonal was the most important
element of the composition.
establish the

76

Now

more color
added three more geese

started bringing in

and detail. I
from the photograph. Since
fall

scene,

warm

used

is

colors for the

background

trees in the

this

oranges,

yellows, reds, and a few touches of

green.

used a

this area.

lot of

broken color

As I began brushing

grass in the foreground,

in

in the

realized

that there was too broad a sweep of

green; this area would need to be cut

back.

The

strong diagonal has been

eliminated and the bank

horizontal; the
right corner

is

original shape.

shadow

bands

is

in the lower

brought the geese

The new com-

based on three horizontal

the

foreground

now

the only vestige of the

to the water's edge.

position

is

trees,

the water, and the

grass.

liked the idea of the sky con-

background and

trasting with the

being reflected in the water, so

back the

cut

trees a bit to let the sky

show through. This really opens up

the background and brightens the
whole painting. scrubbed over
some of the background foliage with
a thin layer of white, or in some
places white mixed with Naples
I

yellow or yellow ochre. This reduces

the contrast and color intensity of
the area but

through;

it

lets

the colors show

pushes the trees back

into the distance

and produces

lovely veiled effect.

77

The Evolving Composition

The composition seemed

too simple;

needed a large, heavy form to

break it up and add some vertical
interest, so I added the tree in the
foreground. Note how the brushthe
strokes define the form here
curve of each stroke follows the
it

curve of the tree trunk, resulting in a

sense of roundness.

and yellow

used purple

with touches

in this area,

of red, blue, and

but

brown

for variety,

kept the colors low-key because

didn't

want the

tree to

overwhelm

the foreground.

used a

lot of glazes at this stage~"]

thin, transparent layers of cobalt

yellow (aureolin), mixed with a lot

of medium,
stance.

on the

trees, for in-

covered over

much

of the

exposed sky and reduced the high

contrast in that area. For the
time, there

where the

is

a clear color

trees

end and

first

change

their

reflections in the water begin; the

reflections are darker, greener,

and

vaguer.

went over the foreground grass

with sap green and cobalt yellow to
make it darker and less intense. The
painting has become darker and
contrast has been lessened overall;
* one result of this is that the horizonI

tal

bands of the composition are

obvious.

did keep a

in the water,

where

it

little light

less

blue

meets the

bank. This bit of reflection calls

attention to the geese,

who stand

directly in front of

brightened

their colors to

it; I

make them stand out

even more.

Geese on Shore and

in

Water,

oil

on canvas, 24"

x 30" (61.0

cm

x 76.2

cm)

78

79

Adjusting Details to Refine the Composition

looked
This scene
what wanted. The
like

just

photograph was taken from

my

hotel window, so the quality

poor, but

liked the

is

arrangement

of the various elements.

began by sketching

on

in the subject

a white canvas with a mixture of

ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, and

Then started laying in the

colors. The painting consists of
white.

three major compositional elements:

the trees, the sidewalk, and the

street.

well

This basic division worked

and once

didn't change;

it

was established,

all

my

it

subsequent

refinements had to do with details.

At this point, was satisfied with

number and distribution of peoI

the

had eliminated
some distracting poles and street
signs, and I had decided to eliminate
ple in the scene.

all

80

cars as well.

Everyone should have a trusted

someone who is
and therefore is more

critic, preferably

not an

artist

objective, to turn to for a second

opinion.

Mine

my wife, who has

is

an excellent eye for design and color,

and her opinion in this case was that
I should add more people and some
traffic

to indicate that this

major

city.

Accordingly,
bicyclist, the

corner,

At

is

in a

added the

women on

the near

and an assortment of cars.

this point,

felt

that the design

was correct and complete.

After studying the painting a while

longer,

decided that more people

were called

for.

very loosely.

At

painted them in
this point,

wasn't

working from photographs anymore;

made up the figures and positioned them in what seemed to be a

I

just

pleasing arrangement.

on the

its

statue, defining

adding color so

it

worked
shape and

also

would stand out

more.
I

began modifying the color as

The perma-

well as the composition:

nent green

had used

for the trees

seemed unnatural, so I went over

them with mixtures of sap green,
yellow ochre, and burnt sienna.
This darkened them substantially.
also changed the colors of the vendor's umbrella so it would fit into the
I

overall painting better.

81

Adjusting Details to Refine the Composition

still

wasn't happy, so

critic again.

called in the

We decided

that the

color of the street wasn't right and

that the cabs drew too

tion to the foreground.

much
I

atten-

changed

their colors, then carefully brushed a

simple gray

made

into the street.

sidewalk to

of black

and white

added strokes o f

warm up

the gray.

also

continued working on the trees and

the base of the statue.

82

wanted

make

to

sophisticated, so

were in order.

street signs that

I

the painting more

some refinements

painted out several

were too distracting.

decided the bicyclist wasn't adding

to the romantic
portray, so

mood was

replaced

horse and carriage.

coach

trying to

him with

added another

in the foreground as well.

83

Adjusting Details to Refine the Composition

Entrance of Central Park,

oil

on canvas, 20"

x 24" (50.8

cm

x 61.0

cm)

84

The
tic,

key to establishing the romannostalgic atmosphere,

decided,

was to emphasize the carriages and

shift the focus away from the more

modern elements of the

scene.

eliminated the blue car in the

foreground, as

much

it

attention,

attracted far too

and reworked the

other cars so their forms were

less

distinct.

The man on
bothered

me

the near corner

because his gesture

seemed cartoonish. I eliminated the

gesture and repainted the other

make them blurrier.

At long last I am satisfied with

figures to

painting and consider

it

the

finished.

The sequence is an excellent exampie of how it is often necessary to

make a change, then step back and
look at the whole painting to see
what must be done next. It can be a
long and painstaking process of
going back and forth, making
changes and undoing them, adjusting everything until
right

but

worth the

it

seems

in the long run,

just

it's

well

effort.

85

Fine-tuning the Composition

This

painting does not have a

strong focal point; rather,

points of minor interest are

spread out throughout the canvas.

Colors are

light, pretty, pastel;

values are closer together; there are

no

areas of strong contrast.

The

mood is calm and tranquil.

The major compositional problem

overall

had with

this piece

was the posi-

tioning of the three main umbrellas.

In order to resolve this,

did a few

quick sketches to try out various

arrangements.
I

liked the

tilt

of the umbrella

the far right in the

first

on

sketch, but

it

overpowers, rather than enhances,

the people seated beneath

much

attracts too
I

replaced

it

it

and

attention to

itself.

with an upright

more gracefully.
would work well
with the other elements of the composition, did a more complete
umbrella that

To make

fits

in

sure this

sketch, adding the other umbrellas,

the light pole, the trees, and the

tables.

was happy with

sketch, so

this last

carried over these design

elements into the

final painting.

JrJw*

86

Cape May Mall,

oil

on canvas,

16" x 20" (40.6

cm

x 50.8

cm)

87

Light and Values Affect the Composition

didn't like the heavy shadows in

the foreground of this photo-

graph, hut

with.

was

it

all

had

work

to

got the shapes and composi-

tion from the slide, then figured out

where I wanted the sun to he, that

is, from which direction the light
should

fall

wanted.

to create the effects

Then comhined
I

the infor-

my

mation from the photo with

knowledge, from experience and

observation, of

how

light

shapes

organic forms, to paint the garden

as

wanted

The

it

to appear.

painting was to have been of

figures in a garden, but

almost finished,

when

was

it

realized that the

There were
too many of them and they were too

figures just didn't work.

conspicuous

them were

since almost

all

of

dressed in white, they

really stood out.

I

solved this problem by eliminat-

ing most of the figures

and subduing

1^M| M

vn

if
ifi

those that remained. Lowering the

value contrast integrated

them

ter into the overall picture.

bet-

umbrella in the background was

also too prominent;

wanted

it

**^

The
!

;i

ii

111

to

II

V
r

j[i

f/i'SJ
ill it

mti
*

harmonize better with the colors

around

it.

used trial-and-error for

this area, painting in different colors

until

found one that worked.

^mmmmm

88

int

Formal Gardens,

oil

on canvas, 24" x 36"

(61.

cm

x 91.4

cm)

89

Bright Colors Animate a Busy Scene

The

photograph

this painting

used for

was not very

colorful or exciting;

my

used

imagination to add people and

color

in other words, to bring the

scene to
I

life.

used permanent mauve for the

framework of the building that

stretches across the left half of the

painting; touches of that color

spill

over into the foreground, the

shadows, and the clothing of the

figures.

The

tree trunks contain

ultramarine blue, ultramarine

and yellow ochre; these colors not only work well together but
also harmonize with the permanent
mauve. The main colors in the
violet,

leaves are sap green,

chromium ox-

ide green, yellow ochre,

and white.

scattered small strokes of the other

colors of the painting throughout

the trees.

removed some of the

leaves to allow the blue of the sky to

show through;

if

hadn't done so,

the masses of dark foliage overhead

would have had

a heavy, overbearing

effect.
I

my brightest colors for the

who are painted in a variety

saved

figures,

of bright reds, blues, yellows, and

purples.

White

highlights pick out

the forms of the tables and chairs.

The

figures are loosely painted, sug-

gested rather than delineated.

The

viewer has to step back from the

canvas to make sense of

then, imagination

is

it;

even

an important

component of impressionism.

*qi

Outixx)r Cafe

Cape May,

oil

on canvas, 20"

x 24" (50.8

cm

x 61.0

cm)

90

*'

91

Using Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are
pairs of colors that

appear

opposite each other on the

color wheel: red and green, purple

and

yellow, blue

and orange.

of these pairs, one color

is

In each

a primary

and the other is the combination of

-{he other two primaries. Therefore,
when you mix complementary colors together
result

is

on the

palette, the

a neutral gray. Placed side

by side in a painting, however, they

strengthen each other

sometimes

too much. High-intensity comple-

mentaries can be jarring and

unpleasant.
lated,

If

the colors are

modu-

though, the effect can be very

pleasing indeed.

When

painted this picture,

didn't follow the colors in the photo

at all. Instead,

devised

color scheme, which

is

my own

based on two

complementary pairs: purple and

yellow and red and green.
The first pair is the more obvious:

The

When purple
the result

is

sits

next to yellow,

it

seems brighter; when they are blended

gray.

men's vests are brilliant purple;

the tablecloth, cheese, and back-

ground are vibrant

yellow.

There are

subtler touches of purple in the

broken color of the foreground and

background.

Most of the red-green

interaction

occurs in the pink bush in the

foreground, where myriad small
spots of pink

seem

to float over a

The green
commands a great deal

green underpainting.

wine bottle

of attention because of
position;

it is

its

central

balanced by the red

areas in the wineglass

and the back-

ground.

reen underpainting

92

makes pink brushstrokes glow with

color.

together,

Two Men

with Wine,

oil

on Masonite,

13" x 16" (33.0

cm

x 40.6

cm)

93

Using Tertiary Cobrs

We

usually think of the

another complementary harmony

color wheel as consisting

on the

of the primary colors

a violet jacket.

(red, hlue, yellow)

left:

Note

and the second-

yellow leaves in front of

that in the original photo-

man

holding the cane

ary colors (purple, green, orange)

graph, the

created by mixing the primaries.

was wearing a maroon sweater. This

There

was too large an area of red-purple

another group of colors, the

is

tertiaries, that

is

useful for con-

structing color schemes.

These

it

fall

between adjacent colors on the colred-orange, for instance,

or wheel

is

so

threw the colors out of balance

I

added the dark jacket to reduce

the area of color.

The

reference photos from which

the color between red and orange.

this

The

Fourth of July picnic in Maine; the

pair of

complementary colors

around which
structed

is

this painting

is

con-

a pair of tertiary colors:

red-purple and yellow-green.

red-purple area

lies

The

right in the

center of the painting; the yellow-

green
ery, in

is

dispersed around the periph-

the small brushstrokes that

make up

the foliage. There

is

was painted were taken during

lobster pot steaming in the back-

ground

was taken from

at right

another photograph of that picnic.

put

it

in because preparing

and

shar-

seemed to me to
symbolize camaraderie and pleasure
between friends, and also because I
ing food has always

love boiled lobster.

Red-purple and yellow-green are tertiary colors that form a

complementary

pair.

This results in a subtler harmony than

one formed by a primary and a secondary

color.

A more obvious complementary pair,

flowers,

94

lies

off to one side.

yellow and violet

Two Men

in

Woods,

oil

on canvas,

12" x 16" (30.5

cm

x 40.6

cm)

95

Experimenting to Devebp Color

The

composition of

this

painting didn't present any

problems:
the

girl in

girl in

them

decided to use

red from photo

A and the

white from photo B, placing

against a simple background of

diffused colors.

wasn't sure what

colors to use for the background

the dress of the

on the

girl

and

In

left.

order to resolve these problems,

did a series of quick color sketches.

In the

first

sketch,

tried

keeping

the original red color for the dress,

using a blue background to balance

the lightness of the

girl in

white.

could see that this would result in

gaudier colors than

Next,

tried

wanted.

an orange back-

ground and changed the dress from

red to purple. This solution didn't

seem

to

work

either, so

of blue between the

left a

girls to see

touch

how

would work with this color

scheme. I could see from the sketch,
it

however, that the skin tones didn't

work with the orange and

In the third sketch,

complementary

pair: a

purple.

tried a

yellow dress

against a purple background.

some touches

of turquoise, but

added
I

could see that the skin tones were

still

striking a discordant note with

these pastel colors.

Finally,

tried a low- intensity

blue for the dress and set

it

against a

muted white background. This

proved to be a workable color combination, so
painting.

96

used

it

in the final

97

Experimenting to Develop Color

Once had
I

worked

the basic color scheme

out, things

fell

into place

wanted to make the

two costumes complementary and
harmonious, rather than draw atten-

fairly easily.

tion to their differences.

down

dress so

overshadow the

98

toned

the colors of the embroidery

on the white

The

blue

it

wouldn't

other, plainer dress.

used for the right-hand

girls sleeve

the other

is

similar to the blue of

girl's

needed to be
colors

dress.

The background was meant

livelier.

added bright

cadmium yellow

in the up-

greens with touches of purple and

mauve and
cobalt violet on the left, cadmium
red light, cadmium red medium, and
toned-down yellow ochre on the

yellow ochre, but

right.

suggest an outdoor scene;

used

cool, springlike colors, blues

happy with

to

and

wasn't totally

this resolution.

After living with the painting

awhile,

decided the background

per area, permanent

to

used strong vertical strokes

add a sense of vigor and motion to

the area.

the

Now

the painting conveys

mood was
I

trying to capture.

Indian Girls

in Fall, oil

on canvas, 30"

x 36" (76.2

cm

x 91.4 cm)

99

Complementary Colors Brighten a Character Study

This out
is

not a portrait;

set

to

didn't

do an exact

sistent anyway.

photo

used the

as a starting point for a

character study and changed her

features to

harmonize with the

of the painting. Actually,

the way the

girl

rest

looks in the photo-

she seems
serene but was looking

very forlorn and

graph

for a

hap-

mood, and the painting evolved

pier

outstanding feature that

much

fact, this

determined

of the rest of the painting.

blond would

ter.

set off

her eyes bet-

painted her hair with long

strokes of different colors

that

add up to the impression of blond

hair. This is a good way to handle

100

hair.

The

tary pair

complemenmore explicitly,

yellow-purple
restated,

is

in the flowers in the lower left

are touches of blue

all

over

the painting: the background, the

girl's hair,

the folds

of her dress, the foreground flowers.

These not only echo the blue of her

eyes but also bring a glow to her skin
tones, because blue

yellows,

greens, purples, blues, browns

all

brings out the golden quality of the

barrettes in the

decided that changing her hair color

to

will see a

variety of shades. Broken color is a

good way to depict this.
The background on the left gradually changes from blue to purple,

There

didn't change was the vivid blue of

her eyes; in

closely at

corner.

into a fantasy picture.

The

never con-

which, as the complement of yellow,

liked

Look

is

someone's hair and you

likeness of the girl in the

photograph. Rather,

hair because the color

ment

is

the comple-

of orange, and orange,

made

up of small strokes of reds and

yellows,

is

the predominant color

of her skin.

Little Girl with Plant,

oil

on canvas, 20" x 24" (50.8 cm x 61.0 cm)

101

Using Low-key Complementary Colors

The

predominant colors in
this painting are blue and

orange, which are a comple-

mentary pair. Complementary

colors can be very jarring when they
appear together
this painting

at

high intensities;

works because the

painted

photograph.
so

It

from a single

was very cluttered,

selected just two geese

/ultramarine blue, which

and

adjusted their positions so the

composition would be balanced.

is

a very

has a greenish undertone. These

colors, set off by the yellow

background with

^ver the

pure blue, and phthalo blue, which

and

laze of

a thin

ultramarine blue and raw

'umber mixed with

a lot of

medium.

brought the glaze about halfway

down

the painting, which darkened

orange leaves, worked well together.

the area and reduced the intensity of

The brushwork

the colors.

in the water

loose, permitting

colors are fairly neutral.

this

^The blues in the water are

me

fairly

is

to describe in-

dividual reflections and dancing

light.

eliminated the leaves and

tightened up the brushstrokes in the

ripples

around the geese.

When

the paint had dried,

off

some
I

the glaze

of the leaves to bring back

the color a
right,

Then wiped
bit.

When

it

was

put in more leaves

just
just

touches of yellow and orange. These

on top of the other paint surfaces

and really do appear to be floating.

sit
I

went

Loose brushwork and low-key blue and

orange give a feeling of depth
water.

The

sitting

on

to the

leaves are touches of paint

the surface of the painting;

they appear to be floating.

102

Hfc

Geese,

oil

on canvas, 20"

x 24" (50.8

cm

x 61.0 cm)

103

Muted Colors Evoke a Lonely Mood

The

predominant colors

in

this painting are the three

primaries: red, yellow,

blue. Usually color

on the primaries

and

schemes based

are very bright, but

the colors here are pale and lowintensity.

The mood

perhaps a

little sad.

is

used blue for the shadows,

it

adds to

the chilly atmosphere.

The
is

painting can be divided into

The

yellow; the buildings are domi-

nated by a cold pink mixed from

cadmium

red

medium and

Reflections

104

on

the

is

and

blended, the colors are not very

intense,

and the contrasts

very strong.

The

are not

horizontal brush-

strokes reinforce the lines of the

composition.

The gondolas

are the focal point

clearer

tion because of their position (in the

middle of the canvas) and their

value (the darkest area of the painting).

The

few gondoliers are the only

figures in this scene; their presence

white;

the underlying color of the water

blue. This division

reflections in the water are

subtle; the brushstrokes are long

of the painting; they attract atten-

three horizontal bands of color.

sky

a strong hori-

zontal emphasis in the composition

The

on the houses;

is

scene.

tranquil,

mixed a lot of white into the

colors, and except for the sky, all are
on the cool side. The sky color is
echoed in the highlights of pure
yellow in the buildings and on the
particularly

Nonetheless, there

that adds to the calmness of the

water.

on the left, the buildings rise

to meet the viewer, and the pilings
and dock conceal the water line.
right;

is

on the

makes it lonelier than

no figures at all.

water are long, blended strokes of muted

color.

if

there were

H4*t+*- c*->

Gontolas ON THE Canal,

oil

on canvas,

16" x 24" (40.6

cm

x 61.0

cm)

105

rals Enhance Bright

11

"A

too

many

color

my

is

no

color,"

one of

teachers used to say; his

point was that

if

you use

Colors

primaries

often letting
little.

When

and blue
one dominate just a

red, yellow,

This creates

component

colors are

used directly on the canvas, they

a fairly neutral

mixture with a hint of primary color.

bright colors, they will

the

not mixed on the palette but are

create gray, for example, by mixing

retain their brightness, as you can

see here:

The

neutrals

used for the

cancel each other out. Strategically

placed neutrals, on the other hand,

yellow ochre and ultramarine blue,

houses were mixed from the same

will bring out the intensity of your

then adding enough white to give

pigments

colors.

applied that principle here,

using dull colors for the buildings to

play up the vivid sea and sky.

Many

painters like to use earth

colors for this purpose, but

to

prefer

mix my own neutrals from the

There are a number of different grays

each one has a

different color.

me

the correct value. Sometimes

permanent mauve for a

warm gray. -or brownTTuse ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, and
cadmium red light or medium, again
add^a

in these buildings,

and

applied in broken-color

fashion to the sky and water.

little

adding white as needed.

experimented quite a

arrived at

my

final

bit before

color scheme; the

sketches on the next two pages show

the trial-and-error process

went

through.

When contrasting colors are applied in

rather than mixed

on

individual strokes,

the palette, they retain their brightness.

106

Sunset at Point Pleasant,

oil

on Masonite, 20"

x 30" (50.8

cm

x 76.2

cm)

107

Neutrals Enhance Bright Colors

started with a predictable color

scheme: ultramarine blue lightened with

white for sky and water.

decided

didn't have

enough impact.

This time

tried

water, with
in at the
effect
better.

108

phthalo blue for the

some orange

bottom

would be

this

to see
like.

lightly

brushed

what a sunset

This seems to work

Now

used a

lot

of orange and purple

to really give the impression

I

kept a

little

of a sunset;

blue in the water for

contrast.

went

all

out here and concentrated on

the orange

and

purple, with

yellow in the sky that

water.
sketch,

is

liked both this

and

picked up by the

and

used both

some

the previous

in the finished

painting.

109

Using Adjacent Colors

Hues

that

lie

next to each

other on the color wheel are

known

as adjacent colors.

tend

Pairs or groups of these colors

to produce suhtle, pleasing har-

monies, as opposed to the strong

and sometimes disturbing contrasts

created by complementary colors.
This painting is dominated by blue,
green, and various shades of bluegreen. The coolness and harmony of
the color scheme contribute to the
serene atmosphere of the painting.
For the sky and water, I used ultramarine blue, phthalo blue, and
white. The two blues were combined in the sky, and they work well
together. In the water, the brush-

strokes are side by side

and the
work

colors are separate, so they

against each other. This creates ten-

sion and motion in the pool;

it

makes the surface of the water seem

choppy.

The predominant green

trees

in the

was chromium oxide green,

with ultramarine violet or perma-

nent mauve brushed into

to

it

produce browns and shadows.

also

used mixtures of chrome green and

yellow ochre in

some

areas

and

viri-

dian and yellow ochre in others.

One of the

pitfalls

color schemes

is

of adjacent-

monotony.

brought in two subtle warm touches,

the brownish yellow roof on the

left

and the red flowers on the right.

These accents perk up the colors a
bit and add variety. I also used some
muted purples in the sky and
shadows.

Reflecting Pool at Washington,

110

oil

on canvas, 24"

x 36" (61.0

cm

x 91.4

cm)

^*HipB

///

Light and Color Control Depth

ofField

this painting,

bed of green; the complementary

used strong

Insunlight and bright colors

colors strengthen each other.

to

As

evoke the cheerful atmosphere

background, values move closer

of the sidewalk cafe in the photo.

The

strongest value and color

together and colors

contrasts occur in the foreground.

112

dn the Green,

oil

become

less in-

tense, so that the contrasts are

Bright sunlight hits white objects

reduced. Another complementary

(the umbrellas, the window) and

pair in the

creates strong silhouettes against the

umbrella in front of a yellow build-

has

dark background. Touches of strong

ing

color sparkle in front of the dark-

colors are

ness.

Terrace

the eye moves deeper into the

The

bright red flowers

on Masonite, 30" x 36" (76.2

cm

x 91.4

lie

on

cm)

background

a purple

punch because the

more neutral. Figures

less

dissolve into a haze of misty color.

Subduing Strong Light

felt

the light in this photo was

too strong, too harsh.

wanted

to soften this scene into a pleas-

ant,

harmonious,

restful painting.

My first step was to change the

tried to

keep the values

in the

middle of the scale and the colors

varied but subtle.

added

a variety

of colors to the buildings, but the

intensity

is

fairly low, so

they are

A few spots

composition: By cutting out a por-

colorful but not bright.

tion of the foreground and the right

of vibrant color

red

near the center

outdoor cafe and also eliminated

the and yellow

and few
whites the umbrella, the menus,
the white
add
and

large areas of pale, featureless

keep the subdued hues and values

sidewalk.

from becoming monotonous.

side of the image,

focus

down

narrowed the

to the buildings

Sidewalk Cafe

Washington,

and the

oil

sparkle

shirt

on Masonite,

14" x 20" (35.6

crisp

cm

x 50.8

cm)

113

Sunlight and Shadow

The

effect of bright sunlight

The arched windows and

is

ways are very dark, but there

highlights to pick out a few

color in the rose window.

strategically placed details.

The

sub-

ject matter in this case, the National

Cathedral
lends

in

Washington, DC,

itself to this

technique because

elaborate architecture breaks up

its

door-

achieved here by using strong

the rose

looks

much

when

the light

and shade nicely.

have used two basic colors (although they contain touches of

colors

other colors) for the surface of the

but

it

where

is

just looks like

this area are red

warm

color, the

warmth of
and because warm colors
advance toward the viewer,

in

From the

through

outside,

another dark winI

used the

The predominant

of place.

pouring

they wouldn't appear unusual or out

shadowed
areas. Value contrast is enhanced by
color contrast, since yellow and
violet are complementary colors.
is

it

had seen inside the church,

kept them muted and dark so

the sunlight directly hits the wall

Because yellow

and

inside

and

a darker violet for the

studied

better from the inside,

dow. In this painting,

some

outside the cathedral. Obviously,

the stained glass.

light

cathedral: a yellowish white

window from

is

and blue

colors in

the com-

ponents of violet.

The

tree that partially blocks the

view enfolds the cathedral

in

its

pink blossoms and links the back-

sunlight,

ground and foreground. Note the

subtle use of complementary colors

seem

(pink blossoms, green leaves) in this

highlights convey the

to

they appear larger than they really

are.

The

cool violet,

on the other

hand, evokes the cooler shadows

and recedes from the

dramatic lighting

viewer. This

sets the

mood

of

light

The

tree

seems to fade back

into the building in the leafy areas,

where colors and values are very

close, but the trunk and branches
are pushed forward by their sharp
contrast with the sunlit wall.

the painting.

Warm yellow

area.

highlights

and cool

violet

shadows create

the impression of form

and

with a few simple planes of color.

114

ibbL

National Cathedral,

oil

on Masonite,

12" x 16" (30.5

cm

40.6 cm)

115

Sunlight Falling Through Foliage

M
made

in

ost of the information

is

needed was already in the

photograph; the changes
the painting process were

picture,
I

The

sunlight

is

most intense, of
concen-

course, in the trees, so

trated the strongest light effects

I

painted in the masses of

leaves in various greens

and then

added strong pale yellow highlights

for the sunlit effect.

visible

The

Notice that the

branches on the center

where the

light

is

strongest of

are purple. Since purple

is

tree,
all,

the

and

less

central to the

handled more

is

sunlight that

the trees
ried

subtle.

there.

farther back

is

subtly.

through

filters

weakened

a bit;

it is

car-

through the scene by the white

and pale yellow highlights on the

roof, the awning, the sidewalk, and
the bushes.
I

added to the

overall brightness

of the scene by intensifying the

colors,

making the

slate roof bluer

and carrying the red of the building

through the canopy and over to the
seats of the

hansom

cab.

elimi-

nated the white lettering and

complement of yellow, color

designs from the awning so they

contrast here intensifies the yellow;

wouldn't detract from the white

there

is

also a sharp value contrast

between the

right-hand side

116

and the
on the
of the canvas, which

light leaves

dark branches.

The

tree

highlights or
busy.

The

make

the scene too

path and road are painted

in a multiplicity of colors that

up to blue and purple.

add

WM

Entrance to Tavern on the Green,

oil

on Masonite, 30"

x 36" (76.2

cm

x 91.4 cm)

117

Using Broken Color to Paint Fall Foliage

*+.

A Walk

in

the Park

Early Fall,

oil

on canvas, 20"

x 24" (50.8

cm

x 61.0

cm)

118

Mfl*

The

trees really

dominate

this

painting; they set up a beautiful

canvas.

The

reference photo was not

season to increase

The

red at

left is

purple; next to

my color choices.

so cool

it,

it's

they are smaller and farther apart, to

and

to increase optical mixing.

When

changed the

dense brushstrokes; here

depict the sparseness of fall leaves

gradient across the

a fall scene, but

fairly large,

almost

the tree in the

lay brushstrokes of

two

different colors side by side, the eye

blends them into a

new

color; thus,

to the right, individual touches of

medium and cadmium

center bursts forth in bright yellow.

cadmium

The

yellow deep melt together to form a

deep

foliage gradually shifts to a

orange-red on the right.

used the

broken-color technique to achieve

bright, rich colors; this
ideal

when

want

method

is

to change the hue

gradually across a surface, as

did

When

paint the

full,

green

and summer,

shimmering mass of orange.

I changed the photograph

in

other ways, pulling in closer to the

building and trees and adding the
pedestrians.

The mood

has shifted

from an almost featureless photograph to a quietly colorful painting

here.

foliage of spring

red

use

of Sunday morning serenity.

i?

119

Capturing Reflections on Water

The

pictures

ing trip

took on a

down

raft-

a river in

want the overhanging

didn't

come up

effect

of the trees to be too confining, so

a little stronger.

orange of the clouds

is

The

more promi-

The

broadened the triangle of sky and

nent here than

painting and the two that follow.

lightened and brightened the foliage

reflections of the trees are roughly

Unfortunately, there had recently

to give the impression of light rush-

been heavy

ing through

Jamaica are the basis for this

rains in the mountains,

so the river was very

muddy

much

more so than usual. When painted

from the photographs, I had to add
color and clarity to the murky water.
I

The man

in the foreground of all

of these photographs was guiding the

raft;

ings

him from the paintand concentrated on the rafter

I

eliminated

in the distance,

more

who found much

I

interesting.

tourists, as their

also left out the

presence detracted

from the scene.

The wedge of sky appearing between the greenery of the two banks
is what attracted me to this scene. I

The sky
marine
orange.

120

is

it.

two

upper

left

There

corner.

are

two blues

the same colors as the trees themselves, but the intensity

separate branches of greenery in the

in the sky:

is

reduced

somewhat and the brushstrokes are

more horizontal. Subtle highlights
of white and pale blue define

ultramarine blue and phthalo blue,

the surface, giving depth to the

both mixed with white.

murky

of

added tints
permanent mauve and cadmium

orange

the

clouds only.

latter color in
I

greens.

the

blended the brush-

strokes fairly carefully for a smooth,

atmospheric appearance.

The

water,

on the other hand,

is

painted with broken color to capture

the

shimmer of the

surface.

reflections

on

its

used cerulean blue in this

area because

it

makes the orange

painted in carefully blended strokes of ultra-

blue, phthalo blue,

also placed

in the sky.

permanent mauve, and cadmium

The water

is

painted in broken-color fashion

of cerulean blue and cadmium orange.

small

strokes

Rafting

in

Jamaica,

oil

on canvas, 30"

x 40" (76.2

cm

x 101.6 cm)

121

Capturing Reflections on Water

Rafting,

122

oil

on canvas, 24" x 36" (61.0 cm x 91.4 cm)

The

color and composition of this

painting are

much more complex

than those of the preceding one.

The

scenery in this painting

from photo A, the

B.

"Nte

rafter

liked this figure so

apart from his hat,

much

painted

came

from photo
that,

him

exactly as he was in the photo.

There

are hints of rose

in the sky;

strokes

and purple

didn't blend the brush-

much

in this area, but

because the values of the various

colors are so close,

appears fairly

it

smooth. The foliage

is

painted very

loosely in a variety of greens,

yellows,

and

blues.

brought some

of the sky colors into the greenery to

help unify the painting, and

show through the

does in photo A.

sky
it

The

let

the

trees at left, as

reflections in the water are

fairly clear
left, for

the

tree trunks

on the

example, show up distinctly

in the water.

There

is

a greater

variety of colors than in the previous

painting,

up

better.

and the brushstrokes show

I

used squiggles of white in

places, especially

down

the center of

the painting, to emphasize the

sparkle

and motion of the

water.

123

Capturing Reflections on Water

This

is

ings,

and

and

the largest of the river paintthe richest in color

it is

texture.

The

photo A, but

to really bring

setting

it

to

came from photo

man

my

used

but this time

The

life.

he

B;

as in the other

came from

imagination

is

rafter

the same

two paintings,

clothed him in a

white serape that seemed to

fit

in

with the design and color scheme.

opened up the landscape by

showing the sky above the trees and
I

in the distance.

The

with brilliant colors

rose

sky

that are picked

by the river and the

The

is

suffused

blue, orange,

up and echoed

trees.

reflections in the river are

warmer here than

in the previous

two paintings because the water

picking up more foliage than

is

sky.

Thus, the colors are greens, oranges,

yellows, with horizontal strokes of

blue to delineate the surface.

The

more strongly in the

distance, where blue and rose blend
sky

is

reflected

into a lovely haze.

fm f ft

TT

Wash
124

Day,

oil

on canvas, 40"

x 56" (101.6

cm

x 142.2

cm)

-?""

At

125

Blending Color with a Palette Knife

can only
This technique
on
used
it is

on the

he

a large painting, hut

a very effective

way

The

colors

seep out

When am

to

apply and combine colors.

right, but quite thinly, so the

oil will

faster.

happy with the con-

sistency of the paint,

have used here are

colors

dab the

on the canvas. Then

take a

ultramarine violet, cobalt hlue,

four-inch putty knife and twist

cerulean blue, Naples yellow, cad-

through the colors. This creates

V^jnium red

My
ors

on

first

light,

step

and
is

a piece of cardboard,

absorbs the

oil.

teresting designs

viridian.

to lay out the col-

which

and

easier to

work with.

it

dab the paint on the cardboard with

a palette knife in the

manner shown

used the technique described above on

on pages 124-25. Note

126

This

is

it's

this

this

stop.

important to

to stop.

Overworking

the paint results in a

if

definitely a hit-or-miss

know when

and

in-

and combinations;

get the desired effect,

technique, and

This changes the

consistency of the paint, making

tackier

when

it

happens,

muddy

just

wipe

effect;

it

off

start over.

portion of the riverbank in the painting

the dappled colors and the arcs

made by

the putty knife.

127

Capturing the Motion ofFlowing Water

My

main concern through-

those portions of the painting.

Sometimes

out this painting was to

capture the

control

of the

spirit

scene in the photograph below, par-

motion of the
For the rocks and water,

ticularly the

alkyd paints.

than

began

oil paints for this step

I

right.

because

can build up

multiple layers in a short time.

let

is

easier to

some of the

oil out;

a stiffer texture.

do

this

cardboard with a palette knife and

letting

in

chose alkyd rather

they dry quickly, so

it

paint

by smearing the paint on a piece of

water.

with a colorful underpainting

if

this gives

oil

it sit

until the consistency

The amount of time

is

this takes

and the brand

Some colors, such as Vene-

varies with the color

of paint:

tian red, stiffen very quickly; others,

used orange, blues, and purples for

such as titanium white, take longer.

the underpainting, keeping the col-

ors very bright.

to

My next step was to go over all

these areas with white

oil paint.

used this technique in this painting

make

the white paint easier to

handle.

Another device

scribbled with the brush, using long

size

strokes to depict the flow of the

and bushes on both

water.

This scrubbing technique,

called scumbling, allowed

some of

the bright color to show through the

used to empha-

the flow of water was to add trees

sides of the falls.

used static dots of color for the

leaves; their stillness contrasts

the flow of the water and enhances

The

white. Even those rocks that didn't

the sense of motion.

have water flowing over them got

greenery also adds color and

thin layer of white paint, to unify

128

with

balance.

extra

Dunn's Falls,

oil

on canvas, 40"

x 50" (101.6

cm

x 127.0

cm)

129

The Romance ofRain

did this painting from one

photograph, but
those parts of

mood wanted:

it

only used

that fitted the

the carriages,

the buildings, the trees.

changed

the colors somewhat, using a variety

of pastels for the buildings and

warm, bright colors for the trees.

After the major elements were
established,

decided the atmos-

phere would be

just after a rainfall:

The

and the puddles pick

air

up and
scene.

is

clear

reflect the colors of

the

captured the shiny wet look

of the sidewalks with broken color,

laying

one brushstroke next

another.

The

to

directions of the

strokes suggest the fluidity of the

water. Reflections are

and

tal

vertical.

contrast, so

They

both horizonalso create

increased color and

value contrast in the reflective areas.

I

thought the painting was

fin-

ished at this point, but after living

with

it

for a while,

decided

it

could

be improved.

w
130

Carriages After Rain,

oil

on canvas, 20" x 24" (50.8

cm

x 61.0

cm)

rectangle. Since the painting was

I added more color to the painting

and broadened the range of values
by bringing in more darks, particu-

on canvas,

larly in

To begin with, I changed the shape

from a square to a more pleasing
had to take it off the
it down, and restretch
(Changing the dimensions of a
I

the trees.

brought the

down

stretcher, cut

yellows of the trees

it.

puddles and added more color to the

painting

is

much

easier

if it is

on

wet pavement.

into the

A few more pedes-

on the left provided a vehicle

more bright color.

Masonite, because you can simply

trians

saw off the parts you don't want.

for a little

131

Reflections and Color in

The

building on the right

dominates
pretty

it

this painting,

much

and

dictated the

rest of the scene.

The
dows

and shapes

colors

in

in the win-

the large arches are a com-

bination of the interior showing

through and the reflections on the

To capture

glass.

interior views

this,

first,

the reflections

painted the

then tinted in

actually overpaint-

what was already

go into this in more detail

ing, covering

there.

I'll

on pages 134-35.
I

took the buildings from photos

A and B;
seemed

to detract

from the overall

moved them

There was

in the photos

so

them

the space between

impression, so
together.

closer

a lot of contrast

too much,

felt

deemphasized the shadows and

lightened the dark areas, particularly in

tree

the building at

on the

left to

left.

bring

added

scene, and

added the fountain

at

from photo C.

took

bits of the

crowd from the

photos, but basically

painting

it

as

made

it

up,

one shimmering mass

rather than a group of individuals.

132

some green-

ery to this concrete-dominated

right

Windows

Jpct'l

^H^B
Lincoln Center,

oil

on

'-*?a*

C"

HHM

canvas, 36" x 50" (91.4

cm

x 127.0

cm)

133

Reflections

All

wanted

mood

to

and Color in Windows

do here was capture

of the scene.

the basic shapes

and

the

sketched in the windows and people

using ultramarine blue and yellow ochre, thinned with turpentine, in various mixtures to give

me a range

of values.

Now

begin blocking in color areas so

movement of the

scene; I'm

values, not details.

blue,

cadmium

red

can get

the feel

and

working with shapes and

M;y palette here consisted of ultramarine

medium, cadmium orange, yellow

permanent mauve, and

134

still

white.

ochre,

Now

start laying in the colors

windows,

more

used permanent mauve, ultramarine blue,

cobalt violet, cerulean blue,

cadmium

red

medium, cadmium orange, and

the

window

at right are

permanent mauve.
shape of the

accurately. For the

this

the

ochre and white in

cadmium

The darks

same mixture

left,

cadmium yellow deep.

The people are dotted and
as the windows;

white.

light,

in

mixed from ultramarine blue and

used

window on

red

to define the

lightening the color with

Before

stroked in with the

same

colors

started

working on surface

reflections,

some

blues

and whites and brushed

this

using horizontal and vertical strokes;

pronounced
that

window

in the
is

window on

the
I

mixed

across the windows,

this effect

the right.

a group of yellow

I let

Then

previous layers of paint dry almost completely.

Also

is

more

visible in

dots, the lights

from a

chandelier inside the building.

I

also used phthalo green

it

added more people and kept building up

reached the fullness

the

crowd

until

wanted.

mixed with yellow

this area.

135

Capturing the Essence ofa Building

Turkish Embassy,

136

oil

on canvas,

12" x 16" (30.5

cm

x 40.6

cm)

decided to paint this building be-

cause of

its

shape,

which

very appealing. There

temptation,

when

is

a building

subject matter, to treat

it

as

found

always a

the

is

that

For the lighter areas,

and concentrated instead on

decided to enfold the building

letting

The

added
fill

painting

is

built

scheme of this

around a complemen-

it

flow into the background.

bare branches were there;

the facade.
basic color

mixed white

in flowering trees, instead of just

capturing the flowing roundness of

The

with yellow ochre.

I

avoided

red,

ultramarine blue, and yellow ochre.

an

architectural rendering, drawing in

every brick, every detail.

brown mixed from cadmium

soft

them

just

blossoms and leaves to

out.

used the same colors

as in the building for this,

addition of a

little

with the

permanent mauve.

tary pair: the deep, intense blue-

The

purple of the building and foliage and

almost completely obscured, with just

the pale, muted yellow-orange of the

an indication of a window peeking

sky and the light areas.

through. Thus, the viewer

began by

sketching in the building with a bluegray tone

mixed from ultramarine

blue and yellow ochre.

simplified the

forms of the building and used value

transitions to define the form.

worked the

light

that the building

same

building and the trees similar because

wanted the background, building,

and foreground

mium

The

kept the colors and tones of the

up from one to the

I

aware

there without

effect occurs in the lower left

areas

is

is

portion of the building.

simultaneously, rather than building

other. In the dark

is

actually seeing the structure.

and dark areas

right side of the building

to flow together; this

used purple mixed from cad-

brings a strong sense of unity to the

red and ultramarine blue and

painting.

VfK

137

Bringing in New Colors

The

reference photo for this

overexposed; even

painting

is

so, there

wasn't

in the original scene.

much

My

color

main prob-

lem here was to introduce the

ele-

completely cover what's underneath,

and the resulting color has more

richness and depth than it would
it

if

were mixed on the palette. This

method works

best

when

a light

ment of color in a way that would he

pleasing to the eye and not appear

color

unnatural.

this painting, the strokes followed

My solution was

to use a lot of

different hues, for variety, hut to

keep the intensity

low.

The

arches

The

is

dragged over

brushstroke

is

darker one.

usually visible; in

the contours of the building and

helped define the structure.

I

used a

lot

of red

and yellow

tor

them fairly
become the

and facade of the church contain

the people, rendering

streaks of reds, yellows, oranges,

loosely so they wouldn't

and hlues, and these colors

are echoed in the other areas of the
church. Everything is suhtle and

focal point.

modulated, however; none of the

tones were streaked into the steps

purples,

colors

is

so hright that

and dominates the

One

technique

this effect

is

it

jumps out

others.

used to achieve

mixing colors on the

red hat

continuity of color.

needed

some of the undershow through. The resulting

tones, allowing

painting to

color has depth

and

richness; the

brushstrokes help define the form.

138

The

The

a little green to

the color scheme and

with a

purple

left

for

picture

round out

make

it

come

I added the small bush on

and the overhanging tree

the

Light colors are dragged over darker

woman

and then used on the sidewalk

alive, so

paint doesn't

right to accent the

colors of the others.

with paint into an area of a different

The dragged

added

on the

canvas by dragging a brush loaded

color.

branches

at

the top.

*.****

St.

John's Cathedral,

New York City,

oil

on canvas, 20"

x 24" (50.8

cm

x 61.0

cm)

139

Varying the Brushstrokes

The

carriage, dark

and

solid,

anchors this scene; the build-

and dreamy
indeed, the building on the
right almost seems to be floating.
ings are ethereal

The

colors evolved as the painting

progressed,

and

used different types

of brushstrokes to achieve different

effects.
I

drew

in the cathedral

with

ultramarine blue, then went over

the
and curves of the arches with

bling and dragging the paint, usually

area

is

brushing a light color over a darker

very

little

one.

The dragged

larly

obvious in the arches, where

paint

is

particu-

the brushstrokes define the forms.

The

building

less solid

on

the right

than the cathedral;

is

much

is

contrast.

tree in front consists of long,

flowing strokes for the branches and

small spots of color for the leaves.

The

values are close to those of the

come

smooth
underpainting of the background
gray, then went over it with the light
and dark areas of windows and sunlit

forward much, but the brushstrokes

the area to the right of the carriage.

barely there.

began with

the features of the facade

facade. Again, the brushstroke

defines the form, but this stroke

lines

much

and yellows, scum-

The

building, so the tree doesn't

it's

stones in the columns, the parallel

blues, greens,

also very narrow, so there

less

cathedral.

is

interrupt each other.

I

used broken color in the steps

and sidewalk, on the horse, and

Values are close together, so the

vigorous than in the

effect

is

subtle. In contrast, the

The

street

is

very smoothly painted.

value range of this

in

A number of different techniques were used on the church-

The

scumbling, dragging, broken color.

building are interrupted by the long, flowing strokes of the

paint over dark areas.

140

usually applied light

tree

straight, vertical strokes that define the

forms of the

branches and the dots and dashes of the leaves.

St. Patrick's

Cathedral,

New York City,

oil

on canvas, 40"

x 44" (101.6

cm

x 111.8 cm)

141

Index
Adjacent colors, 110-11
Alkyd paint, underpainting with, 128
Black
eliminating from palette, 22
use

of,

in traditional style, 10, 12,

24

Broken-color technique, 26, 32, 77, 120

for fall foliage, 118-19
for hair, 100

with muted palette, 20

for skin tones, 28-29, 68,

69

for wet look, 130

Brushstrokes, 10, 24, 44, 78, 104, 119
large, 38-39, 40
varying, 140

Buildings
brushstrokes for, 140
capturing essence of, 136-37
colors, 106, 114, 137, 138, 140

windows, 36,

114,

with group of figures, 12, 22, 46, 67-69

improvised, 50-55
light and values in, 88-89, 113
in minds eye, 42-43
negative space in, 35
from several photographs, 42-51, 54-55
with two figures, 62-65
Compositional sketches, 66, 67, 72, 73,
75
Contour, defining, 35

132-35

Canvas, changing dimensions of, 131

Center of interest. See Focal point
Character study, 100-101
Color(s)
adjacent, 110-11
animating scene with, 90-91
blending with palette knife, 126-27
broken. See Broken-color technique
complementary, 92-93, 94, 110, 112,

Depth of field,

29, 112

Dragged-paint technique, 38, 138, 141

group of, 12, 22, 46, 67-69

placement in landscape, 54-55
two figures, 62-65
Flesh tones. See Skin tones
Focal point, 12-13, 16, 104
eliminating, 29, 86-87
establishing, 56-59
Foreground, anchoring, 60-61

94-95

palette, 21, 25, 30, 31,

Complementary
112, 114

adjusting details in, 80-87

areas of contrast in, 48-49
changing to suit style, 16-19

correcting errors in, 70-71

eliminating clutter from, 14-15, 72-75
evolving, 76-79
focal point in, 12-13, 16, 29, 56-59,
104
without focal point, 29, 86-87
foreground in, 60-61

on

water, 43, 62, 75, 77, 78, 120-25

windows, 132-35

in

Sand, colors for, 53, 55

Scumbling, 128
Shadows, 22, 32, 36, 43, 104, 114-15
Silhouettes, 35, 40, 112
Skin tones, 28-29, 31, 60, 64, 68, 69,

124
negative space, 35, 40
overcast,

30

reflected in water, 77

Sunlight, 46, 112

through foliage, 116-17

and shadow, 114-15
See also Light

color and contrast in, 21

vs. impressionist style, 10
color and, 21, 25, 30, 31,44
composition and, 16-19

Hair, 100

and value

shifts, 10-11, 12, 14

Trees

approaches to painting, 40-41

background, 40, 41, 60, 75, 77
colors, 32, 60, 77, 90, 110, 123

Light

fall foliage,

and depth of field,

118-19

edges, 35

112

direction of, 44, 46, 88

evening, 36-37

light effects in, 116-17

overhanging, 120, 137

highlights, 114, 116, 120

subduing, 113

silhouette, 35,

white as vehicle for, 30-31

See also Sunlight

40

Underpainting, 128
Values

Middle ground, focal point

Mood,

in,

56-59

capturing, 36-37, 85, 104-5

low-key, 102-3

Composition

Reflections

Traditional style

44

colors, 92-93, 94, 110,

Rain, 130-31

Tertiary colors, 94-95

Glaze, 78, 102

Impressionist style, vs. traditional style,

10
color and, 21, 25, 30, 31,44
composition and, 16-19

in traditional vs. impressionist

106

colors, 52, 55, 75, 104, 110, 120, 123,

Figures

contrast, 21, 48-49, 112, 114, 130

cool, 32, 36

tertiary,

12, 94, 104,

Sky

Highlights, 114, 116, 120

defining form with, 20, 22, 44

in dragged-paint technique, 138, 140
experimenting with, 96-99
high-key, 24
muted, 104-5
neutrals, 106-9
primary, 12, 94, 104, 106
repeated, 48, 60, 100

75, 96, 97
Primary colors,

100

Earth colors, 106

Edges, handling, 34-35

114
low-key, 102-3

darks, 22-23

Preliminary sketches, 66, 67, 72, 73,

Negative space, 35, 40

Neutral colors, 106-9

contrast, 114, 116, 130

on composition, 88
grouping, 14
effect

shifts, 10, 12, 22, 112

Water
Oil paint,

stiffer

texture

for,

128

colors, 32, 53, 102, 110, 120

motion
Palette

traditional vs. impressionist, 21, 25,

30, 31

See also Color(s)

Palette knife, blending colors with,

126-27

of,

38, 62, 123, 128-29

reflections on, 43, 62, 75, 77, 78,

102, 104, 120-25

White,

as vehicle for light, 30-31

Windows
colors, 36, 114, 134-35

reflections in, 132

143

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Sampe Lesson:

SING COLOR IMAGINATIVELY

The

pt

d
tinting

dark

,\\k\

brighten

knew the scene was

be lighter overall than

SO

made

in the water

much

the sky

This directly

affects the

and

;oing to
ie

phot

the water.

The clump of seaweed

the lower

left

corner

is

is

it

so far

violets, blues,

greens- -along with a

little

brown

and some white and yellow to

and intensity. Trie

keep the individual

adjust value

This painting

else.

a greater

C(X)1 colors

fairly neutral.

affc

of

how

vaner

is

is

a gcxxi

example

to bring exciting color

into a painting

keeping the basic forms of d

colors

used

colors bright but the cwerall effect

>ns

brought the trees fonv.

photo but using

idea was to

forward.

in

the bright-

green of all, because

ideal area to

exploit broken color to the fullest.

used

duller greens for the reflections in

est

light

indirectly

almost everything
I

more

in

sand and rocks of the fore-

ground seemed an

to reduce

the intensity of the color.

decided to

The

and

violet

brown here and there

rather

is

up and bring

intei
I

L;

fashion, using

for the

amplify what

already there, as

did with the

and values

to describe th<

trees,

mixed several greens and yelli

nd applied them in broken-color

ors to tind out

4S

!l
!

what works

did with the sandbar.

im.

ILL

or experiment with

Broadway,

New V

V.

10036

new

col-

best, as