Oil Painting

In order to hone our craft as artists, we all know the value of practicing. However it’s apparent to me that applying paint “just to apply paint” doesn’t cut it. I like to determine the focal area of a painting before getting started and I feel it’s equally important to identify the focus of your practice. To that end, I maintain a rolling list of things to focus on so that it is always there as a reference for me. I call each these Projects. They can be small in scope or quite large.
Last year I decided to work on “Project Value Relationships” because I wanted to ensure up front that I would achieve more depth in my paintings. My goal was to improve the aerial perspective in both landscapes and still life by establishing the relationships of foreground, middle ground and background first and then making variations within each plane. John Carlson said: Every angle or plane of an element has within its “flatness” marvelous and subtle variations of both color and value. A mass becomes beautiful only when it partakes of these changes.

It turned out to be a rather large project because, as often happens, one thing leads to another and I had to change the way I began a painting too. Instead of working on my focal area first, I had to alter my process from beginning. I used Size 12 and larger brushes to place washes of color on 9×12 canvases. This would establish my shapes and result in the flat block-in the local colors and value immediately with no regard for edges or creating anything in focus. I could see immediately if the planes related to one another. From there I could push and pull the color temperature and saturation with more opaque paint while gradually working towards putting something in focus to create my focal area. I am sure that there are thousands of people who work this way all the time but it was a shift for me and it felt foreign at first. (Fast forward to this year and it’s my typical way to start).
Note that I started by using only small formats for this project…..nothing larger than 16×20 until this process felt like second nature. This took about 6 months and of course I still tinker with it. A couple of the benefits were that it was freeing for me and it felt like the paintings moved along faster to completion!
More recently I tackled “Project Greens” where I wanted to work on varying my greens within each piece. This was a smaller project and to get started, I simply mixed various puddles of warm and cool greens of different value and different saturation levels. This was done before any marks were made on the canvas. Again it was freeing as I was able to use the various piles of paint where appropriate. It took several weeks of experimentation as I continued varying the saturation levels even more and expanding my options with more and more diverse greens. The benefit of this project was that I felt as if my new pieces were more interesting overall. Also, once I established the design, I didn’t feel tied to the actual colors within the scene because I could actually bring more variety and create more interest than the original scene.
I hope you find this helpful and if you’re stuck, perhaps start by thinking about where you want to go or what you want to change in your own work. This will prompt a personalized list of focused practice ideas. I’ll share a few more of mine here:

• Paint Application
• Brushwork
• Color Harmony / Using a limited palette
• Working larger formats
• Edges
• Clouds
• Paint from Memory

We are fortunate as artists that we can experiment. Personally every time I tackle a new project it expands my repertoire. I truly enjoy the growth even though it can take months or years to perfect and can occasionally be frustrating. However I believe it is how we carve our own personal path to growth and how we will evolve into a better artists. What better way to fully enjoy the journey!

A prolific painter and inspiring teacher, Dennis Perrin is a transplanted southerner living and working in an idyllic setting in Maine with his wife Aimee. Dennis has been called an American Impressionist in the Boston School tradition, and readily shares his inspiration and techniques with students in workshops, retreats, and through his online courses. More about his art and his instruction can be found at www.theperrinmethod.com.
MY GOAL WITH DENNIS:
As I drive to Carmel, Indiana for a workshop with Dennis Perrin, I think about what I’d like to get out of the next four days with him. His paintings always strike me as reminiscent of a Sargent or a Sorrolla with his solidity of shapes, strength of light and shadow, and a wonderful sense of timelessness. There is a confidence and painterliness in his brushstrokes that I would love to witness in person and bring home to my own paintings.
DAY 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE PERRIN APPROACH
After introductions and settling in, we start out with a demonstration by Dennis of a simple white rose in a vase. As he paints, he introduces us to his approach to painting. I’ve paraphrased it in my own words here:
Begin with a mental plan of the general feeling and intent of your painting. Identify the essential elements of your subject and block in a solid underlying composition of abstract shapes. Unity and simplicity in value massing in this step will result in a powerful statement in the finished painting.

Generally working from dark value to light, allow the painting to evolve from large masses to smaller details, using the underlying value map as your guide. With a painterly approach, carefully observe color, temperature, and edge relationships to bring the painting to completion.
After his demonstration, it was our turn to try our hand at painting a white rose.
My Takeaway:
Painting white roses has always been a challenge for me, but something clicked with me that day:
If you have a solid value guide to begin with, the light, shadow and subtle variances in a white flower become readily identifiable. With this underlying map, I don’t get so lost in all the frilly details of the flower. I’m starting to feel hope, but my efforts at painting today fall short, and I wipe everything off. Tomorrow is a new day!
DAY 2: PAINTING A STILL LIFE (THE BLOCK IN)
Today, Dennis set up a larger still life to show us how he begins the initial block in of his abstract shapes and value masses.
Identify abstract shapes in warm reddish undertones. Find the darkest and lightest values.

Beginning with the darkest values, develop the value areas of the painting. The solidity of the forms and the areas of light and shadow are obvious now. This will guide the final stages of the painting tomorrow.
My Takeaway:
This initial stage is the most important in the successful development of the painting. Without a strong foundation, no amount of fancy brushwork will make the painting hold together and make a powerful statement after completion. I believe that this quality of strength and solidity are hallmarks of Dennis’ painting style, and I will make an effort to bring these elements into my paintings at home.
DAY 3: DETAIL AND REFINEMENT

On the third morning, we watch as Dennis develops the painting into an astonishingly beautiful work of art. He concentrated on one value area at a time, beginning with the background in order to warm up a bit before developing the more detailed areas.
He emphasized that when the details are added in each area, the underlying value is adhered to; that is, dark values remain dark values, light values remain light, and everything in between stays in their value. In this way, the form, light, and shadow of the initial underpainting will remain intact. If you “jump the value lines”, the solidity of the painting will weaken.
I Try My Hand:
Here is the development of my painting in the workshop using Dennis’ approach. I could see early on that the painting had a good sense of form, light, and shadow. I tried not to disturb the value patterns of my underpainting when I developed the details in the final steps.


DAY 4: EXERCISES TO GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES
On our last day together, Dennis suggested that we set up a small still life and paint with the largest flat brushes we can. He even suggested that we take the exercise a step further, taking turns painting on each other’s canvases! We set timers and painted in 30 minute increments, switching places several times before our time was up.
You could hear a pin drop as we concentrated on our assignment. All of us had very low expectations for our little paintings, but each of us was surprised at what we were able to accomplish.
My Takeaway:
A large brush can be surprisingly agile, and encourages us to see generalities rather than focusing on the details of the painting. Painting as a team was very eye opening— I saw aspects of the painting through someone else’s point of view that I missed at first, and learned from that.

AND NOW THAT I’M HOME…
After the glow of an exciting workshop has begun to fade, I try to retain what I’ve learned and translate it into my work at home. I’m picking up larger flat brushes now, and sticking with them as long as I can. I focus on the “big picture” of my painting as I develop large forms into smaller details, and pay special attention to the abstract shapes underlying my paintings which will give the final piece solidity.
Most importantly, I’m trying to take my time to build up a solid foundation underneath my paintings, and not get distracted by the little details which are eye catching and fun, but not important in the overall composition of the painting. I’m trying to hold off on putting in the details until the final 5% of my painting time. And I’m enjoying the result of all this restraint!
Thank you, Dennis Perrin, for a very eye opening workshop, and an experience that will stay with me every time I pick up a brush in the future!

“Ned is a very accomplished and highly respected artist, having been drawing and painting for over 65 years. He is a graduate of the prestigious Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles where as still a student he also taught drawing classes. He has participated in many of the major invitational shows in the country, including the “Artist’s of America Show”, “Great American Artist’s Show”, “Prix de West Show”, “Oil Painters of America”, “Laguna Plein Air Show”, “Pastel Society of America”, “The Autry Western Masters Show”, “The Northwest Rendezvous Show” and the annual “Plein Air Painters of America Exhibition.”
He shows in some of the Finest Galleries in the country, has won numerous awards and is included in many private fine art collections. He is a Master Signature member of the Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Painters of America, California Art Club, Northwest Pastel Society, Puget Sound Group of Northwest Artists, Northwest Rendezvous Group, and the American Society of Marine Artists. Ned is the only Artist in the Northwest that has been designated as “Master Artist” status with both the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society. He continues to challenge himself to grow artistically. Ned has been asked to jury Regional and National Art Shows and he loves to teach and share his many years of knowledge and experience by teaching classes and workshops, regionally, nationally and internationally.”

***All Images Contained Within This Video Are The Works Of Ned Mueller And Are Protected Under His Copyright***
 
 
Plein Air Workshop
8/18/2017 – 8/20/2017
Plein Air Workshop
10/26/2017 – 10/28/2017
You can obtain more information at:
ScottsdaleArtistsSchool.com

I’ve been an artist since I was a child. I never knew how not to do it, but being an artist is not the same as being a professional artist. I embarked on this around 2006 or 7. I started to realize that it was my time to do what I had always wanted to do but didn’t allow myself to really pursue. What’s the difference between being an artist and being a professional artist? As an artist you are creative and passionate about what you do. As a professional artist, you are creative and passionate about what you do but you are also in the business of selling your art, for a living in most cases. This may be oversimplifying but you get the idea. There’s money involved and that’s when it gets serious for me. However, making real money for your art can be a ‘tricky’ business.

Trick Number One

The number one thing you should focus on is producing the best art that you can produce, whether it be porcelain dolls, illustrations, woodcarvings, or fine art oil paintings. Learn to do what you want to do to the best of your ability. This is an ongoing process with art. Good artists never stop learning so I don’t believe that you should wait until your art is perfect before you start selling it. For many artists, its never going to be perfect. That is how they come back to the easel or the workbench everyday to try again to get close. I do think there are buyers for art at every level of one’s professional career as long as it is priced right. Pricing is a different topic for a different day but, if you choose to be a professional artist, there are buyers out there for everyone.

Trick Number Two

They have to see it before they can buy it. I know many people who go through magazines and catalogs and say “I paint better than that” or “My friend so-and-so can make better ‘insert type of art piece here’ than that”. Well, are you or so-and-so making sure that people get a chance to see the work like the people that are in those marketing materials? You have to spend money to make money. Spring for the advertising when you get accepted to a show. Run ads in magazines that you respect in your industry. Do a Facebook marketing campaign occasionally. Do something to get your work seen by potential buyers.

Trick Number Three

Treat your business like a business. Art is my profession and it is my 9-5 and bread and butter. I show up every day to do something related to my business. I paint. I photograph the work. I keep my inventory software up to date. I keep my financial software up to date. I keep my inventory stocked. I keep my materials stocked. I know how much art I need to be producing each month in order to keep supplying my galleries and I keep detailed records of where all of my art is at any given time. Plenty of people try to run businesses in any field but if they don’t do these things, they fail very quickly. Just because you are an artist, it doesn’t mean you are exempt from these rules. Get a personal assistant if you can’t handle these things but somebody’s gotta do it.
Here are the quick plugs for the vendors I use: Quickbooks for financial software; ArtworkArchive.com for inventory, customer and show tracking; FineArtStudioOnline.com for my website; Meininger Art Materials for local supplies, RosemaryandCo.com for my brushes, Gamblincolors.com for mediums and varnish; Winsornewton.com for paint; local lumberyard for birch panels. I’ll try other things occasionally but I keep coming back to these.

Trick Number Four through …

Getting into galleries, getting accepted to shows, getting invited to invitationals, etc, etc. These things come after you do tricks 1 -3. The journey is different for everyone so there are some things you may not care about. Things can also change for you on a daily basis and you have to readjust the plan. I know that if you are focusing on 1-3, the rest will become more obvious and easier.
Thanks for reading! I hope that I have helped you in some way. Feel free to comment. I look forward to reading them.