Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Doorway Out Of The Garden - plus white as a value


Doorway Out Of The Garden
8x6 oil on canvas panel $125. SOLD


This is the same location as my last post. 
Another type of chair and more of the glorious
flowers in this beautiful garden.

Artist Note.
Painting white is not easy. The values go much
darker than the brain wants to accept.
Camille Przewodek was the artist who took the
time to hammer home to me (12 years) ago that
'WHITE in the shadow is a similar value (or darker)
than BLACK in the light.
See below

The brain screams this cannot be... 
Black could never be as light as white...so for those of you 
who, like me, experiences that then read on.

SQUINT at the value of the paper towel on top in
comparison to the body shadow. 
Compare the black cover of the calendar in light
to the black value in the cast shadow
I take artists - who are not quite understanding when I talk about
this principle -outside, and show them the above setting.
We are visual learners for sure so it helps to see it.
It is all too easy to think we know something,
but I still mess up and paint
white way too light at times.
The above chair was a real buggar to do. Sigh.
I worked too long on trying to get it right.
Light at the very top but angled
so the light caught it more than if it was a vertical,
and the seat (horizontal) caught the blue of the sky as well.
I am satisfied with it, but the photo does not show the
the actual shading very well.
Art is constantly fascinating.
 Always having to SEE and THINK.

Check out Camille Przewodek 
I have linked to a demo of her technique.
If you are not familiar with her work then this will be a treat.








32 comments:

  1. This painting/post really made me smile. I also took a workshop from Camille and really had a hard time understanding white in shadow and black in light. It took effect long after the workshop. Slow learning that one. Beautiful job on your painting. love the color.

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    1. Happy to hear you took from Camille. Many years ago I organized two workshops for her in our area. She was funny, bright, full of information and worked everyone hard. We all learned A LOT!
      I made sets of color blocks and use them to this day. If I go outdoors I toss a white one on the ground to compare every value to it.
      Thanks for the visit Blanche.

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  2. So pretty and bright...I like the blue!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Sue. I love color!
      Your postcard, New York, is creative and a gem.

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  3. I love the lushness of the flowers against the adobe. Quite a mental dichotomy since I remember Tucson and the lack of flowers (unless they were on a cactus) against the adobe. Absolutely stunning juxtaposition. The lesson on the shadows from white objects being almost black is rather amazing to see it in reality. Great lesson, Julie!!

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    1. YOU should see what is OUTSIDE the gate!!! My friends created a small oasis for their front and back surrounded by beautiful adobe walls. Outside are the cactus, mesquite, creosote, etc. Beautiful too in a completely different way. They have the best of both worlds. The lizards think so too. The butterflies prefer the inside garden!
      Tucson is another amazing terrain. They have the Saguaro! We do not.
      Hope all is well, dear Sherry

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  4. Well, your piece turned out wonderfully. Garden walls with doors a always sort of mysterious.

    That's a great demonstration about white, black and light and shadow. Always amazing and now if I could just stick to it!

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    1. I am always drawn to doors. Have never understood why though. I remember as a very young child having a painting up on the board at school and the teacher telling everyone that I would be a traveller because I painted doors. She said most children only drew a door in a house with roof, sun and flowers...
      Well, it turned out I traveled, but I was never the instigator...always followed the husbands career.
      Your watercolor paintings done from your on site sketches, are great. I like the last one especially.

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  5. Yes, I'm another Camille student as well. You've demonstrated this SO WELL in this photo and explanation!!! It's definitely a hard 'thing' to process...even if our brains 'accept this'....accomplishing it in paint is still quite a challenge. Painting from life in sunlight - and frequently - is the best way to gain that understanding. Gonna find a way to share your post on FB- it's a great little demo all in one photo!! Thanks Julie!

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    1. It is not surprising to me that you took from Camille. Your colors are always so beautiful. Your new floral glows.
      Thanks for wanting to share. I am still not comfortable on Facebook and make errors all the time.

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  6. Thanks for this great reminder... now I just hope it stays in the brain!

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    1. If I may say so, Kim, I can tell your brain has it well in hand .
      Thanks for the visit.

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  7. Great example of how the brain can help and hinder our painting! I love your clear examples and explanations. Camille is a real eye opener;) Love her.

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    1. Congratulations Bruce for your painting being accepted into the AIS show. Fingers crossed. I now know three bloggers who have got in. Hurrah for the bloggers!

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  8. I know exactly what you mean and you got me thinking, why not use toweling as a still life, draw-from-life subject. That interests me enough to give it a try. Good post Julie--and your chair was successful even though it took longer than you have liked.

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    1. Thanks, Linda.
      I am enjoying the progress pics and stories on your blog.

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  9. Beautiful painting, Julie! It's amazing how different a painting looks with just a few changes...Love the colors on the flowers !!!

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    1. If was a different area of the garden and I agree - the gate changed it dramatically.
      As always, I really appreciate the visit, Hilda.

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  10. Love the path, chair and door. Beautiful composition. Done by a colorist for sure. Great class again today so I will be posting very soon.

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    1. Hi Helen - I think of myself as a colorful tonalist!
      Looking forward to your next post.

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  11. Very wonderful painting with so nice colours !!!
    Have a nice day Julie !!!

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    1. My day has been lovely so far...thank you. Wishing you the same.

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  12. Interesting lesson to learn Julie, thanks for sharing. And a lovely work as a bonus to enjoy!

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    1. Hi Padmaja - thanks for the sweet comment and love your hawaii paintings.

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  13. Good day, Julie !
    I love your paintings, I admire your talent!
    I hope you do not mind that I posted on my blog your work for inspiration?
    http://graphika-at.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_21.html

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    1. I was amazed to find so many of my paintings on your blog. Thank you for the complement.

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  14. This is so beautiful. Nobody paints a door like Julie. There was discussion about painting shadows and light in my class recently and I breathed a sigh of relief when Brian Hinkle said that light was not really important for my style of art. However, I just KNOW, should I ever figure this trick out, it will really add to it.

    You are so gifted Julie. Going to check out the link now.

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  15. Thank you Lisa, I love your painting of the city, very much.

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  16. I love this little scene that you have rendered so well. What a beautiful garden. The chair is captivating...as though it's just waiting for someone to sit on it. I'd certainly like to be the sitter. Thank you for the reference to Camille. Beautiful work that she does, and I want to read more about her color philosophy and strategies.

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    1. Hi Carol - how nice of you to visit.
      Camille follows the teachings of Hawthorn. He captured the light so beautifully - as does she.
      Just like you did with the beautiful yellow rose.

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I love that you are taking the time to comment and thank you for it. I am sure other readers will enjoy them too. If you cannot comment through this format then email me at juliefordoliver@gmail.com
Cheers,
Julie