"Wood's Edge" Landscape Challenge

Paint a similar summery landscape in a composition of your own using compositional elements and techniques from this workshop.

Sky
Main stand of trees
Negative painting techniques (to indicate dark areas receding into the woods)
Distant tree line
Open field or meadow
Grass and brush line or brush groupings

Pay attention to these workshop pointers:

Establish a good light and mid tone base being careful to preserve white areas for lightest areas and highlights.
Develop larger shapes and build contrast and shadow gradually as you assess the needs of the overall composition.
Practice your bristle brush blending skills
Try a variety of brushes and sizes as you progress. Learn what they do.
Chose and maintain a strong center of interest while building the composition. Keep other elements subordinate but designed to lead your eye into, through or across the scene.
Begin adding details in your center of interest as you begin judging how far to take them.
Leave areas soft and impressionistic when possible without leaving an area looking unfinished. Less is usually more.
Don't over detail. Suggest rather than express literally. Keep foliage and grass detail to a few edges. Treat the tree canopies as masses and shapes overall.
Work the painting as a whole before delving into one section too intricately.
Save the smallest details until last. Only include what makes the painting really sing. Leave out superfluous, excessive and needlessly repetitive details. If it won't help the painting leave it out.

Mostly, have fun with the process. If it feels like the painting is not working out, keep on painting. Resolve to try all the techniques if you can and make it a fun, memorable learning experience. This is what a study is all about.

Share your work with everyone.

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Becky VanMeter

Enjoying Art with my Grandsons!

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