Pay Attention to Details During Painting

The picture above is an actual print done by my mother.  This piece was taken from an oil painting she had done.  You can actually see the canvas marks when you look closely at it.  Look closely at this piece.  The name of the painting is “Seaside Greeter”.  It was one of her last works she did before her passing.  There are some things a new artist can learn from studying another artist's work.  By studying this painting you can learn a great deal about contrast and lighting.  You can begin to understand colors and shading.  You should also get a sense of how to balance out a painting.

The first thing I want you to notice is the subject.  The point is that is the first thing you notice.  You know what she was painting.  All the other things take a back seat to the blue herring.  Although you notice the sand and the waves, this is not what is important.  You can see the ocean behind the bird.  Yet it is not impressive enough to distract from the subject.  The sea shells on the beach do not compete at all with the subject.  The only thing you see is the blue herring.  Why?  Because this is what the artist wants you to focus on.  This is what the artist was entranced with when she painted this picture.  She was fascinated with the proud stance these birds sometimes have.  She loved the subtle natural shading of their feathers.  She also loved the way the eyes seemed to  have a blank stare and still had a look of intelligence to them.

This painting was done in stages.  The background of the ocean and sky was put in first.  There was a great deal of color and blending that went on to get the right affect of the clouds and the water.  More paint was added to the bottom of the canvas in other shades and hues.  The paint was blended into the front of the picture to bring in the sand and beach.  After the background had dried, the artist started painting the bird.

Being able to judge perspective and set a reference point is important for size composition.  You have to look at what you are painting to understand where it should go in the picture.  If you do not choose the size and placement carefully, it can cause a low quality painting.  By paying close attention to detail you can create a masterpiece like the one above.

Some things to notice about this piece.
1) The horizon is blended perfectly and yet there is a definite distinction between the sky and the water.
2) The light source is directly above.  Nothing is in shadow.
3) The artist was still careful to keep with the reality of the scene by making sure the waves reflected the color of the sky.
4) Not many things in nature are without a flaw. The artist was able to paint what she saw with the broken sea shells and ruffled feathers.  This makes the piece even more realistic.
5) Using different brush techniques, she was able to capture the essence of the sand at the bird's feet.  This did not take as long as some thought.  When you know what a brush can do, you can make it perform.

I hope looking at this piece can teach you some basics in oil painting.

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