River Current (Oil Bar Painting Day 1) Originally uploaded by randubnick
This is another oil bar painting in progress. I started it two days ago, and this is how it looked at the end of the first session. I had time to sketch in the basic composition. This painting may look abstract, but it is actually from observation, a close-up view of the current in the Merrimac River. I am using one of my photos for reference. This is one of a series of paintings for a show in Manchester, New Hampshire.
River and Bridge (Oil Bar Painting Day 6)
Yesterday I went back to the studio to work on this painting of the Merrimac River. This is part of a series of paintings for a show in Manchester, New Hampshire. I softed the edge of the clouds and made changes to match in the reflection of clouds in the river. Then I used a T-square to straighten out the bridge railings a bit, and re-worked the bridge. I added more shadow and more definition to the trees, and again, mirrored the changes in the water. I won't say that this painting is finished, because no doubt there will be things I want to change, but I think it is pretty close. . . . In any case, I have to leave for now and move on to the next painting, because the show is coming up very soon (in January).
River and Bridge (Oil Bar Painting Day 5) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Yesterday I went to the studio to put clouds into this painting of the Merrimac River. My goal was to reproduce the look of the digital version I did yesterday to try out the effect. (I sketched in the clouds in digital pastel overlaid on a photo of the painting.) I printed out a copy of the version with digital clouds, and took it along to use as a reference. Well, it took a while, and this still needs work, but by the time I finished painting, but I had the basic placement and color of the clouds and the reflections of the sky in the water. I am new to using oil bars, and it took several hours to paint the clouds in, as opposed to just a few minutes to sketch the clouds in digitally (even using the mouse to draw, which is what I do.) This painting is based on one of my photographs, but the photo doesn't show very much of the sky, so I had to derive what was going on in the sky by looking at the reflections in the water. The next step will be to soften the line of the clouds, in both the water and in the sky, and to straighten out the lines of the bridge. To be continued. . . .
River and Bridge 4 (Oil Bar Painting with Digital Overlay) Originally posted by randubnick
I have been working on an oil bar painting of the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire. Yesterday, I posted the most recent version of the painting (Day 4), and was trying to decide whether to add clouds and reflections of clouds to the painting, or to leave it as it was, with a bright blue sky. Originally I planned to paint a cloudy sky and reflections of clouds in the river, based on a photograph that I took of the river. I was interested in the reflections of the coulds on the water. But time pressures of the upcoming show in January led me to wonder whether or not to take the time to paint in the clouds. I decided to try a digital overlay to see if I liked the painting better with a cloudy sky. So last night I opened a digital image of the painting in Painter IX and added the clouds, using digital pastel. I also changed the blue color of the sky and water just a bit. After looking at the image with the digital overlay, I decided I liked the clouds. I was unsure if I could create the same effect in oil bars (which are very difficult for me), but if I don't like the result, I can always paint the clouds out again. Besides, I will learn more if I paint the clouds in than if I don't. That's the most important thing, and so that's the decision. To be continued. . . .
River and Bridge (Oil Bar Painting Day 4) Originally uploaded by randubnick
I finally went back to Red Brick today to work on this painting of the Merrimac River in Manchester, NH. (This is one of a series of paintings for a show in January.) It has been hard to get to the studio, between a hectic schedule and three major snowstorms in ten days, but in the meantime, I have been thinking about this painting, and so this morning I knew exactly what I wanted to do. First, I made one last adjustment in the angle of the shoreline. Once I had the angle right, I put some curves in the shoreline to make the water look less like a swimming pool and more like a river. I worked with the oil bars directly, mixing colors right on the painting, and adjusting the colors as I worked. Then I used my T-square to straighten out the railings of the bridge a bit. (The railings still need more work, and I will fix them next time.) Now I have the basic shapes and composition that I want for this painting. There are two options: clean the painting up as it is and call it finished, OR add clouds and reflections of clouds in the water (as in my posterized photo of Merrimac River from Bridge). The first option is tempting, not only because of the time pressure of the show in January, but because I like the painting as it is. But I also liked the effect of the clouds in the photo. I think what I try a digital version with an overlay of clouds to help me decide.
Looking at Morning Glories (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Two days ago, I posted a digitally edited photo of morning glories. Here is the posterized version. I am going to use it to make another pattern. To be continued. . .
Woods and Snow (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
This is a posterized version of a photo that I posted here December 22, three days ago. Before I posted it, I edited the original photo to remove a lamp post and pesky branch in the foreground. Yesterday I was thinking about using the image as a holiday greeting, but I thought it needed a little color. So I opened the image in Painter IX and used soft color overlays and posterizing to add some pastel colors.
Looking at Morning Glories (Digitally Modified Photograph) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Three days ago, I posted a piece of digital art that I call "Dancing Morning Glories". I have been thinking about the color scheme I used, because most morning glories are sky blue. But I remembered some purple morning glories I saw last summer, and looked through my photos to find them. I did find them, a photo taken in August of this year. (In fact I posted the posterized version of it, called "Purple Morning Glories in the Evening".) Anyway, when I saw the photo, I recognized where I got the color scheme, and was surprised at how close I came to matching the colors, because I was not using this photo as a reference. I decided to take another look at these purple morning glories. The view posted here is cropped from one of the photos that I had not used before. Once I had the composition I wanted, I needed to do a little cleanup, so I opened the image in Painter IX and did a little bit of repair on the flower petals, using digital pastel and digital airbrush.
December Roses (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Sometime last week, I saw some beautiful pink roses in a vase, so I took a close-in photo with my phonecam. Tonight I posterized the photo in Painter IX, and then cropped it a bit, to focus on the beautiful shapes of the rose petals.
Woods and Snow (Digitally Modified Photograph) Originally uploaded by randubnick
During a recent walk near a wooded area, I took pictures with my phonecam. The trees look so beautiful, still covered with snow. Tonight I chose the photo I liked best, and cropped it. But I couldn't get rid of a branch in the foreground that was distracting. When I saw the image on the computer, I also noticed that there was a small street lamp in the photo. So I opened the image in Painter IX and used a little cut and paste as well as digital pastel to eliminate both problems. Now woods look more peaceful, inviting a longer look. Well, it is New England and we are now just past "the darkest evening of the year," so I have been imagining that this kind of winter scene might be what made Robert Frost want to write about the woods in the snow.
Dancing Morning Glories (Originally uploaded by randubnick)
I made this image on the computer today, using Painter's pattern pen and a pattern that I created from one of my own photographs, of morning glories. My idea was to make something with the pattern pen, using movements inspired by dance. There was no particular reason to choose the morning glory pattern except that I thought it had enough contrast to show up. And of course, the idea of dancing morning glories made me smile. The type of pattern pen I chose picks up the shapes in the patterns, but not the colors. Instead, I chose the colors based on colors I have seen in morning glories. With the lines in the image, I was trying to capture the spins and turns of the waltz.
Lacy Winter Tree (Originally uploaded by randubnick)
It snowed again today, which wasn't surprising. But everyone was surprised at how much snow we had. The prediction was for a couple of inches, but it came down hard and fast all day. I took this photograph with my phonecam, looking out through a window. I was interested in the tracery of the snow-covered branches. Tonight I cropped the photo, paying attention to where the heavier tree branches were in the image.
Sparkling Snow on the Trees (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
In honor of Boston's three winter storms in a row, here is my third and last version of this photo. I posterized the image again, but this time I adjusted the controls to get a more pronounced effect. If you look closely, you can see additional areas of bright color. The areas of yellow create the illusion that the sun is shining on the tree, hence the title. This version is a bit more of a fantasy. (I didn't think the sun was shining when I took this photo). This one is for those who like walking in a winter wonderland or for those who just need a little help getting through all the shoveling.
Snow on the Trees (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Here is a posterized version of the photo I posted yesterday. I used Painter IX to posterize it, and kept the effect at a pretty subtle level, so that the photo looks pretty realistic. But if you look closely, you can see areas of bright color in the shadows and highlights.
Snow on the Trees (Originally uploaded by randubnick)
Here north of Boston, we seem to be having one snowstorm after another. On Sunday morning, we had about a foot of snow on the ground by morning, and I knew there would be a lot of shoveling. Taking pictures improves my mood by reminding me that the snow is beautiful. So I took this photograph, just before I put on my Ipod and headed out the back door to start digging out. I like the photo as it is, but I think it might look good posterized. . .
River and Bridge (Oil Bar Painting Day 3) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Here is the most recent version of my painting of the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire. When I went to the studio to paint, I took along the printout of the digital overlay I had made to use as a rough guide as I worked. I reduced the number of railings on the bridge from two to three, and then I revised the angle of the shore line. That sounds simple, but really involves a lot of re-painting, and was just about all I had time to do yesterday. I am happier with the perspective, but I still may change the angle of the shore line a bit. I am also planning to soften the shoreline, adding some curved areas, but I wanted to get the basic perspective in first. That will have to wait till my next chance to work on this. To be continued. . . .
River and Bridge 2 (Oil Bar with Digital Overlay 3) Originally uploaded by randubnick
For the past day or two, I have been thinking about modified this oil bar painting of the Merrimac River. During the previous painting session (Day 2), I created a third railing on the bridge, but I decided to go back to just two railings. I also wanted to change the angle of the river bank for the sake of the perspective. But I decided to try these changes out digitally before I making them in paint. So I opened the most recent photo of the painting in Painter IX and drew the changes in with digital pastel. In fact, it took three different attempts to get what I wanted, which is why this is digital overlay 3. This is the one I printed out and took to the studio to use for reference while I made similar changes on the canvas with oil bars. Tomorrow I will post the result.
Snow on the Gate (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
This morning while I was shoveling, I noticed that the snow made a pattern of little triangles in the gate. I stopped what I was doing to photograph the gate with my phonecam, and I was glad I did, because the little triangles were gone in a few hours, despite the fact there is still plenty of snow on the ground. Tonight I cropped the photo to focus on the pattern of snow in the fence, and then I posterized the image in Painter IX.
River and Bridge (Oil Bar Painting Day 2) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Yesterday I went to Red Brick and worked on this painting of the Merrimac River, using my printout of the digital overlay as a reference (see yesterday's post). I change the diagonal and horizontal lines of the water to adjust the perspective. I also changed the bridge railing to three bars, also for the sake of the perspective (looking down on the bridge). As I made the change, I kept thinking that the third rail would obscure the view ofthe water too much. But then I thought that this series of paintings shows the relationship of the industrial to the natural, and the idea that the bridge interferes with the view of the river fits right in. But now I am not sure about the third rail and may change back to just two rails, because I am very interested in the water and would like to show more of it. (Opinions are welcome.) Well, it looks like I will have a little time to think about it. Although I planned to go to the studio tonight and paint for three hours during the monthly open study night, Massachusetts is having a big snowstorm right now (a foot of snow expected), so for the time being, I am not going anywhere. To be continued. . .
River and Bridge (Oil Bar with Digital Overlay) Originally uploaded by randubnick
This morning, I was eager to get to the studio to work on this painting (the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire). I had already decided that I was going to change the bridge railings, and more important, modify the perspective. But I thought I would slow down and try a digital "dress rehearsal" to see what the changes would look like before I made the revisions in oil paint. So I opened a photo of the painting in Painter IX and used digital pastel to draw in the changes I wanted to make. I changed the angle of the water line and also raised the height of the bridge railings. I thought the image looked better with the changes, so I printed out the "before" and "after" pictures, and headed off to the studio, where I made these changes and then some. (I will post the result tomorrow.) To be continued. . . .
Layers of Leaves (Composition with Digital Pattern) Originally uploaded by randubnick
I made this image tonight on the computer. I worked in Painter IX, and used the pattern I created recently from one of my photos, a single leaf against some weathered boards. I used a pastel pattern pen, so what I got were the shapes taken from the photo, but none of the color. (The original photo was of a bright yellow leaf against gray boards.) Instead, I chose three or four colors, inspired by the colors of autumn leaves, but in transparent layers. I kind of like the effect of the autumn colors against the white background. Lately I have been seeing lots of autum leaves on the ground alongside, as well as embedded in, snow and ice, and that might have influenced the choices I made while I was working on this image.
Icy Pine Needles (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Last night we had freezing rain and this morning everything was coated with ice. I didn't take any pictures while I was out chipping ice off the stairs, sidewalk, and car because I was too busy trying not to slip and slide. But tonight I found some photos that I took in 2005 during a late December ice storm. At that point, I still had my first phonecam, and it took soft, low resolution images. I remember taking this photo and thinking that the pine needles looked like blown glass. When I saw this picture tonight, I decided that I still liked the composition, but the photo needed some help. First, I fiddled with the contrast and resized the image to make everything more visible. Then I posterized the image in Painter IX. But there was an orange leaf stuck in the branches, in the middle of the composition, and although I liked the colors, I thought the leaf was a distraction. So I went back to Painter IX and used digital pastel to draw over the leaf, replacing it with background colors and shadows. But I left a little bit of the red and orange from the leaf because I thought they added some zip to the image. When I was satisfied with the drawing, I posterized the area to make it blend in to the photo.
Closeup of Snowy Hedge at Night (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
I used my phonecam to take this picture after a little snowstorm we had this week. I liked the way the fresh snow looked on the hedge. Later, I posterized the image in Painter IX, and then cropped it several times to find the composition I wanted.
Dancing Menorahs (Originally uploaded by randubnick)
Last week I started a digital sketch of a menorah. Tonight I decided to use it to make a pattern, and then made the menorahs dance across the page with a pattern pen, with flames drawn in with digital pastel.
Winter Branches with Reflections (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
This image began as another of my recent attempts to photograph the snow. It was late in the day when I took the photo, and so there are reflections from inside the house, as well as from street lamps beginning to turn on outside. I decided to try posterizing the photo with Painter. I liked the effect, so I did some more cropping to get the image you see here.
Mill and River (Oil Bar Painting Day 7) Originally uploaded by randubnick
This is the painting of the Merrimac River in Manchester, New Hampshire. On Monday, before I started my latest painting, I took a few minutes to straighten out the roof lines in this one. I am not quite ready to say this painting is finished, because I am sure there are things I might want to modify, but I need to leave this painting alone for now, and work on the rest of the paintings for the show, which has been set for January 8th. I had this painting on display last weekend at open studios, as well as my painting of the mill at night, and I was surprised at how many people came by and asked about these paintings. Most of these people now live in or grew up in Massachussetts mill towns, such as Lowell, Lawrence, or Amesbury, and thought that they had recognized these scenes as being from their home town. I had to break it to them that this was New Hampshire, but they didn't seem to care. It still looked like home to them.
Many Dreidels Originally uploaded by randubnick
The dreidel in this image is from a piece of digital art that I made quite a while ago. In fact, I think it is one of the first digital images I ever created. But I still like it, and don't think I can improve upon it. Today I used my little digital dreidel to make a pattern in Painter, and then used the pattern to create the image that you see here. I think this will work as a Chanukah greeting for friends and family.
River and Bridge (Oil Bar Painting Day 1) Originally posted by randubnick
This is an oil bar painting (in progress) that I started this morning at Red Brick. It will be a view of the Merrimac River seen from a bridge in Manchester, New Hampshire (part of a series of six paintings for a show in January.) First, I blocked in the composition, working from photos that I took in Manchester a few months ago. To block in the composition, I use the oil bars like huge crayons, and "draw" with them right on the canvas. This makes for strong colors as I get started, but that makes it easier to see what I am doing as I establish the basic shapes. I use a T-square to create straight lines. Today I had the basic composition down very quickly, so I had time to blend colors with a brush and even tone the colors down just a bit, but they are still pretty strong, and not the final colors for this painting. I am happy with the composition so far, although I can see that I forgot to check my vertical lines with a T-square. I will have to adjust them next time. To be continued. . .
Snowy Afternoon (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
We had about an inch of snow this morning, and although it was followed by rain, it stayed on the ground and there was enough to justify shoveling the walk, although I was shoveling slush. This afternoon, it started to snow again. I kept looking out the windows watching the snow, so finally I gave in and I took a few pictures with my phonecam. This was one of the photos that I liked best. I opened it in Painter IX and posterized it, then cropped it to get this composition.
First Dusting of Snow (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Tonight we got the first dusting of snow, just a thin layer on sidewalks and trees. I don't know if it will keep snowing or not. But I went outside and tried to photograph the snow falling on the trees under the outdoor lights. In this photo, the snowflakes aren't really showing up as I had hoped, but I think the picture is interesting anyway. I used my phonecam with night mode turned on. If you move even a little bit with night mode on, you can get a double-exposure effect, as in this image. That is usually a problem, but I kind of like the effect in this photo. So I played with the contrast a bit to optimize what I had, and then opened the image in Painter IX and posterized it. Then I cropped the photo to focus on the tracery of the white branches against the night sky.
Apples in the Colander (Posterized Photo) Originally uploaded by randubnick
Here are some apples to go with the oranges that I posted two days ago. While I was washing some apples tonight, I was thinking about their beautiful colors and the shapes they made in the colander. So I took a few pictures with my phonecam. After dinner, I cropped this image out of the photo, then opened it in Painter IX and posterized it. I also used Painter's magic wand to add some color overlay to the tablecloth, to get more color contrast.
