Willow on the Trent
24th April 2023
In: Art
The first landscape oil painting is now complete (see my previous post 20th March 2023). The scene was painted from a photography taken last year and features an autumnal willow on the banks of the River Trent near to Fiskerton.
It was painted with water mixable oils on a 10 x 8 inch gessoed board and the original Winsor and Newton set was supplemented some additional colours: cerulean blue, raw sienna and burnt sienna…all used for this painting in combinations that are familiar from my watercolour experience.
The method used was wet-into-wet, also known as alla prima (direct painting). This means a new layer of oil paint is applied on top of a still-wet layer rather than waiting for a layer to dry, and whilst this might sound like I know what I am talking about, the reality was very different and full of trial and error.
The most challenging aspect of the scene was the tall grasses which line the path. I lost some of the intended highlights and muddied the colours more than I would have liked. In the end I scrapped back some of the paint with a palette knife in an attempt to restore these, a technique that is sometimes used in watercolour.
Now, having mention watercolour, I did a version of the same scene at the end of last year. It was a quick study on the reverse side of another painting, quarter sheet size, 90lb, Sander Waterford rough paper. I had the same issue with the foreground grasses. They are hard to see as shapes and it isn’t possible or desirable, to paint every blade. This leads to a lack of confidence and over painting which, as stated, loses the highlights and muddies the colours. More practice definitely required!
Overall, I was pleased to produce my first oil painting…one art goal ticked off for the year!
It was painted with water mixable oils on a 10 x 8 inch gessoed board and the original Winsor and Newton set was supplemented some additional colours: cerulean blue, raw sienna and burnt sienna…all used for this painting in combinations that are familiar from my watercolour experience.
The method used was wet-into-wet, also known as alla prima (direct painting). This means a new layer of oil paint is applied on top of a still-wet layer rather than waiting for a layer to dry, and whilst this might sound like I know what I am talking about, the reality was very different and full of trial and error.
The most challenging aspect of the scene was the tall grasses which line the path. I lost some of the intended highlights and muddied the colours more than I would have liked. In the end I scrapped back some of the paint with a palette knife in an attempt to restore these, a technique that is sometimes used in watercolour.
Now, having mention watercolour, I did a version of the same scene at the end of last year. It was a quick study on the reverse side of another painting, quarter sheet size, 90lb, Sander Waterford rough paper. I had the same issue with the foreground grasses. They are hard to see as shapes and it isn’t possible or desirable, to paint every blade. This leads to a lack of confidence and over painting which, as stated, loses the highlights and muddies the colours. More practice definitely required!
Overall, I was pleased to produce my first oil painting…one art goal ticked off for the year!