Wildlife Scenes in Acrylic

by Jerry Yarnell

Overview

Acrylic secrets to bring your nature paintings to life!

Bring landscapes to life with popular workshop instructor, best-selling author and television personality Jerry Yarnell! Jerry has made painting a pleasure—and a success—for thousands of artists, both beginner and experienced alike. In this book, he delivers eight new, fun-to-create wildlife scenes in his signature teaching style. Following Yarnell's clear and friendly instructions, readers will learn how to pant a variety of animals, landscapes and seasons—from horses in a spring pasture, to tropical ocean sunsets, to winter birds nestled amid snow-laden pines.

These heartfelt paintings capture not only nature's awesome beauty, but also a feeling of peace and well-being. Yarnell helps readers channel that same sense of ease by guiding them confidently every step and stroke of the way. These are the kinds of paintings—and the kind of teacher—that will keep artists smiling from start to finish.

 • 8 easy-to-follow, start-to-finish painting projects
 • Instructions for painting rivers, waterfalls, trees, deserts, flowers, nightscapes and more
 • How to bring scenes to life with elk, rabbits, owls and other animal subjects
 • Expert tips, tricks and tools for better results and more enjoyable painting

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440350214
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/14/2018
Series:	Paint This with Jerry Yarnell
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	229,169
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Materials

As the old saying goes: The quality of your project is only as good as the quality of the products you use. As a fine artist, I insist on using the highest quality products that meet archival standards (museum grade). All of the tools and materials covered in this book are professional grade. These supplies can be found in most art stores, except for the brushes. The brushes I use are my own design and can only be purchased from the Yarnell School of Fine Art (yarnellschool.com) or from a Yarnell Certified instructor.

When choosing art supplies, try to purchase professional-grade products when possible. If you are a beginner and still developing your painting skills, or if you have a limited budget to work with, student-grade materials are the next best option. I guarantee that the quality of the materials you use will correlate directly to the ease of your experience learning to paint, producing better art and having a product that will stand the test of time.

Brushes

There is a wide variety of types and sizes of brushes available for artists. To make things simple, the descriptions below cover only those brushes you'll need to complete the paintings in this book.

2" (51MM) HAKE (GOAT HAIR)

Use this brush with acrylics and watercolors only. It is made of goat hair, one of the finest hairs used in paint brushes, so it has a tendency to shed. However, this brush creates beautiful, soft blends over large areas, like skies and water. It also creates mottled backgrounds, such as those used in still life and wildlife paintings.

1 ½" (30MM) BRISTLE FLAT

All of the paintings in this book were done in acrylic, but the techniques work great for oils as well. If you prefer to work with oils, substitute this brush for the hake when painting glazes, water, skies and other large areas. (Hake brush hairs are too fine for oils.)

NOS. 2, 4, 6, 10 AND 12 BRISTLE FLATS

Thicker-bodied paints like acrylics and oils work best with these brushes. Their coarse bristles are great for brush techniques such as scrubbing and dabbing. They also work well for underpainting backgrounds and adding texture. These are not brushes for fine details.

NOS. 2, 4, 6 AND 10 DYNASTY (CHISEL EDGE)

These well-balanced brushes are made of nylon. When wet, they hold a very sharp chisel edge. This makes them perfect for clean-edged, structured subjects like fence posts, tree trunks, wooden objects and wood grain. Because of their extreme flexibility, they work well for creating tall weeds, individual leaves and leaf patterns. They make beautiful flower petals for broadpetaled flowers, too.

NO. 4 SABLE FLAT AND NO. 4 SABLE ROUND

These small brushes are perfect for areas of fine detail and for blending soft edges. They work particularly well for close-up details of birds, animals and small foliage patterns. These are fairly delicate brushes, so be careful not to scrub with them or abuse them in any way, or the hairs will bend and separate, making them unusable.

NO. 4 SABLE SCRIPT

Often referred to as a liner brush, this can be used with any medium, as long as the paint is thinned down to an ink-like consistency. It works great for tree limbs, weeds and any other fine-line work.

Brush Care

There is not a day that goes by that I do not receive questions from students concerning the care and condition of brushes. The two most common questions are: "Why do brushes shed?" and, "Why does paint peel off the handle?" Both answers have to do with water.

BRUSH SHEDDING

The first thing you must understand is that all brushes shed. However, some brushes will shed more than others, for various reasons.

• Cheap, low-quality brushes are more likely to shed than high-quality, expensive brushes. So, always buy the highest quality brushes you can afford.

• Brushes with very fine hairs are more likely to shed. For example, a hake brush is made of goat hair, so it will be more likely to shed than a brush with thick, coarse hair.

• Too much long-term water saturation will eventually cause a brush to shed. Under normal use, this shedding is minimal. However, if you leave your brush lying in a water basin as you paint, the constant exposure to the water will cause the glue in the metal ferrule to soften over time, and the brush will begin to shed. Instead of leaving your brushes sitting in water, wet the bristles and lay them aside.

Brush shedding may be slightly annoying, but it's perfectly OK to leave the hairs in place as long as they are not extremely noticeable — especially if they are embedded in areas like rocks, grass and trees. The next time you are at a museum or gallery, take a close look and you will see some hairs and other small pieces of debris embedded here and there. Most artists choose to leave stray hairs in place, as opposed to trying to remove them and risk messing something up.

If you are a beginning artist and are not used to brush shedding, you might find yourself spending a lot of time trying to remove every hair. Granted, there will be times when a hair needs to be removed because it's just plain distracting, but in general, removing hairs is a personal choice. Most brush hairs will not be an issue and you should not feel obligated to remove them. However, if they bug you, take them out.

If you really don't want any hairs in your painting, you can pick them out with your fingernail or a palette knife as you paint. Another option is to let the painting dry thoroughly, then lightly sand the hair off with a small piece of sandpaper. Usually, it comes off easily.

PEELING PAINT

Paint peeling off the handle of the brush is another common problem. Once again, this is all the result of continuous exposure to water. Never let the brush handle be saturated for long periods of time, or the paint will eventually begin to peel off. If you are careful not to keep brush handles or metal ferrules submerged in water for too long, you will greatly minimize brush shedding and paint peeling.

BRUSH CLEANING

For most of us, brush cleaning is not a favorite chore. However, cleaning your brushes is necessary for keeping them in good, usable condition. Start by wiping all excess paint from your brush. Gently rinse it out with warm water by stroking the brush back and forth in the palm of your hand under a running faucet. Then, work some brush soap or a good dish soap (I prefer Dawn) into the bristles with your fingers. Massage gently from the ferrule to the tip. Do this until all paint residue is out of the brush. Be careful never to smash the bristles down or scrub them — only use gentle back-and-forth strokes in the palm of your hand. Once the brush is clean, dry it with a paper towel, and lay it down flat until it has dried thoroughly.

Tip

Paint with the highest quality brushes, paints and canvases you can afford. Professional-grade materials really do make a big difference in the quality of your work. If you are just starting out, however, it is fine to begin with student-grade materials and work your way up to using professional grade as your skills develop and improve.

BRUSH STORAGE

After you finish cleaning a brush, never leave it standing up to dry. Always dry it with a towel and lay it down flat. If you leave your brushes standing up, water will settle at the base of the ferrules, softening the glue over time, which will eventually lead to shedding.

Keeping Brushes Wet

Have you ever been so tired after a day of painting that your eyes could not focus anymore? Or have you ever been so focused on a painting that you painted right through lunch and dinner, then felt so weak and hungry that you couldn't paint one more stroke? Welcome to the life of an artist!

We have all experienced this fatigue to one degree or another, and the last thing you feel like doing is cleaning your brushes. There is a temporary solution to this problem. Simply wet the bristles of your brushes and carefully place them in a plastic bag. Then, wrap the bag around the handles and lay it down flat. You'll be good for a few days. When you're ready to paint again, take the brushes out, rinse them off and you are ready to go. Your brushes will stay nice and soft.

This system will not appeal to everyone. For many artists, thoroughly cleaning Brushes at the end of a painting session is a must. But for myself, and others like me who paint until you drop, this works well for those times when you're just completely out of steam. However, I do stress that this should be done only as an occasional alternative to brush cleaning. I do not recommend keeping brushes wet for long periods of time, as continuous wetness will contribute to brush shedding or paint peeling off the brush handle.

Acrylic Paints

Acrylics are ideal for exhibiting and shipping. An acrylic painting can be framed and ready to ship thirty minutes after it is finished. You can apply varnish over acrylic paint or leave it unvarnished because the paint is self-sealing. Acrylics are incredibly versatile. The pigments can be applied to resemble oil or watercolor paints. Best of all, acrylics are non-toxic, have minimal odor and are typically hypoallergenic.

Most paint manufacturers make three grades of paints: economy, student and professional. The professional grades are the most expensive, but they are archival and the most effective to work with. If you are just beginning or on a budget, student-grade paints are a decent middle-of-the-road option. Like most things, you get what you pay for. The main idea is to buy the best quality you can afford, and have fun. I prefer to use Liquitex Professional Heavy Body Acrylics; however, there are many good brands available. Experiment to find what you are most comfortable with. Just make sure you use heavy body paints.

The most common criticism of acrylic paints is that they dry too fast. While acrylics do dry very quickly, I've found that keeping a wet palette system solves this problem. I also use very specific dry-brush techniques to make blending easy. If you follow the techniques and methods used in this book, you can overcome any of the fast-drying problems acrylics seem to pose.

USING A LIMITED PALETTE

I work with a limited palette. Whether for my professional pieces or for instructional purposes, I have learned that a limited palette with the proper colors is one of the most effective tools for painting. This type of palette teaches you to mix a range of shades and values of color. It also eliminates the need to purchase dozens of different paint colors, which is much kinder to the wallet!

I keep the following colors on my palette at all times:

• Gesso (for white)

• Cadmium Yellow Light

• Cadmium Orange

• Cadmium Red Light

• Hooker's Green

• Burnt Sienna

• Burnt Umber

• Ultramarine Blue

• Turquoise Deep

• Dioxazine Purple

• Alizarin Crimson

• Vivid Lime Green or Phthalo Green (Yellow Shade)

For brighter, intense reds, you can also use Naphthol Crimson and Cadmium Red Deep.

This particular palette is extremely versatile. With a few pigments and a little knowledge of color theory, you can paint anything you desire. All you need is a basic understanding of the color wheel, the complementary color system and value to mix thousands of colors.

For example, you can mix Phthalo Green and Alizarin Crimson with a touch of white to create a pale flesh tone. These same three colors can also be used in combination with other colors to create earth tones for landscape paintings. The possibilities are endless.

Tip

Throughout this book, I will refer to the consistency of your paint for various applications. For example, if I suggest a creamy or buttery consistency for certain applications, simply add water and mix with a palette knife until the paint forms a soft, butter-like consistency. If I mention thinning your paint to an ink-like consistency for your script brushwork (tree limbs, weeds or any other fine-line work), I am referring to a thin watery consistency. In that case, you would continue adding water until the paint becomes fluid and thin, like ink.

ACRYLIC PALETTE LAYOUT

Palette setup is an individual process based on each artist's medium, style, technique and color schemes. As you develop your own techniques over time, you will eventually find the layout that is most comfortable for you. However, there are some basic concepts that can help you get started. I recommend the fairly common, basic palette layout shown below.

Gesso vs. Titanium White Acrylic Paint

Gesso was originally developed as a primer/sealer for raw, unprimed canvases and other painting surfaces. It can be purchased as either acrylic or oil gesso, and it comes in various consistencies, depending on its intended use and quality. You can also buy gesso as a powder that can be mixed as either oil or acrylic based.

While it is still primarily used for priming painting surfaces, gesso has slowly evolved into a painting medium for mixing with pigments to create colored gesso. This method has many uses for underpainting and tinting painting surfaces.

With all that being said, for me, gesso has an additional, very important function. I prefer to use thick, heavy-bodied white gesso as my white paint color instead of the usual Titanium White acrylic pigment. The main problem with using Titanium White paint is that it has a plastic-like appearance once dry. Many artists dislike this effect so much that it causes them to give up on using acrylic altogether. However, there is good news! When white gesso is used in place of Titanium White acrylic, you can create a soft, blended, oil-like effect without the plastic look. Once you varnish an acrylic painting that uses gesso instead of Titanium White, you can hardly tell the difference between the two. (In fact, I have actually had art judges challenge me on occasion, believing that my work was oil-based instead of acrylic.)

You can also use gesso to create texture simply by applying it thickly and leaving visible brushstrokes. The use of gesso instead of Titanium White is not a requirement, but using a heavy-bodied gesso will allow you to create some nice oil-like effects in your acrylic paintings.

Tip

If you leave your paint sealed for many days without use, some colors can become moldy. It is a good idea to open the lid and check them now and then if you have not used them for a while. You can replace the molded colors as needed.

Gesso Brands

I prefer to use Grumbacher Gesso, but there are several brands available at various price points. Experiment to find the brand that works best for you.

Palette Systems

I recommend using a 12" × 16" (30cm × 41cm) Masterson Sta-Wet Palette. You can buy one with or without a sponge (I prefer not to use the sponge). Instead, lay a piece of acrylic paper in the bottom of the palette and place folded paper towels around the edge to form an L-shape. Wet the paper towels so they are fairly saturated but not soupy. Then, arrange the paints on the wet towels in your preferred order.

Throughout your day of painting, occasionally mist the paper towels with a spray bottle to keep the paints moist. When you are finished painting, simply attach the air-tight lid. Your paints will stay wet for days, limiting the amount of wasted paint.

You can also use a glass palette system to keep your paints moist. Take a Sta-Wet Palette and use a cut-to-fit piece of double-strength glass in place of the acrylic paper. When you need to clean the palette between mixtures, simply spray the glass with your mister bottle. Let it sit for a few seconds, and then scrape off the paint with a single-edge razor blade or a paint scraper.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Wildlife Scenes in Acrylic"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Jerry Yarnell.
Excerpted by permission of F+W Media, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Introduction, 6,
CHAPTER 1: Materials, 8,
CHAPTER 2: Techniques, 24,
CHAPTER 3: Scenery, 48,
CHAPTER 4: Seasons, 94,
Index, 140,
About the Author, 142,
Dedication & Acknowledgments, 143,