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En Plein Air: Acrylic: Expert techniques and simple step-by-step projects for creating dynamic landscapes in the open air with acrylic
128Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633226104 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Foster, Walter Publishing, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 12/18/2018 |
| Series: | En Plein Air Series |
| Pages: | 128 |
| Sales rank: | 367,616 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.40(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Materials & Supplies
Brushes
A wide range of brush types and sizes is available. Choosing the right brush for the right task makes a difference in your painting experience. Remember that skimping on brush quality can leave unintended marks from frayed, unwieldy bristles or stray hairs that get stuck in the painting.
Brushes come in three basic hair types: soft natural-hair, soft synthetic-hair, and bristle brushes. Choosing the right brush for the right task makes a difference in your painting experience.
Soft natural-hair brushes are made up of the hair of an animal such as a weasel, badger, or squirrel. High-quality naturals hold a good amount of moisture and are an excellent choice for watercolor. Some oil artists use natural-hair brushes for detail work, but most acrylic artists avoid them because they are delicate and damage easily.
Soft synthetic-hair brushes are made of man-made fibers such as nylon and polyester filaments. They are ideal for acrylics and serve as an excellent alternative for watercolorists when natural-hair brushes are cost-prohibitive.
Bristle brushes are coarse and sturdy for working with thick oil and acrylic paint. Made of hog hair, they produce visible, painterly brushstrokes.
Round brushes have round ferrules and hairs or bristles that taper to a soft point, allowing for varying stoke widths.
Flat brushes are referred to as "shaders" or "one-stroke" brushes; flats are ideal for creating straight edges.
Bright brushes are flat brushes with short bristles or hairs, offering greater control over strokes.
Wash brushes are wide, flat brushes with soft hairs and a thin edge.
Filbert brushes act as a hybrid of round and flat brushes.
Chisel-Edge brushes are also called "angular" or "slanted" — a chisel-edge brush is a flat brush with bristles or hairs trimmed diagonally.
Sketchbooks and Pencils
One item I'm never without is my sketchbook. This is where I test out ideas and make decisions regarding what to include and what to leave out. This is where the simplification process begins — all the shapes are outlined and all the values are assigned (see pages 76-79). It's after this "plan" that I begin to paint.
I've been composing shapes and painting for many years. Now, more than half the time I skip the small value plan. I am experienced enough to see the finished painting and can work toward that vision. When painting on site, my energy level is high and I want to start painting right away, but there have been many times I wish I'd taken the time to plan first. Perhaps that's why I love acrylics so much. I can make a mistake, whether in terms of hue or value, let that mistake dry for a few minutes, and then make a painted correction over the offending area. If you are a novice plein air painter, I highly recommend that you create a preliminary value plan before you begin painting. It is time well spent.
Everyone I know who paints outdoors has more than one setup, but everyone is different in terms of materials and intentions. See what works for you. Try different easels and surfaces. Just remember: If you bring it, you have to carry it.
Brushes with Brush Caddy
I carry all of the brushes shown in the photo below. Do I use them all at any given painting session? No, I do not. Most of the time, I start and complete a plein air painting with one brush. A lot depends on how much time I have and how many small shapes or details I want to include.
The three nylon flat brushes shown diagonally are short-handled flats. They are wonderful brushes for pushing acrylic paint. I am rough on brushes, but I have yet to wear out one of these. I always clean them properly after every painting session. I also carry two pencils separate from those I carry with my sketchbook. More than half the time, I begin a painting by drawing with diluted paint, outlining all the large shapes. Occasionally, I find it necessary to use a graphite pencil (5B) to delineate more of the smaller shapes. This darker pencil shows up well against a light or white background. Sometimes I use a white water-soluble pencil, which shows up well against a darker background. The water-soluble lines disappear when touched with a loaded brush.
Palette
Acrylics dry fast — I love this for painting. I do not love that they dry fast on my palette. To counteract this, I use a palette that contains a sponge and a tight-fitting cover. When the sponge is moistened and covered with palette paper, it will keep the acrylic pigments wet for more than one painting session.
The gray paper under the palette is a specially made palette paper toned a neutral gray. This paper is placed on top of the moistened sponge, and when you mix a color, this gray-toned paper makes it easier to discern both its hue and value.
Collapsible Water Container
Water acts as both a thinner for your acrylic paints and a brush cleaner. Any container will work, and there are many varieties available. I like to use a rubber collapsible water container. It holds a sufficient amount of water and is easy to pack.
Paper Towels
I use paper towels both in the studio and in the field. A full roll is fine to carry in your vehicle but is too large to carry in your bag. I usually just tuck five or six sheets into my bag for a painting session.
The Minimalist Approach
There may be occasions when you want to paint outside, but you either don't have much time or you don't feel like carrying all your usual tools and supplies. For me, it's usually a matter of time or place. There are occasions when I only have an hour to paint, but I still go for it. Also, when packing for a trip that requires flying, I sometimes greatly reduce the painting supplies I bring. The flip side of this is the fewer clothes you bring, the more painting stuff you can pack!
Let's take a look at what I carry for a quick outing. The only thing I've left out of the photo (opposite) is the large plastic bag I use to sit on if the ground is wet. It also forms a barrier between you and whatever bugs might be around. In certain parts of the world, that plastic bag could mean the difference between standing for a few minutes and sitting comfortably for an hour.
• Bottle of water for drinking, mixing paint, and cleaning brushes.
• Size 8 nylon flat brush, which I use both for painting and for the initial outlines. Use the largest brush you can. Although this restricts your ability to paint small shapes, it takes less time to paint only the large shapes.
• My covered stay-wet palette.
• Four tubes of paint. I only bring the three primary colors plus white.
• A collapsible water container.
• Two painting panels made with 300-pound, rough watercolor paper (lighter in weight than almost any wood or fiber panel). I pre-paint these with my favored cadmium red light base coat.
• A bag or pack large enough to carry everything. I use a messenger bag. Notice the paper towels sticking out of the front pocket. Don't forget them!
Umbrella
I prefer using the stake-in-the-ground style of umbrella rather than those that attach to the easel. I've tried both. The latter folds up and is easier to carry, but there are times it will not stay in place or is not large enough to shade both me and my painting. And if a gust of wind is strong enough to grab and toss your umbrella, it will also take your easel, your supplies, and your painting with it. A staked umbrella is larger, sits higher, and is easily angled to block the light — and it won't take your painting and supplies with it if it blows away.
The drawback of a larger umbrella is that it is another large piece of equipment to carry. If I'm traveling to a location where I can paint out of the back of my vehicle, I take the umbrella. If I have to hike any distance to paint, I leave the umbrella behind.
CHAPTER 2Substrates
Surfaces
The list of surfaces we can paint on is long and varied. You can use just about any archival surface that accepts paint. Unlike oil paint, acrylic does not contain walnut, safflower, or linseed oils as part of their mixture. (These oils can also be detrimental to some surfaces.) While it is recommended that your painting surface be sealed (ideally with acrylic gesso), it is not absolutely necessary. Let's take a look at some of the substrates, or surfaces, that I paint on. This list is not all-inclusive — my chosen surface often depends on both the day and what I can find for a good price!
Paper
300-pound, rough watercolor paper: I like the rough surface of watercolor paper and enjoy incorporating texture into my work. I usually prepare the paper with two coats of gesso or a heavy coat of cadmium red light paint. I generally reserve this surface for when I travel. The paper is lightweight and takes up little room.
Board, Panel & Wood
Medium density fiber board: I buy fiber board from my local hardware store and have them cut it to size. I use this surface to create some added texture by applying my own coatings of acrylic gesso. Sometimes I'll cover it with white acrylic gesso, and then cover that with another color to prepare the surface.
MDF board covered with a fine-weave cotton canvas: This is a commercially available surface that comes pre-gessoed. The cotton weave can be covered with thick applications of paint or allowed to show through thinner applications. It's ready to go right from the package, saving prep time.
Hardboard: Commercial hardboard (below right) is stable and does not warp, but it is quite heavy. Hardboard can be purchased cradled with wood or as thinner uncradled boards, and it can be bought coated or uncoated. The board in the middle came pre-gessoed with a warm gray tone. It is also available in cool gray and white. Commercial hardboard comes in a variety of surfaces and is precoated. You can also buy it untreated, but I almost always coat it with white acrylic gesso; then apply a colored acrylic as a base coat.
Wood panels: Wood panels usually come with either tung wood or birchwood surfaces. Both of these need to be protected with gesso. You can buy panels pre-gessoed or gesso them yourself. The back of the panel (above) features a glued frame; this provides rigidity. The rigid surface is the one main difference between a wood panel and stretched canvas. Canvas gives and pushes back against your brush, whereas a wood panel does not. If you are a very aggressive painter or you scrub or scumble often, you may prefer this surface. Wood works best with palette-knife painting. Wood is often more expensive than canvas or paper and is usually not available in very large sizes.
Canvas & Linen
Canvas: Cotton canvas has been used as a support for centuries. Cotton fibers will, after a very long time, begin to deteriorate, so it's necessary to coat the fibers with something that will preserve the cotton. I use acrylic gesso. It's readily available and does not require any special handling. A lot of painters buy prepared (pre-gessoed) canvas.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "En Plein Air: Acrylic"
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Copyright © 2018 BlueRed Press Ltd..
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Table of Contents
Introduction, 6,
En Plein Air, 8,
Working Outdoors, 9,
Materials & Supplies, 10,
The Minimalist Approach, 18,
Substrates, 22,
Surfaces, 24,
Toned Substrates, 27,
Working with Acrylic, 28,
Color Theory, 30,
Types of Acrylic, 32,
Acrylic vs Oil, 34,
Techniques, 36,
Slowing the Drying Time, 46,
Blending Colors, 47,
The Palette, 50,
Choosing Colors, 53,
Mother Color, 58,
Basic Color Use, 62,
The Principles of Design, 64,
Planning a Painting, 74,
Painting as You Perceive, 76,
The Focal Point, 80,
Step-by-Step Project: Early Spring, 84,
Different Approaches to Painting, 92,
Finding Your Style, 94,
Color Temperature Unity, 98,
Step-by-Step Project: Red Dogwood, 100,
Finding Beauty, 110,
Painting the Light, 114,
Painting the Seasons, 118,
Taking Liberties, 124,
About the Author, 128,
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