Whether you are a cow or a human – the Austrian alps are just beautiful at this time of the year.
Alpine Summer
oil
First Rose
I didn’t want to post this one because I wasn’t satisfied with the result. But when my five year old son recognized it as a rose and even guessed the right bush I changed my mind. It’s simply amazing what children’s eyes can see.
Although I’m not too happy with the picture I’ve learned a lot from it. And that’s the whole purpose of my “daily” practice.
Practicing Value and Composition
My first apple made me realize that I’m lacking some basic skills. I bought Carole Marine‘s excellent book Daily Painting and started with a value and composition exercise.
Daily Practice
Practice is what I need so I started painting every other day. Only one session per painting. Try something new every time.
Cheeky Grin
Although I love this facial expression of hers you never know whether it’s a good sign or a bad sign…
Memories of Summer
My son enjoying himself in the Adriatic Sea. I started this painting in June 2014 in studio class but had to finish it at home. Unfortunately Stefan Nuetzel stopped offering his studio class at that time. Nevertheless I am really thankful for these three months – I’ve learned a lot!
Painting with a limited palette
After two monochromatic portraits it was time to add some color. The limited palette I used for my third studio class painting consisted of titanium white, cadmium yellow light, azo red medium and ultramarine.
Learning to see Values
My second painting at Studio Nuetzel was also a monochromatic portrait. It’s a really good exercise to learn to see the dark and light areas and how dark or light they are compared to the other areas.
Getting introduced to Oil Painting
In April 2014 I started to attend Stephan Nuetzel‘s studio class once a week. It was time for my first oil painting. Stephan suggested to keep it simple for the beginning – stick with one color and break it into a few tonal values.