Check List For Making Great Paintings

This will be my last month of working with Kevin Macpherson in his ProDJ Program :~(


For part of our final assignment he has asked us to make a check list that we could use from now on, while making our paintings, to keep in mind the important aspects of what makes a good painting.  Below is the list that I have put together of some of what he has brought to our attention and tried to ingrain in our painting process -- things I hope to never forget!

CHECK LIST FOR MAKING GREAT PAINTINGS!!!

Is there a good “abstract” Idea underlying the Picture? 

A controlling idea that will govern the choices I have to make.  Which feelings stirred me in the first and gave rise to the feelings I need to express. . .This picture is about? 

Is there a color strategy used to create harmony?  Which color palette will bring the most harmony to my idea? 

Does the painting have a definite focus? 

       Paint with my eye on the center of interest. 

Does the painting “Read” –is there a route that can be followed to the center of interest? 

Are the Dominant Shapes as strong and simple as possible? 

Have I drawn thumbnail sketches of my idea dividing the space into various arrangements of value – Black, White and Gray value arrangements—dividing the space into 3, 4, 5, 6. . shapes to see what works best? 

Have I organized the painting in terms of clearly stated shapes that are dissimilar with some variety and gradation using subtle changes within each shape? 

Is the subject effectively lit without too many light sources –reduce the subject to three planes, light plane, middle tone plane, shadow plane? 

Have I created an unequal proportion of light and shade keeping my light family of colors separate from my shadow family? 

Do the lights have a continuous flow?  – the picture as a whole should have a sense of orchestration from either dark to light or light to dark – using gradated lights or gradations with an increasing and decreasing intensity. 

Do the shadow shapes describe the form? 

       It should echo the shape of the object—reinforcing the overall shape of the object. Let  the shadow effectively describe the direction of the light.

Have I used foreground material to deepen the space – magnifying the depth of field? 

Does the background recede far enough? – Less color, less visible texture. 

Is there an alternating pattern of hard and soft edges? 

       No edge along a form should continue for very long to be either hard or soft. 

       Beginning edges are hard, turning edges are soft. 

       Hard and soft, lost and found, stop and flow 

Is there enough variation in the textures of the paint? 

      The brighter the light the thicker the paint.   

      Dark shadowy areas use smooth, flat paint.

Eight Proven Color Palettes to Mix All of Nature's Colors

Another new month means another new assignment from Kevin Macpherson, my mentor in the ProDJ Program -- so I thought I'd sum up a little of what he's telling us about out new assignment on "Color".

"We had touched on color through many of the past assignments but we have not focused on this aspect until later in the course for good reason.  In spite of colors' acclaim in the creation of great artwork it is really not one of the key fundamentals.  Color lives within the basic structure of shape and value and without a firm grounding in shape and value color does not count.  A firm understanding of the basic fundamentals of shape and value grants the artist the most freedom with color.  Any color will be tolerable in the correct value family."

"Where is the darkest dark?  Where is the lightest light?  Where are the darkest green, the lightest green, the most pure and the most muted?  How do all the greens vary in value, intensity and temperature?  We must not spend our extremes in the wrong place.  We feel we need more tube colors because we really do not compare the relationships of each color note.  All the tube colors in the world will not help if we are not comparing constantly.  Do the same comparison for each color family for success."

"We cannot mix all the colors of nature.  Get over it.  We cannot even buy all the pigments possible to get close to it.  But we can mix the relationship of nature's colors and tie them together for a unified satisfactory arrangement that is much more enjoyable than a cacophony of color."

Our primary concern for this month is using a "limited palette."  He recommends eight proven palettes for us to choose from - every painting we need to decide which of the eight we will be using.  He says "don't look for scenes to fit the colors.  Make the colors fit any scene."

l.  Cadmium Orange, Dioxazine Purple, Phthalo Green
2.  Cadmium Yellow Light, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue
3.  Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Chromatic Black
4.  Yellow Ochre, Quinacridone Red, Emeraldl Green
5.  Yellow Ochre, Burnt sienna, Ultramarine Blue
6.  Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Red Light, Phthalo Green
7.  Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Red Light, Ultramarine Blue
8.  Cadmium Yellow Light, Quinacridone Red, Dioxazine Purple

Words from "Master" Portrait Painter John Howard Sanden

“The method of painting I practice and advocate is called all prima, from the Italian, or premier coup, from the French.  This is loosely translated to mean a direct or spontaneous attack.

          Basically, this means that I attempt to execute a finished painting from the very first stroke, without such traditional intermediate steps as toning, underpainting, glazing or scumbling.  And I try to complete the entire painting in one sitting, if possible.  The motto of this method might be “Get it done; get it done right; get it done right from the beginning:

          You must marshal all your concentration, alertness and energy so that every stroke of the brush becomes part of the finished statement, and your painting becomes unnecessary to correct or modify in subsequent sessions.  Leave nothing to chance, but concentrate all your effort upon getting it right the first time.  In a way, this method represents a kind of Evel Knievel leap over a chasm—the performer gets only one chance.

          Naturally, this is the ideal. You’d have to be a Leonardo to achieve it each time you step up to your easel.  Nevertheless, it’s the ideal you should shoot for and keep uppermost in your mind when you come face-to-face with the blank canvas.

          Incidentally, this principle of striving for the finished effect from the very first stroke applies to paintings of any size, subject or degree of complexity.  Even if I’m confronted by an involved composition containing several figures, I work one section at a time until it’s done.

          Now let’s consider the nine principles governing this method of painting.

1)    Start with a White Untoned Canvas:  For the Premier coup method, which calls for a single layer of paint laid in as swiftly as possible, toning the canvas in advance is a contradiction in terms and is useless.  It is useless because the subsequent paint should be a correct and final statement, without support from preliminary toning.

2)   Establish Your Goal.  There may be fifty or more goals that artists seek in the execution of their paintings:  Achieving a beautiful color scheme, defining the esthetic qualities of a scene and portraying a mood are just a few.

3)   Make Every Stroke Count:  This method of painting may be compared to a surgical procedure in which the patient’s life hangs on the surgeon’s ability to make every move vital and meaningful to the success of the operation.  One stroke of the brush must do what thirty strokes may lead to in less disciplined technique.

4)   Be Deliberate and Decisive:  While the premier coup method goes hand in hand with a speedy execution, it’s far more important to be deliberate and accurate than merely fast.  Therefore think before you mix and place a brushstroke,and observe sharply.

5)   Focus on the Larger Masses:  Look at your subject as a series of large masses, then paint in the smaller details that lie within or upon them.

6)   Maintain the Drawing:  Make a preliminary drawing with your brush, even though these strokes will be completely covered in the process of laying in the larger masses.

7)   Work with Speed:  Time is precious and you must force yourself to paint as quickly as possible, but make sure all the while not to lose one iota of quality or accuracy as you speed your efforts.  “Get it right” is more important than ”Get it Done.”

8)   Treat your Edges softly:  Keep your edges soft unless you want to draw the viewer’s eye to a particular area for compositional reasons, or you wish to make an area appear to advance.  A sharp edge or edges fulfill both these goals.

9)   Overcome the Fear of Failure.  Timidity is the artist’s worst enemy and boldness the most faithful ally.  Never tiptoe about or sneak up on your painting, but attack it with all the daring, resoluteness and decisiveness at your command.”

From “Portraits from Life in 29 Steps” by John Howard Sanden

Thoughts on Painting Outside

“Being comfortable on location is essential in being able to focus on your subject matter and apply paint. Having a simple setup makes going outside more enjoyable. Have a backpack designated for outdoor use that is packed and ready to go at all times, so you can immediately go out when the light is right.

 Keep a checklist in or on your portable easel so you can quickly determine if you have all you need when you are packing or walking to location. Getting all set up to paint the perfect view only to discover that your palette is back in your studio is very frustrating.

So you do not lose valuable painting time, try to take only what you need so that you can make one trip to set up your supplies. You will need an outdoor easel and palette, a bag to carry your supplies to the location and a way to transport your wet painting home. An umbrella to shade you and your painting is a great addition to your outdoor painting supply kit. You might also consider sunscreen and bug repellent.

Attach an umbrella to your easel so that your painting is shaded, even if it is an overcast day. If it is too windy to use an umbrella, make sure your painting is not in the sun; otherwise it will be hard to judge the color and value relationships.”


(Oil Painter’s Solution Book – Landscapes, by Elizabeth Tolley)

Does Your Painting Have a Focus?

Some part of your paintings should clearly represent the central focus of the picture. How it is stated and what devices you can use to make it clear that it IS the focus are things that are important when you create a painting. The main things, though, is the HAVE a FOCUS. Without it, the painting is just a collection of shapes. With it, the picture looks like a visual event. Sometimes the center of interest occupies that position because it is different from what surrounds it, sometimes it holds attention because it is the culmination of the rest of the elements in the picture.

Painting with your eye always on the center of interest helps keep the artist from merely copying and putting equal attention on all the elements of the subject. Being true to the way human’s actually see, we need to look at something, no matter how general. We always pick out something to “focus” on. Paintings should be no less selective than our eyes are. Our paintings should exhibit the same discrimination, the same variations in intensity. It should be obvious to the viewers of our paintings what it is we were “focusing” on.

Simplifying Nature for a Painting

Sometimes nature looks just too complicated to try and paint. We look and are overwhelmed with what is in front of us. So – simplify the chaos. . .

Every scene in nature can be separated, at its most basic level into two shapes -- black and white. Simplifying into just light and shade at the beginning of a painting makes the entire process easier. Try squinting while deciding what’s in light or shadow. This simplifies the values and makes them more obvious. Instead of hundreds of things to paint, you simplify the scene into the two most important shapes that create a representational landscape. Also remember that keeping the shapes different sizes with unequal masses makes for less monotony in the final product. If you divide the canvas into equal shapes, one light and one shadow your composition might end up boring and forgotten – divide the space unequally.

A helpful exercise to ingrain this concept is to take tracing paper to magazine photos, or photos from an art book and trace the main light and shadow shapes. Outline the shapes with a thin marker for accuracy and then fill in the masses with a bold pointed black marker. You will quickly be able to see the separation of light, shadow and masses the artist used.