At The Fishing Hole Tutorial

[rrsum]

I had a few requests to show the steps I go through when doing a painting.

1: Let me say there are a lot of people here far more qualified to do this than I.

2: This is what works for me. It may not work for you.

3: I've had no formal training, so what you see here may be totally contrary to what you've been taught or told if you've had lessons, classes, a degree, etc.

4: Please see #2 again.

"AT THE FISHING HOLE"

I did a basic sketch to lay things out on the canvas. Once I had my bear where I wanted, I painted him in with a coat of black gesso to act as a place holder.

[rrsum]

I give the sky and foreground a coat of white gesso. While it's still wet, I lay in the sky using cad orange, ultramarine blue and diox purple.

If I needed to blend it more, I use a touch of white gesso to make the blending easier and keep it opaque to cover the canvas.

[rrsum]

Already you can see I've changed my mind from the original sketch. That happens to me a lot. I'll start with one idea, and as the painting develops I end up taking it (or it takes me) in a different direction.

Here I lay in the distant mountains with a light value of the orange, blue and purple.

I added clouds using the white gesso with a hint of orange. I dry
ushed the clouds in.

Then I sketched in the next mountain range.

[rrsum]

I added the next mountain range. Not much detail at all, just the shape of the hills and the impression of pine trees along the horizon.

My flash kind of washed this image out, but next I used a darker value of the mountain range and blocked in the next closest mountains.

I used Hooker's Green, Burnt Sienna, Diox Purple and some mars black. I just load my
ush (#6
istle) with the different colors and mix them right on the canvas. This gives the under painting for the trees a nice mottled background.

Again, I changed my mind and painted over the foreground using the same mixture to block in the water.

[rrsum]

Once I got the under painting done, I wanted more value changes from back to front to show depth.

I added one more distant mountain range between the FIRST distant range I added, and the darker second range.

Next I "grayed" the darker range to set it back from the closest range.

(Sorry, the light for these images was a little different because of the time of day.)

I began highlighting the trees on the closest mountain range using different shades of greens. You can see a little in the upper right corner. This took a few hours to get all the trees in place. Once that was done, I added a few dead trees here and there to add interest and detail.

[rrsum]

Once the trees in the mountain range were all in I continue to
ing the painting forward and closer.

I added some low clouds between the mountain ranges to add some interest.

I added the gentle slope down to the water, added the trees and grasses, the cut bank, rocks, reflections in the water, etc.

I add a few highlights in the water to show a little movement and "squiggle" some of the reflected grasses, rocks, etc to help the effect.

Next I worked on the area LEFT of the bear,
inging the painting even closer. Larger trees, bushes, rocks and grasses.

Worked on the rocky ledge at the edge of the water ( I know...the original sketch showed a dead tree...told you I got taken in a different direction).

Added foreground reflections in the water, some large water grasses, and water lines at the base of the rocks.

Detailed the bear...added the large grasses in the lower left corner...and put my name on it.

So there you have it...a quick tutorial. Hope that helps some of you that had asked me about my skies and the process involved in my paintings.

Again...this is what I do. If it helps you, great! If not...it's what I do.

[Erika Takacs]

I enjoyed this a lot, Rich. It's always fascinating to see process, technique. It seems like you're working from your head. Is that right? Do you use photo references?

[rrsum]

Thanks Erika,
Glad you liked this. To answer your question, I do both. I usually have a photo reference for the main subjects (in this case the bear).
I'll sketch the subject in the canvas, and then sketch the setting around it.
I start painting...and just let things happen. Bob Ross always used to say..."there are no mistakes...only happy accidents."

[Singular]

Great tutorial Rich. Thanks so much for posting it.

all the best,
Joe

[BYart]

OK...now I am VERY happy!!! (insert applauding emoticon here!)
To finally get to see one of our resident masters at work, and you make it look so very easy Rich! It is inspiring, and I cannot thank you enough for posting this!
I am also LOVING the apparent fact, that I now understand, that you, like I as well, (and many others) don't work from a reference photo(excepting as you had mentioned) .
I am also glad to note that you also "change your mind" during a painting...I do that ALOT too!
Now as to the actual tutorial...I love it! Well written, easy to understand and your technique is well defined. THANKS so very much Righ, your a champ!

[kcortese]

Rich

As Barb said, Thank you for showing this tutorial of your WIP. I enjoyed watching it come to life. It was like reading a Bob Ross book or something like that. You make it look soooooo easy.

And I think we DO all change our minds while working on a piece. Funny how the start sometimes looks completely different from the finished piece.

Hey, can you honor us by posting in Works in Progress sometimes? Just a thought.

Karen

[weirdpuckett]

Wow Rich! I certainly appreciate it when a fine painter takes the time to selflessly do this . . .I marvel at the fact that you have had no formal training and I also think that you are a better painter than Bob Ross!! I now know what gesso is used for! does one have to use it with acrylic? Thanks again!Mike

[rrsum]

Karen, Barb...thank you. You're always too kind to me.

Mike, I use white gesso a lot when doing acrylics. It helps opaque the colors that are otherwise transparent, and acts like a blending medium.

I use black gesso to block in things like the bear above, or in the case of a seascape or something with deeper water, I'll use it as the base for the water. If you look at my "Alaskan Cruise" oil painting, I decided where my water line was going to be, and painted the canvas below that with black gesso.

I don't suppose you have to use gesso when doing acrylics. I know it helps me with both acrylics and oils.

Hope that helps!

[sablewand]

Very nice thank you for taking the time to show how you organize your painting. It is nice to see how others decide and lay down their paint. And your bear painting is fabulous

[stonycurtis67]

nice painting, great tutorial. self-taught artists always have the most interesting advice on how to solve problems.

[rrsum]

Thanks Stony...glad you enjoyed it.

[ehoeveler]

Thank You, Thank You, Rich!!! Ehoeveler