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First time painting landscape in oils, advice appreciated
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Message
Posted
Only got into painting about a month ago, started off trying portraits but struggled to get convincing likeness so thought i would try a landscape from imagination. Although its not quite finished yet, I would appreciate some advice on achieving distance, particularly on the far hills.
It all seems a little too flat. Also, I will be adding more stormy clouds in greys and blacks over the bright yellows, I really want to make the sky pop so any tips would be gratefully received. Thank you
It all seems a little too flat. Also, I will be adding more stormy clouds in greys and blacks over the bright yellows, I really want to make the sky pop so any tips would be gratefully received. Thank you
Posted
To achieve aerial perspective,
- ensure you have more tonal contrast in the foreground and less in the distance.
- ensure you’re colours are warmer in the foreground and cooler in the distance.
Sounds easy, but not so easily achieved. I’m not an expert on landscapes, but I think that,
your hills look quite distant, but the foreground could do with more contrast and warmth. If you want the hills to look more distant, then try a blue or purple glaze, particularly in the shadows.
Posted
Agree with that - stronger colour, and more detail - or appearance of detail - in the foreground, and warmer colours too. The sky needs to recede, or the landscape beneath it won't - larger clouds at the top of the sky, smaller ones half way down, little scudding clouds near the horizon, with the colour getting mistier and hazier at the horizon itself; you can allow your hills to be 'lost and found', i.e. to almost merge with the sky in places, to be strengthened in distinct shape as the light hits them. Cobalt or cerulean blue are good for the distant glazes - Ultramarine a bit 'hot', Prussian or Pthalo too strong (although you can fade any colour, it's not necessarily an easy thing to do).
On the whole, and it's not invariable, it's risky having stronger colours, as opposed to lighter ones, in the sky than you have in the landscape - on the basis that if there's enough light to make such colours stand out, why isn't it doing the same for the land (or sea) beneath? One of several exceptions to this would be if you were really painting a skyscape - or a hot sunset/sunrise (both of which present their own problems). But you have a three quarter sky, and your land needs to reflect the light from it, as well as passing darks (a very good way to enliven landscape is to lay a significant bit of shadow over it, corresponding to what appears or could be inferred from the sky. Such shadows can be glazed, or painted directly - optical mixes of crimson-red, perhaps, or even violet, for the former, a more direct mix of green and red, or Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna, for the latter, given your land mass is basically green, at least at this point.
By the way, I see your paint is getting a bit thick in places - if you find it's too thick, and unmanageable, pressing a piece of kitchen towel into it and leaving it for around 20 minutes before peeling it off again will remove excess oil, and enough paint to give a surface you can work back into.
Posted
Oh wow, thank you so much this is some wonderful advice! I am new to painting and I do struggle keeping my palette organised and not getting the colours muddy which kind of accounts for the monotone, green landscape. I take on board you colour selection to add to the foreground and can't wait to get back at it and see if I can add layers and shadows to it. I have added to the sky this evening, but have ended up with a sausage shaped cloud formation in the middle of the sky and was wondering what the best composition would be as it looks kind of child like. I think adding some heavy dark clouds at the top should help and leaving the horizon relatively clear should draw the eye down to the horizon but lets see how well I can execute it lol! Thank you again for helping me get get some kind of structure to aim for in my mind. Much appreciated
Posted
Well there’s not a lot that I can add here, all spot-on comprehensive advice.
But I will just add one important point relating to the sky. You mention adding more black and grey! I wouldn’t advise that, certainly not black anyway, and as we’ll all tell you on this forum, never straight from the tube, always mix your own - Interesting greys can also be mixed, preferably not with tube black and white. (There are lots of combinations for these) ask if you need help.
Actually, I’m not unhappy with your sky mixes, a good start in fact so keep going as you are.
Edited
by Alan Bickley
Posted
Opinions differ on the use of black - I hardly ever use it, but mix mine from, eg, viridian and red (napthol red gives a strong dark), Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine, or Prussian/Pthalo Blue for a greenish dark, or yes, you can mix all the primaries though I'm rather less keen on that - the fewer colours in a mix the better. Rénoir, though (I think it was Rénoir anway) called black "the Queen of colours" - I've never been entirely sure what he meant by that, but it's not inclined me to use it, whatever he meant.