Today Bill finishes up his Desert Scene. Most of the time Bill painted the mountains and trees that surrounded his beautiful home. He could paint anything however he found the most joy and peace among the mighty fir trees. He loved the water! He loved to fish and to be around water. I remember when I told him about the first home I bought. He said, “Laurie, make sure it has running water on the land!” He was thrilled to see the beautiful creek that ran through my front yard. Bill painted a special painting for me to hang in my first house. I cherished that painting and lost it in a house fire in 2009.

To see Bill paint the desert is different. We hope you enjoyed and learned from this series of tips. If you painted along, please send us a photo!

There are several things to learn from today’s Video Tip.

Key Points To Consider:

• The background layer is thin and wet.
• Remember, we no longer suggest using thinner to clean brushes or to thin paint.
• When Bill mixes the light blue paint, he knows the paint is too thin. It was a mixture of Magic White and Phthalo Blue. So he adds thick Titanium White to make a half-paste. With the wet-on-wet technique to work properly the consistency of the paint is important. Once you understand when it should be thick and when it should be thin, you are well on your way!
• Bill adds dark colors, beginning in the left-hand corner. This does a couple of things. It protects the corner and pushes all of the lights farther into the distance. It really is about light and dark.
• When Bill adds color to the canvas, he adds it in several places to create harmony. He places all of the dark in the foreground and then once most of the paint is out of the brush he adds touches of that color, gently in the mid-ground. A softer touch, with less paint, leaves the impression of distance.
• Placing shadows give the illusion of a sunny day. Notice the shadows all go in the same direction.

Happy Painting!

Laurie and Dawn

PLUS: So whenever you’re ready…here are a few ways we can help you become the artist you’ve always wanted to be.

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