Here's another "signature" technique of the Master. You'll see this "blue shadow" on many of his trees, particularly the redwoods. Bill explains why. … [Read more...]
“This has to be done right!”
You see the difference? That's the way you should create. -- Bill Alexander Bill is highlighting the water runoff between the mountains. Every part of the painting is important -- even this little segment. Not only does he add the highlight but notice how he accentuates that highlight by darkening the lake reflection of the mountain on the right. … [Read more...]
Dabbling
Time to quit - but not until it's RIGHT! All artists know that a painting is never finished. Every time they pass by it the urge to grab a fan brush and touch up just a spot is difficult to ignore. That's the beauty of oils...you can do that. But...when the oil dries, that's a different story. You can still do it, but you have to prep the canvas first. … [Read more...]
Against the dark it looks very bright
From the beginning Bill is thinking of the effect of shadow on what he's about to paint. This foliage is not in direct sunlight but it is still bright. So he darkens his yellow just a bit. However the color still looks great against the dark which he went to great lengths to apply earlier! Then, as he applies it on the hillside he walks the color up the hill losing the color … [Read more...]
I want to harmonize with Mother Nature!
Bill painted what he saw in Mother Nature. Bill knows how light would affect this scene, so he applies it to his painting. Your painting must make sense. How you do that is up to you. In this case, Bill uses his fan brush and adds highlights to the edge of the rock where the light would hit. He could have put a bush there or just highlighted the rock. Take your lead from Bill. … [Read more...]
It’s got to be done!
Bill touches up his rock because he sees something that needs to be fixed. A painting has to "make sense". An obvious example would be a missing shadow that should be at the base of a tree. In this case, it's such a tiny thing. Most inexperienced artists would leave it out and their painting would be O.K. But Bill sees that it needs to be there! It's these tiny details that … [Read more...]
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