Limited Palette 

 

I thought I should explain why an artist would use a limited palette and its purpose:  it's to control the values in a painting without adding a color that does not belong, as that eliminates harmony.

 

By values, I am referring to the lightness or darkness of a color. Value is also called tone.

As for harmony in a painting, that is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar, related elements (adjacent colors on the color wheel, similar shapes etc).

 

I know from experience how misguided values can destroy harmony in a painting.  For example, during a painting class, I threw in a bright color to grab the viewer.  As soon as the instructor saw it, she said, "What's that?" I proudly said, "to get people's attention."  Her response was, "but you don't have it anywhere else in the painting!"  Lesson learned.

 

 

Chasing Shadows Mentoring Program

 

In the fall of 2010, I began questioning my passion for painting. I read a profile of landscape painter Rick Howell on the FineArtStudioOnline website (www.FASO.com). His paintings blew me away!  Subdued colors but accented with darks and lights. Checking out his website (www.rickhowell.com), I learned that Rick was offering an online mentoring and marketing program named Chasing Shadows, aimed at the serious artist "ready for a breakthrough in their art." I thought, that's what I need, an opinion of my work from a master artist like Rick!

 

I contacted Marilyn Hennessy of SmartArtPartners of Denver, CO, who works with Rick on the marketing side of the Chasing Shadows mentoring and marketing program  The more Marilyn told me about Chasing Shadows, the more convinced I became that this program was the shot of B-12 I needed to advance my artistic skills.

 

The next step was to have Rick review the work posted on my website.  His opinion was that I was gifted but needed help with my edges and color harmony. I thought, I can do this!  So, in November 2010, I committed to the year-long Chasing Shadows mentoring program. Let me tell you, the style of my painting has improved so dramatically, that I am now into my second year of the program.

Rick Howell, Mentor

 

Benefits of Mentoring

 

It is a good feeling knowing my art is carefully looked at and critiqued by Rick. His purpose is to help you improve your painting skills. Period. He wants you to be successful. My reward this year was taking a three-day plein air workshop with him in beautiful southern Colorado. It was my first en plein air experience, structured to get me to feel the emotion of painting outdoors.  But more about that in a future post.  And about my work with Marilyn this last year.

 

First plein air painting experience near Mogote, CO.

 

 

Switching to a New Brand of Oil Paints

 

I have always used paints that I thought were good enough, not realizing that some
paints have stronger pigments. Rick suggested I use M. Graham & Co. paints, buying only
four colors and titanium white to create the limited palette. Mixing a small amount
of each color with white creates harmony in my paintings.  Wow!  I could immediately see the rich, vibrancy of the colors and absolutely love them. It takes a lot of white to balance these undiluted pigment colors. Once, I slipped in a couple colors that I hated giving up . . . but Rick detected them right away and banished those from my palette. Uh, lesson learned . . . again.

 

Liquin

 

Most artists use a medium in their paint for quicker drying time and to thin stiff paint. 

By using Liquin as I paint, the painting dries much sooner, allowing me to photograph the work without a glare and getting it emailed to Rick ASAP for another critique.

 

Another way I use Liquin is to varnish the painting.  Very beneficial when needing to exhibit within a day or two.  Always those deadlines.

 

Paper Towels

 

As I paint, I wipe my brush with Viva-brand towels, and also use them for clean up.  They are
very absorbent and leave only a minute amount of lint in the brush. Very economical when
buying a package of six or eight rolls.

 

My next blog will illustrate my old style of painting and compare it to my new style.

 

Until next time,

 

Paint a great one,

Thelma VanSchoiack

 

 

 

 

I started painting in my fifties . . . at that time I didn't have an ideal studio.  Nor did I
know what was ideal. I started out using our dining table, which was large enough for my oil paints, palette, turp, brushes, and a table easel. That was fine for a while.  However, since everything needed to be packed up at meal time, I decided a card table would work.  Plus I had somewhat better control of the lighting.  I was determined to paint no matter where I had to do it!

For years, I painted out of my basement . . . but soon found that lighting was insufficent there, too. One day my husband and I went to a "House for Sale" Open House.  Bam!!  I instantly knew this was the place that would allow for an ideal studio!  I had to have the place!  My soon-to-be studio overlooked a screened porch and garden area, with enough windows in the "studio" to be bright with indirect light!

Easel

My studio is large enough for two tables easels and my prized possession . . . a floor-model easel that I found for $50 . . . that thing has moved with me from Wichita to Alamogordo, New Mexico, and back to Wichita over the last 20 years!



I use a swivel bar stool tall enough to workfrom comfortably. The fact that it swivels makes it easy to get up and down. That's especially important now there's a hot pink cast on my left ankle from a slip on the icy driveway while retrieving the newspaper one, dark Wichita morning.

The Palette

 

 

  Previous palette

In the early years of my painting career, I did what most art instructors suggested . . . I regularly used 19 colors, with most of the paints drying out before they were used. What a waste.  I quickly learned the trick is to freeze your oil paints when you're done painting for the day.

The term limited palette intrigued me . . . but I didn't believe it would produce the
colorful paintings I liked.  I tried using fewer colors and was surprised that I could, in fact, produce a nice sunflower painting.  I was now using a more limited palette than before, but not as limited as the palette I now use.



This palette consists of four colors, plus titanium white:  French ultra marine blue, alizarin crimson, cadium yellow light, and cadium red light. Seemed strange at first that I could get enough color values to make a nice painting . . . but since I liked mixing colors, it was right up my alley. Why a limited palette?  I will explain that in the next blog post.

Brushes

I have many older brushes but add new ones as needed. I now use flat and filbert bristles size 8 &10, and sables size 2, 4 and 6. 

Solvent

I use odorless turp to clean brushes.  If the brushes get dried out, then Murphy's Oil Soap will dislodge the paint, followed by a rinse with turp.

Storage

Storage is vital in a studio . . . shelving for art history books, magazines, expense files, canvase and brushes, spray varnish and WetOnes, etc.  My supply of frames also takes up quite a lot of space. Having these materials organized in one room seems to clear my mind to better tackle that next "masterpiece."

Maybe you can take something useful from my lessons learned.

Paint a great one,
Thelma VanSchoiack

As I look back on what excited me about becoming an artist, I know it was the need to create. That need wouldn't go away. I liked the beautiful art on my customer's walls as I helped them select a window treatment. Soon I was taking art classes....what a revolution.

 

Choosing oils as my medium wasn't a difficult decision, as I enjoyed the total process of mixing paint for each painting. The adrenalin ran high as I adjusted the lights and darks and the anticipation of seeing it on canvas.

FOCUS

An artist needs to paint a variety of subject matter...landscapes, floral, seascapes, figurative or still life. Eventually something will click that directs you to choose one or two over the others. Perhaps it's a teacher's comment or becoming aware that you like one more than the rest. With me, it may have been because I grew up on a farm and had a sense that I'm comfortable painting landscapes. Whatever you choose, focus on that and get in the studio daily even if it's for an hour or two.

ART CLASSES

As a beginning artist we can feel intimidated painting with many students. We all are at different levels...remember the better artists were not always at that level...they put in the time to be where they are. Classes with different teachers give us the opportunity to learn different techniques, canvas, easels, shows to exhibit and etc. We won't adopt all of them but will at least know of them. A good teacher will know when you are ready to enter shows and encourage you to do so.


My first in class painting

Untitled, unsigned and unfinished. I will hang on to this one.

I was in my early fifties when I made this feeble attempt to paint. But I enjoyed every minute of it. Even taking the "garden" to class and setting it up. The voice of my first teacher I can still hear "always save your first painting". I had my doubts but later knew it was for comparison to my later paintings.

PASSION

Have you got the passion? You know it when you can't wait to get in the studio. If you're putting other things first that could easily be put off, you may need to evaluate why you want to pursue being an artist. I think you know in the early stages whether the pursuit is strong enough. I am like a fish out of water when not painting daily...sometimes I can't but it makes the day I can, better.

IMPORTANCE OF STUDY

Not taking time early in my career to read art history books has, no doubt, made me hungry to learn now. I am reading Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting and Edgar Payne's Composition to Outdoor painting. We owe a debt of gratitude to the early artists who authored books full of information to guide us in developing our style from their experience.

DEVELOPMENT

Growth comes to us in many ways. We need encouragement, guidance, entering shows, mentoring, marketing expertise, and the continued effort to paint as much as possible. I will touch on these in the next blog post.

Paint a great one,
Thelma VanSchoiack