Backdrop at Mason Park Bridge

[P5se Camelback]

... On the patterns, it seemed the logical way to get the major lines on the wall with the proper proportions. Using them does make me feel more like a "duplicator" and less like an "artist". ...

Gary ... a good designer (or artist) steals with both hands and uses every tool and trick in the book. Time is money. Expedience is key! Why do you think so many top notch illustrators have an opaque projector in their studio ... to project an image and block it in ... quickly. It saves the time and headache of having to draw the object, whatever it is, from a blank sheet of paper! The longer it takes to do an illustration, the less money you are making. You can't exist if you're getting paid $500 for a quick "spot" illustration and it takes you any more than a day to complete it! There is overhead (rent, utilities and supplies, vehicle fuel and insurance ... all of the usual stuff) to cover, not to mention maybe a little to spend on food and clothing! It's not like you have one of them to do every day ... you must go out and find these little jobs!

Don't ask me how I know this! :oops:

Mistakes can be corrected, and the mistakes are valuable as learning experiences and make us that much better the next time we try something.

He who never makes mistakes never tries anything new. ~~ Albert Einstein

I can't say it any better than that!

[Gary S]

I guess the difference between an "artist" and a "duplicator" can be a blurry one. Still, I don't mind being on the "duplicator" side of the equation.

As for mistakes, the fear of making them used to hold me back when dealing with the layout. But now, if something comes out for the worse, paint over it. Tear it out. Redo it. Start over. Heck, throw the whole thing in the trash can and start over.

I started on the water and the bank. Am working to make a "fade" from light at top to darker on bottom. Also put in some colors on the bank, trying to match the photos.

   

Then studied the photos, looking through the trees at the terrain that can be seen through the tree trunks and around the houses. Then blocked in the lighter greens and darker greens to get started.

   

And another shot of the contraption and supplies

   

[Sumpter250]

" Mistakes can be corrected, and the mistakes are valuable as learning experiences and make us that much better the next time we try something."

" He who never makes mistakes never tries anything new. ~~ Albert Einstein"

"We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice." ~~ Sumpter250
"To 'err' is Human, to continue making the same mistake, is criminal folly" ~~ My Father

Accepting our own mistakes, is the first step in becoming better, but we have to make them in the first place, and all is for naught, if nothing is learned from them. hock:

[Gary S]

Put some dark in above the terrain and houses. The foreground trees at the left and running to the middle will be stippled on. I'll put the tree trunks and limbs in next though, after rechecking and touching up what exists now. Doesn't look too good right now, hopefully we can change that.

   

[nachoman]

Gee gary, I spend one night at my girlfriend's house and you are already on page two .

[P5se Camelback]

The photo above the fuchsia scaffold shows great promise right at the lefthand shoreline ... I had to get right up on the screen to see the line between the horizontal and vertical planes ... but it seems to lighten very quickly ... maybe a little too quickly.

The transition from dark to light will reinforce the illusion of increasing distance if it's a bit more gradual.

Just a thought ...

[Gary S]

Thanks biL. That olive drab color that matches the 3D grass does need to extend more to the right. The water and the bank will get more work for sure. All the shadows from the trees and the variations in grass color, plus getting lighter as we move to the right. Also will look for those bright spots were the sun is brightly highlighting the areas, like up on top of the bank where the slope decreases.

As for that "far away" look, I'll attempt it by adding white to the colors as we move left, but my ace in the hole is a final washing of a very diluted, very light blue, actually it is my horizon color heavily diluted. Dividing the scene into quadrants, and going from left to right, the first quad will get no wash, second quad one wash, third quad two washes, and fourth quadrant three washes. This seemed wffective on the trees at the bayou. The wash tends to mute the colors and tie them together, kind of hazing them a bit, perfect for distance.

Right now, except for the water, I'm considering all the work so far to be behind the main painting. I'm working on the tree trunks now, will post a photo soon. Then from the first to third quadrant, will stipple the leaves on, using a wide variation of greens, dark in the shadows, light in the sunny spots.

[Gary S]

Gee gary, I spend one night at my girlfriend's house and you are already on page two .

Hey Kevin, good to see you. Yep, we're on page two, but that doesn't mean the backdrop painting is getting anywhere. It still has a long way to go.

I have got tne the tree trunks drawn in and painted antique white. Now, following the photo, I'll change the colors of the trunks accordingly, some being nearly black, some being very light with shading on one side. Not sure why I painted them all white, even the ones that will be dark. I was thinking that by making them too light, I can use dilute dark paint to get the proper shades. The dilute paints are easier to work with because they flow from the brush better. When you get that perfect consistency, they just seem to flow in a perfect line off the brush. Too dilute, and they run. Not enough, the paint wants to stick to the brush. Just right, ah, this is so easy!

   

Closer view:

   

[e-paw]

[Gary S]

Hey e-paw

It is looking better with a little color on the trees. Will put another gray-black application over the ones that are supposed to be dark, then will use a pencil to put a line on the left side of each trunk.

   

   

[nachoman]

you are really quite good at matching color between your scenery and backdrop. I also think you've got a good texture match on the shoreline - it really looks continuous.

[Gary S]

Thanks Kevin.

Next is some stippling practice, considering that all of the area above the trunks will be done stipple style. Here is a bit of practice, two tries at southern pines and a deciduous tree.

   

[cnw1961]

Gary, you are doing a fantastic job on your backdrop and taking all those pictures to share your experiences with us is priceless. Though I have not been posting a lot the last few weeks, I have been eagerly following your progress. Your backdrop threads are the best "how-to's" on painting backdrops I have ever seen.

[P5se Camelback]

Gary ...

Kurt beat me to it ...

Your backdrop is starting to look like pages from a "How-To Primer" on the use of watercolor for painting landscapes!

Are you sure you've never taken any art instruction?

No? Coulda fooled me!

Seriously ... this scene is coming along beautifully! With each posting I can see noticable improvement as your personal style is developing and your understanding of color and creating the illusion of distance grows. Nice work, Mister! Keep it up!

Your layout is headed towards "World Class" stsus!

[Gary S]

Kurt, thanks for stopping by this thread. I appreciate your kind comments and encouragement.

biL, when I am out doing the painting, I often think of you and all the stuff that you have made me think about and consider. Suffice it to say that you have really helped me progress on this. Now I just hope it turns out okay so we can both be proud of it!

Off to more stippling practice...