Saturday, February 13, 2010

Finishing the Vermont Barnyard painting.


Above is the painting after I worked on it in the studio for a day. Below is the Vermont barnyard scene as I brought it in from outside.

First I wet sanded, with 150 grit and mineral spirits, the bothersome passages in the sky where several areas of brush strokes caught the light in the wrong way. That problem is called sueding. I took it down to the ground in those areas then repainted it. I used viridian so that the sky would graduate from blue to blue green. Viridian is a handy color to use in skies.
  • I straightened out the lean in the barn by putting a T square on it and then checking it in a mirror.The eve on the right hand wall with the door was too low and threw the whole thing off. I also threw a little more color in there to get more light and make it more interesting. I straightened out the house too, while I was in the neighborhood.
  • I buffed up the red truck and put some additional work into that passage. On the other side of the barn I worked up the farm machinery and played up its pattern against the snow. That gave me decorative outrigger filigrees extending Tahiti style out from the barn on either side! Kon Tiki!
  • I lightened the right hand barn and accented its shadow. I cleaned up the tree that ran in front of the middle barn.
  • I reworked the hay rolls on the lower left, I separated them from the edge of the frame. I felt like they called too hard from their corner down there.
  • Lastly I defined the trees a little better, they are really important in this painting. In New England a landscape painter is often just a tree portraitist.
I felt this piece came off pretty well. Tomorrow I will hand it to Banks gallery of New London.This post is really a continuation of the first post showing the process outside, here.

22 comments:

Unknown said...

I like this one alot, Stape. It is what you do best....
But... is it just me, or do you have the pictures reversed? The upper is the finished version???

Gregory Becker said...

Yeah I think you have them reversed. It looks so good though. I would never have thought to put viridian in the sky. I would've kicking myself for thinking it. I wonder how many other things I have backwards in my thinking. I would have kept the blue more pure at the top and lightened it with cad orange and white.
I'll have to experiment with that.
Like I said, these are my favorite posts. It helps me see how a pro thinks.
Great post Stape.

willek said...

Yup, they have to be reversed. You placed those trees on the right so to connect with the sky. and I really liked that tiny white snow accent on the truck bed. That seems to be where my eye ends up.

To all: At one point, during a demo at Snow Camp, Stape threw a tint of veridian into a passage of distant sky at the treeline and it lit the whole thing up. It looks very natural and blue, not green. Surprised me.

Ann Rogers said...

Love all the detail, and the explanation of each detail that you take us with you on this painting. I think you "see" way better than I do..I thought it was finished and looked spectacular several posts ago!

mariandioguardi.com said...

Hi Stapleton,
Sometimes image posting gets reversed. I'm not sure what "algorithm" Google blog uses for getting images loaded. So blame it on that or a late night.

My favorite change is the addition of the snow on the gray barn roof. Seems to bring the eye back to the gray barn after it moves around the painting. A nice bright spot right where it's needed.

My husband has been following this particular painting on the blog (he's not a painter) but he has really enjoyed the ongoing development. It's R&D to him. That he can understand.

bobm said...

Hi Stape Beautiful painting! love the explanations behind you moves. I also like viridian in my skies but on occasion will use cobalt Turquoise.

Honor Bradley said...

This has been fascinating to follow. I have printed them out as a reference. Thanks you for sharing. Have you ever considered a DVD?

Stapleton Kearns said...

Deb:
Yopu are right , I messed that up. I must have been tired. I straightened it out.
............Stape

willek said...

I hate to be a blabbermouth, but after another look:

The little dark horizontals on the two middle trees. Were they put there on purpose to transport the eye of the viewer across the trees from the roofline of the porch to the joint in the barn boards. They are also on the same line as the snow in the truck bed. All on purpose? I know the answer.

Unknown said...

Very insightful. It is always great to see your thought process and improvements on your paintings.

Anonymous said...

Hi Stape,
When I saw the original picture, I noticed the funky little dormer? roof on the back right barn and it made me wonder if it was a house. It definitely looks like a barn now and took me a minute to notice it was gone.The barn sits down better and the line draws to the doorway/truck and the house. This is putting the "art" in and tying the viewer into the painting, a reason to look at this painting over and over and see new things. A painting to look at for a lifetime! Just great!! Terry

billspaintingmn said...

This is a beautiful Painting Stape!
Thanks for saying how you handled that sky.
All the attentions to detail add up to a smart piece of art.

Stapleton Kearns said...

Gregory:
You are right, I reversed them.
.......Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Willek:
I had to look for that to ascertain they were reversed.
.......................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Ann:
I like to push them a bit.
.......................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Marian:
Whats an algorythem?
....................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Bob;
I don't have that one.
.................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Honor;
I am terribly ugly. I couldn't imagine doing a dvd. My hair got sick.
.......................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Willek;
The answer is, it smeared and I didn't notice it. I painted it out and reshot the picture but I haven't posted that.You expected a design driven reason didn't you. I didn't notice the unintentional streak because it worked nicely enough with the design of the painting.
...............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Ramalama, wipadudu, bootie! Ut Ut.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful painting and such a helpful post---

would love to know more about how you straightened up the barn with T square and mirror?

buildings are second only to trees in difficulty to my mind---

thank you, again, and again, Judy

wetoilpaint said...

I love the feeling in your painting! Terrific!