And More Blades of Grass

It can be an almost tedious process to paint in all the grass in a painting like this. Nevertheless, it really feels so good to step back from the painting and see it all coming to life.

I do a landscape like this in layers. The first layer is a fairly solid undercoat to quickly block in some color on the page. I prefer to have some color down before I tackle the main subject. The white of the canvas is usually too stark to judge the values of the colors I need to use on the main animal(s).

Once I have the horse or deer or whatever animal I am working on painted, I go back to the background and refine it. I add details such as tree branches, bark, clouds, grass (and more grass and more grass).

I lay in dark green blades of grass first. Then I lay in light shades of green grass. I often will go back to the darks and maybe even add more lights again before I am done. The end result is usually a field that looks quite believably grassy.

As I step back across the room and look at the painting, it is often easier to spot any problems in value, color, or shape that need fixing. At this point I almost always see something on my subject that isn't quite right. That must be corrected before I can call the painting done.

Tomorrow I will be out of town and Sunday I will be at church, so I may not get much of a chance to do any painting over the weekend. Today will have to be a full day of painting to get things done.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)