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Spring in the mountains, 6" X 6", Oil
This is a small painting, but a variety of colors exist. The colors are clean. Here the palette knife was used to apply paint in small areas. By varying the colors in each area a beautiful picture has emerged. |
Large acrylic painting with palette knife
In this expressionist abstract paintings, I have used the quick-drying qualities of acrylic paint to scrape paint over already dried areas. The long vertical and horizontal marks are made with the edge of a large palette knife.
Rowboat on Essex pier, 12" X 9", Oil
This painting was completed on location in just two hours. By using the palette knife, I was able to quickly apply paint without wasting time cleaning brushes.
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Abstract floral bouquet in blue vase, 12" X 12", Oil
I often carve out the foregorund shapes by using thick white paint towards the end of the painting. Then I go back to this white paint to make marks for steps and leaves. |
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A rainy day, 10" X 10", Oil
I have scraped the paint in parts of the road. The telephone poles have been carved out using a fine pointed end of a small paintbrush. I have applied dabs of pure colors here and there to make the painting come alive. |
Notes on Color theory
Color is composed of three elements
- Hue
- Value
- Chroma


Example of different Chroma levels
Converting to grey scale

Color temperature bias
- Every color has a warm and cool bias
- Why is it important to know temperature bias?
- To get high chroma colors, always mix colors of the same temperature bias.
- Titanium White has a cool temperature, it makes warm colors chalky
- Make warm and cool grey from Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber.
- Mix a similar value grey to a color to make it greyer
- Don't use black to darken colors. Use the complementary color to mute it.
- Always mix a dark color into a light color. Mix very little at a time and work your way towards your final color.
- Try not to use more than two colors.
Reference picture
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Sketch with outlines and values |
Let's get to work!
- Paint a transparent orange ground, let it dry
- Sketch the landscape on the canvas
- Mix colors on the palette with a palette knife, wiping it with each color change.
- Paint the darkest darks first.
- Paint the medium tones
- Paint the highlights last.
- Work all over the canvas, not just in one area.
- Within each value, vary color temperature (depict direction of sunlight)
- Make your mark, Scrape, Soften, scribble
- Add finer details using a brush if needed (be careful not to overwork).
Reference books
- Color by Betty Edwards
- Guide to Landscape painting by John F Carlson
- Making Color Sing by Jeanne Dobie
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