All images and content are copyrighted by Joan A Brown 2009 © All rights reserved.
Learn to paint a landscape in ONE easy lesson!
"I dream a painting and then I paint my dream" — Vincent Van Gogh
Joan A Brown | Free step-by-step oil painting lesson - No.1
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Fig. 16
Starting at the top-left edge of the canvas, place the brush at the outer left edge. Firmly pull the brush across the
canvas easing up gently to a stop before you get to the center of the canvas.
Fig. 13
Repeat the same step on the right side edge pulling in towards your previous stroke, overlapping slightly.
Repeat this left stroke, right stroke step, overlapping each previous horizontal brush stroke slightly as you work
your way down the canvas. Remember to ease up on the pressure as you work your way down the canvas as you
want the horizon area of the water (where the sky ended) to be much lighter than it is at the top of the canvas (the
part of the water nearest you when turn right-side up). You may need to re-load your brush with color to keep the
top portion of the canvas darkest (similar to how you kept the top portion of your sky darkest.
canvas easing up gently to a stop before you get to the center of the canvas.
Fig. 13
Repeat the same step on the right side edge pulling in towards your previous stroke, overlapping slightly.
Repeat this left stroke, right stroke step, overlapping each previous horizontal brush stroke slightly as you work
your way down the canvas. Remember to ease up on the pressure as you work your way down the canvas as you
want the horizon area of the water (where the sky ended) to be much lighter than it is at the top of the canvas (the
part of the water nearest you when turn right-side up). You may need to re-load your brush with color to keep the
top portion of the canvas darkest (similar to how you kept the top portion of your sky darkest.
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Notice how the bottom portion of the
water appears darkest but lighter as it
goes off in the distance. Notice also,
how the water's horizon was stopped
water appears darkest but lighter as it
goes off in the distance. Notice also,
how the water's horizon was stopped
If you turn the canvas
right-side up again, you
should see a slightly
off-centered gap between
the left and the right
strokes.
Exaggerated slightly here
for demonstration
purposes. This gap
represents the light source
in the landscape. Fig. 14
right-side up again, you
should see a slightly
off-centered gap between
the left and the right
strokes.
Exaggerated slightly here
for demonstration
purposes. This gap
represents the light source
in the landscape. Fig. 14
Next, we need to soften all the hard edges in the painting a little. To
accomplish this, wash your 1" brush in some odorless paint thinner.
Shake out brush well and paper towel dry well (thinner will remove
your paints so be sure there's none left in the brush before returning to
your canvas). Load one corner of the brush in a small amount of soft
white.
Using very gentle criss-cross strokes and moving back and forth along
the center area of the painting, soften the horizon area of the sky and
water to remove any hard edges. Pretend you are dusting for finger
prints. . .gentle, gentle, gentle. Fig. 15
accomplish this, wash your 1" brush in some odorless paint thinner.
Shake out brush well and paper towel dry well (thinner will remove
your paints so be sure there's none left in the brush before returning to
your canvas). Load one corner of the brush in a small amount of soft
white.
Using very gentle criss-cross strokes and moving back and forth along
the center area of the painting, soften the horizon area of the sky and
water to remove any hard edges. Pretend you are dusting for finger
prints. . .gentle, gentle, gentle. Fig. 15
Fig. 15
GREAT JOB SO FAR. . .KEEP GOING!
Paper towel clean the brush and
repeat this soften technique to the
darker parts of the sky and water.
Be sure to work use horizontal
strokes when softening the water.
Again, don't overwork. Less is more.
repeat this soften technique to the
darker parts of the sky and water.
Be sure to work use horizontal
strokes when softening the water.
Again, don't overwork. Less is more.
approximately where the sky's
horizon stopped. The horizon of the landscape was kept away from
the center of the canvas. This makes for a better composition.
Fig. 16
In fig. 16 you can see how the softening effect remove the hard edges
seen in fig. 14 & 15.
the center of the canvas. This makes for a better composition.
Fig. 16
In fig. 16 you can see how the softening effect remove the hard edges
seen in fig. 14 & 15.
Clean brush on paper towel
Dedicated to my late beloved son, Jabec Easton Bellehumeur.