032317 S 18x24 Key West Boats Version 3

In two earlier posts I wrote about how I created two versions of the Key West Boat painting, one done with brushes and the second one, with palette knives.  I had another collector who loved the palette knife version of the painting.  Because the collector who originally commissioned the painting selected the palette knife Version 2, I painted Version 3 in palette knives for the second collector.  There may be a Version 4 with a rosy sunset sky for another collector but that will have to wait until I finish another commission project first, one of a flower scene.  I need a break from the boats, anyway, so I can come back recharged.

I start with a drawing on the tinted panel.  Whoops!  Forgot to take a picture before I started to apply the paint.  Oh well.  The darkest values in the painting are mixed from Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Red Medium.  More Ultra makes it darker. 

The roof of the shed is primarily Cadmium Red Medium tinted with Ultramarine Blue and touch of Cadmium Yellow Light.  A little bit of Titanium White is added to the Cad. Red/Ultra Blue mix to make the gray areas on the boats and the fish netting.  A rusty red is added to bottom of the boats and reflections on the water.

I mix Cerulean Blue and Titanium White for the brighter sides of the boats.  The rooftops are a warm peach mixed with white to contrast with the cool blues.  I did go back near the end with a touch of blue/red mix to tone the roofs down just a bit.

The ski is mixed from various combinations of Cerulean Blue and Cadmium Red Medium and Titanium White with a smidgen of Cadmium Yellow Light to create the clouds with a hint of greenish-grey stormy weather.  I paint in some of the color in the sky and pop some in the water at the same time.  I add in the reflections of the masts on the water. Sometimes I paint the sky and clouds across the masts and then go back and pull the masts back out in front.

I also paint in some of the warm peachy color into the clouds that are catching a bit of the late afternoon sun.  I know this is not the greatest photo(below).  Sometimes when I am working late into the night, the light (or lack thereof) screws up my photograph.  There is a reason I am a painter and not a photographer! 

One of the last steps is to scratch into the paint with a rubber tipped implement the rigging on the boats.  I also go over some of the rigging with paint applied using the palette knife.  I use the negative space (the sky) to make some of the ropes and rigging narrow again if they came out too fat. 

And the final painting!  "Key West Boats, Version 3", oil on panel, 18" x 24", Code #032317 S 18x24, c. 2017 by Charlene Marsh.  SOLD

Compare Version 3(above) to Version 2 HERE, also painted with palette knives.  Which do you like best?  And why?

This painting would be great to activate the area of the living space that represents one's Path in Life or Career. Boats represent a journey and, along with the blue colors and the squiggly, free form lines, hanging this painting in the front center area of a room, home, or work space will help to create an auspicious environment for a change in one's career, a promotion, a better job, or to achieve one's goals.  Boats can also represent a spiritual journey and new possibilities going forward.  Feelings of being happy, content, having fun, and good memories are often associated with boats.

Thanks for following along!

Happy Trails!

Charlene

022118 S 18x24 Key West Boats, Version 2

As I wrote in my last blog, I had a collector who wanted a boat scene painted in oils.  I did the first version with brushes and the second version, presented here, with palette knives. 

I started with a detailed drawing on a pre-tinted panel that I had made in advance.

Like in the first version, I mixed up the dark values using Cadmium Red Medium and Ultramarine Blue.  The rust red on the bottom of the boats used more Cadmium Red.

I added a touch of Yellow and Cerulean Blue for the backsides and shadow areas of the boats.  The dockside building was made with a mix of mostly reds and yellow with a touch of blue to tone it down.  I started working some of the middle values into the reflections on the water.  The red rust on the bottoms of the boats is worked into the water.

For the lighter, brighter sides of the boats I mixed Cerulean Blue with Titanium White.  For the highlights on the boat roofs and the edges of the boat I use mostly Titanium White with just a touch of red and yellow mixes.  The warmer highlights contrast with the cooler colors of the blues on the boats and in the water and sky. 

The sky colors were mixed with primarily Cerulean and White with the Cad Red and tad of yellow mixing in.  I am always cleaning paint off the palette and mixing it into the next batch of paint which helps create a unified, cohesive painting.  I always mix relatively small batches of paint and use it throughout the painting wherever it is required.

As I painted in the sky, I popped the color into the water as well.  After all, the sky is reflected on the water!  Sometimes the sky crosses over the masts of the boats and then the masts are pulled back in front.

The entire surface is covered and then details are added.  The rigging, the movement of the water, and the various values are all added and adjusted until I am satisfied.

"Key West, Version 2", oil on panel, 18" x 24", c. 2017, by Charlene Marsh.  SOLD

Thanks for following along!

Happy Trails!

Cheers,

Charlene 

P.S.  So which is your favorite between the two?  You can see the first version here.  I have my favorite but I want to hear from you first. 

021817 S 18x24 Key West Boats, Version 1

I had a collector who had a Key West boat scene that he wanted as an oil painting.  The scene had a great deal of detail and was not a subject matter I normally paint, so I decided to do this painting with brushes.  I ended up doing a second version with palette knives and will detail that painting in my next post.  So, stay tuned!

I started with a detailed drawing on a pre-tinted hardboard panel that I had made.

I mixed dark values using Cadmium Red Medium and Ultramarine Blue.  In fact, these two colors formed the foundation of the palette for this painting.

 

Once I had the dark values in place, I mixed up the medium range values using the same Cadmium Red Medium and Ultramarine Blue.  I also used some Cerulean Blue, Primary Red-Magenta, and Cadmium Red Light. 

 

A sky color was mixed using Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White.  For the slightly darker storm values I added a little Cadmium Red Medium and Cadmium Yellow Light.

 

As I paint the sky color, I also paint some into the water that reflects the sky.

I continue painting in the sky and water adding in the reflections and movement of the water.  I paint in the rigging and other details.

The finished painting:  "Key West Boats, Version 1", 18" x 24", oil on panel, c. 2017, by Charlene Marsh.

Next post, I will show Version 2 done with palette knives which is my preferred tool for mixing and applying paint.  Should be fun to see the different results!

Thanks for following along! 

Happy Trails!

Charlene

P.S.  I love to hear from you so please leave a comment!   I respond to everyone.