Monday, August 19, 2013

Deluge ends painting day

Water media and a rainstorm don't mix, as I learned on a recent painting excursion.


(Direct link to video)


Here's the painting, which is a mixture of casein and watercolor. The fun of this subject for me was the contrast between the comprehensibility and order of the right half of the scene and the strange abstract patterns on the left.

Even without the issues of the rainy weather, it was a mind-bending challenge to reconcile the view seen through the glass with the second world reflected in the glass, especially because the glass was old and wavy. Had I been working from a photo, these worlds would be brought to the same focal plane, but not so when painting from direct observation.

I hope you'll stay tuned tomorrow for the DVD/download release, and please subscribe to my YouTube channel to get the new releases first.

15 comments:

Novice Naturalist said...

Lots of fun in this video--for us, anyway. And the subject matter, through the window and reflected in the window--very interesting. Thanks for posting--nice to start a busy Monday with something playful and happy.

Keith Parker said...

That is a cool looking house! Also, the music you chose is spot on. Looks like your painting turned out really nice even if you did get rained on.

David Glenn said...

That was pretty cool how you made it seem like someone else was painting and they drenched you with water. It's amazing what we can do with technology these days. How long did it take you to paint that picture?

Rob Kulas said...

What a fun video. Love the painting.

nuum said...

Hey, Master.

That was fun.
Loved the painting.
Great !

Paulo
Rio

mj said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mj said...

James,

Do you have a rule of thumb for when you use watercolor vs. casein in the same painting?

As usual, loved the video--looking forward to the rest of this week!

(Sorry for the double comment).

Amber said...

I bet Jeanette had more than just a little enjoyment pouring a bucket of water on your head. ;)

I really enjoyed the music and humor of this video, thank you so much for making it!

Elizabeth said...

The painting is beautiful.

I was wondering (perhaps this is a question for Friday's installment)... When I use my Richeson casein paints, the yellow and green stain the brushes, so by the end they leave an alien-green glow on everything I paint. At home I can periodically wash them with soap. But how do you address that when you're on location?

Diana Moses Botkin said...

This was very fun, and inspiring. Thanks for making my day.

I so agree that glass and reflections are so intriguing!

Diana Moses Botkin said...

Oh dear... that last comment was a little too so so.

James Gurney said...

Thanks, everybody. Glad you enjoyed it.

Elizabeth, some pigments, such as phthalo green, are so strong that they will stain the bristles of the brush, and get into most of the other mixtures. Once it dries, the staining shouldn't affect later mixtures. Unless you really want or need intense chroma, those colors can be saved for rare spice accents, and you can use duller colors for your main pigments.

Amber, it took Jeanette a second to decide to dump the bucket, but once she did she enjoyed it. Me too-- it was a hot day.

MJ: I didn't intend to mix in watercolor, but I had only brought three or four casein tubes, and needed to supplement. It's probably better to stick to one medium or another. In my case I got some casein into the watercolor paints, and they kind of hardened on there and made a mess.

SoarsLikeAnEagle said...

Very nice video and I love the execution of the painting. I would love to learn more about the medium you are using along side the water color and hear more about the process portraying multiple layers or depth such as the glass reflection, and what is beyond. Thanks again.

SoarsLikeAnEagle said...

loved the video and painting. I would love to hear more about the medium you used in conjunction with the water color. As always thanks for sharing you talents with us. I miss being around other artists and love to hear others experiences.

mp said...

Love the video and the painting!