Illustrated demo of a 60 x 60 Acrylic with artist's explanations

[painterskeys]

The painting is called Ramparts and the artist is Robert Genn. He painted this over 3 and a half days.

btw, the 'slide show' format of this is best seen here:
http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/slide.asp?id=1

will attempt posting the slides below. Enjoy...


Slide 1:
http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts1.jpg

Description 1: "Working on a pinkish ground I’m putting in a pattern of snow. I’ve painted the "Ramparts" in the Tonquin Range (near Jasper, Alberta) several times so I know pretty well what they look like. Accuracy is not too important. "

Slide 2:
http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts2.jpg
Description 2: "Here I'm laying on a transparent glaze of Phthalo blue which will have the effect of neutralizing the pink priming and also make the shadow areas for the snow. After the roller lays on the glaze it is smoothed out with a clean rag. "

Slide 3:
http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts3.jpg
Description 3: "Here I’ve worked up a foreground and I’m thinking what to do next. There are so many things to get on with at this stage that it’s easy to get ahead of yourself and not proceed in an optimum and efficient order. "

Slide 4:
http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts4.jpg
Description 4: "So I’ve got a start on the light and shade area of the snow. I’m sacrificing a bit of form in favor of developing a pattern. Yet I want the light and shadow to be truthful and to make a focus for the work. "

...maybe this is getting a little too big. let me know if you prefer to view all the remaining 9 slides in the post, otherwise please spare me the copy and paste (such hard work) and see the whole thing at: http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/slide.asp?id=1

[Junior Mints]

Hahaha good stuff, but I'm sure no one will appreciate the post just ending abruptly!

Here, I'll save you the copy-and-paste trouble you lazy bastard ;)
:p

http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts5.jpg
With night coming on I switch to the window. This permits more standing back and easier raising and lowering. I’ve started to establish the bluish character of the mountain and repainted the sky with some suggested activity.


http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts6.jpg
I’ve actually spent quite a bit of time with this foreground, more or less building the forms and working out the patterns. As a general rule I find it useful to work out the foreground fairly carefully.


http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts7.jpg
Back on the easel in the morning I’m scumbling white and orange over the top of other mountain colours. This has the effect of integrating the colours. I’ve further laid in an effect in the sky but I know this will be trouble.


http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts8.jpg
Some colours are premixed in yogurt cups. That way you can go here and there, stop and go on with something else, and then come back in the full knowledge that colours will match. Acrylic is perfect for this.


http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts9.jpg
Here I’m toning down a jumpy foreground with a glaze of blue and black. That’s Dorothy. She’s Sara and Richard’s Airedale who has been my support since Emily passed away. It’s early morning and it’s still dark out.


http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts10.jpg
The painting is a bit amorphous and wandering so I’m using a straightedge to find lineups that will strengthen the composition. I’m picking out major design features and picking them up in other places.


http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts11.jpg
The lake that peeks through here and there is actually a device that attempts to give my somewhat linear composition a bit of depth. Here, I’m overtopping the turquoise to more truly reflect the condition in the sky.


http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts12.jpg
Yep, that’s masking tape. I’m using it as a guide to put a little zip and gradation in the water. The space between the tapes will be painted in. The result will be a bit too hard-edged.


http://www.painterskeys.com/slide/ramparts13.jpg
Ramparts, Acrylic, 60 x 60 inches. A layered buildup of elements and textures, it’s really an exercise in trying to defeat the "squareness" of the format. Right or wrong, rhythms and patterns have by and large taken precedence over form.


There ya go

[empty]

that was great to see developed...

thanks.

[Schlo-mo]

Looks nice. Crazy strange looking landscape, the mountains have that flat look in comparison to the woods which look so dimensional. I like.

[Sok N. Wett]

WHOA! i love how you took pics of the work in progress....very nice painting indeed.

[Capprotti]

Beautiful, truely beautiful. I love the contrast of the stylization of the technique and the natural subject matter.

[Junior Mints]

Originally posted by Sok N. Wett
WHOA! i love how you took pics of the work in progress....very nice painting indeed.

Uh.. I don't think he painted it..

[mephisto]

THis is awesome. Ive never heared of him before. It was very informative. Thanks for shareing!

[EVIL]

Originally posted by Junior Mints


Uh.. I don't think he painted it..

Right, he magically whiped his ass over the canvas and *tadaa*, there it was.

[egerie]

Thanks painterskeys. I was just thinking of going back to painting (ooh the fear) and that work you showcased is.. inspiring. I miss my native mountains so much... :)

And that website, painterskeys.com, is it yours ? Are you Genns' agent or.. ? Sorry if those question seem trivial or noobish :)

[Grooveholmes]

Painterskys are you Robert Glenn?

I'm confused.

[davi]

*gets more confused by the second*

[Mizer]

I really like the painting. What I like about it is the way the forest constasts witht the mountains.

[Loga4]

Wonderful!

[feels]

Slide 3 would have made a great piece by itself.

[jca]

sorry if i sound stupid but why exactly did he paint over the masking tapes? that red line at the bottom looks unnecessary!

[painterskeys]

Originally posted by egerie
Thanks painterskeys. I was just thinking of going back to painting (ooh the fear) and that work you showcased is.. inspiring. I miss my native mountains so much... :)

And that website, painterskeys.com, is it yours ? Are you Genns' agent or.. ? Sorry if those question seem trivial or noobish :)

The painterskeys.com is Robert Genn's. I manage it for him, technically speaking. I am not his agent, just a helper here in his studio. Many artists write in every day to thank him for his letters and the stuff he shares with everyone. Hopefully some of you will find it valuable.

hope that clears up the confusions.

btw, if you wish to read some of Robert's explanations of his painting, please visit:
http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/geton.asp

[Lost Dragon]

Thanks for sharing his process. I like to see how others work. :)

[painterskeys]

thanks from Rober for all the kind responses.

for those interested, Robert Genn created a similar 'step-by-step' slide show for one of his commissions (80x48 inches).

This was done at the end of 2002.

It's called The anatomy of a commission and it's at:
http://www.painterskeys.com/slideshow/slideshow.html

enjoy...