Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Painting at the Whiskey Basin



A small group came with me out to the Whiskey Basin to paint the fall color along Torrey Creek. I could only get a few video snapshots for you because I was teaching, too and I forgot my main camera bag.

I did have the new diffuser with me and it stood up to some pretty strong wind. I'll show you how to make one of those in a future video.

Here's the painting in casein, about 4 x 7 inches in my watercolor sketchbook. 

(Link to YouTube)

8 comments:

Katharine said...

Thanks so much for your videos! They are so inspiring and helpful. Forgive me for the off-topic question but, what is the music that starts playing at about the :50 mark in this video?

I appreciate your videos very much. Happy painting!

Tom Hart said...

Another keeper, James! It looks as if you might be using the casein a bit more impasto in places than you have in the past. At least the close ups (which are a nice touch) make it appear that way. I recall (I think) your earlier mention that casein is subject to cracking on flexible supports so I was struck by what appeared to be a thicker application this time.

I'm glad the bears kept their distance!

Fabio said...

Another masterpiece!
I have a question about reflections (I might have forgot the previous post, uh)
I notice both in the camera shot and your painting they are noticeably darker than the original trees above. I take it as it's not a firm rule, like in this case with rippled water?

Andrew- said...

OMGosh, James,... you have such an uncanny ability to capture a photographic feeling, with your colors and values... something lost in other painters' works. Is there some way we can learn more about how to match those up for ourselves?

Question: how do you avoid having Casein dry & solidify in your brushes? Or is that not the problem I think it is? Do you prefer Casein over Gouache?

Thanks-

James Gurney said...

Fabio, yes, reflections of light objects on water are darker than the objects being reflected. Here's the first of three posts about that topic: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2007/12/water-reflections-part-1.html

James Gurney said...

Andrew, thanks. Getting values right is the most important thing in landscape, and I struggle with it the most to try to get it right. To keep casein from solidifying in the brushes, I put them when I'm not using them into a tupperware basin that's got about an inch of water in the bottom.

James Gurney said...

Tom, yes, the impastos are a bit thicker, but they look a lot thicker in the closeups. I haven't had any problems with cracking on the thicker paper.

James Gurney said...

Katharine, that music is by Kevin MacLeod. Check out his free soundtrack music at Incompetech.com