Thursday, 17 November 2016

Horse Painting video demonstration part 3 - bringing backgrounds to the fore

Here's part 3 of the acrylic painting of a wild Dartmoor horse. This one is pretty simple as I'm just applying some background colour but here are a few tips that you may wish to consider when doing your own paintings:

 

1) Keeping your paint thin and runny and applying it with brushstrokes in a range of directions will add interesting texture to an area that could otherwise be just a block of colour.
2) Repeating the above with a different colour can provide nice layered colour effects.
3) With the example in the video, I enhance the contrast of the image by making the background darker in places next those parts of the horse that are bathed in light. Similarly, I place light background areas next to regions of the horse that's in shadow.
4) Working fast and applying the paint without too much thought can sometimes prove advantageous and create effects you wouldn't otherwise come across.
5) Conversely, it's also worth thinking about the direction of background brushstrokes and how they can complement your subject e.g. generally, one thing to avoid is having your background brushstroke follow the entire outline of your subject.
6) If using thin paint, don't be too afraid of going over the edge of your subject in places as this will often produce a nice soft edge.

Hope this was helpful, if you'd like to see the finished painting 'Roaming Free' it can be found here. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.
Art by Mike Jory: website facebook twitter

No comments:

Post a Comment