Color and paint from still life

I can teach you how to paint!

While my art students are on a little break from class—they’re vacationing in Turkey!—I’ve decided to show you what we’ve done so far in Painting I. Each week I welcome students with a studio tabletop set-up, explain the lesson, and do the lesson with them. We paint these assignments after practicing basic drawing and perspective, and learning about the values of light.

I urge students to not paint from a photograph, preferring that they draw and paint from life and the “local color” cues they should put down in the beginning. However, the now-ubiquitous digital camera phone and that the set is not available for viewing once the class is over for the day make it difficult to not refer to a photo.

The problem is, for beginners especially, if you paint from a photograph, the painting will look like a photograph. I think a painting is more interesting when it shows the artist’s individual line, imperfections included. Looseness will develop with time.

Below you can see how I treated the assignments myself. The medium is oil paint on canvas paper. Here’s evidence that limited palette paintings are generally stronger than images created with a full palette. Still to come, after students come back from break: the red-green painting and complementary color lesson and “the world in full color.”

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke

The painting. Monochromatic color lesson: adding one hue only, veridian, to black and white, still mindful of the range of values, that is, the various tints and shades of gray. Lesson includes painting glass.

The set. Analogous color painting lesson with black, white, and three yellows. Black mixed with yellow makes green.

The painting. Using cadium yellow pale (cool yellow), cadmium yellow light (warm yellow), yellow ochre, black, and white.

The painting. The combinations of mixing cadmium red light (red-orange) and veridian (blue-green) represent the first of four lessons about complementary colors, that is, colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. Combining complementary colors produces neutrals that are stronger than tube paints named for earth tones.

The set. Complementary colors blue and orange with shiny metal, glass, reflective surfaces, highlights (the incandescent spot) and low lights (from the window light).

The painting. Though challenging, it is much fun to paint reflected light.

The set. The complements yellow and violet mix to make warm tans and browns. Of light rays passing through a prism, yellow is the lightest value, and violet is the darkest. This still life set introduces drapery.

The painting. Painting drapes in the studio now is good practice for painting the Ko‘olau Mountains in the landscape later!

To learn more about painting lessons by Rebekah, please see the related post: Is painting on your bucket list?

Kuilima Cove

"Kuilima Cove," 16" x 20" oil on canvas, by Rebekah Luke

My most recently finished oil painting — except for the lessons I’ve done with my students the past month — deserves a more visible place than the corner of the studio where I stashed it while waiting to varnish it, don’t you think?

I started it as a demonstration at the Hawaiian civic club convention at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore in October — my gosh, was it that long ago?! — and worked on it little by little with my weekly painting group. Okay, I can be a little pokey sometimes.

From the second floor window of the hotel lobby was the sunny morning view of the cove below and the shoreline in the distance. A cultivated tropical garden juxtaposed with a wild undeveloped coast.

In general, I’m less fond of my demo pieces, but I was determined to turn this canvas into something I liked. So I kept at it, correcting mistakes and bothersome spots, and accepting valuable constructive criticism from my painting buddies. Not wanting to overwork it, I put my brush down as soon as it finally felt right.

As I tell my students the same thing my teachers taught me, “Paint what you know [the logic of light], paint what you see, and paint what you feel.”

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke

Kalo diptych

Heart-shaped kalo leaves

Border of green not red hues
Valentine preview

 

Kalo diptych / 10" x 7" / oil on canvas

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke

Making use of time and place

Good morning! It’s Day 4 at the Hawaiian Civic Club convention at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, where I’m showing some of my paintings. It’s a hard sell against Aunty May’s banana bread, Kamakea’s colorful baubles, kulolo from Kauai, Makaweli poi, maile plants from Hawaii island, faux flower hair ornaments, yarn lei, and Aunty Phyllis’s Hawaiian print pillows — none of which are three figures like my oils!

My paintings

On Day 1 I spent the time making a wili lei for a friend’s father’s memorial in the Midwest, and delivered it to the airport in time. Day 2 and 3 offered a bit of down time when the convention was in session.

To make it more interesting I’ve decided to paint on location today with my French easel and oils, making use of time and place. Because this is the view from the window. Yeah!

North Shore view of inspiration

Copyright 2011 Rebekah Luke

My oil paintings year by year

In my second year of oil painting, I did "Kalama Beach" on a canvas panel. 18" x 24". Ariel Krape Hylton Collection. © 1990 Rebekah Luke

Just a few more electronic images to gather, and my Retrospective Collection of paintings will be complete — for the time being. Most of it is installed at Rebekah’s Studio.

I presented “Kalama Beach” to my step-daughter about 20 years ago. When I went back to photograph the work for this collection, I saw I had attached an “artist at work” snapshot of her watching me paint at this very spot. (Sigh.) Time and place. Perhaps Miss Marvelous will inherit the piece one day.

To view more of the collection, just click on http://rebekahstudio.wordpress.com/retrospective-collection. It’s another look back! Thank you for visiting!

Copyright 2011 Rebekah Luke

Latest artworks on view in Honolulu

Hello Art Lovers! “Banyan Shade” and “Lanikai Diptych” made it into the juried show of the Association of Hawaii Artists this morning. Ta dah! These are my most recently framed original oil paintings made this year.

Banyan Shade, 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas, $600.00

Having my work selected for a public exhibition encourages me to keep going, and I’m thankful a large audience will see it.

I installed “Banyan Shade” in a dark wood frame. I framed the two panels of “Lanikai Diptych” in a beautiful solid curly koa. (And when is curly koa not beautiful?! )

Come take a look. The art is for sale and will be on display through October 14, 2011. Here’s the rest of the 411:

Event—The 42nd Annual Contemporary Exhibit of the Association of Hawaii Artists; Antoinette Martin, juror.

Dates—Sept. 19-Oct. 14; M-F 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Sunday closed)

Place—Pauahi Tower, 1001 Bishop St., lobby level, downtown Honolulu.

Reception—4:30-6:30 p.m., Sept. 27. You’re invited! Recommended parking is at Alii Place (cheaper rates).

Please let me know if you wish to purchase my original art for your private collection, and I will work with you on a payment plan.

"Wa'a Kolu, Moku Lua," 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas, left panel of "Lanikai Diptych," $1,400.00 for 2 panels

"Julie's Coconut Tree," 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas, right panel of "Lanikai Diptych," $1,400.00 for 2 panels

Copyright 2011 Rebekah Luke

Clouds lifting over Lanihuli

I wonder if it is true that in olden times the waterfalls of windward Oahu ran all the time. Olden times meaning before water was diverted to the Ewa plain for sugar cane and land development. At the present intersection of Kahekili and Likelike highways, while waiting at a red light, a rain storm typical of our wet season had just stopped and the clouds lifted to reveal a spectacular scene of the Koolau mountains. I was on my way to Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden at Luluku and made up my mind to hold the vision in my memory so I could paint it. For in just a few quarters of an hour the sun came out again and the waterfalls disappeared.

"Clouds Lifting Over Lanihuli" 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas (unfinished)

UPDATE, September 11, 2011: As you will see in my 9/11/2011 post, I have made some changes to this painting, and I think you may like the finished work better. Thanks for visiting Rebekah’s Studio.

Copyright 2011 Rebekah Luke