Thursday, November 2, 2017

Edgy

I always try to make my paintings as realistic as possible, even thought the scenes I paint are often imagined. When you're aiming for a high degree of realism a few things are essential. Smooth transitions for example. Equally important is the way you handle your edges. (By the way: the painting below is not the same as the one in my previous entry. It's a much larger variation on the same theme.)

Rain Clouds #2, oil on panel, 40 x 160 cm

Anyway, a cloud almost never has sharp edges. I already mentioned it in both my tutorial videos: a cloud with sharp edges is going to look like it's cut out and glued to the sky, instead of being a part of it. The way to paint a cloud that hovers over the earth's surface is by softening its edges. The lightest part is not on the edge.The cloud kind of slides into the background.


Rain Clouds #2, detail

Duhuh, mr. expert painter. Of course clouds have soft edges. They're fluffy, constantly changing phenomena. It's not hard to understand they have soft edges. But how about solid objects, like the pole in the painting below?


Snowy Dyke, oil on panel, 50 x 65 cm


Snowy Dyke, detail

I rest my case. Later!


1 comment:

  1. i v come to conclusion that this is one of the key's of the area you are (artist in general)describing on your 2d surface...edges ,or transition of it lifting up the image ...or taking it down...some areas could be solved by right edges vs colors vs values only...very simple vs very complicated.working on it now and trying to go along with those transitions ...dont have to repeat the reality ,but must handled properly,TY JHD for mentioning this up ,Arthur Z

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