Author: Bryan McCormick

Posted on

How to Create Contrast and Interest in a Painting, Using Value Interchange.

Today we’ll discuss some examples of how to create value interchange and contrast in a painting and how it can make your work stand out.

Value interchange is essentially when two opposing values overlay each other. The effect is most prominent when strong lights and darks intersect. This can create a very pleasing composition and direct the eye of the viewer to your center of interest.

In landscapes this can happen in a number of ways. One common way is when a dark tree or building overlaps a much brighter sky. It can also happen when objects in the foreground overlap objects in the background.

As you can see in my painting below, the dark trees in the foreground/mid ground overlap with the much lighter sky in the background. This puts emphasis on the trees and draws in the eye of the viewer.

Landscape oil painting of French country road and green trees and cloudy sky by Bryan McCormick
Landscape oil painting of French country road by Bryan McCormick

With this concept in mind, take a look at some paintings by some old masters and study how they used values next to each other. This is a great way to get ideas for compositions as well.

In the example below, I have exaggerated the value interchange and contrast from The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh.

The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh is an excellent example of value interchange with the dark cypress trees overlapping the lighter starry sky
The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh is an excellent example of value interchange

You can see how the dark cypress trees overlap the lighter night sky and how the moon and stars pop out from the darker sky.

You can even try creating master copies. This is a great way to really lock a concept into memory.

Go to your local museum and create some NOTAN studies (black and white) or three value studies (black, white, and gray).

Below is a four value study I created in Procreate of Edward Hopper’s painting Sailing. As you can see, the contrast of the boat and the water immediately catches the eye of the viewer.

Three value study of Edward Hopper’s oil painting Sailing​ shows a much lighter sailboat contrasting with a darker ocean.
Four value study of Edward Hopper’s oil painting Sailing

It also has a very simple value composition which makes for a very strong painting.

What techniques do you use to create contrast and interest in your paintings. Feel free to leave a comment or question below. I’d love to help you on your painting journey.

Stop back tomorrow (and every day) for more painting tips.

Stay inspired,

Bry

Posted on

How to Simplify Values When Starting a Painting: A Nine Value Scale for Visual Artists

Today we will discuss the role of values and how to simplify them.

Values are how light or dark elements of an image are. The lightest value is white and the darkest value is black. Right in the middle is where we find neutral gray.

Without values, everything we see would be virtually invisible. Contrast between values is what differentiates one object from another. Color certainly plays a role, but not as much as values.

If you looked at a black-and-white image that was only one value, you would not be able to see anything. So now, similar to the way we simplified shapes, we want to simplify values to make it easier to start a painting.

Most painters use a nine value scale to represent the visible world, which has too many values to be fully represented in painting.

Nine value scale reference page for painters and visual artists
Nine value scale reference page for painters and visual artists

But when we start a painting we want to simplify those nine values to make it easier. Then, as you progress through the painting you can add even more values, the same way you add smaller shapes as you progress through a painting.

You could simplify values with a program like photoshop. But you already have a tool that is far more efficient and effective.

The tool is your own vision. All you need to do is close one eye and squint like Popeye the sailor man. Squinting reduces the amount of light that reaches your eye so that you see only the most prominent values.

Example of how squinting can simplify and group values in a painting subject
Example of how squinting can simplify and group values in a painting subject

When possible it’s helpful to group all the light and dark values together when starting a painting. Not only does this makes for a much stronger composition but it makes starting a painting easier too.

So if you find yourself struggling with starting a painting, ask yourself if you squinted enough and simplified the shapes and values. Don’t make painting harder than it needs to be. If you don’t make starting a fun process, it can be easy to get frustrated and not want to paint. And nobody wants that.

Do you squint to simplify values? Feel free to leave a comment or question. It’d love to help you on your painting journey.

Stop back tomorrow (and every day) for more painting tips and lessons.

Stay inspired,

Bry

Posted on

How to Simplify Drawing for Beginners: Simplifying Curves and Soft Edges

Today we will examine some tips to make drawing easier and why it is so darn difficult.

At its core drawing is really just measuring. A human head has a precise height and width. So why is it so darn hard to get accurate?

This is because real people, places, and things aren’t defined by sharp lines—they are fuzzy and curvy. Here are a few tips to get around this conundrum.

First, it’s helpful to see the world in terms of geometric shapes, like triangles, squares, and circles. If you can find these big shapes first, it makes it easier to get proportions correct.

For example, many artists learn figure drawing by using cylinders for arms and boxes for hips. From there you can model more details onto the body. These simple shapes help get overall proportions correct.

In portraits, there are a lot of curves and soft edges, which can make it very difficult to get measurements. To get around this, it’s helpful to break a portrait down into straight lines.

Simplified graphite drawing of man with beard using only straight lines
Simplified graphite drawing of man with beard using only straight lines

I know what you’re probably thinking: Thanks, Captain Obvious, but how do I know where to put a line on a soft edge? The answer: You guess.

The point isn’t to get it perfectly accurate from the start. You get it as close as possible and then make minor adjustments as you proceed through the drawing.

The straight lines also help you slowly develop curves. If you start with large shapes and straight lines, you can slowly refine them until you arrive at something close to a curve.

Then you can draw a confident curve with one stroke because you now know exactly where it is.

For portraits, it’s helpful to use plumb lines, lines that help you align two or more spots vertically or horizontally.

For example, the pupils usually line up with the corners of the mouth. And the inside corners of the eyes usually line up with the outside of the nostrils.

The takeaway from all this is that it helps to start with very simple shapes and lines and refine them into more complex lines and shapes.

This certainly isn’t the only way to start drawing nor is it a way to draw forever. But it can help if you are struggling with proportions.

Eventually artists develop their own method for drawing. As long as you are getting the results you want, it doesn’t matter that much how you get there.

Do you start with straight lines? Let me know in the comments. I would love to chat with you. 🙂

Stop back tomorrow, and everyday, for more painting and drawing tips.

Stay inspired,

Bry

Posted on

How to Oil Paint on a Budget: 3 Tips to Save Money on Oil Paint, Brushes, and Panels

Today let’s discuss how to start (or maintain) oil painting for as little money as possible, without sacrificing quality.

One of the main things you need is paint. But you don’t need every color in the rainbow to start. In fact, you’ll learn quicker if you start with just one pigment, say, burnt umber, for example.

It may not be as exciting, but if your goal is to learn to control oil paint, one pigment is all you need. (See the previous article on monochrome painting.)

And you can get a 37ml tube of premium M Graham burnt umber for under $10. Not bad. Premium oil paint is usually softer and easier to manipulate so you don’t need mediums while painting. So there is more money saved right there.

Now you need a firm brush to push that oil paint around. You can get a high quality Princeton Dakota number 8 for about $10. Sound like a lot for a brush? If you treat it well, it can easily last years.

Here is a video on how I clean my brushes to make them last forever. https://youtu.be/2gMDf1Bwo9o

It’s helpful to have multiple brushes but you can definitely get by with just one. I like angled bright brushes because you can get broad strokes, sharp lines, and fine points. All that from one brush, and more money saved.

For a support to paint on, I like hardboard panels, formally known as masonite. They are great for learning and even finished paintings if properly sealed and primed.

You can get a 4×8’ panel at Home Depot cut into 96 6×8” panels, a perfect size for quick studies. At around $14 for the full sheet, that comes to about 15 cents per panel, compared to $2.50 at an art store.

If you bought those 96 panels in an art store it would be $250. That’s quite the discount.

If you are learning to paint in monochrome, there is virtually no reason to clean your brush while painting. So no solvents need. Just wipe it with a rag or paper towel. More money saved.

Now you could wash your brushes with soap and water after you finish painting, but if you paint regularly, you could just dip them in Gamblin safflower oil.

You can get a bottle for around $25, but that bottle could easily last you a year if you are just using it for dipping brushes. It’s well worth it because it will save you from washing brushes all the time.

Finally you need something to prime your panels. You could get some Golden acrylic gesso for about $15 or student grade gesso for even less. It will do just fine if you are learning and experimenting. But here is a little tip if you want to use some of that money you just saved.

Consider trying Michael Harding nonabsorbent acrylic primer. If you are painting in monochrome with a reductive technique, it will enable you to wipe off paint much more easily than gesso.

It’s a little pricey at $28 for the small jar but a little goes a long way. Not a money saver but it makes painting more enjoyable.

Gamblin oil ground is even better but you’ll also need a sizing like GAC 100 from Golden, and that is more money to spend, and defeats the purpose of this article.

Just about the only other thing you would need is a mixing palette. I prefer wooden palettes but for the sake of saving money you could just use aluminum foil. You probably already have that, so that’s free.

So there you have it: An absolute bare bones way to start oil painting or maintain it if you you are short on cash. It may not be very exciting, but it will get the job done.

What tips do you have for saving money on supplies. Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

Stop back tomorrow, and everyday, for more painting tips.

Stay inspired,

Bry

Posted on

Monochrome Oil Paintings: Helping You Learn to Oil Paint Faster

Today we will discuss Monochrome oil painting and how it can help you learn to oil paint faster.

Monochrome paintings have a long history. They’ve been used for the foundation of transparent glazing and for underpaintings of opaque oil paintings.

But they can also stand alone as finished works of art.

Most monochrome paintings are created with just one pigment plus white. But you can also use a reductive approach and leave out the white.

For the reductive approach you will need to use an oil primer or non absorbent acrylic primer, like that from Michael Harding. Gesso is too absorbent to wipe back to the original white.

Now let’s discuss how monochrome painting can accelerate your oil painting skills, because that’s why you’re probably here.

First, monochrome paintings can help your opaque color paintings be more successful. By working out the composition, drawing, and values in one pigment, it enables you to paint with more confidence when you add color.

Second, monochrome painting can help you master brushwork and manipulating paint because you don’t have to worry about mixing color. This can help you get the feel for how oil paint handles much more quickly.

In fact, most traditional painting schools have students start with graphite and charcoal first and when they finally graduate to using paint, it is usually monochrome painting.

By focusing on just one pigment, you can master values and putting paint exactly where you want it, without having to struggle with color mixing as well.

As an added bonus, it can save you tons of money. Many people cite expense as a barrier to learning oil painting. By using one pigment, say, burnt umber, you can learn oil painting for a fraction of what a full palette would cost.

You can get a 37ml tube of M Graham burnt umber for under $10.

Stay tuned for the next article on painting on a budget.

What pigment do you like for monochrome paintings?

Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you and help you on your painting journey.

Stop back tomorrow, and everyday, for more tips.

Stay inspired,

Bry

Posted on

How to Start an Oil Painting: Exploration, Block in, or Drawing?

Today we will discuss three different ways to start a painting—exploration, value block in, and a detailed line drawing.

All are acceptable. We have to find what works best for us and our subject matter. First let’s look at the method of exploration.

One benefit of exploration is you get to discover interesting paint applications along the way. This is great if you have trouble fully envisioning what you want your completed painting to look like.

Often, painters will simply indicate where major landmarks will be. In a portrait, for example, you might simply mark the location of the eyes, nose, and mouth, and then let the painting evolve from there. One downside is that it can involve lots of scraping off, layering, and trial and error.

Another option is to complete a detailed line drawing first. This can be completed free hand via sight size or other measuring method or by some means of transfer, such as a projector if you are enlarging a smaller drawing.

This process can be helpful if you are not comfortable drawing with paint. It lets you work out all the drawing details in graphite or charcoal. It can be easier to make corrections if you are more comfortable with dry media.

One downside is that once you start painting you lose your drawing. So if you make any mistakes you have to scrape off your paint or make adjustments wet into wet. It can also make a painting appear a little stiff with less confident brushwork if you are trying to remain in the lines. It also doesn’t provide good value information.

Finally we have the value block in. In this method you essentially complete most of the painting in monochrome. Like a graphite drawing, it lets you work out any issues in drawing and composition before putting on thick paint. The thin paint makes it easier to make corrections.

Unlike a line drawing, this method also provides you with value information. This can help when mixing colors, and it can minimize scraping off and trial and error.

This method works well if you are comfortable drawing with paint, but to do so, it’s helpful to have an oil ground or non absorbent acrylic primer, like the one offered by Michael Harding.

Traditional gesso is too absorbent for this technique and thus you can’t fully erase your mistakes. Oil primers enable you to wipe off paint to correct mistakes and create reductive highlights. I like the oil ground from Gamblin.

While there are certainly plenty of other ways to start a painting, these are a few of the most common, and all work rather well. The choice is yours to determine which suits your style of painting.

Do you draw with graphite or with paint? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you and help you on your painting journey.

Stop back tomorrow, and everyday, for more painting tips.

Stay inspired,

Bry

Posted on

How to Oil Paint Thick Over Thin Without Solvents or Turpentine

Today we will discuss how to oil paint thick over thin without solvents.

One of the main reasons I hear people say they don’t oil paint is because of solvent and medium toxicity. Is this a barrier for you?

But what if I told you that you could oil paint without ever using solvents. It is possible: Rembrandt painted this way. And so can you. I’ll teach you the secrets. So let’s start with toning grounds.

Instead of solvent, use just a drop of walnut oil (I like M Graham) to make the paint glide easier over your painting ground. Using small amounts of oil will ensure you have strong paint layers. Using solvent thins the paint too much and can make paint layers brittle.

Next, wipe off all the excess paint and oil. The result is a lightly stained ground. A ground is just your first paint layer, usually gesso or oil primer. So then how does one paint without mediums after that? The secret is in the paint.

Some oil paint is made with extra fillers that can make it very stiff. This makes it hard to mix and apply unless you lay it on extra thick. The key is to use paint with just oil and pigment as the ingredients. This will let you paint in thin layers without having to thin it with a medium.

Two examples I like are Michael Harding and M Graham. Their paint is very soft and easy to mix and apply. It will enable you to paint in thin layers and slowly increase the thickness. But aren’t they way more expensive?

Yes, it is more expensive. But if you consider that it is only a few more dollars per tube than, say, Gamblin, it doesn’t amount to much more because you are saving money by not using mediums while you paint. Still too expensive? Here’s a tip.

Try sticking to series 1 paints and earth colors. You can make an amazing landscape or portrait painting with yellow ochre, Prussian blue, and Venetian red. They are quality paints and dirt cheap compared to cadmium colors. Pun intended. 🙂

Cadmium colors are nice for their opacity and high chroma but not always necessary and very expensive. And you have to be extra careful with them around kids and pets.

So let’s recap what we learned. You can easily tone painting grounds with a little walnut oil instead of solvent. And to paint thinly without mediums, consider investing in premium paint that only uses oil and pigment as ingredients.

Oil painting doesn’t have to be complicated or toxic. With just a few simple materials you too can enjoy the buttery feel of oil paint on your brush.

Do you paint solvent free? Comment below. Or ask me a question. I’d love to help you on your painting journey.

Stop back tomorrow, and everyday, for more painting tips.

Stay inspired,

Bry

Posted on

How to Simplify an Oil Painting and Get Better Results

Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you start a painting? For today’s tip we will discuss how to make a painting less complex so you can be more successful.

When starting a painting, you have to get the drawing accurate, then mix the right color and value, then apply the right brushwork. It’s a lot. So why not just focus on a few principles instead? Some of the most famous painters did just that. (More on that later.)

It’s very hard to get every element right in a painting. So try to pick just one or two areas if you feel overwhelmed.

For example, you can make a monochrome painting that mostly focuses on drawing and values. Plenty of master painters make these types of paintings. It will help you learn drawing with paint without getting too bogged down in colors.

Once you get comfortable with that, then maybe try a painting with a limited palette. You’ll still have to mix colors, but you can focus more on values. The limited palette will keep you from trying to match every color in the rainbow.

Plenty of masters painted this way. Zorn often used a palette of just cad red, yellow ochre, and ivory black. That’s it. His colors probably weren’t fully accurate to those seen in life, but he mastered the values in his portraits.

Maybe you’re not big on drawing or photo realism. Then maybe color should be your focus. Don’t stress over mastering the drawing. Work on color schemes and tricks like optical mixing. Monet was a master of this. There are few crisp lines in his work. Often his goal was experimenting with color, not necessarily drawing.

This isn’t to say never work on drawing or banish all colors, especially if you want to improve. Just don’t overwhelm yourself.

Don’t try to master your symphony all in one take. Work on the various components and then work on blending them together.

What topics would you like to hear discussed here? I’d love to hear from you and help you on your painting journey.

Stop back tomorrow, and everyday, for more painting tips.

Cheers! —Bry

Posted on

Copyright Protection for Visual Artists: The Truth and Misconceptions

Today we will discuss how copyright law works and how you may not be as protected as you think.

Full disclosure: I am not an attorney. Please research laws for your own country and circumstance. These are general guidelines for artists in the United States.

As soon as you complete a work of art, you hold the copyright to that work. But unless you register that copyright, you don’t have very much protection.

The most you might be able to do is have someone take down your work from their website or stop selling prints of your work. And even then, you might not be afforded those protections because some countries don’t follow US copyright guidelines.

If you do not file your copyright, you cannot collect statutory damages or legal fees. Damages for copyright infringement can be very significant.

You could collect up to $30,000 if someone unwillingly infringes your work and $150,000 if someone willingly infringes your copyright.

So, for example, if Target steals your greeting card ideas and puts you out of business, the most you could do, if you are lucky, is get them to stop. You could not collect any money for the damages caused by putting you out of business.

So, as you can see, someone could steal your entire business and you would be left with nothing unless you register a copyright.

And you must register in a timely manner because you can only collect these benefits if you register within three months of publishing a work. And you can’t collect damages and fees if you register after infringement occurs.

It’s only about $30 to register with the copyright office at copyright.gov.

If you do it before you publish your work, you can do it as an entire collection. But after you publish, each must be filed individually.

WHAT COPYRIGHT TIPS DO YOU HAVE? Leave a comment. I’d love to chat with you.

Stop back tomorrow for more painting tips.

Posted on

How to Simplify Oil Painting Materials and Supplies

For today’s tip, we will discuss how to keep oil painting supplies simplified and organized.

It seems obvious: an organized studio makes it easier to paint. But life is busy and sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of painting supplies. That’s why I use this simple method.

First, I use a limited palette of just three primaries, burnt umber, and white. That’s less paint to purchase, store, and manage.

Aside from a few drops of M Graham walnut oil now and then, I don’t use solvents or mediums. That’s also less to organize and manage. The M Graham oil paint I use is so soft it doesn’t require mediums.

Now here’s a great tip. I keep my brushes in a small paint roller tray with Gamblin Safflower oil so my brushes are always ready to use, and I rarely have to clean them. Less time cleaning means more time painting.

My Princeton aspen oil paint brushes in Gamblin safflower oil and a small paint roller tray​ from Home Depot
My Princeton aspen oil paint brushes in Gamblin safflower oil and a small paint roller tray from Home Depot

(You can learn more about how I clean my brushes with oil and no solvent on the Gallery Bry YouTube channel.)

I always have paint on my palette, and I keep it in the freezer so the extra paint does not dry.

It’s these simple tips that enable me to create a painting at the drop of a hat and spend less time organizing and managing supplies.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TIP TO STAY ORGANIZED⁉️ Leave me a comment. I’d love to chat and answer your questions.

Stop back here tomorrow for more oil painting tips every single day.