LANDSCAPE

PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Painting Light and Shadow

in Your Landscape Art
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Using Sketches,
Photographs, Research
and Imagination to
Create Studio Paintings
FOR ME, THE GOAL OF LANDSCAPE PAINTING IS TO PAINT STIRRING IMAGES
THAT ENGAGE AND INSPIRE VIEWERS, AND THIS IS MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN
WHEN I USE INFORMATION FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES.
by Steve Armes

A
rtists usually create landscape
paintings in one of four ways:
They paint entirely on loca-
tion; they rely on memory
or imagination; they work
from photos; or they use a
combination of these sources.
Hopefully, each of those approaches also incor-
porates the artist’s accumulated knowledge and
experience about pigments, surfaces, procedures,
and the wisdom passed down from generations of
others who have recorded nature.
The focus of this article will not be on tech-
Sketch for Sierra
niques artists can use to develop plein air sketches Blanca
as finished works of art but rather as documents 2005, oil, 8 x 10.
All artwork this article
that aid in the creation of studio paintings. My collection the artist.
recommendations may be at odds with what you
have been taught or what you have read, and
that’s neither surprising nor problematic. All of
us base our approaches to art on the personal
objectives that motivate us. Like every other artist
and teacher, I do what helps me create the kind of
pictures I admire.

This content has been adapted from an original article written by Steve Armes. © F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this premium to be copied for personal use.

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 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Sierra Blanca
2005, oil, 30 x 36.

I am fortunate to have been trained I try to keep in mind the overarching

by Maynard Dixon Stewart, whose need to gather information during
father, LeConte Stewart, was a tireless the three hours I record the changing
landscape painter. M. D. Stewart also effects of light and atmosphere with
studied with Frank Vincent Dumond, broad notes of color.
the legendary artist and teacher at the I was able to paint a satisfactory
Art Students League of New York, in sketch long before I could paint a suc-
Manhattan. During my studies with cessful finished landscape. But after
Stewart, I learned to paint plein air much effort, I arrived at some methods
sketches that provided enough informa- that now allow me to use my sketch to
tion to complete larger, more finished complete a larger, definitive painting.
paintings in the studio. What I have learned falls under five
Because of this training, I still use broad topics: understanding the differ-
sketches as references for paintings ence between a sketch and a painting;
and avoid the temptation of developing matching colors to the sketch; using
them into complete works of art. They photographs judiciously; invention; and
might become beautiful paintings, but knowing how to sacrifice.

3
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

ing and layering of color.

When the sketch serves as the
basis of a studio painting, the chal-
lenge is to keep the good qualities of
the sketch (the breadth, simplicity,
and immediacy) while carrying the
painting to a larger scale and a greater
degree of rendering. This can be dif-
ficult because the sketch involves mix-
ing colors rapidly, with pigment often
being hastily slurred. That wonderfully
Path Along the Lake bold, gestured effect is difficult to rec-
2004, oil, 18 x 24. The Difference Between a Sketch reate in the studio, and I prefer not to
and a Painting even attempt that feat. Rather, I ana-
My primary concern when creating a lyze what I’m
painting from a sketch is to improve the trying to capture on location, and I
overall design. This is best done in the attempt to convey the same effect.
calm environment of the studio because In order to compare the sketch to
it requires reflection and trial and error. the painting, I clamp my sketch to
I was taught to evaluate various com- a music stand turned upright, then
positional schemes by making small move my canvas and easel back so that
monochrome studies, each time altering when I am standing in front of my
the arrangement of the large shapes. I do sketch it appears the same size as the
that by making several black-and-white canvas. I make all observations and
gouache studies using five or six basic judgments from this position. This
values and arranging the masses into the allows me to see my sketch and paint-
best design. This is the most important ing side by side, which allows for bet-
part of making a picture because the ter comparison while also forcing me
large, simple masses are what the viewer to view my painting from a distance.
will see first.
A location sketch is very different Matching Colors to the Sketch
from a studio painting in its purpose I usually start a studio painting with a
and execution. The sketch is a tool monochrome or limited-color under-
to help capture the subtle tonalities painting and layer color during subse-
of nature, making it possible for the quent sessions. This requires planning
artist to create a larger painting in har- to ensure that the color, once modified,
mony with the visual truths of nature. will match the color in the sketch. In
It is done quickly and usually in one order to gauge the accuracy of color
session, with the artist focusing on the while painting, some artists hold up a
broadest tones and laying them down loaded brush or palette knife next to
in proper relation to one another. A the sketch. Because I have labored in
painting is planned and executed in the field to get accurate color nuances,
stages, and it may include underpaint- I want to carry that over to my paint-

4
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

In the Vineyards
2006, oil, 10 x 151⁄2.

ing. That is why I prefer to varnish my fied to match the sketch. However,
sketch, dab mixtures of color directly there are occasions when it is better to
on the protected surface, and then wipe change or modify the color in the larger
off the dabs before they dry. If I do painting. I find it easier to paint from
that quickly, I will have a better sense my imagination once I have established
of whether or not I have matched the accurate relationships between the
colors. I have learned that one color tones.
on top of another may appear differ-
ent than when it is laid on the canvas. Using Photographs Judiciously
I use great care to match the colors I I regard photographs as necessary evils
saw on-site, since that is usually the in developing studio pieces because I
greatest aid the sketch affords. I will usually need the information contained
often recheck the color in later phases in them to complete the paintings.
because it sometimes needs to be modi- They supply ideas not suggested by

5
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

RIGHT ABOVE

Sketch for A
Texas Landscape
2005, oil, 16 x 20.

RIGHT BELOW

A Texas
Landscape
2005, oil, 36 x 48.

the sketch, which can be useful for

enriching the details. However, I have
learned to use them with caution,
never copying them exactly. Instead I
interpret the information and do not
base my painting on the way colors
and values appear in a photograph. I
note edges, shapes, and other details
that can aid my understanding of what
I am trying to render, being careful
to think of them only as suggestions.
Additionally, the use of a telephoto lens
can enhance details that can’t be seen
by the eye while observing the scene.
If I use one, I study the details in the
distance, but render them in the vague
and mysterious way that atmosphere
transforms images. Too much reliance
on photographs can result in paintings
that lack breadth and are broken apart
by tedious detail. I know this because
I have made that mistake far too many
times, and I’ve learned the hard way
that my sketches are better guides to
studio painting than any photograph.

Invention
To progress as a landscape painter,
it is necessary to expand on nature
because—like many subjects that are
transferred to canvas—it needs clarifica-
tion, simplification, and improvement.
Nineteenth-century painters added
foreground details such as rocks, trees,
streams, figures, and animals. Their
skills enabled them to pull such accesso-
ries out of their imaginations. Few con-
temporary artists have those same skills,
and most—myself included—rely on
oil sketches, notations in sketchbooks,
or photographs taken under conditions

6
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

ABOVE

A Tuscan Hillside
2003, oil, 20 x 30.

RIGHT

Howe Sound
2004, oil, 18 x 26.

7
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Horseshoe Bay
2003, oil, 24 x 36.

similar to those of a chosen subject. I

may consult that kind of reference mate-
rial in order to add a tree, a road, or fig-
ures; or I will make memory sketches to
help me invent what is needed.
The practice of sketching from
memory is nearly forgotten today, but
it was widely practiced in the 19th cen-
tury. The most common method was
for artists to study a simple scene or
effect, analyze the color notes, and later
sketch it in the studio. I find this to be
very difficult but valuable, especially
in that the process increases my confi- ABOUT
THE ARTIST
dence and allows me to transfer images
from my imagination to a finished
painting. I attempt at least one 30-min-
Steve Armes studied with
ute oil memory sketch each week in a
Maynard Dixon Stewart and
sketchbook designated for this purpose.
Herbert Perleman before launch-
I have found it best to begin with paint- ing a career as an illustrator and
ing the sky and cloud effects. then transitioning into fine art.
In 1996 he was unanimously
Knowing How to Sacrifice voted an associate member
Landscapes require artists to sacrifice of The American Society of
and select in order to create harmoni- Classical Realism Artists’ Guild,
ous pictures. John Ruskin (1819–1900) and in 2006 he was invited to
pointed out the necessity of represent- join Stephen Gjertson and Kirk
ing some facts while sacrificing others Richards in forming “Triad: Three
American Painters,” a traveling
to the greater truth. Painters reach the
exhibition that debuted at the
end of their color gamut long before Newington-Cropsey Foundation,
they can paint anything that approach- in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.
es the brilliance of the sky. They are He maintains a studio in Dallas
forced to choose the most important and teaches workshops throughout
color notes, paint them simply and the United States and in Europe.
frankly, and add only such detail as will For more information
enhance—but not undermine—the on Armes, visit his website at
large masses. ■ www.stevearmes.com.

8
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

DEMONSTRATION: MORNING SHADOWS

IN TUSCANY, THE ON-SITE SKETCH
Armes conducted a painting demonstration during a recent workshop in Italy, where he showed his students how he cre-
ates an on-site sketch that serves as the basis for a larger studio piece.

Step 1
Armes used a viewfinder to isolate
elements of the scene and determine
an effective composition.

Step 2
After making a preliminary graphite
sketch on panel, the artist used thin
oil color to draw the major shapes
and block in the darkest values.

Step 3
1 Armes painted the sky and distant
hills and then turned his attention
to the overlapping trees in the fore-
2 ground.

9
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

DEMONSTRATION: MORNING SHADOWS

IN TUSCANY, STUDIO PAINTING
Step 1
Armes carefully drew the
outlines of the major shapes
in the scene, using the on-
site sketch as a reference.

Step 2
He then developed a mono-
1 3 chromatic underpainting to
establish the composition of
values.

Step 3
The artist positioned his
plein air sketch close to his
stretched canvas so that he
could match the colors in
his sketch to those of his
studio piece.

2 4 Step 4
Using a broad palette of col-
ors, the artist accentuated
the dark tree shapes in the
foreground.

THE COMPLETED PAINTING:

Morning Shadows
in Tuscany
2007, oil, 30 x 40.

10
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Landscape Painting
with Watercolor
13 TIPS FOR OUTDOOR PAINTING SUCCESS.
by Bob Bahr

L
ast fall Joseph Bohler taught in
Dubois, Wyoming, at the invi-
tation of the Susan Kathleen
Black Foundation for their
annual weeklong workshop
near Grand Teton National
Park, in Wyoming. Other artists
joined the painting group with much dash and
panache, but Bohler sat quietly in his black
cowboy hat talking with an acquaintance. The
tone was already set. A few days later, he was
painting a demonstration at nearby Brooks
Lake, affably answering students’ questions,
commenting on the dogs fetching sticks
thrown in the lake, and creating a pretty good
painting. (Bohler ended up entering this quick
demo in a prestigious national exhibition.) It
was evident that what the instructor meant
by “good attitude” was not limited to high
expectations for the finished piece. He chatted
with the students on a wide variety of topics as
he worked—from his childhood experiences
on a Montana ranch to the musical merits of
the mandolin. He answered questions about
his color mixtures and painting decisions in
a casual tone and seemed to deeply enjoy the
day, the company, and the setting.
Bohler believes in being fully present during
a painting session. That’s one reason he prefers
to work en plein air, and why, although he is an
avid music fan and skilled musician, he never

ABOVE TOP
Bohler helped Joy Nguyen Bohler advised a
with one of her first forays student on how to depict
This content has been abridged from an original article written by Bob Bahr. © F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved. into watercolor painting. what could be an
F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this premium to be copied for personal use. overwhelming vista.

11
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

wears headphones on-site. “I couldn’t hear that

dog splashing in the water or those grasshoppers
snapping their wings if I were wearing head-
phones,” he points out. Bohler occasionally uses a
microcassette tape recorder to capture the sound
of water or nearby horses, and he will scribble in
a journal to note the smells, the temperature, or
how he feels at that moment. He takes reference
photos, but it’s clear he is in his element painting
outdoors. “It’s natural—everybody starts out using
photo reference. But you get the best possible
TOP
information in front of you when you paint plein
Artist Chelley
Lowder was always air,” he comments. “Once you can break away
accompanied by from using a photo, you are free. You feel like a
her dog during the
workshop. bird leaving its nest.”
RIGHT
Being physically present does infuse the paint-
John P. Finley, a ing with life, but painting on-site has its challeng-
lifetime resident of
the area, painted the
es—not the least of which is all the information
view of Brooks Lake. present outside of a reference photo. On-site, there

12
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Workshop participants
shared Brooks Lake
with some fishermen.

are many distracting and enticing things Bohler needed to remind several stu- drybrush technique, loading the flat
beyond the subject of your composition. dents that a good preliminary drawing is brush with fairly dry paint and lightly
The artist recommends spending some necessary for most watercolor success. scraping it over the texture of the
time “tasting the flavor” of a location Bohler’s underdrawings are careful and paper, leaving highlights of the color
and looking around 360 degrees before nuanced, even though they are merely that strongly suggest textures ranging
setting up. “Find your spot, find the marking the basic shapes of elements from the surface of rocks to accents
subject, focus in, and go for it,” Bohler and the areas where lighted portions of color on grasses to sunlit spots on
advises. “Don’t look around the whole give way to shadows. His next piece of water. These touches, along with a
time wondering about other views.” A advice echoes the words of most work- strong sense of composition and an
glance at a few of his finished paintings shop instructors: Use a big brush and uncanny ability to use the unique
shows how uncluttered, organized, and get the big shapes down on the surface. traits of watercolor to conjure a scene,
condensed he likes his compositions Bohler does this with a two-inch flat suggest a highly controlled painting
to be. A look at the reference photo for brush and very juicy washes of light technique. So it seems like a miracle to
his demonstration Bunkhouse on Horse transparent watercolor. He may then witness Bohler’s demeanor while paint-
Creek illustrates how Bohler can accom- erase some of the darker graphite lines ing. He exudes the relaxed manner and
plish this even when the source material of the underdrawing. At this and every calm, satisfied air of a man lazily fish-
is a busy scene. How many artists could step, the artist stresses that he is con- ing. Don’t be fooled. “I take painting
have resisted putting in the horses that centrating on capturing the feel of the very seriously, even though I am laid
were milling around in the pen behind scene. “I’m not trying to put the world back about things,” says the instruc-
the red building? Or the challenge of the in a 16”-x-21” painting,” Bohler explains. tor. “It’s a joyful experience, but that
glass-paned plant box beside the door? “Just the essence of the area. The big doesn’t mean it isn’t serious. It’s a lot
Bohler, in contrast, barely suggested shapes can suggest it all. Students of hard work.”
the complicated fence structure and sometimes jump ahead and put in Bohler makes it look exceedingly
eliminated the box, and the composition details with a little brush, without hav- easy, but his tours during workshops
reads much better for it. ing a good foundation underneath.” to check the progress of the students
During the Wyoming workshop, Bohler makes frequent use of the found a few of them struggling to do

13
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Colorado watercolorist Joseph Bohler

painted a demonstration on a working
ranch outside of Dubois, Wyoming.

Bohler’s work is definitely not It’s all about confidence.”

faddish. In fact, it seems to Bohler may paint in watercolor, but
prefer the past to the trends of students of all media are welcome in
the moment. “I paint a lot of his workshops. “When students are
old things,” he says. “An old, using a variety of media I teach not
leaning, weathered barn—all only watercolor but good painting prin-
the textures and character ciples—such as values, composition,
of it appeal to me. I grew up textures, and rhythm—that apply to all
around old stuff. I drove a artists,” says the instructor. “My goal is
team of horses—Toots and to nudge each person to the next level
Molly—when I was younger. of artistic confidence and ability. If you
So all of this is in me.” His learn one or two important lessons
story is further fleshed out from this workshop, your energy will
when one considers that the have been well spent.” ■
name of his online gallery is
Places in Time, and that the
music he coaxes out of any
piano he sees is a mixture of
blues, ragtime, and boogie-
woogie, with a trace of Hank ABOUT
what he could achieve with a few deft
strokes. The instructor would often ask
Snow and Western swing thrown in.
This aesthetic drenches his work, to the
THE ARTIST
permission, then pick up the brush point that a landscape he paints today, Joseph Bohler is a found-
to demonstrate a concept. Sometimes even with no man-made structures in ing member of the Northwest
Bohler would simply recommend that it to date it, seems to hover in time, Rendezvous; a life member of the
the workshop participant dramatically reinforcing the antiquity of the hills Transparent Watercolor Society
change course or start the painting and the timelessness of the forest. Even of America; a signature mem-
ber of the American Watercolor
again. The emphasis was on using the his choice of medium seems to evoke a
Society, the Watercolor USA
workshop to learn and to stretch— place in time, and the endless cycles of
Honor Society, and the Rocky
and, more than with many workshop nature. “I enjoy watercolor’s spontane- Mountain National Watermedia
instructors, to become acquainted with ous sparkle and flirtatious nature as the Society; and a peer-elected mem-
the teacher’s philosophy on art. paint and water caress the paper surface ber of the National Academy of
A handout that Bohler uses for work- and the creative process begins and ends Western Art. The artist has been
shops states that “The life that begins ... and begins again,” he writes in the featured in several books and
when light meets form, and the two workshop handout. magazines, including Splash II and
become one, is sacred to me.” He goes A quietness about his teaching and Splash IV (both North Light Books,
on to explain that he tries to paint what painting reinforces this aura, which Cincinnati, Ohio) and his art is
in the permanent collection of
he loves, and that he has progressed is marked by another important trait:
several institutions. In the early
beyond painting strictly from the intel- optimism. Bohler’s low-key nature
1990s Bohler was commissioned
lect to painting primarily from the heart. could be mistakenly interpreted as to paint a portrait of Tex Ritter
Bohler says this mindset has him seek- melancholy, but he feels it is better by the sons of the famous actor
ing out and depicting the things in life described as sensitivity. This is coupled and singer and by the National
he finds beautiful—be it a landscape, a with positivity. “Attitude is such a big Cowboy & Western Heritage
woman, or an old building. “I’ve never part of this,” he says. “You have to Museum, in Oklahoma City.
worried about style or technique, or try to do your best every day. You can Bohler is also a gifted pianist and
the fads that come and go, but try to be never think, I’m going out to paint has released two CDs. For more
consistent with quality, with my chosen another disaster today. You should say, information on Bohler, visit www.
interpretations of nature and mankind.” placesintime.com.
‘I want to go out there and do my best.’

14
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

DEMONSTRATION:
BUNKHOUSE ON HORSE CREEK
Step 1
The artist lightly sketched
the composition using a
2B graphite pencil.

Step 2
Bohler began with the
center of interest: the
building. He made sure
to let plenty of pigment
1
Reference indicate the darks under
Bohler liked this building, but he thought the eaves and used bro-
the background was a bit busy. “I’ll ken lines to show the
eliminate more than half of the trees edges of the logs. He laid
back there,” he told the workshop par- in the sky first to avoid
ticipants. “I am going for the essence.” possibly lifting the tree-
trunk color that would
He purposely chose a busy scene that he
get painted later.
would have to simplify so the students
could witness this concept.
2
Step 3
The trees on the right side
were added using Prussian
green and Winsor yellow.
The mountains in the dis-
tance were painted with
a blue mixture. Bohler
designed the foreground to
lead the eye through the
painting, not necessarily
as an accurate depiction
of the scene. For similar
reasons, he added a few
imagined items and leaned
them against the front of
the building. He dabbed a
bit of drybrush to suggest
leaves and “to break up
the clunkiness of it.”

Continued... 3
15
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Step 4
Bohler colored in the
white spots on the roof.
“I had left them there in
case I needed them,” he
said, “but I don’t need
them.” He dabbed some
dark areas with a clean,
wet brush to lift pigment
for highlights. Bohler rein-
forced the shadows under
the eaves with ultrama-
rine blue and permanent
rose and touched in some
sky holes in the trees
using cobalt blue. Note
how much Bohler simpli-
4
fied the fence on the left.

Step 5
Bohler added shadows
under vegetation, painted
in some dark accents on
the left with a mud color
to emphasize various
forms, and dragged some
permanent rose along
the top of the bushes on
the right with a drybrush
to add texture and color.
“A mixture of permanent
rose and burnt sienna is
great for foliage in this
part of the country,” the
artist pointed out. “It fits
how much brown there is
in the greens.”

THE COMPLETED PAINTING:

Bunkhouse on Horse Creek
2007, watercolor, 16 x 21.
Collection the artist
5
16
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

DEMONSTRATION:MORNING
AT BROOKS LAKE—WYOMING

1
Reference Step 1
The instructor said he chose this view partly because His light, loose graphite sketch started with the horizon line on
he liked how the dark trees on the right were set the far shore. Next, he sketched in the treeline on the right, and
against the background bluff in sunlight and shadow. then drew the outline of the mountains, taking care to mark
The focal point would be where this cluster of dark areas of warm and cool colors. The artist made up and drew a
trees cuts into the water. bush on the bottom left corner to keep the viewer’s eye from
leaving the composition. After looking over his work, Bohler
decided to adjust the painting a bit by emphasizing the vertical
nature of the trees on the right.

Step 2
With a flat two-inch brush,
Bohler washed in the sky with
cobalt blue. His brush was fully
loaded, and the juicy wash ran
down in a couple of places to
the horizon line, but Bohler
quickly stopped it with paper
towel. He used the paper towel
to pull off the wash in areas of
the sky to create clouds. The
artist said he was thinking of
the sky as the “quiet area” of
the painting. He tilted his paint-
ing so it would catch the full
brunt of the sunlight and dry
quickly so he could move on to
the next step.

Continued... 2
17
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Step 3
Bohler erased some of the darker
graphite lines and then started in on the
bluff in the middle right of the painting
using a mixture of ultramarine blue with
a touch of Indian red and permanent
rose. He varied the wash, mixing in a
little raw sienna, but was careful to keep
the bluffs cool because they were in
shadow. To reserve some lights, the art-
ist dipped his brush in clean water and
pulled some of the pigment off.

Step 4
His attention turned next to the warm
cliffs on the left. Using a mixture of per-
3
manent rose, raw sienna, and a touch
of cadmium red, he washed in the
basic shape of the cliffs, then added
Winsor yellow and a bit more cadmium
red for brighter areas. Bohler allowed
his brush to get drier as he worked,
which resulted in heavier pigment and
increased texture. A mix of raw sienna
and ultramarine blue reinforced some
of the shadow areas on the cliffs. He
scrubbed out some areas to soften the
edges and to allow another color to go
there later.

Step 5
Prussian green with a touch of cad-
mium red created the tree color for the
4
foothills on the right. A smaller brush
allowed Bohler to indicate trees on the
distant hills. He painted in the sunlit
portion of the large pines on the left
using Winsor yellow, Prussian green,
and cadmium scarlet, then made a
darker mixture to create the shadowed
parts of the pines. The value range
for the painting was now established
with this darkest dark. For veracity and
variety, Bohler painted in some of the
trees killed by a pine beetle infestation
using Indian red and burnt sienna, mix-
ing the bottoms of the trees in with the
previously laid down green to tie them
into the landscape.

Continued... 5
18
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

6
Step 6
The artist next concentrated on the
far shore, starting with a saturated
line of color for the vegetation clos-
est to the lake’s edge, then switch-
ing to a lighter, more watery mix
of Prussian green and cadmium
scarlet for the foothills. Deft flicks of
a drybrush created individual trees
or clumps of trees. The artist felt
that some of the yellows in the cliffs
needed to be toned down, so he wet
his brush, dabbed at the area, and
pulled up the pigment with a paper
towel. A yellow mixture with a touch
of cadmium red served as a wash
to block in the far shoreline and the
foreground vegetation. “I’ll come
7
back and add texture,” he assured
the assembled students.

Step 7
The artist blocked in the water using
ultramarine blue with a touch of burnt
sienna. He mixed a darker, richer
green for the foothill trees using burnt
sienna, Winsor yellow, and Prussian
green, and drybrushed this mixture on
the area to warm it up. After blocking
in the foreground bushes, he added
dark browns to those areas. “Now the
grass has really come alive,” observed
Bohler. He added touches of color
to the foreground hills “to get the
essence of the area.” Blue shadows in 8
the trees on the right reinforced the
light source. Texture on the far shore-
line and darker water along the edge
made the scene more convincing.

Step 8
Dark twigs in the foreground bushes,
darker shadows in the far-right cliffs,
more color and detail in the upper
left, and a bit of scumbled cadmium
scarlet here and there finished the
demonstration.

Morning at Brooks Lake—Wyoming

2007, watercolor, 16 x 21. Collection the artist.

19
 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
TECHNIQUES

Landscape
Painting with Oil
IMPROVE YOUR OIL PAINTING IN 8 STEPS.
by M. Stephen Doherty

A
fter attending the
University of New
Orleans, Chris
McHenry worked
for 10 years as a
billboard painter, cov-
ering 14’-x-48’ signs
with realistic oil paintings while suspended
on a scaffold high above city streets and
roadways. He gained a special appreciation
for James Rosenquist, the Pop Art painter
who started his career in the same profes-
sion, and for other artists who achieved
sharply focused, highly detailed realism in
their work. In his spare time, McHenry ap-
plied his understanding of realistic painting
to the execution of easel pictures.
After three years of working evenings
and weekends on canvases, McHenry
put eight of his oil paintings in a group
show and waited for collectors to discover
him. They didn’t. But fortunately a private
dealer, Marie Park, called to say some of
her clients might be interested in four of Approaching Storm
2005, oil, 40 x 50.
his Dallas scenes. Within a few days, Park Collection the artist.
sold the canvases and was elated, especially
because he was growing weary of painting
billboards in the 100-plus temperatures
during Texas summers. The artist decided
it was time to pursue his interest in fine
art on a full-time basis.

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Lost Mine Trail

2006, oil, 40 x 50. Collection the artist.

A billboard painter can create a believable, realistic illu- be an abstract pattern of random brush marks, but when you
sion with a variety of techniques that suggest a lot of detail, stand back several feet those marks coalesce into a cathedral,
even when there isn’t any. That’s a vital part of what sign a haystack, or a lily pond.
and scenic painters need to know to complete their work Having this understanding of the painting process, in addi-
in the shortest amount of time. If a porous sponge, a stiff tion to the discipline required by a demanding job, McHenry
housepainting brush, or a paint roller can help artists paint quickly created a number of other city landscapes filled with
a believable image of a slice of bread, a soft-drink bottle, buildings, streets, and vehicles all rendered in accurate per-
or the face of a movie star in a relatively short amount of spective and with realistic detail. Soon his interests expanded
time, then that’s the tool to use. The key is creating enough to include pure landscapes, particularly those around White
contrast in the textures, light and dark patterns, colors, and Rock Lake, a large urban park near McHenry and his wife’s
edges for the objects to look realistic when viewed by passing home. “I paint around the lake almost every day,” McHenry
motorists or pedestrians. It’s much the same as the differ- explains. “I use a French easel I’ve had for about 15 years to
ence between looking at a Monet painting up close or from create small plein air landscapes. If a painting turns out par-
a distance. When you stand next to the canvas it appears to ticularly well, I use it and reference photographs as the basis

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ABOUT
THE ARTIST
Chris McHenry studied art
at the University of New
Orleans; architecture at
Louisiana Tech University, in
Ruston; and multimedia
design at Richland College,
in Dallas. He has exhibited
his paintings in New York
City at the Sherry French
Gallery; in Dallas at the
Bath House Cultural Center,
Neiman Marcus, and the
Dallas Convention Center; in
Hot Springs, Arkansas, at
St. Joseph’s Mercy Health
Center; and in Jackson,
Wyoming, during the Arts
for the Parks competition
(1991, Top 100). For more
information on McHenry,
visit his website:
www.chrismchenry.com.

of a larger studio painting. Sometimes I’m able to complete a puter to help evaluate the potential of a plein air sketch and the
fairly large painting on location by returning to the same loca- possible adjustments that might be made. “If I want to enlarge
tion at the same time of day. For example, I painted St. John’s an oil sketch into a studio painting, I will often do a compo-
Avenue in four weeks of painting every day for three to five sitional drawing or color study to determine what changes
hours.” About a year ago the artist bought a smaller pochade would improve the composition; or I will scan the oil sketch
box at a garage sale and adapted it with a tripod mount so he into my computer and use the features of Photoshop to add
would have a lighter-weight, more portable painting easel to or subtract trees, move mountains, change values or colors, or
use on location. alter the proportions of the rectangle,” he explains. “My hand is
Always mindful of how to achieve optimum results in the always the best tool to work with, but digital photography and
least amount of time, McHenry works with thick paint on loca- computer software help me make better use of the marks my
tion rather than the thin glazes of color he uses in the studio. “I hand makes with a brush or pencil.”
don’t apply an initial thin wash of color on location as some art- McHenry follows the traditional method of building up the
ists do because I prefer to work wet-in-wet from start to finish,” surface of his studio paintings from thin to thick applications
he explains. “I generally work from the background to the fore- of oil color, often adding small amounts of fast-drying Liquin
ground, and from the top of the canvas to the bottom. That is, alkyd medium or cobalt dryer to the first layers of paint to
from the sky and distant shapes toward the larger, more sharply speed up the drying time. “In recent years I have gone back
defined foreground elements. Working with fairly thick paint, to working on oil-primed linen canvas because the surface
I paint the sky and background once and often don’t have to is smooth and lends itself to painting fine details,” the artist
modify them later. I then make an effort to cover the rest of the explains. “I begin painting with thin washes of color and
white canvas with paint and later go back to resolve details. The gradually build from thin darks to thick highlights. I paint the
foreground usually has the greatest amount of paint because the big shapes defined by the pattern of the sunlight and shadow,
texture of the oils adds more contrast and structure.” and I keep in mind the balance of warm and cool colors that
In recent years McHenry has taken advantage of his com- establishes the sense of depth and focus. I then spend about

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TECHNIQUES

West Bay
2005, oil, 20 x 60.
Courtesy Marie Park.

four to eight weeks developing smaller and smaller areas As many others have said, if artists spend enough time paint-
of the scene until I am ready to punch in the strong darks ing on location, they are better able to interpret the informa-
and bright highlights. I think it was the 19th-century French tion in a photograph.”
painter Corot who said that the highlights added at the end Some collectors who take an interest in McHenry’s
of the painting process really make or break a painting, so I work commission him to create paintings that include
consider those very carefully.” their home, boat, or property. “In a couple of situations
Although McHenry prefers to base his studio paintings I was able to take photographs of a collector’s boat or
primarily on small drawings or paintings completed on loca- vacation home and paint it into a shoreline scene in such a
tion, he does take digital photographs of potential subjects, way that it didn’t radically change the painting,” the artist
especially if he is far from home and knows he has a limited explains. “In other situations I had to create a completely
amount of time. “I drove 11 hours to reach Big Bend National new painting, so I first made a sketch in gouache or oil to
Park, in the far west of Texas, and spent a week making show the person what I had in mind. Once that met with
sketches and taking photographs,” McHenry remembers. “I their approval, I developed the larger studio oil from the
had a great time and came back with lots of sketches and pho- sketches and my photographs.”
tographs I wanted to use as the basis of large studio pictures. McHenry has been successful selling his landscapes to
Some of the locations were quite a distance from the roads, collectors in the Dallas area, and he has shown a few of
and if I hadn’t taken photographs as I went, I wouldn’t have his oils in New York City. He is now aiming to expand his
come away with enough material to produce paintings for a market, particularly with paintings of Big Bend National
strong exhibition. For example, Lost Mine Trail was based on Park, a subject that will certainly appeal to a wide audience
photographs I took after a mile-long hike into the mountains. of art lovers in Texas. ■

Mimi’s Garden
2003, oil, 15 x 40.
Private collection.

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 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
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DEMONSTRATION:
APRIL AFTERNOON
Step 1
McHenry first completed
this 9”-x-12” plein air oil
study on location.

Step 2
Back in his Dallas studio,
he referred to the oil study
and photographs to care-
fully draw the outlines of
the landscape elements he
wanted to include in his
painting on a 24”-x-32” oil-
primed linen canvas.

Continued...

2
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 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
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3 4
Step 3
Using fairly thin mixtures
of oil color, the artist
painted the cloud forma-
tion in the background. He
typically works from back-
ground to foreground ele-
ments, and from the top to
the bottom of a canvas.

Step 4
McHenry then painted
the distant grove of trees
using oil colors thinned
with Liquin alkyd medium
that would speed up the
drying time, thus making
it easier to overlap the
foreground trees.

Step 5
Because the artist works
for 10 or 11 hours every
day indoors, he is able to
develop a greater amount of
detail in his studio paintings 5
than he can on location.
You can see at this stage he
is developing details in the
shoreline scene.

Continued...
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 LANDSCAPE PAINTING
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Step 6
After covering the entire can-
vas with oil color, McHenry
went back into sections of
the landscape to add refine-
ments and subtle transitions
6 of colors and values.

THE COMPLETED PAINTING:

April Afternoon
2006, oil, 24 x 32.
Collection the arti

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