Foliage. A Song in the. A marvelous finished piece camouflages a valuable lesson in painting vivid, varied, and truly lovely leaves.

Transcription

1 HEAT-SET ACRYLIC OIL Photos / Steve Gerig 38

2 ACRYLIC HEAT-SET OIL A Song in the Foliage Ann Kingslan mda, tda A marvelous finished piece camouflages a valuable lesson in painting vivid, varied, and truly lovely leaves. At its most basic level, this project is actually intended as a lesson in painting leaves. In painting, as in life, leaves are generally used as a support system for more interesting elements, such as flowers. For that reason, I agree that leaves must never be more vibrant or interesting than those elements they support. But do leaves have to be boring? Of course not. Leaves can be exciting and beautiful without detracting from an overall composition in fact, well-painted leaves can be an asset to almost any painting that draws its subject from nature. Although leaves in paintings tend to be carbon copies of one another, in reality they vary in hue, tone, temperature, and value. Why not paint them that way? Many years ago my daughter, Mary Kingslan Gibilisco cda, and I developed a palette of colors. This has since proved to be both an enormous convenience and an actual source of inspiration to us when it comes time to paint foliage. In this project, I ll be sharing this palette with you while teaching a bigger picture which, as usual, leaves are only a part. And because it s a palette we ll be focusing on, I ve painted this scene on my palette box because if leaves can be beautiful, why can t my palette box? 39

3 Painter s Checklist SURFACE This wooden palette box measures 15"x 12"x 1 3 4" (38.1 x x 4.45cm). PALETTE GENESIS ARTIST COLORS Bismuth Yellow Burnt Umber Carbon Black Genesis Red Genesis Yellow Gray DECOART AMERICANA ACRYLICS Winter Blue Phthalo Blue 05 Raw Sienna* Quinacridone Crimson Titanium White Ultramarine Blue Yellow Ochre* BRUSHES ANN KINGSLAN BRUSHES BY ROYAL Series 4150 Nos. 2, 4, 6 & 14 shaders Series 4595 Nos. 10/0 & 5/0 short liners KINGSLAN & GIBILISCO BRUSHES BY ROYAL Series 4175 Nos. 4, 6 & 8 filberts Series 4999 Nos. 0, 1, 2 & 4 mops ROYAL & LANGNICKEL BRUSH MFG. CO. Signature Series L1357 1" camel mix sky wash Mini Majestic Series 4200 No. 3/0 spotter MISC. Sponge roller brush SUPPLIES Basic painting supplies (page 127) Brass corner hardware (optional) Cotton swabs Final Coat Low-Gloss Acrylic Varnish Genesis Heat Gun (optional) Walnut stain SOURCES The wooden palette box with glass insert (no item number needed) is available from Kingslan & Gibilisco Decorative Arts, 4670 Hickory St., Omaha, NE 68106; (402) ; or Note that the brass corner hardware was added separately. * Readers may use either Raw Sienna or Yellow Ochre. One last thing: As many of you know, Mary and I work in heat-set oils as our preferred medium. However, there s no reason that this palette can t be easily adapted to oil paints, and my basic premise can benefit artists in any medium. Every artist is called upon to paint leaves at some point; my hope is that this lesson will challenge us to give those leaves the attention they deserve when that time comes. PREParatION Sand the surface and tack with a moist towel. Basecoat the front with two coats of acrylic Winter Blue. Dry. Sand lightly with a piece of brown paper for a final smoothing. Check that the handle is at the top, and then transfer the design to the front. PAINTING TIPS Although the instructions call for the clouds to be added near the end of the project, in reality they can be painted anytime. I save them for the end so that I can add more light and color where needed and I first check to see if there are any fingerprints or surface problems that would benefit from a cover-up, in which case I put a cloud over them! Heat-set oils will remain open and workable until they are cured. Once set, they cannot be worked. This project is done in stages, and it s important to cure the piece after each stage. To cure the piece, place it (minus the glass insert) in an oven preheated to 265 F (130 C) for ten to fifteen minutes. The piece will look just the same dry as it did wet; to check it, wipe the surface very gently with a tissue and check for any residue. You may not continue work on the piece until it has returned to room temperature! As an alternative to curing the piece in an oven, you can use a Genesis Heat Gun; follow the instructions that come with the product carefully. PAINTING LEAVES When designing and painting leaves, artistic license may be taken. However, there are a few rules you must bear in mind. The color mixes given on page 43 for painting leaves should be used in combination; no leaf should be entirely cool or entirely warm. Contrast in 40

4 STEP-BY-STEP CHERRIES...: Light base: medium ////: dark BIRD'S EYE BODY...: Light base: medium ////: dark FEATHERS...: Light base: medium ////: dark 41

5 leaves creates emphasis; therefore, it s helpful to build contrast in leaves that border your focal point or fall within it. Use cool tones next to warm tones and light values next to dark values. These leaves should be more vibrant, so that they advance within the composition, with wider contrasts and a broader range of values. The leaves surrounding your focal point should be more interesting, too, with bug bites, water drops, strong tones, pronounced veins, and extreme value contrast. By comparison, the leaves further out in the composition should recede and have a more muted presence. Minimize emphasis on these leaves through parallel temperature placement cool tones next to cool tones, for instance and values darks next to darks. Receding leaves will be duller, with closer contrast and a narrow range of values. They can be painted in tones that echo those in the background or other neighboring areas, into which they can seem to softly fade. Another important consideration when designing and painting leaves is the balance of color throughout your composition. Accenting leaves with colors drawn from your center of interest can be an excellent way to achieve a harmonious and balanced color design. Throughout this section, we ll be referring to Figure 1; this is the paper that rests beneath the glass insert in the palette box, and it s a fundamental part of the technique I ll be teaching for developing a palette for leaves. Figure 2 (page 44) shows the same sheet of paper as it appears with the glass insert over it. You ll see that the colors are mixed directly over the paper diagram the glass lies on. COLOR MIXES gray VALUE SCALE Refer here to the Gray Scale column on figures 1 and 2. The scale shown on Figure 2 beneath the Gray Scale heading was taken directly from jars of Genesis Gray values The advantages to using grays directly from the manufacturer are convenience and consistency. However, FIGURE 1 it s easy to mix your own gray scale using Carbon Black+Titanium White instead. When mixing your own gray scale, you ll need to produce at least five distinct values of gray. I recommend beginning with Gray Value 05, which is created by mixing Carbon Black+Titanium White in equal measures. (Carbon Black falls at Gray Value 01 on the gray scale and Titanium White at Gray Value 09.) From the Gray Value 05, add more Titanium White to achieve lighter values (Gray Values 06 08) and more Carbon Black to achieve darker values (Gray Values 02 04). You will need a lot of paint, so make a puddle for each value that measures at least one inch in diameter. BASIC LEAF SCALE Refer here to the Basic Mix column on figures 1 and 2. This is also called the natural leaf scale. To create these values, add a small amount of Genesis Yellow to each of the gray values, thus shifting the hue to the green side. The lower values, from High Dark through Low Dark, should be quieter, or duller in intensity, than the Low Light, Light, and Highlight values. Don t be tempted to add more Genesis Yellow if you don t see enough vibrancy: The Dark and Low Dark values should be very gray, with just a hint of green visible. WARM LEAF SCALE Move one fourth of each of the Basic Leaf Values to the Warm Mix column on your palette. Add Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, or both to the lighter values, and add Burnt Umber to the darker values. The addition of Burnt Umber will dull the dark values if they become too bright. If any value becomes too gray, add Genesis Yellow, and, as with all these mixes, refer to Figure 2 to see my mixes. COOL LEAF SCALE Separate one quarter of the Basic Leaf Values as you did before, moving these to the Cool Mix column. Add Ultramarine Blue to each. Add this color slowly: It is far easier to add more than to subtract extra! If any value becomes too intense, neutralize it with Burnt Umber. NEUTRAL LEAF SCALE Once again separate a quarter of the Basic Leaf Values, moving these to the Neutral Mix column. Create a range of rich browns by adding Yellow Ochre (Raw Sienna can once again be substituted) and a small amount 42

6 FIGURE 2 of Genesis Red to the lighter values. Add Quinacridone Crimson and Burnt Umber to the darker values. Ease mixes that are too intense by adding more Genesis Red or Burnt Umber. Brighten dull mixes with the addition of Yellow Ochre, Bismuth Yellow, or Genesis Yellow. ACCENTS The accents (or tints ) that are required most frequently are shown in the far right-hand column of the palette. (These can of course be adapted to the palettes of other projects.) In addition to these mixes, some colors are used as accents unaltered: Genesis Red, Quinacridone Crimson, Bismuth Yellow or Genesis Yellow, and Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna. Accents are used to achieve variety and harmony in your overall color scheme through the repetition of color. Add accents only in small areas to the edges of leaves, for example. Accent colors can also be used to fortify dark or light values as needed. Warm White Mix: Titanium White +tch Genesis Yellow. Cool White Mix: Titanium White +tch Ultramarine Blue. Warm Blue Tint: Phthalo Blue 05. Bright Green Mix: Bismuth Yellow +Ultramarine Blue. Violet Mix: Quinacridone Crimson +Ultramarine Blue. You may pick up other values from the primary elements in your painting for use as additional accents if you like. LET S PAINT LEAVES I use a side-by-side color placement technique: One value is placed, and then another is placed next to it; the two values are then blended where they meet. A third value is then placed, blended, and so on. Although, you may need to adjust this technique some if you re working in another medium, the basic principle remains the same. STAGE ONE Begin each leaf by identifying whether it is to be a warm or cool leaf. Remember that temperature is always relative, and that a leaf that appears to be cool in one part of a painting may appear to be warm when used elsewhere. Also bear in mind that, as discussed in Painting Tips, a warm leaf must include some cool tones, and vice versa. Next identify the value to be used, remembering that a value 5 may not always be the medium value: Values are determined in part by the position of the leaf and the relative lightness or darkness of its surroundings. Once these properties have been identified, choose your values accordingly and lay them on the surface of the leaf side by side. They should cover the background, although there s no harm in allowing some texture to show. Blend the values where they meet, and use a mop brush for refining. If your paint is still wet, you may now apply accents, tints, and turning colors those colors that transition a medium value into a dark range of values in any living matter. Raw Sienna and Yellow Ochre are easy choices here. If the paint is drying already, these details can be added in the next stage. Similarly, veins can be added now, if the paint is still wet, or you can postpone the addition of veins until the leaf is completely dry. Veins applied to wet paint will appear softer; however, veins applied to dry paint are more easily corrected. Dry the surface as described in Painting Tips. STAGE TWO Enhance (or add) the accents, tints, and turning colors. Adjust the temperature. Violet Mix is a good choice for adjusting dark values while also maintaining color in shadowy areas. Yellow Ochre, Bismuth Yellow, or Genesis Yellow can be glazed on areas that need more warmth; if the application is too bright, buff it with a soft tissue. Adjust the values in the same way, and then evaluate the overall painting to see how well the leaves interact within the composition. Dry, and repeat the above steps as many times as necessary. STAGE THREE In this third stage, we ll complete 43

7 the leaves by adding water drops, bug bites, spatters, and any other incidental elements. Remember that, outside the painting s focal point, less is more. Dry. STAGE FOUR As the bird and cherries are added to the design, draw accent colors of red and yellow from them to scatter among the leaves for balance and harmony. CHERRIES See the Color Mixes and Value Placement Map on page 42. Medium Value: Genesis Yellow+ Titanium White+tch Raw Sienna. Light Value: Genesis Yellow+ Titanium White. Dark Value: Raw Sienna+Genesis Yellow. You may need a tch of Burnt Umber if the change in values is not obvious. Paint the cherries using the same side-by-side values method as was used on the leaves. Dry-brush Genesis Red on the completed cherries as a blush. BIRD Paint the bird using filberts for the feathers, a #10/0 liner for details, and a #3 spotter for shines. I have a habit of adding the eye first when painting birds; I find that this allows more freedom to make corrections. Since the beak is the same color, it can be added at the same time. EYE & BEAK Paint the entire eye and beak (inside and out) with Carbon Black+tch Burnt Umber. Shape the ball of the eye with an outline of Medium Gray Value, and then add a strong crescent of Titanium White on the lower-left hand side. Highlight the beak with Titanium White where indicated and add Genesis Red into the wet black in the inside of the beak. FEATHERS See the Color Mixes and Value Placement Map on page 42. Paint the head and breast of the bird with Genesis Yellow+Raw Sienna. Place highlights around the eyes, head, and chest with Genesis Yellow+Titanium White. Darken as shown on the Value Placement Map with Raw Sienna and then Burnt Umber. Basecoat the tail feathers with Gray 08+Gray 06. Separate the feathers with underlines of Gray 04 or Carbon Black. Basecoat the wing feathers with Gray 05 and underline them with Carbon Black. Highlight and detail the edges of the feathers with Cool White Mix. Dry. STAGE FIVE Once the bird has been heat-set, detail around the eye socket with Burnt Umber. Reinforce any lost areas by adding more light and dark values. LEGS, FEET, BRANCHES & STEM Basecoat the legs, feet, branches, and stem with Raw Sienna+Burnt Umber and darken them with Carbon Black. Place highlights with Cool White Mix, and add touches of Genesis Yellow and Genesis Red. CLOUDS Begin the clouds with a large filbert loaded with Warm White Mix; use a cotton swab, soft tissue, or your finger to feather out the edges. Add more paint and repeat this step, checking the rest of your piece for variety in the size and shape of your clouds. You may wish to dry-brush some of the yellow tones from the bird or cherries into your clouds to balance the color across the composition. ARTIST S SKETCH FINISHING Stain the remainder of the box with a Walnut stain of your choice. Varnish the entire box with several coats of Final Coat Low-Gloss Acrylic Varnish, following the label instructions. When dry, you may add the optional brass corner hardware to protect the corners of your palette box; such reinforcements are available at hardware stores. Ann Kingslan mda, tda is among the most popular of SDP s teachers and designers. She has been a member of the Society since 1972 and a Master Decorative Artist since She has served as national president of SDP and is the recipient of both the President s Commendation and the Silver Palette Award. Ann is the founder of Kingslan & Gibilisco Decorative Arts, a successful art studio, school, publishing house, and retail outlet, which she subsequently sold to her daughter, Mary Kingslan Gibilisco cda and for whom she still works as consultant and teacher. Ann is the author of decorative painting publications and articles far too numerous to enumerate here. A video lesson specifically addressing the topic of painting leaves is available for purchase through her website at You may write to Ann at Kingslan Gibilisco Publications, 920 S. 107th Ave., Omaha, NE 68114; or call (402)

8 For a free design at actual size, affix two first-class stamps to a #10 SASE and send to: The Decorative Painter Attn: A SONG IN THE FOLIAGE 393 N. McLean Blvd. Wichita, KS Allow four weeks for delivery. Design is 65% of original. Enlarge 154% for actual size. 45