Learning to Paint Landscapes with Acrylics

This semester I have joined Wednesday morning classes with Michael Winters, a well known Canberra artist and printmaker. We have been working on tonal studies with a limited palette and trying to blend the edges of shapes and lines in a similar way to the early Australian painters from the Tonalist Movement 1915-1950. Two significant painters were Max Meldrum and Clarice Beckett. A recent exhibition I saw is called "Misty Moderns". At first only burnt umber and white could be used, then Ultramarine Blue was added to the palette. Photos used for paintings were reduced to black and white to emphasise the tones since colour is so dominant to the eye.


My front garden path and the statue by my pond featured in many of these paintings.



Yellow was then added to the palette extending the range of colours as well as tones.


Finally Cadmium Red was added to the palette. Black was never used as it flattens colours.

This was an experimental picture using a highly textured background.
Click on the picture to see more details of the method.