(08-08-2020, 02:42 PM)InbetweenDreams Wrote: Sure thing, oil paints aren't exactly cheap, neither are good canvases. I mean, yes you can buy cheap stuff but you'll be disappointed. I've bought cheap oil paints from walmart only to be extremely disappointed in what they called ultramarine, never seen anything like it, looked like something mixed with titanium white.

I don't go for ultra-realism, I don't always paint everything in the photo, sometimes I add stuff, leave stuff out, etc. I've got one of a night time arctic scene with an aurora, I used several photos as reference in order to better get what I wanted on canvas. Once I finish the other one I'm working on, I'll get that one finished up. So, I do take some liberties but pulling out something like a landscape purely from imagination is difficult for me. I do like the idea of plein air but just never found the time or the urge to go do it...and it is a lot of work to haul this easel, paints, canvases, etc to wherever it is. Also, have to take extra care not to mess up the finished painting on the drive home (lots of curves around here...and definitely don't want oil paint all over the seats and doors and so on)

Believe it or not, that  painting of mine was painted on a bit of cheap fibreboard.  I couldn't afford canvas in those days and the fibreboard has lasted all these years.  I msut have been a bit obsesse with onions in those days and here's another one of my paintings that pre-dated the first one.  This was done in a classroom wheras the first  one was done at home in my living room:

   

Plein air is interesting and undoubtedly adds something to a work but it doesnt preclude working indoors.  "Where there's a will there's a way" and what I am lacking at the moment is the will!

@LONDONER Did you stage the onions? I have thought about setting up a shadowbox for those sort of paintings. That is a very nice painting at any rate. I would be very flattered to hear someone say (by mistake) "isn't that in a museum?" about one of my pieces. I would be stoked if a local gallery would accept any of my stuff lol

I'm impressed! @LONDONER great paintings!

(08-08-2020, 04:54 PM)InbetweenDreams Wrote: @LONDONER Did you stage the onions? I have thought about setting up a shadowbox for those sort of paintings. That is a very nice painting at any rate. I would be very flattered to hear someone say (by mistake) "isn't that in a museum?" about one of my pieces. I would be stoked if a local gallery would accept

@InbetweenDreams, I'm note sure what you mean by "stage".  I just arranged them on the mantlepiece with the light coming in from the left if you're referring to the first painting.  In the second I really don't remember it was so long ago.  My mistake in the second one was to paint in the radiator on the left.  There was no need but then I was in my first year at art school and just beginning to learn.

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(08-08-2020, 06:27 PM)andy Wrote: I'm impressed! @LONDONER great paintings!

Thank you Andy.  I'm glad you like my modest efforts.  Here's another one for you and I assure you I haven't done any more onions since.  As you'll see, this is a watercolour.

   

@LONDONER Perhaps my choice of words didn't help, but what I meant was did you have real onions setup on your mantelpiece and paint from that? Something like this is common for still life's paintings...



Not sure what you like specifically but you might be interested in Draw Mix Paint on Youtube, he does a lot of still life and explains a lot of his process from staining and preparing his canvases and so on. I've recommended a lot of people to his channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/DrawMixPaint

I do appreciate your works. It is very obvious that a lot of time and thought was put into... What I mean is you're not just putting down paint, not rushing through. My problem is I am too damn impatient, not that I get results that I don't like but I feel like if you examined my paintings up close you can tell I went in without much of a plan. I often have to go over things several times and often over blend. Perhaps you can tell me lol I'm not going to deny that I need more practice and perhaps more formal learning, after all I only started painting a couple years ago after watching Bob Ross. Perhaps we should all get together and send LONDONER a set of paint, brushes and some canvases!

(08-09-2020, 02:54 AM)InbetweenDreams Wrote: @LONDONER Perhaps my choice of words didn't help, but what I meant was did you have real onions setup on your mantelpiece and paint from that? Something like this is common for still life's paintings...



Not sure what you like specifically but you might be interested in Draw Mix Paint on Youtube, he does a lot of still life and explains a lot of his process from staining and preparing his canvases and so on. I've recommended a lot of people to his channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/DrawMixPaint

I do appreciate your works. It is very obvious that a lot of time and thought was put into... What I mean is you're not just putting down paint, not rushing through. My problem is I am too damn impatient, not that I get results that I don't like but I feel like if you examined my paintings up close you can tell I went in without much of a plan. I often have to go over things several times and often over blend. Perhaps you can tell me lol I'm not going to deny that I need more practice and perhaps more formal learning, after all I only started painting a couple years ago after watching Bob Ross. Perhaps we should all get together and send LONDONER a set of paint, brushes and some canvases!

@InbetweenDreams, I did just what you said, placed the items on the mantlepiece and yes, all the vegetables were real.  As far as I remember the painting was done fairly quickly.  I couldn't leave the leeks especially, too long before they started to wilt.  I don't think I was ever the type to spend an enormous amount of time over a painting.  If something wasn't coming out as I hoped, I would prefer to discard it.  

You must know that the advanage of oil paint is that if you make a mistake, you can scrape it off and start over again, or just paint over., unlike watercolour that is so unforgiving.  Make a mstake and that's it, no going back.