Questioning Landscape Conventions

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In his book on watercolor painting, Francis Russell Flint expressed a common rule of composition: "Avoid lines that cut a picture in half, both vertically and horizontally."</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D8q0R6ZDcOo/VDp2rKRSFtI/AAAAAAAAYc0/nks7C2L53T4/s1600/Lopez%2BGarcia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D8q0R6ZDcOo/VDp2rKRSFtI/AAAAAAAAYc0/nks7C2L53T4/s1600/Lopez%2BGarcia.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"><i>View of Madrid, </i>1987-1994, 72x94 in. by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_L%C3%B3pez_Garc%C3%ADa" style="text-align: start;">Antonio López García</a>, painted on location</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_L%C3%B3pez_Garc%C3%ADa">Antonio López García</a> (born 1936) broke the rule with this painting <i>View of Madrid from Capitán Haya. </i>The horizon splits the composition in the center. In my opinion it succeeds because it sets up an opposition between the frenzy of the human-built world and the empty immensity of the sky.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Mr. López García also resisted the common practice of painting the view in romantic dawn light, choosing instead the stark midday sun, which he said is the main subject of the picture. After having painted other city panoramas early or late in the day, and having studied Hopper's use of light, he said he was at first "afraid to show it in broad daylight because it gave the scene a stark, frightening quality."<br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hBN0pvHWOxk/VDp80Cx5soI/AAAAAAAAYdA/60RIrQJOOHw/s1600/Irises%26rosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hBN0pvHWOxk/VDp80Cx5soI/AAAAAAAAYdA/60RIrQJOOHw/s1600/Irises%26rosa.jpg" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Irises and Roses, </i>oil on canvas, 1977–80 by Antonio López Garcia</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I believe Mr. López García's orientation to tradition and convention is a healthy one. He says: "There's no formula or recipe for this; each artist has to solve it in his or her own way, given their sensibilities and experience. The art of the past can set a high example, but all precedent, and all landscape conventions have to be brought into question and ultimately discarded in order to face the ultimate mystery of nature."</div></div></div><div>----</div><div>Quote from the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0878467335/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0878467335&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=K2DVRSZFJACYPCFP">Antonio Lopez Garcia</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0878467335" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div><br /></div>

Questioning Landscape Conventions

In his book on watercolor painting, Francis Russell Flint expressed a common rule of composition: "Avoid lines that cut a picture in ha...

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School Bus: Step-By-Step in Gouache

Here's a step-by-step sequence of the school bus painting that I showed you recently. The medium is watercolor and gouache.<br /><br /><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gNZZOzfcWck/VDmoIj0YI5I/AAAAAAAAYck/KRjaSNI5_lA/s1600/School_Bus.StepbyStepMontage.sm.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="313" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: start;">I used a background-to-foreground approach, starting with the sky, then the trees, then the surrounding setting, and finally the bus and its details. </span></div><br /><a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2014/09/school-bus.html">Previous post about the school bus painting.</a>

School Bus: Step-By-Step in Gouache

Here's a step-by-step sequence of the school bus painting that I showed you recently. The medium is watercolor and gouache. I used a bac...

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Short Film about a Magical Sketchbook

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="253" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sUy6WJL7wV8" width="450"></iframe><br />"Lila" is a short wordless film that follows a young woman with her magical sketchbook. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUy6WJL7wV8">Link to video</a>).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LR9ZTXKmVq4/VDkowDgVQBI/AAAAAAAAYcE/Z2vMA949bVI/s1600/Lila%2BLascano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LR9ZTXKmVq4/VDkowDgVQBI/AAAAAAAAYcE/Z2vMA949bVI/s1600/Lila%2BLascano.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Fantasy meets reality when she holds up her sketches next to her subjects. The drawings animate and seem to enter the subjects' worlds.<br /><br />The film's <a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2014/07/magic-realism.html">magic realism</a>, and the idea of a woman mending the lives of others, make it a cousin to a film like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/">Am</a>é<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/">lie</a>. The videography makes artistic use of warm colors and shallow focus. The filmmaker is Carlos Lascano, a multi-talented artist who is equally at home in comics, animation, photography, and illustration.<br /><br />If you want to see more by Mr. Lascano, check out the previous films in the trilogy, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxbOQWQ_hho">A Short Love Story in Stop Motion</a>" and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aktY_wlYvNM">A Shadow of Blue</a>."<br /><br />Thanks, Nenko Genov.

Short Film about a Magical Sketchbook

"Lila" is a short wordless film that follows a young woman with her magical sketchbook. ( Link to video ). Fantasy meets reality w...

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Armand Baltazar's Illustrated Trilogy "Timeless"

<a href="http://www.armandbaltazar.com/">Armand Baltazar</a>, an artist and senior designer at Pixar, just inked a deal with HarperCollins for a three book illustrated series called "Timeless."<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oMHBX-O-S6E/VDbc1sbkWXI/AAAAAAAAYa8/wl4-HJvKgtI/s1600/Four_friends.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oMHBX-O-S6E/VDbc1sbkWXI/AAAAAAAAYa8/wl4-HJvKgtI/s1600/Four_friends.sm.jpg" width="292" /></a><br />According to <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pixar-artist-nabs-three-book-738779">the Hollywood Reporter</a>, the trilogy is "in the vein of <i>Avatar</i> and <i>Harry Potter. </i>The story centers on a boy — joined by a motley gang of friends — who is seeking to rescue his father from a Roman general after a 'time collision' has thrown together the past, present and future."<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojDYinNIB24/VDb1Okm9q5I/AAAAAAAAYbc/dYhsZEfDq6k/s1600/CHICAGO_THEATER_embed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojDYinNIB24/VDb1Okm9q5I/AAAAAAAAYbc/dYhsZEfDq6k/s1600/CHICAGO_THEATER_embed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I asked Armand to share some insights into the inspiration, tools, and process behind his illustrations.<br /><br />He says: "I would describe the look and feel of Timeless as an homage to my heroes from the golden age of illustration: NC Wyeth, Dean Cornwell, Norman Rockwell, Joseph Clement Coll to name a few, with classic influences that range from Ilya Repin, Anders Zorn, to Mariano Fortuny."<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZSEumFRUDE/VDbc0mLbT7I/AAAAAAAAYa0/2nZDo_vMLJ8/s1600/Rangers%2Blast%2Bstand-FIX%2BPRINT2014.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZSEumFRUDE/VDbc0mLbT7I/AAAAAAAAYa0/2nZDo_vMLJ8/s1600/Rangers%2Blast%2Bstand-FIX%2BPRINT2014.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>"I started out wanting to paint everything in oil-paint, but having to hold down a demanding full-time studio job made painting late nights and weekends too demanding and impractical. So now the majority of the work for the book is a blend of traditional and digital media."<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJmF__Z4rZM/VDbc5PdfzYI/AAAAAAAAYbM/BQZAh2U-xRM/s1600/Timeless_process.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJmF__Z4rZM/VDbc5PdfzYI/AAAAAAAAYbM/BQZAh2U-xRM/s1600/Timeless_process.sm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I begin with thumbnails. sometimes working all the way through to refined drawings or value comps. But often I'll resolve lighting design in my color keys. I will either scan the thumbnails and drawings into the computer or rough in a watercolor and gouache pass across the top and then scan that in."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AkkUJOFxvtM/VDbc4WB3omI/AAAAAAAAYbE/Lx8sLiJSenI/s1600/Timeless-Adventure.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AkkUJOFxvtM/VDbc4WB3omI/AAAAAAAAYbE/Lx8sLiJSenI/s1600/Timeless-Adventure.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I paint the paintings digitally using Photoshop and Painter. But I use these digital tools in a way that emulates watercolor, oil painting and traditional animation background painting. Using my drawing, and color-key as a guide, I paint from background to foreground."<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gnMAfqlwt4/VDbczxHbd-I/AAAAAAAAYas/BWszFD9BKlQ/s1600/BENTLEY%2BSE5A.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0gnMAfqlwt4/VDbczxHbd-I/AAAAAAAAYas/BWszFD9BKlQ/s1600/BENTLEY%2BSE5A.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I often start blocking in the big graphic shapes of my composition, then my light and dark patterns leaving the shadows as thin simple statements and work towards opacity in the lights. The Flying car painting was painted more like a traditional watercolor saving my lights and working towards darker saturated values and color."</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JWWH-OvN0Vk/VDb1O1zABRI/AAAAAAAAYbg/0zebPUPCBHk/s1600/Timeless_Allosaurus_%23CD8E6E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JWWH-OvN0Vk/VDb1O1zABRI/AAAAAAAAYbg/0zebPUPCBHk/s1600/Timeless_Allosaurus_%23CD8E6E.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>"I work on the painting in the computer using 2-3 simple ugly brushes that give me the tactile quality I'm looking for. I keep the painting flattened and overpaint and cut back over the shapes as I would in oil leaving the history of the brush decisions when possible."<br /><br />"I especially love doing that when painting characters. Trying to get something that is a mix of Rockwell (painterly) and Frank Duveneck with nods towards impressionist color and light when the scene or lighting design calls for it."<br /><br />Thanks for the insights, Armand, and best wishes on the project.<br />----<br /><i>Before landing his job at Pixar, Armand has worked at ImageMovers Digital, Walt Disney Feature Animation, and DreamWorks SKG. He has worked on The Prince of Egypt, The Road to Eldorado, Spirit Stallion of the Cimmaron, Sinbad, Shark Tale, Flushed Away, The Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, A Christmas Carol, and Cars 2.</i><br /><a href="http://www.armandbaltazar.com/">Armand Baltazar's website</a>

Armand Baltazar's Illustrated Trilogy "Timeless"

Armand Baltazar , an artist and senior designer at Pixar, just inked a deal with HarperCollins for a three book illustrated series called &q...

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Video Chat for Outdoor Painter Magazine

<div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="253" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/AvLkz2Q0mIo" width="450"></iframe></div>(<a href="http://youtu.be/AvLkz2Q0mIo">Link to video</a>)<br />Here's a short video chat I did in Wyoming for Bob Bahr of <a href="http://www.outdoorpainter.com/tips/gurney-on-gouache-casein.html">Outdoor Painter</a> magazine. He asked me about gouache, casein, watercolor, and our cross-country sketching adventure.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kcLsRP67PA0/VBlShDiEzSI/AAAAAAAAYL4/QL_8CyTM3VI/s1600/Wyoming%2BRanch.SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kcLsRP67PA0/VBlShDiEzSI/AAAAAAAAYL4/QL_8CyTM3VI/s1600/Wyoming%2BRanch.SM.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />Here's the painting I was working on when I did the interview.<br /><div>----<br /><a href="http://susankblackfoundation.org/">SKB Foundation</a>, a weeklong painting workshop in Wyoming in September</div><div><a href="http://www.outdoorpainter.com/tips/gurney-on-gouache-casein.html">Outdoor Painter article</a><br /><div>"Watercolor in the Wild"<a href="https://sellfy.com/p/Pvxb/"> at Sellfy</a> (Paypal) or <a href="https://gumroad.com/l/watercolor">Gumroad</a> (credit cards)</div></div>

Video Chat for Outdoor Painter Magazine

( Link to video ) Here's a short video chat I did in Wyoming for Bob Bahr of  Outdoor Painter  magazine. He asked me about gouache, case...

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Painting a Street Scene in Watercolor

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="253" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/c1FynskNtjI" width="450"></iframe></div>Here's a video that I made while painting a row of shopfronts in Huntington, Indiana. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1FynskNtjI&feature=youtu.be">Direct link to video</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0VcIoxvJug/VDZ7UdziUrI/AAAAAAAAYaQ/2R3fy2735FA/s1600/Shopfronts.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0VcIoxvJug/VDZ7UdziUrI/AAAAAAAAYaQ/2R3fy2735FA/s1600/Shopfronts.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />My first step is to first measure out a reasonably accurate perspective drawing in pencil. I cover the surface with a light ghost wash.<br /><br />Then I place the watercolor tones with a flat brush. I start with the idea of doing a sepia sketch, but decide to bring in a cerulean/light red combination.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gSm_8gfxEKo/VDZ-VHLMTqI/AAAAAAAAYaY/xqwcM74mXRc/s1600/Shopfronts.det.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gSm_8gfxEKo/VDZ-VHLMTqI/AAAAAAAAYaY/xqwcM74mXRc/s1600/Shopfronts.det.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />As time runs out, I switch to a brown fountain pen to describe the small, fine linear accents.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since the fountain pen is water soluble, I can't add further watercolor washes without dissolving the lines. The reason for adding the penwork at the end of the process is that I was more interested in using the pen for selective small accents rather than for boundary lines.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>-----</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Materials</b>:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00479VQOE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00479VQOE&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=7FKTVCUT72CHC2AZ">Pentalic watercolor sketchbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00479VQOE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HBWE60/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000HBWE60&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=4H73GIE2SD7N2ZQD">Customized pan watercolors</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000HBWE60" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FN6PT0W/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FN6PT0W&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=CIOLGOLX2BMFRYS2">Travel brush set</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00FN6PT0W" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00076RBYU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00076RBYU&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=5P6FA3MFK7DNDSUB">Nalgene 2-ounce jar</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00076RBYU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div>Homemade sketchbook pochade easel using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DJZE0UE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00DJZE0UE&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=7IFRW2GBDIDKUYCS">adjustable torque hinges</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DJZE0UE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037OOTTY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0037OOTTY&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=ZSGWKSN2OLN65L3D">Waterman Phileas fountain pen</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0037OOTTY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J3X9XI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000J3X9XI&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=ZZVDKBG3Y53GIOYT">brown ink</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000J3X9XI" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><b><br /></b><b>72- Minute Instructional Video: "Watercolor in the Wild"</b><br /><a href="https://sellfy.com/p/Pvxb/">More info about the HD download at Sellfy</a> (Paypal) or <a href="https://gumroad.com/l/watercolor">Gumroad</a> (credit cards)</div>

Painting a Street Scene in Watercolor

Here's a video that I made while painting a row of shopfronts in Huntington, Indiana. ( Direct link to video ) My first step is to first...

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