Mt. Shasta Barn Opus 1

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I spent another day on Old Stage Road in Mt Shasta and again I am inspired by the old barns that surround us. This barn is just yards from the one that I painted yesterday. It is also about the same time of day. I have included a step by step on this one on my blog for artists to see how it was painted.

The question that students ask the most in my classes is “How do I paint that?” The individual recipe of any artist belongs to that artist alone. Though you may find it interesting to know exactly how I painted this painting, you will not be able to create art in the same way. However, over time, you will develop your own way of seeing and painting, and this is what makes creating art so rewarding.

It does help to see other artist’s different approaches and to explore different ways of thinking and painting by viewing other artist’s methods. It is a great way to grow as an artist because it may help you think differently. Try not to look for a “how-to” formula when you start a painting. The joy of creating art is discovering your own way of expressing what you see. So, jump right in and you will find that you have the answers to your own questions as you go along. You will come to understand that every artist has struggled with the same question, “how do I paint that?” You are not alone!

First, I lay in the overall concept of my painting using a big brush. At this moment, I try to visualize the finished painting. Many great paintings are lost because the artist has no vision before he starts.

I begin by sketching the easy shapes and I make every stroke correct. I make corrections as I go instead of waiting until the end to get it right. I start with the chosen center of interest and work out from there.

Next, I lay in the sky and I don’t make it complicated. I use plenty of paint and apply the strokes in different patterns. Then I “chunk” in the values with no more than 4 to 5 value planes.

The completed painting should have soft and hard edges, good values, and a strong focal point. I use the knife to scratch in many of the sticks and branches. Many artists also scratch in their name when they finish so that they can indicate to other artists that they completed the painting on location.

It is interesting that creating art is such a solitary process. Most artists throughout the world spend endless hours in their studios creating art alone. It is only in the moments we are truly working on our own art that we experience the fundamental connection that we share with all makers of art, and it helps to know that there are other artists out there doing the same thing I am doing.

I hope that we can build a community of artists that can share information with each other.If you know of any artists that might appreciate being included, let them know about this blog.I hope to offer more painting tips as this conversation continues.

If you have questions that you would like me to answer, please don’t hesitate to email me anytime.I welcome your feedback. Stefan_Baumann@yahoo.com