CHRISTOPHER VIDAL
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Artist Christopher Vidal  - Blog

Welcome to my blog. The aim of this blog is to share with you some of my experiences related to my artworks, what inspires me and also how it is done. As an artist I am also constantly learning as this is an ongoing process. I also learn from my students when I am teaching in the class. Sharing what I know with others is also very satisfying. This is how we grow and improve. 
I've been teaching art for a while now, and I must say that from this I learned a lot. This helps me to identify what each individual needs in order to become a better painter. Painting is not an easy task especially landscape painting. One needs to have the inspiration to paint a tree or a mountain and it is not a question of just wanting to paint something. I choose to paint something because there was an element that motivated me to do so ...that inspired me. It could be the game of light and shadows or simply the warm colors of a late afternoon. It is sometimes very difficult to translate the colors that nature shows us using paint on a canvas. This challenge could be also a way to motivate you to paint a scenery. 
Most important is that you do not expect that every painting that you paint is going to be a masterpiece. You shouldn't be afraid that your final product is not what you expected in the first place. An unsuccessful painting should be the teaching ground for a better one that follows. This is how we learn. We learn from our own mistakes and from things that didn't work out as we wanted them but with an effort we try to make them better the next time. 
So if you want to become a better painter then you have to practice and paint regularly. This is the only way how you can improve your techniques, discover ones of your own, learn your colors etc. It is all about brush mileage. The tutor is there to help you find your way, shows you the basics and how to use your tools in order for you to be able to develop yourself. 
Looking forward to share with you my knowledge.

Painting Mt Roland, Tasmania

9/12/2020

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Today I want to share with you the painting process of this landscape...A view of Mt Roland, Tasmania.

I was driving back to Hobart airport after we left Cradle Mountain, while visiting Tasmania back in 2017. So we stopped to capture a few photos of the views of Mt Roland as seen from the side of the road. It was a lovely view, watching the cows grazing with the view of the mountain in the distance.

Recently I decided to paint this view, using a traditional method of painting in oils. 
Surface used: Caravaggio smooth linen stretched
Oil paints: Ultramarine blue, Cobalt blue, Cobalt teal, viridian, burnt umber, Indian red, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, quinacridone magenta, cadmium red light, cadmium orange, Flake white, Transparent yellow oxide, unbleached titanium.

Top image left, reference photo

I started the painting with a very thin wash of burnt sienna followed by sketching with paint the main shapes and composition (top image right)

Next stage was to start blocking in with the basic shadow colours, each of the major shapes established in the previous step, moving from the distant background mountains towards the foreground and sky. By the end of this stage I wanted to get the basic values of the main big shapes established in order to get a better idea of the composition as well as getting a feel of distance. My focus was on values rather than colour. Most of the paints used are fast drying and transparent. I used a rubbing off technique using a rag to uncover the previous layer of colour in particular areas such as the clouds (middle photos)

The next stage was to proceed to adding more details while establishing the form. This is usually done by starting to establish better the light while re-establishing the darks. As the process moves forward more details will be added, such as fences, cows etc. The light and highlights are also established as late as possible during the process (bottom left).

The completed painting is shown in the image at the bottom right.

Thanks for reading.
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    As an artist I want to share with you my experiences and what is behind my artwork. Every artwork is an expression of the inner self. It is driven by experience. 

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  • Home
  • The Artist
    • About my work
    • Media/Publications
  • PAINTINGS
    • Paintings for Sale >
      • Landscapes
      • Plein Air
      • Still Life
    • Commissions
    • SOLD Paintings
  • Tuition
    • Online Mentorship
    • Workshops & Demos
    • Plein Air Painting
    • Oil Painting Course
    • Student Works
  • Products
  • Blog
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