From This to That

People often wonder how the artist starts a painting.  I started this one with a cool relief of blues and then  proceeded to what was to come...a warm, red, violet ground color.  Then I began to pick away at the midtone I had established to "find" objects in the wharf scene.  I did no previous drawing or value study.  I simply knew that I wanted to emphasize the wharf objects, so I started finding barrels, flags, boats, and architectural features I have used before.  It is all invention.  But it is very conscious design.  Obliques that are emphasized by the darks and cools help create shapes that are interesting and create tension. 


Remember that every color dominance needs a relief of its opposite.   Warms need a little cool, and cool dominance needs a little warmth.  And above all, establish interesting interlocking shapes!