Thursday, June 12, 2014

Including Figures in Landscapes



Sometimes I look at paintings of street scenes and architectural subjects and wonder where all the people went.  Including figures can provide scale, movement, and life to a scene. 

The trick is to avoid painting figures that look stuck on.  If your figures are to be an accessory to the scene, there is no need for great detail.  The man in this painting came by twice.  He had on a plaid shirt, and I joked with him that he would be travelling incognito in my painting, having also removed his mustache! 

Whatever the speed of your brushstrokes, it should not change when it comes to including figures.  The fear of painting figures comes from too much attention to details and not enough to shapes. 

I love the architecture in this scene, and by placing a couple of figures in it, I provide some other spectators the opportunity to love their surroundings, too.

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