Road to Paradise Art Lesson

Road to Paradise Lesson 1
Robert Butler painting at Billy's Lake in the Okeefonokee Swamp	The very first painting I want to have you create in my online classroom is called "Road To Paradise". Any place that looks as pristine and inviting as this pinewoods scene has to be Paradise. You can always click on the thumbnail images presented in these lessons to see a larger view. The Robert Butler Paint Kit contains all the paint and brushes you will need to begin this artistic journey. You will also need something to put your paint on (a pallette) and a container of water (if you are using acrylics) to keep your brushes clean and moist. Tip#1... I keep my brushes in the water jar anytime I'm not using them. When I take them out to use them, I just pat them on a folded paper towel to remove excess water. The little bit of moisture retained in this way helps to retard the drying of the acrylic and makes blending easier! Generally, I paint from top to bottom and back to front. That means that I begin with the sky and work down to thehorizon line. Then I work my way forward in the painting. The pictures will explain my system. This scene works well on a 16 x 20 canvas.
	The sky sets the mood of the painting and the time of day. I have chosen a dramatic sunset sky using Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Light and a touch of Burnt Carmine mixed on the pallette. Use more Yellow and some White as you blend down. Usethe fan brush to cover large areas of the canvas like the sky. Tip #2... Due to atmospheric conditions, the sky is usually darker the higher you look and lightens as it nears the horizon! Notice that the sky is very light, almost white, as it nears the horizon. Also..., where you place the horizon line determines whether your painting will portray distance ( a low horizon ) or a scene that is a close up view of the subject (a higher horizon). This scene portrays distance. If I were painting an Oak Hammock and wanted the viewer to feel as though they were standing under the trees, I'd raise the horizon or lose it altogether.

Road to Paradise --- Lesson 2

Clouds are added using very light shades of the sky color, and white. The setting sun is reflecting off the bottom of the wispy clouds. As you gain painting knowledge you will learn that certain types of cloud formations are related to other natural elements. Time of day, time of year, etc. Use the fan brush to paint these clouds with a quick, flicking motion. There are no clouds at the horizon.

Now we add the far distant subject matter.. You'll notice that my brush went out of control and I wound up with a slanting line. I can fix it by lowering the left side or..., by bringing the middle ground that I have yet to apply, up to create a level line. I can even leave it like it is to suggest a slope in the land.The farther away an object is, the less distinct the details of that object are. Distant colors are muted and there is little detail. My background trees are only general in shapeto suggest a heavily wooded area. Objects in the foreground will be more distinct. Use shades of Hauser Green blended with Yellow Ochre and muted with a touch of Burnt Carmine to grey them out. Use the brush that is most comfortable for you and create the trees with a jabbing, stippling motion. Don't "mush" your colors. Use a light touch and let some colors rest on top of others.

This series of pictures illustrates what I mean when I say that I paint from top to bottom and back to front. We now add what is called the "middle ground". I have placed a semblance of land under the background trees, roughed in a winding road that tapers to practically nothing and added several pine trees that are near enough to show a bit of detail.

Road to Paradise --- Lesson 3
This is what we will add to finish the painting. It's called the foreground. Often the foreground contains the center of interest or the main theme of the painting. Objects in the foreground contain more detail because they are much closer to the viewer. Colors are also much more distinct. The picture below shows the foreground added to complete this picture. In the last frameI have added close up shots of the pine trees, palmettoes, and grass so you can get a better idea of how I handle the textures and details in the foreground.
Click on this thumbnail image to get an enlarged picture of the finished painting. Tip #3, Pine tree trunks are almost perfectly straight. There is little or no taper from top to bottom and pine bark is very "chunky". Palmettoe fronds are shaped like a flat hand with the fingers spread. Techniques for doing detail are better explained in my video and instruction books. Basically, it's just a matter of observing and practicing
Left side detail	Right side detail	I hope that this brief introduction to my first online art lesson has been helpful. I would appreciate it if you would let me know how I can make them more meaningful for you. Also..., if you are having trouble with any aspect of your painting feel free to e-mail me and ask questions. It is my intention to make this online lesson format not only convenient but also worthwhile for those of you who are working to paint the Florida landscape. If you have a way to forward digital images, I would like to see them. R.B.