Beginners' workshop: Let's paint a landscape

 Beginners' workshop: 

Let's paint a landscape

“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, 

others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” Pablo Picasso

Dr Abe V Rotor

Art workshop instructor

 Waterfall  in acrylic AV Rotor 2025 

Yes, you can paint.

1. Use simple and local materials and tools.
2. Get from a hardware store brushes and latex paints.
3. Stretch canvas on homemade frame, or use plywood or cardboard.
4. You need only the 3 primary colors: yellow, blue, red.
5. With white you can make all colors, hues and shades you need.
6. Use water as medium - sprinkle or spray sparingly as needed.
7. Have a handy mixing board, and save it for succeeding sessions.
8. Blue and yellow makes green; yellow and red, orange; blue and red, brown.
9. Blue and white, sky blue; red and white, pink; yellow and white, lemon.
10. Secondary to tertiary colors: try green and white, brown and white, etc.
11. Black is made by mixing the 3 primary colors in equal amounts.
12. Work spontaneously and freely with these colors you produced.
13. Paint light colors first, dark colors follow, based on your subject.
14. Relax, rest when needed. Painting is a hobby, leisure, and not work.
15. View your work, now and then, near and far. Paint independently. 

 Cumulus cloud turns nimbus. 

Be creative 

1. On-the-spot painting is best at appropriate place and time.
2. Art is creativity where imagination prevails over conventional attention.
3. For example, clouds are everchanging.  Explore and capture the best scenery. 
4. Art is theory, your work is subjective.  Art is freedom of expression.
5. But be keen of the basic elements of art like perspective and balance.  

 

Rain falls on the watershed, in turn makes the waterfall alive.

Details 

1. Details gradually give flesh and shape to your painting..
2. A landscape you have visited or seen leaves an imprint.  
3. Blend this with the present scene on the spot.
4. Or recall it as impression, and try to reconstruct it.
5. Details may be vivid or basic. Only you can tell your painting is finished. 

Waterfall - link of sky and stream, to sea

Impact and Message

1. Art arouses the senses: a waterfall roars, stream talks as it flows, rocks fall and tumble, breeze whispers, birds sing, etc.
2. Air is fresh, clouds are soft to the touch, water cool and pure.
3. All these make your painting alive. You are conveying a message to your viewers.
4. Make them read your mind, feel your feelings, share your philosophy of life. ~

Complete the scenery:

1. Birds in the sky, migrating, hovering, roosting
2. Signs of rain.  Where does a rainbow fit?
3. Rays of light through the sky reach the ground.
4. Kids fishing, hiking, climbing.  A family picnic.
5. Trees and wildlife, far and closeup views. 

And more. 

What is commonly called ugliness in nature can in art become full of beauty.” - Auguste Rodin