And for you… friends and fellow artist…an invitation to check back here on my blog for up-dates on our travels… the colorful stories…our  insights… and a few personal  “artistic tips”from one  fellow artist to another.  Looking forward to our our next time together!

I do enjoy sharing with you…my thoughts…my insights…and a few personal “artistic tips” from one fellow artist to another I hope you find them of interest and of a help for you in your own painting!!

Recently…I gave an informative and interesting oil painting demonstration in Albuquerque which was followed by a question and answer session. With this blog (and the following entry) I want to share with you the day’s experience-!!

The oil painting demonstration was from 1 to 4 PM…and was a benefit fund raiser for the NEW MEXICO ART LEAGUE (NMAL). Some 40 plus enthusiastic artists attended…and it was an outstanding afternoon!! When I paint an indoor demonstration…I work from a collection of photos of which I have personally taken over the years. For this demo I choose a number of photos to paint one of my very favorite subjects: moving water.

While painting on location…a vision in nature will touch me deeply…causing me to stop and take a photograph. These photos…along with photos of my own original paintings…became my inspiration for this demonstration.

My oil painting technique was demonstrated and explained at the beginning. I paint with abandon…starting with transparent color washes, using turpenoid as my medium and applying these color washes with large brushes. This becomes my transparent under-painting. I then focus on a specific area…and paint it to near completion. I then paint from this center of interest out.

I continue painting now…using thicker…more opaque paint applied with both brush and palette knife. This process continues until the painting is resolved. I find this combination of very transparent paint and very thick opaque application of paint and everything in between…visually most unique and quite beautiful!!

Our question and answer time together was indeed the perfect closing for the demonstration. A most gracious hosting by all the members of the NEW MEXICO ART LEAGUE. A sincere thank you for all your time and effort to make this a most wonderful event!!

And now for the informal interview…

On our drive back to our home in Santa Fe… Jeanine (my partner) and I exchanged our insights of the day!!

Jeanine: So…Albert…you are so excited and pleased…tell me more of your thoughts about this afternoon’s demonstration.

Albert: It was a pleasure to paint for such a receptive and appreciative audience!! A couple of the highlights for me were…Explaining my way of viewing rhythm or movement in my subject and then demonstrating how I incorporate this into my painting was a highlight for me. When I focus in on rhythm.. rather then the details…this adds “life” to the picture. Rhythm is inter-related with the abstract…thusly…the realism gets stronger and I find that it is more interesting then just focusing in on the details.

Jeanine: Yes Albert…I also liked the suggestion of the inner forest you painted on your oil painting this afternoon. I also remember your incredible explanation of your principals of values… and then for you to actually demonstrate how you use these principals in your painting…AWESOME!!

Albert: Thank you sweetheart for your additional thoughts!! I so appreciate your enthusiasm and your support. How aboutanother posting on my blog soon?

And…upon returning to Santa Fe…to our delight and surprise…there was an email from Diane Bluster, a member of the RIO GRANDE ART LEAGUE who attended the afternoon demonstration.

Her detailed, professional description of the demo which she will be passing onto the RIO GRANDE ART LEAGUE…we felt worthy to include it.

Please visit my WORKSHOP and MENTORING PROGRAM pages of “up-and-coming” events in the Albuquerque, NM and across the states.

I have enjoyed sharing all my latest news with you…and…invite you to view my next posting!! Many GREAT EVENTS ARE HAPPENING!!

By Diane Buster

Albert Handell’s demonstration piece, an oil painting of a waterfall, was designed to show a three step painting process. The steps move from transparent to opaque, from mass to detail, from dark to light, and from thin to thick. He starts with a transparent underpainting using turpenoid as his medium to establish masses and tones. The second stage is drawing of shapes and detail. For the final stage he picks up the palette knife to trowel on thick opaque passages that resolve the painting. His ground, toned with raw umber, consists of Claussen #66 linen canvas mounted to an interior grade Masonite panel and gessoed with 3 to 4 coats of Liquitex gesso. His oil and alkyd paints include Windsor Newton, Grumbacher, and Holbein brands. In order moving around the palette he put out titanium white, viridian, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, burnt sienna, yellow ochre light, Naples yellow, sap green, chromium oxide green, terra rosa, alizarin crimson, cadmium red light, cadmium orange, cadmium yellow, Hansa yellow, ivory black, and paynes gray. He also put out four Holbein grays: Monochrome tint cool, grey of grey, neutral grey, and violet grey. The cadmium colors were Alkyd paints because of drying time. Reference photos were both of landscape photographs and previous waterfall paintings.

Albert’s palette

Albert explained that he likes to talk while he paints but doesn’t like to answer questions. He happily addressed questions during breaks and after the demonstration. To begin he made some construction marks using an ultramarine blue and burnt sienna mixture as the mother color. He then started laying in the first transparent washes. He explained that scrubbing the thin washes into the ground adds to the transparent effect. He altered the value and temperature of the mother color mixture as he worked over the canvas. For example, some viridian was added to the mix for the foreground water area. The rock mass is painted darker and cooler at the bottom and warmer and lighter as it moves into sunlight. The wooded area is applied as a very dark wash using some terra rosa for a rich brown. (At this point raising one of his own brushes, Albert stopped a moment to tell us that if you have a favorite brush, buy three of them. One for applying dark toned colors, the second for middle toned colors, and the third for light toned colors. This will keep brushes cleaner resulting in cleaner colors.) Within each value area, Albert varied the temperature and hue for a vibrant look. (Tip: If there is no edge apparent between mixtures on the palette as you adjust the mother color, you can be confident that the values are consistent.) Albert kept all the edges soft as he completed this first stage of the painting.

construction lines                            scrubbing in masses                            stage one completed

Stage two is all about drawing. Using ultramarine blue, Albert looked at his references and starts sketching. Talking to himself he describes the drawing’s movement as he works. “This goes here, this moves like that, this moves here”…etc. For areas that need to be lighter in value, rather than add more paint he lifts paint. He paints an area with turpenoid, and then lifts details with a brush, or paper towel, or his fingers. He also draws some lines and then softens the line by pulling away from it with his brush. If a color seems too rich, rather than scrape it away, he first tones it with its complement. He makes corrections and adjustments carefully as they might lead to an exciting passage. All of this drawing begins from the center of interest and moves out. When we look at something, we can only focus on one area. This method of rendering is about how we see.

establishing the focal area and starting the knife work

Once the canvas is completely covered and the drawing is re-established the last stage begins. This is when Albert picks up the palette knife. The knife work describes texture and form and allows for application of thicker more opaque passages. Albert starts with a green mixture of viridian and Naples yellow for the foreground water. He taps the color on and smoothes it slightly with the face of the knife moving in the direction of the water’s movement. Establishing the falls, he draws with the edge of the knife and uses pure titanium white. The white is a design element amid all the midtones. Once the shapes of the falls are established he begins to work out from this focal area. He uses the edge of the knife for linear elements and the face for broader strokes. Albert likes the luminous color of the underpainting and leaves much of that showing through. His goal at this stage is to resolve the painting without losing that inner glow. Most of the work at this stage is with the knife, but occasionally he picks up his brush to feather an edge or soften a line.

working on the trees

Albert also uses his brush to lift out the tree trunks at the top of the composition. He uses a signature brush for small branches and goes back to the knife for very fine lines. Cast shadows are added to show the width and form of objects and the direction of the light. Because the painting is still wet, he can lift out shapes like the sky holes. The deep transparent red brown of the underpainting and a thick opaque mixture of alizarin crimson and white for a light pink sky color offer the complementary contrast to the yellow green leaves that he touches on with his knife. The demonstration is over at this point, though Albert may work on the painting after studying it in his studio.

finished demonstration piece

At the conclusion of the demonstration, Albert gathers us around his palette to demonstrate some mixing techniques and to answer our questions. Some pointers he
gave us follow:
• When applying a ground, the first coats of gesso appear grey. You know you have applied enough coats (usually three or four) when the final coat holds its white color when dry.
• Ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and a little white make a good mother color. If while matching values you add ultramarine blue and white to one edge and burnt sienna and white to the other you will have three piles of paint for a warm, neutral, and cool of the same hue.
• Viridian changes dramatically depending on the yellow it’s mixed with. He suggests you experiment. Also try mixtures of thalo blue and thalo green with various yellows. Albert is experimenting with chromium oxide green and liking some of the results.
• Turpenoid is a good medium for the early stages of a painting. Liquin works for later stages. Liquin also makes a good imprimatura coat to seal the painting. Damar varnish can go over the Liquin when dry as a final varnish.
• Landscapes can be very complex if you are not used to painting outdoors and are a studio painter, painting portraits or still life paintings. Consider panning in on your subject matter as if it were a portrait rather than trying to paint everything.
• If you are going to use buildings in your paintings, know perspective or just paint the front or side not the front and the side of the building; for painting both takes in perspective. If you don’t know perspective, don’t fake it! (Better yet, learn it.)

ALBERT HANDELL
OIL PAINTING WORKSHOP BEGINNERS TO ADVANCED

Invitation to Spring 18×24 oil Albert Handell

The Rio Grande Artists Association in conjunction with the 2012 Masterworks Art Show and Sale will host a three day oil painting workshop with Albert Handell, Saturday through Monday, April 21-23, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm. Each morning of the workshop, Albert will start with a demonstration, varying the subject matter. The first two afternoons, Albert will offer individual instruction for participants at their easels. The third afternoon, weather permitting, we will paint en plein air at Shady Lakes.

Registration information: diane_buster_1@msn.com or call Diane at (505) 281 3600.
Workshop location: Expo New Mexico Fair Grounds, Hispanic Arts Building, 300 San

Pedro NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tuition, $350

La Puerta, Sunday Morning 18×20 oil Windswept 24×36 oil