Dawn Paddock 6x8
The painting I'm bringing you today is called "Dawn Paddock," a 6x8 I painted a couple days ago. I really like how this one turned out and I'm going to walk you through both the technical process and some broader thoughts about painting in our modern age. This piece is painted on MDF, primed with house paint with a reddish undertone. The ground color is critical in my process because it peeks around objects. Through years of experimentation with different tones - from dark burnt umber to bright burnt sienna - I've found this particular ground color works perfectly for my approach.
Dawn Paddock 6x8
For the underpainting, I've chosen burnt umber for its versatility. It offers both transparency and opacity when needed, dries quickly, and complements the prepared board beautifully. These technical choices form the foundation of the painting's success. The reference image, shown in the members area, underwent a significant transformation. Based on a New Zealand scene I'd painted years before, I made several crucial compositional changes. The middle-distance tree serves as a focal point, working with the trees on the right. I added a path element - something I frequently incorporate because it invites viewers into the painting, solving the common problem of a stagnant foreground.
Using Photoshop, I removed a problematic round bush at the bottom of the central tree. This decision came as a result of years of painting experience – it’s something I wouldn't have recognized as an issue in my earlier work. The ability to identify and solve these compositional problems develops through consistent practice and critical evaluation.
Modern technology has totally transformed how I set up reference materials and solve compositional problems. While Photoshop and AI tools offer powerful capabilities, they remain supplements to artistic judgment rather than replacements for it. The technology must serve the artist's vision, not the other way around. The world is rapidly embracing AI-generated illustrations. As a former commercial illustrator, I can identify AI art, and I acknowledge its impressive capabilities. However, this technological shift shouldn't discourage traditional painting - it should inspire us to focus on creating unique, physical artwork.
Digital art offers convenient features like unlimited undos and quick variations, which commercial clients love. However, physical paintings provide something unique – they are tangible artifacts in real space. This physicality will become increasingly valuable as our world digitizes further. My own transition from commercial illustration to oil painting reflects this philosophy. While proud of my commercial work and innovations, I grew tired of being used as an expression tool for clients. Fine art painting allows for pure personal expression, creating unique objects that exist in the real world.
I've been painting seriously since 2009, I have a daily practice in making art. This consistent work has created exponential growth in my skill and understanding. Each painting building upon previous experience, developing critical faculties that inform my work. The human learning process is intensely personal. While you can watch my videos or read my book, you as an artist must develop your own understanding through consistent practice. The non-transferable nature of artistic experience and expression makes each person's work inherently unique and valuable.
As automation reshapes the job market, creative expression becomes increasingly important. Physical artwork may become a new form of currency in a world where traditional jobs disappear. Regardless of economic changes, I'll continue painting because I love it and believe wholeheartedly in its intrinsic value. While AI might someday mimic my style based on my thousands of demonstration videos, it can only capture the surface elements. True artistic expression comes from human experience, emotion, and intention - something AI cannot yet replicate.
I'll keep painting and teaching regardless of how technology evolves. The future may change how we value art, but personal expression remains fundamentally important.
Take care of yourself and your family, stay out of trouble and fight the powe
Cheers,
Mike