Tree by a Path 8x12

Tree by a Path 8x12 is a departure from my usual painting approach. While my process differed significantly, the final result has a lush, vibrant quality that gets across essence of Tonalist landscape painting pretty well.

Tree by a Path 8x12

I started with hardboard prepared with multiple coats of house paint primer. This base carries an earthy tone with subtle red undertones that pairs well with burnt umber. The relationship between these two colors is crucial when working with the early layers of paint. The subtle reddish quality provides a warm foundation that influences every subsequent layer.

My approach to the underpainting here relied heavily on paper towel application - a technique often overlooked but incredibly valuable. This method allows for broad, efficient blocking of major compositional elements before diving into more detailed work. Mass drawing focuses mostly on establishing relationships between large shapes. These relationships ultimately determine the painting's success more than any fine detail work could ever achieve.

One significant challenge with this painting involved how I handled the distant rectangular mass of hills. Instead of creating an elaborate background , I went with a more subtle solution, introducing a grayish sky tone that merges with the hill shape. That way the transition becomes more natural and less abrupt. Also, the inclusion of a path improves the composition - without this element, the foreground would just be a bunch of grass and would lack the depth and interest that the path provides.

About my technique, while my strokey style remains a consistent element in my work, it usually plays a more subdued role. The sky received my standard treatment - direct application with controlled brushwork. However, the landscape portions called for a different approach, starting with using oil paint more like a wash, allowing interaction with the toned board beneath. Then finishing with more opaque individual brush strokes. This technique deffo harkens back to my "100 Days of Tonalism" series, where I would lay green tones over my red-toned boards to create a quick Tonalist effect.

This painting maintains a controlled color palette, with the landforms primarily existing within a red-to-green range. The sky introduces blues and pinks, providing necessary contrast. The background areas utilize cooler greens to suggest distance, following traditional atmospheric perspective principles. My brushstrokes remain visible but softened somewhat through careful blending, creating a balance between the brush stoke texture and smoothness underneath.

Working with the partially dried painting presented some unique challenges. Typically, I prefer allowing an oil-wash layer to dry completely, then apply a coat of liquin and let that dry before I continue because paint applied directly to the partially dried surface becomes permanent - allowing only minimal adjustment through softening rather than removal. The sky with its dynamic movement, I left alone as originally painted. Recognizing and preserving good elements of the painting are just as important as knowing where to make changes.

That’s it for this painting post. I hope you got some good information from reading this post and watching the video on my process. Check out my Members Area on YouTube for hundreds of live painting sessions and also my Book which has a ton of tips and insights that could help you paint Tonally.

Cheers,

Mike