Riffing on Granville Redmond 9x12
The Painting Process
"Riffing on Granville Redmond." It's another scale-up project, similar to what I shared recently. I've done versions of this Granville scene many times, including a straight study of his original, some minis, and a 6x8 riff about two months ago. I was really stoked with that smaller riff. It sat on my studio wall until I traded it with a friend for one of his sculptures. Soon I found myself missing my painting. Since I had this extra board already prepped with a date on it, I figured I might as well create a new version.
Riffing on Granville Redmond 9x12
Composition Considerations
One key change was moving the main tree trunk over a bit. In the last version, it was closer to the edge, and I felt it needed more room to breathe. I like to line things up on the rule of thirds, which is what I've done here. The rule of thirds might seem hackneyed, but there's a reason it's pre-installed in pretty much every camera. If you follow that one rule, your compositions will always be better. When the panel is divided into three even spaces each way, placing your main elements near those divisions creates a more harmonious composition.
I've been writing about composition lately. A friend mentioned that you don't want to use formulas to me recently, but I had to disagree because I use formulas all the time without my work becoming stale. It's about how you approach these principles. You could say that doing a burnt umber underpainting on Masonite is a formula, but that doesn't help much with the actual creative process. The challenge of creating each scene is always unique. Here, I wanted to capture the good elements from the previous painting while maintaining freshness and immediacy.
Scaling Up and Reference Materials
When scaling up, I found myself mostly looking at my previous painting because there were specific elements I wanted to recreate—like that patch of yellow with white underneath it, and the blue areas. If you look at the reference images in the members area at the beginning of each video, you can see both my reference and Granville Redmond's original painting. It's quite educational. Often I'll go on intuition when selecting scenes. If I'm trying to make something work, and it's not working well, then another image as I'm scrolling by might jump out at me. That was the case with this one—I missed my 6x8 painting and wanted it back in my life.
A Book on Tonalism
We've been sending out books steadily since I released it. If you're interested in painting in this mode, it gives you everything you need to know. A lot of this information is on the channel, but the book presents it in a linear, organized fashion. It's $60 with international shipping included, and I'll get it to you anywhere on the planet.
Evolution of the Painting
This version came out quite a bit different than it’s smaller sibling, especially because I moved the tree's position. I also changed the branch configuration—where I now have a second branch coming up, in the last iteration that was an entirely separate tree in the back. It doesn't look much like the original Granville painting, but I'm still giving him credit because I've essentially lifted his composition with the trees and the path. One thing he had in his original was a very long, skinny tree coming up through the top of the main tree masses. That work well to me—it's hard to reconcile something like that and make it work.
Critical Compositional Elements
One of the things I'm most sensitive about is the distance between the top of the tree and the edge of the panel. This is critical—if it's too much, the balance feels off. This element gives you a feeling of depth while balancing all the compositional elements. If you blur your vision, we have a big tree mass with an irregular edge, a path, another mass in the back, and the mass of the sky. Look at how the tree interacts with the sky—it's almost like a yin-yang, with those two masses balanced against each other. Most beginning painters would see only the positive mass (the trees) and treat the sky as just something to fill in behind. Every painting is different, always look for these large masses and how they work together—the space between elements, the relationship between the top of the tree and the top of the painting. Where the horizon line sits is another crucial element.
Values and Feeling in Painting
Tonalism is more about values than color. What people notice is the color, but every color you lay down also includes a value component. The harmonious integration of these values with the relationships of the large masses creates feeling in the painting. For me, the feeling is what the painting's about. I use trees, landscapes, paths, and skies as vehicles for emotion. It's not obvious or in-your-face—it's quiet, a feeling of repose—but you know it when you feel it. That's what I'm predominantly interested in communicating.
Tips for Painters
The underpainting session is the place to critically examine what you're doing. Look at the masses and always consider negative shapes as they relate to positive shapes. Notice the balance between elements. One of the best ways to improve is to do quick studies. Get a canvas pad or paper pad with transparent gesso, and make quick little oil paintings using one color. Do a bunch for whatever scenes you feel like painting, and you'll quickly learn which ones resonate more than others.
Until next time, take good care of yourself and stay out of trouble.
Mike