I finished Woodland Path recently. While I completed the bulk of it a week or two ago, I had to wait for it to dry before making some final touches. This is one of those rare occasions where I've put a painting on the easel for a second pass—something I don't often do these days, and a process worth discussing.

The Foundation

We're working on hardboard with two or three coats of house paint, sanded between coats with a nice final sand afterward. I've oiled out the board prior to painting, for two reasons: it allows for erasing during the drawing stage, and that also gives a true representation of the board's color.

This type of woodland scene can be incredibly complex to paint. It definitely took me a while to become proficient at handling this kind of subject. Before I forget, I should mention that in the members area of my channel, I've been sharing the reference images for the past several months. You get a really great look at the reference image before the video begins. All the members area videos are real-time, 4K, and ad-free, so check them out if you want to see the process unfold naturally with plenty of information being shared throughout.

Managing Complexity

When tackling complex scenes, look for patterns, simplify, and don't get too hung up on any one element. In the video you can see me bringing in the paper towel after establishing the basic structure with a smallish brush. I'm using it to block in some of the larger masses, which not only speeds up the process but helps me get darker tones in without becoming too "rendery" (I'm sure spell check would argue that's not a word, but you know what I mean).

The Alla Prima Approach

I've been working alla prima for a long time now, meaning I try to complete the whole painting in one session. Technically, I'm not exactly alla prima since I do an underpainting session first, often letting that dry before the color pass. But the point is that I aim to complete the color work in one go. For the first four or five years of my painting career, it was a given that I would do a first color pass, let it dry, apply a coat of Liquin, and then do a second color pass. In my earliest work, we might be talking about third, fourth, or even fifth color passes.

You might ask, "What's wrong with that? That's how I like to work." Well, when I started video recording my process around 2014-2015, it became educational in unexpected ways. Often, I'd watch the videos later and think, "Oh no, the painting looks really good there—stop!" But I didn't stop; I kept going. This means I did a lot of overworked stuff, for years!

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The Risks of a Second Pass

Looking at the painting in my hands, I really liked it just as it was, but comparing it to the reference, I felt certain elements needed attention. You'll see the last two minutes of this video show that second session. In the members area, you'll hear me say, "We're only going to spend 15-20 minutes on this." I ended up spending about half an hour, and while I accomplished what I needed to, I could feel that risk of turning everything into a mass of small, fussy brushstrokes—one of the main reasons I don't like doing second passes.

Most of the time these days, I make the decision that a painting is fine as is. The kinds of changes I typically want to make are making certain areas brighter or more saturated, but the issue is working with small strokes over already-painted areas. There is a technique I use—a fairly small brush with offhand strokes—but it's generally best avoided. I prefer keeping things fresh and alla prima, in this case, I don't regret the second pass.

Color Considerations

This painting had an interesting mix of colors. Here's a secret: the original reference image was all bright greens. One big problem with greens, especially in photography, is that most photos can only capture about eight or nine different green values, while humans can see hundreds or thousands of different shades. That said, I didn't want to create a painting that was just "green, green, green"—that's not my preference at all. It's very challenging to pull off, though some masters like George Inness have done it beautifully (you can see my attempt at his style in the Past Masters Series, Volume Two).

The Second Pass in Action

Towards the end of the video for the second color pass, you can see what I'm after—brighter highlights in certain areas. The challenge is that when you mix a color, it's hard to gauge on the palette. Nine times out of ten, it's a little too bright or saturated when actually painted, which is why you see me using the paper towel to tamp it down. This is a definite reason for applying Liquin between passes—once you make a mark on a dry, uncoated surface, it's very hard to remove if it's not right. With Liquin, I can tamp down with a paper towel or, if necessary, use a little spirits to remove it completely. The final touches included adding color to the middle foliage, bringing some life to the grass, scumbling on the distant ridge, and adding a bit of light to the path. And then, as they say, Bob's your uncle—we were done!

Until next time, take good care of yourself, and stay out of trouble.

Mike

Woodland Path 8x14