Near the Creek 8x10
Hello welcome to Tonalist paintings by M Francis McCarthy.
Today's video follows the progression of this painting from the early drawing stage to the finished color. Also featured is my usual rambling narration, so please check that out.
I was thinking today about what would define a painter as a Tonalist. First thing that comes to mind is the way that Tonalist paintings look. You could possibly get a good Tonalist feeling across while working alla prima (though this is not easy to do). More likely, to get a Tonalist quality you are going to be working in a manner of painting termed "indirect."
Indirect painting means that the painting is generally started with either a charcoal drawing or with some sort of under painting. The painting would then proceed through various stages where it was allowed to dry before being worked on again. This opens the way for several techniques that are part and parcel of the Tonalist method. Namely glazing, dry brushing or scumbling.
Applying indirect techniques may push your work into a Tonalist sort of feeling. But I was thinking today that a lot what defines a painting as Tonalist, is in the color choices that the artist makes as he's painting. Their pallet would feature more grays, mauves and darker colors in general. In other words, even if a painting is done directly all in one go, wet into wet paint, if the mindset of painter is of a Tonalist bent, the painting was still be Tonalism.
Cheers,
M Francis McCarthy
Landscapepainter.co.nz
A bit about 'Near the Creek' 8x10 inches; This is the second time I painted in a large version this motif. In my reference there are several small trees the distant hills that I eliminated. I also tried to simplify the tree shapes. Were I to do this painting today, I would make them even simpler.
The painting does have a nice Tonalist quality, and is currently hanging up on a wall in my studio at the Quarry Art Center in Whangarei, New Zealand.
To see more of my work, visit my site here
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| Near the Creek by M Francis McCarthy, 8x10 Oil Painting on Wood Panel |
Today's painting is 'Near the Creek' 8x10.
Today's video follows the progression of this painting from the early drawing stage to the finished color. Also featured is my usual rambling narration, so please check that out.
I was thinking today about what would define a painter as a Tonalist. First thing that comes to mind is the way that Tonalist paintings look. You could possibly get a good Tonalist feeling across while working alla prima (though this is not easy to do). More likely, to get a Tonalist quality you are going to be working in a manner of painting termed "indirect."
Indirect painting means that the painting is generally started with either a charcoal drawing or with some sort of under painting. The painting would then proceed through various stages where it was allowed to dry before being worked on again. This opens the way for several techniques that are part and parcel of the Tonalist method. Namely glazing, dry brushing or scumbling.
Applying indirect techniques may push your work into a Tonalist sort of feeling. But I was thinking today that a lot what defines a painting as Tonalist, is in the color choices that the artist makes as he's painting. Their pallet would feature more grays, mauves and darker colors in general. In other words, even if a painting is done directly all in one go, wet into wet paint, if the mindset of painter is of a Tonalist bent, the painting was still be Tonalism.
Cheers,
M Francis McCarthy
Landscapepainter.co.nz
A bit about 'Near the Creek' 8x10 inches; This is the second time I painted in a large version this motif. In my reference there are several small trees the distant hills that I eliminated. I also tried to simplify the tree shapes. Were I to do this painting today, I would make them even simpler.
The painting does have a nice Tonalist quality, and is currently hanging up on a wall in my studio at the Quarry Art Center in Whangarei, New Zealand.
To see more of my work, visit my site here
 |
| Near the Creek by M Francis McCarthy, 8x10 (Detail) |