Lay It Down and Leave It

One problem beginning oil painters run into is muddy color - even if the paint mixtures on their palettes are rich and clean. Muddy color on the canvas can be the result of fussing too much with brush strokes and blending with the brush. One way to avoid this is to lay a stroke down and leave it.

This takes practice, and many strokes, no matter how perfect, need an edge or size adjustment. Laying down the correcting stroke beside and not atop the stroke to be corrected is the way to do it.

In my oil painting workshop this week, I demonstrated this for students with the following 5x7 painting. I carefully mixed paint and applied strokes, and did my best to get the strokes right the first time. It made for a fun challenge!

"Salt Marsh Stream"
5x7, oil, en plein air
SOLD