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Embarking upon a painting featuring lots of elements regarding textures, patterns and colour shifts may overwhelm the artist wishing to try something challenging. Striations on seashells, embroidery on curtains or layers within red cabbage may cause visual overload where the artist does not know where to begin. What is the simplest technique for painting detail without compromising the quality of the finished artwork?

Problems with Painting Detail

Applying Detail in Oils Rachel Shirley

The idea of embarking upon a painting with lots of detail is often appealing. The reward of completing an exacting work of art that catches the eye and entices the viewer to take a closer look may cause the artist to go in with both feet with such a project. However, once faced with the reality of emulating a multitude of patterns and textures, the artist may experience the wind go out of the creative sails. The following may cause an unsatisfactory painting with detail.

Trying to complete the painting in one go and with increased haste towards the end due to fatigue. This will be reflected in wobbly lines, patchy colour mixes and uneven paint layers.

Spending too much energy on preparing the project, collating visual resources, completing an accurate and detailed drawing, and setting up the workstation. When the time actually comes to paint, the artist may become lacklustre and run out of steam. An uncompleted painting is the likely result.

Using inferior art materials for exacting processes, such as cheap brushes and pigments with poor tinting strength will create difficulties for the artist and an unsatisfactory painting of detail.

How to Paint Detail

The artist must think realistically about how the project is to be completed. The following tips may help.

Accept that a large detailed painting will never be completed in one day. Plan what to do first and how much per session. Be realistic about how much time the painting will take. This will keep the painting manageable.

Create small goals. If the painting features several objects, complete one object per day. Alternatively, if two or three objects contain similar hues, such as maroon striations in a red cabbage and textures on a beetroot skin, complete those objects containing that particular hue together.

Begin the painting session with the most challenging detail when feeling most up to it. The easier parts can be completed at the end of the session.

Take regular breaks from the painting. Time easily slips away whilst engrossed in painting each layer of an onion. Don’t push too hard. Beware of discomfort when sitting too long. Move about periodically.

Try not to think about the whole painting whilst painting a small aspect of it. Relegate all other objects as invisible. Imagine the painting is in fact several paintings in one. This will make the artist feel that the painting is moving forward.

Essential Art Materials for Detailled Painting

The artist must never guesswork detail, or the painting may fail to convince. For this reason, excellent visual resources and good lighting are vital. This means photographs of a high resolution or subject matter that is up to standard. Good lighting conditions may comprise a north-facing skylight, or adjacent window. Painting in dull lighting may give the artist a false impression of the painting’s quality until viewed under bright conditions.

Excellent quality fine sable brushes are vital. Kolinsky sables provide fine points, softness and springiness. When it comes to sharp detail, rounds sizes 0, 1, 3 and 6 will suit most purposes. A selection of filberts or fans will create smooth blends.

Art Techniques for Painting Detail

Oil painting in glazes enables the artist to work over the painting in layers to achieve an ever higher and sharper-detailed finish. This entails the application of the paint in thin translucent layers, most often thinned with linseed oil. Each artist will have personal preference, but the following describes how I typically complete a detailed painting:

Apply an imprimatura of an earth colour, usually thinned burnt sienna or burnt umber acrylic paint. This will kill the overpowering white layer of the canvas.

Sketch the composition on top with a fine chalk pencil. Detail is not essential as the drawing will be concealed by the overlying paint.

Select an object in the painting; in this example, an onion. Apply the base colour thinly, which might be cream or beige Express shifts in tone and brush away unwanted marks. Apply the detail with slightly thicker paint. The onion layers can be suggested by applying thinned paint via a rigger or thin sable. Even out unwanted brush marks, accepting the object will not be perfect at this stage.

Allow to dry. In the meantime, the artist may embark upon another object if feeling up to it. Return to the onion another day once touch-dry, applying a second glaze. This glaze can be used to modify or improve upon the lower layer. Sharpen up detail and smooth out unwanted brush marks. The artist may notice the object appears sharper, more intense and closer to the desired effect. A third layer can be applied if desired, although only select areas may need attention.

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Despondency may descend upon the artist who assesses a completed still life for the first time only to be met with garish flowers, wonky ellipses, insipid colours or a foreshortened object that appears skewed. The rendering may have a naïve quality or one where the problem is difficult to identify; the painting just looks wrong. Such dissatisfaction may cause the artist to throw in the brushes, but such a decision might be hasty.

Troubleshooting Still Life Art

How to Paint Better Still Life Rachel shirley

The artist who ventures into painting for the first time since childhood may understandably need to learn about the different techniques and visual skills needed for creating an authentic piece. Leniency must be exercised during the learning process. However, the following issues might also have contributed to a childish-looking painting:

Executing the painting whilst sitting close to the canvas will cause imperfections and errors to become invisible until viewed from afar. Tumblers that lean to one side or a biscuit tin that lacks a vanishing point will remain undetected until it is too late. Sitting too close may also result in a squashed-up rendering of a still life that inhabits one corner of the page.

Failing to make visual comparisons between the painting and the still life setting means the memory must fill in the gaps. Painting from memory will undoubtedly ruin any attempt at realism and lead the artist to make assumptions about the objects in front, such as: all oranges are perfectly round and all teapot spouts are long in shape. This dogmatic advice comes from what I call the dictatorial part of the brain, and is the enemy of authentic art.

Mistakes in Painting

Similarly, a still life containing a long object viewed in foreshortening such as teapot spout or a breadstick often creates a dilemma; the object is long, and yet it looks like a stub. In a bid to make the two marry-up, the artist may artificially lengthen the object in the sketch even though it appears a mere stub in real life.

Painting onto a white surface will make it difficult for the artist to make accurate judgments of the objects’ tonal value. A pale colour when applied onto a bright white canvas will appear dark, even though it is pale. This will have a culminative effect upon the painting where a wishy-washy oil sketch may result.

Not planning the drawing and compositional stage of the painting could lead to a still life that lacks balance. A shadow falling off the edge of the painting or too many large objects in one corner could lead to a lopsided painting for which no painting technique can compensate.

Still Life Painting Exercises

Making improvements to a childish style of painting is possible by simple strategies that will require practice.

Plan the composition before laying paint to canvas. Identify the centre-point of the setting to ensure the objects sit squarely on the page. Guard against drawing too small. Keep marks loose and bold. The first mark is rarely correct so making a preliminary light sketch will make it easier for the artist to lay down darker lines where adjustments are needed, although an eraser can be used.

Apply a thin wash of neutral-coloured acrylic paint before embarking upon the still life. Such an under-glaze will give a truer indication of the colours’ tonal values as opposed to painting onto a white surface. Endeavour to use an array of tonal values from very dark to very pale to prevent an insipid painting that is hard to discern from a distance.

Make the regular habit of getting up and viewing the painting from afar. This enables the artist to make visual comparisons easier, as both the still life setting and painting can be seen on a smaller scale. Turn the painting upside down or view through a mirror. Doing so will reveal hidden mistakes or if the painting is lopsided. Make adjustments whilst the painting is upside down.

Painting Candidly

Remember to keep making visual comparisons. Do not let memory sneak in. Break down the composition into a simplified jigsaw. Make comparisons between how one object looks against another regarding tone and contour. Is the milk jug twice as tall as the teapot or slightly taller? Is the eggcup slightly darker than the egg or slightly paler? The first mark will seldom be right but making adjustments whilst the painting is in progress is the key to edging towards accuracy.

Believe what the eye sees regardless of how “wrong” it might seem. This applies particularly to foreshortening. A long object can indeed appear short. Forget what the mind knows about the object and override presumptions about how the objects “should” look.

Begin with a simple still life rather one that is too challenging. Ellipses, like foreshortening and reflections often create problems for the beginner. Leave them until more confident with still life painting. These issues are tackled in separate articles.

Overcoming Childish Painting Style in Still Life Art

Don’t give up too easily if a still life rendering looks childish. Simple painting exercises can be tried to overcome garish flowers or a lopsided drawing. Plan the composition before laying down the paint. This means centering the objects onto the painting surface and not drawing too small. Ensure any perpendicular contours are indeed perpendicular and not leaning to one side. Get up and view the painting from afar; view it through a reflection or upside down. This will reveal hidden mistakes. Apply a neutral under-glaze to kill the whiteness of the painting surface. This will make it easier for the artist to judge tonal values more accurately. And finally, simply paint what the eye sees, not what is imagined. A banana can appear ovoid; a violin can appear rectangular.

Relevant Links

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With the aim of supplying contrast between the old and new, the artist may include corroded objects in a still life. Rusty tools, watering cans or engine parts are sure to challenge the artist wishing to explore different textures. But despite attaining the desired colour mix, the objects portrayed do not suggest oxidisation. What art technique can the artist use to portray rusty metal convincingly?

Aged Effects in Oil Paint

Aged Objects in Still Life Rachel Shirley

Aged textures on metal may sometimes defeat the artist who is unsure of how to capture the texture of rust or peeling paint. Sensitive colour mixing is not always enough to suggest rust, and in some cases will merely make the object appear brown or orange. This situation is not helped if the paint is applied evenly and with uniform brush marks. The secret to painting rusty objects effectively lies partially in colour-mixing; the rest is down to how the paint is applied.

Rusty Objects for Still Life

Partially-oxidised metal objects will offer interesting contrasts between blemished and unblemished areas, which can be exploited in paint. Peeling paint can also add charm and visual textures to any still life. With several elements to consider, there is a choice of techniques the artist may use to suggest each.

Art Technique for Painting Rusty Metal

Good visual resources are vital for subtle effects such as rust. In this respect, little can compare to painting from life, which was what I did for the rustic watering can. The following technique can be tried.

Make sensitive observations of the rusty object regarding hue and tone. I find various amounts of burnt sienna, cadmium red, burnt umber, permanent rose and white occur most prevalently in rusted objects, although blues and violets will be seen in shaded areas. Corrugated iron may exhibit burnt umber, ultramarine and pthalo blue in various portions.

Apply a thin under-glaze of burnt umber acrylic prior to the painting. This will help when judging tonal values of the rust, as well as support the overlying rusty colours. Once dry, begin with the palest areas of the rust first. Apply the paint briskly and unevenly via a filbert ox-hair. Allow a little of the under-glaze to show through in places to add expression and suggest rough textures. A technique known as sgraffito can be incorporated, which involves etching into the paint layer with sharp implements to emulate a scratchy surface.

How to Age Metal with Oil Paint

Work progressively darker, adding a little ultramarine and/or burnt umber. Allow brush marks to remain in the paint. If peeling paint is featured on the object, apply the colour concerned thinly, working the paint roughly.

If the painting of rusty metal does not work out, allow the painting to dry and then work on top. Uneven layers of the underlying impasto will enable the artist to “scumble” paint onto selected areas of the subject matter to achieve a broken glaze. Applying the oil paint thinly (without adding linseed oil) will bring an effect like pastel pencil to the painting, ideal for suggesting rusty textures within a still life setting.

Textures in Oil Paint

The raised edges of cracked paint on a metallic object can be suggested if a little burnt umber is applied to shaded areas of the painting via a fine sable. Better control of the paint is possible if the pigment is applied neat rather than thinned with linseed, bringing an effect like crayon. Do not apply the paint in linear fashion, but with uneven marks. Remember that shadows cast by raised edges will often adjunct bright highlights of the raised edges themselves.

Finally, remember to make artistic comparisons between the rusty areas of the object and the unblemished metal, to ensure the tone and hue of each relate accurately.

Articles on Painting Aged Still Life

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After spending hours arranging a still life setting, the artist may suddenly be struck by the emptiness of the background. This element might be left until last, when the artist has run out of steam, leading to the blocking in of one colour, often brown, grey or white. In an attempt to make the background more interesting, a shadow might be introduced behind the objects, which is likely to appear unconvincing if painted from memory. How can the artist create interesting backgrounds for a still life painting?

Troubleshooting Backgrounds in Painting

Still Life Backgrounds

Because objects in a still life are solid entities that inhabit empty space, the artist may forget that this space is also a visual element, and more importantly, may take up more surface area of the painting than the objects themselves. Relegating the background as unimportant could cause compositional problems later. The following might also create problems with backgrounds:

Not thinking through the colour chosen for the background, which might be garish, too heavy or wish-washy. A purple or red background for instance, might appear to advance at the viewer if pale objects are featured, causing a chromatic imbalance. Again, using anemic pales for the background is likely to make the painting appear incomplete.

Similarly a background that does not give adequate visual information about where the object lie in space is likely to result in a painting of objects that appears to float on the page. An idealized background that simply gets darker or paler towards the edge of the painting might also leave the impression that the artist simply ran out of ideas of what to do with the background.

Simply painting the background as it is, including objects falling off the edge of the painting could cause a compositional imbalance. Not applying artistic editing could also lead to a cluttered background that takes the focus from the objects.

Negative Space in Backgrounds

Firstly observe the shape of the background. This is known as negative space and can be used to balance a composition. Look for imbalances between the objects and the background. Are there too many tall objects on one side of the setting creating a wedge shape to the background? Try mixing up the shapes of the objects, so that there are no gaping chasms of empty space within the composition that could take the balance from the painting.

Background Contours

An empty background will look less obtrusive if divided into simple elements. This might be the edge of a lace curtain behind the objects, part of a shadow falling over the table or sunlit squares filtering over the wall. Dividing the background up in this way provides visual channels through which the eye may travel to select focal points in the painting. These outlines could be used to echo another contour within the composition such as a piece of crockery. Avoid placing such an element dead centre of the composition or it may look contrived.

Interesting Background Ideas for Paintings

A simple background of one colour can in fact be effective if applied with thought. Mere brush marks will give a still life study a feeling of movement and energy. Using two colours will create an interesting interplay of patterns and marks through expressive brush strokes. Consider using a contrasting colour to the main objects, to give the still life painting added punch. Using a smoky blue background for orange and red fruit will create a dazzling effect.

Backgrounds for Still Life Painting

Never pass-off a background as unsuitable. Often the best way to find out if a particular background works is simply to try it out. Here are some suggestions:

To the eye, shadows are as solid as the objects themselves and can be used to fill an empty background. A desk-lamp or candle can be moved about and the shadows shifted at will. Shadows may appear to stretch out across the wall under oblique lighting, or provide weird and abstract forms. Remember that shadows can harbor shifts in tone and hue, as well as different outlines which can be exploited.

Placing objects at a kitchen window or mirror will offer a view with a view. A tantalising glimpse of the garden beyond the aperture of curtains could add depth and other-worldiness to the composition. If the objects are brightly-lit, reflections might be seen on the window pane and which could add a focal point to the background.

Contrasting Backgrounds

Supply contrast to the objects, whether this is textural, chromatic or tonal. A yellow flint of sunlight behind slate silverware provides contrast in colour temperature; pale minimalist wallpaper provides tonal contrast against a brown brandy bottle; a heavy, embroidered curtain provides textural contrast against smooth glassware.

Placing large objects within the composition can be used to break up the background into more manageable parts. A large glass tumbler provides a great opportunity to show a distorted view of the background which may take up a significant part of the painting; the slats of a lathback chair breaks up the background into smaller compartments and creates interesting negative shapes. Or simply a bulky pair of work-boots provides a diversity of outlines that obscure large parts of an empty background.

Good Backgrounds for Still Life Art

A bland background can spoil an otherwise well-painted still life. The secret is to treat the background with equal importance to the objects themselves. Look out for an imbalance in distribution of this “negative space” throughout the painting. Mix up the objects in a bid to find a more interesting background shape. Expressive brushmarks will inject energy into a still life painting or contrast can be injected by colour, texture or tone. A simple adjustment can make the background a more interesting element with equal significance to the still life objects.

Relevant links

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A painting featuring high tonal contrasts and an array of delicate shades between may confound the artist who is unsure of how to make each tonal value sit together in a convincing still life or landscape. Instead shadows resemble black holes in the canvas, colourful objects lack form, and pale objects simply look insipid. The result is a painting that lacks atmosphere. How can the artist produce a painting that has a strong sense of light and dark and therefore mood?

Troubleshooting Lights and Darks in Painting



How to Paint Tones Rachel Shirley

Rendering tones in a painting will be made difficult if the artist fails to make sensitive observations of how light actually behaves in real life. Presumptions about tones may undermine any attempt at a painting that has an authentic sense of light. In this respect, the following approaches need addressing:
Assuming objects of a particular local colour are always darker or paler than another. For instance, yellow objects are paler than blue ones, and violet objects are darker than orange ones.

Making generalised assumptions about shadows being black or dark grey, or illustrating them as being the darkest area of the painting; and in similar fashion, assuming an object that catches the light is always the palest area.

Viewing highlights and shadows as definite areas of light and dark without thought for the tones between. The result is a painting that seems to comprise of cut-out shapes that lack delicate shades or diverse divisions between light and dark.

Painting Tips for Shading

A painting featuring bright colours will often get in the way of how light or dark the objects actually are, and could mislead the artist of the objects’ tonal value. The following simple tips may make the task of rendering shades more effectively.

Apply a thin under-glaze of a neutral colour onto the painting surface first. This will kill the overpowering white of the canvas, which could give the artist a misleading impression of how light or dark colours actually are when applied.

Half-close the eyes to reduce colour values. Standing back from the painting has the effect of scaling down the image and the subject matter into smaller areas of light and dark that can more easily be processed and therefore recorded onto canvas.

Painting Exercise in Colour and Tone

The following painting exercise will further raise visual awareness of tones which can be utilized when painting.

Obtain objects of simple shapes, such as cuboids, spheroids and cylinders. These can easily be found in everyday objects such as matchboxes, cereal boxes, golf balls and biscuit tins. Paint them white. Place onto a white sheet and arrange in a location of good light source. This might be near a window or lamp.

Lightly sketch the objects onto a mid-toned ground. Grey, cream or pale blue would be suitable. Half close the eyes and simplify the arrangement into four basic areas: highlights, light, mid-tones and darks. Begin with the mid-tones areas first, working towards light and dark. View light and shade as abstract forms. Work lightly at first and remember to keep viewing the painting from afar to ensure accuracy.

Once these basic areas have been laid onto canvas, work into the detail by applying highlights and adding definition to the darks. In some cases, shadows will vary in shade, some of which will be paler than others. Outlines too, will vary; some divisions being well-defined, others blurred.

How to Paint Tones in Increments

Resurce for Artists Rachel Shirley

A further aid can be used and which may help the artist record tonal increments more accurately. Cut a strip of paper or card. Divide into equal squares and fill each square with a particular tonal value, beginning with the palest. This tonal strip can be placed in the background of the setting to assist the artist with comparing one tone with another.

Painting Shades Made Simple

Judging colour values form only part of the painting process. Recording tones accurately will give the painting atmosphere and suggest form. Half closing the eyes will help cut out the interference of colour. Viewing the painting from afar will enable the artist to view areas of light and dark as manageable abstract forms on a smaller scale. But rendering objects in black and white will help raise awareness of tones without the interference of colour. This skill can be carried forward into general painting practice.

Links on Painting Lights and Darks

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Painting food in a still life study will present challenges for the artist trying to make them look edible. Instead, a loaf of bread looks more like cardboard, fruit like plastic or a slice of cheese like Plasticine. How can the artist paint food that looks as though it can be plucked from the canvas it and eaten?

Problems with Painting Food

Tackling the problem of inedible looking food in a still life painting means recognising the practices at that lie at heart, which could be any of the following:

• Pigeonholing food regarding colour and tone, and then illustrating them thus; cheese is pale yellow, tomatoes are deep red, apples are green and fish is bluish-grey.
• Using the aforementioned colour in a simplified fashion, applying it neat and evenly in a uniform layer to represent perishable goods.
• Darkening the colour of the food with black or dark grey for shadows.
• Illustrating detail of the food with harsh lines, such as the blue veins found in stilton or the layers within an onion.
• Similarly, using heavy lines to outline the food.
• Using blobs of neat white for highlights.

Still Life Food Painting

Incorporating food into a still life setting can be a challenging yet satisfying experience if the painting is successful, but can be frustrating if the food fails to convey softness or suggest flavour. And this is often where the problem lies. Because food is experienced on many different levels, such as taste, smell and texture, the artist wishing to express all these qualities in paint may feel overwhelmed. The secret is to forget all other senses, but the visual. Observe food simply as a series of shapes, tonal areas and hues. Above all, dispel preconceptions about how food should look. The following tips may help:

Tips on Painting Food

An item of food often contains different colours and tones rather than just one pigment. A ripe tomato will appear red, yet under other lighting conditions may contain violet, orange, earth colours or even black. When illustrating other such shiny orbs such as apples, lemons or eggs, blend away abrupt tonal shifts to rid of dark crescents. Look out for reflected light. This is light bouncing back from a bright surface into the dark side of the object. Reflected light will make the food appear to inhabit space rather than appear flat. Soft blending will also suggest the waxy surface of fruit.

Art Techniques for Still Life

Intricate areas of detail such as the surface of crusty bread or the texture of cheese can be simplified and build over in glazes. This means blurring the vision in order to break down the area into basic tonal areas rather than illustrating every line and wrinkle. Allow imperfections to remain in the brushwork. Once the paint is dry, dragging a little neat paint over selected areas will enhance the crusty texture in a technique known as “scumbling.” Remember that highlights can often be found on raised areas next to dark crevasses or pits within bread or cheese.

The Colour of Food

Taking the time to mix colours accurately will convey the essence of food effectively. White with various amounts of burnt sienna is ideal for mixing the colour of crusty bread, eggshells and onion skins; viridian, a little pthalo blue and lemon yellow, for rich broccoli, Savoy cabbage and spinach. Cadmium red and various amounts of permanent rose can be found in red peppers, tomatoes, ripe apples and cherries.

Painting Fish Textures

The ribbed patterns found on fish often have soft and variegated edges. Softening harsh outlines will suggest the smoothness of fish skin. Silver fish can be captured with white, burnt umber and a little pthalo blue. A little ultramarine and permanent rose can be used for violet hues often found on cold water fish. Applying translucent white pigment is good for soft highlights found on fish scales. Protein foods will often contain sharp highlights, where neat white will do the trick, but look out for highlights of other colour temperatures, such a bluish or creamy whites.

How to Paint Food Effectively

Painting food often entails heightening visual awareness. Look out for different types of outlines: sharp or blurred, which can be found on the skins of meat and poultry. Look out for reflected light, often found on orb-shaped fruit, which will suggest form. Look out for different types of highlights, warm or cool, as found on fish scales, fruit or bread. Look out for different textures, which can be captured by either soft blending or scumbling. Stripping away preconceptions about how food looks and narrowing down the senses to the visual will help with painting food more honestly and therefore suggest flavour and texture by itself.

Relevant Links

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The landscape artist may feel in awe of a particular landscape scene, but the drama fails to convey to the oil painting; mountains look flat, waterfalls resemble a trickle and mighty firs look more like Bonsai trees. How can the artist produce a landscape painting with depth and drama?

Problems with Dramatic Landscape Art

Dramatic Landscape Art Rachel Shirley

Sitting too close to a painting, misleading the artist on the importance of each brush mark as it is viewed close up. Fine detail may not be so visible from ten feet away, resulting in a painting filled with insipid brush marks that lack punch or expression.

Painting onto a white canvas which may also mislead the artist to the true tonal value of each colour mixture, as even pale ones will appear dark. The result is a landscape painting that looks washed out.

Over-mixing the paint and applying it onto the artwork rather like one would to emulsion a wall. Similarly, anguishing over every brushstroke and smoothing over imperfections. The result is a painting that looks overworked and lifeless.

How to Paint a Dramatic Landscape

Adding a sense of depth and drama to a landscape painting is mostly dependent upon the visual resources at hand, whether this is photos or sketches. Painting from memory must be avoided, or it will spoil the effect. The following tips will help create a landscape that has depth and drama.

Fine Art Photography

If panorama is desired, select an image that contains distant objects and near objects. The contrast in proximity will enhance the sense of distance, whether the scene depicts a Scottish Highland or Yellowstone Park. Using wide angled photography provides further opportunities for exploring big skies and vistas adding a real sense of space. Be aware of the horizon line. A high horizon will enhance the land; a low horizon will enhance the sky.

Furthermore, don’t clutter the landscape with lots of elements. Less can often be more when it comes to creating a grand scale.

Look for and create contrasts within the landscape scene: Big and small; sunlight and shadow or near and far. A small cottage will make a thundering waterfall appear more impressive. A lone poplar set against distant mountains will create a chasm effect. A streak of sunlight hitting a snow cap against a sombre scene will create a tonal focal point.

Painting Dramatic Skies


Landscape Perspective Rachel Shirley

Beware of empty skies that exhibit a lacklustre blue or grey. If a photograph features such a sky, another sky can be substituted so long as the lighting, angle and the time of day are consistent. Great skies to use might be altocumulus, anvil clouds or frontal cirrus. Further drama can be added if clouds are obliquely lit by a low sun, bringing bizarre colours and textures.
An ordinary landscape can be transformed by different weather conditions. Castlerigg Stone Circle in Cumbria, for instance has twice the drama when snow-caps festoon the surrounding mountains. Consider returning to the same setting another day or time of year.


Tips for Landscape Art click to buy from Amazon

A landscape even when empty adheres to the rules of perspective which can be used to add depth to a painting. Imagine for instance, that the landscape is the floor and the sky is the ceiling to a huge room. If both exhibited a grid, the squares would appear to flatten and get smaller with distance until the grid converges to a vanishing point. Clouds and grass echo this pattern, in that each formation would appear to flatten and get smaller.

Painting Techniques for Dramatic Art

Stand back from the painting to prevent working too close up. Working on a toned ground as opposed to a white surface will help the artist judge tones more accurately. I endeavour to use all tonal values from pale to very dark within my landscapes. Don’t be afraid to use paint neat from the tube and to contrast art techniques, from impasto skies to blending mists. Palette knives, old combs or sponges are great for creating a diversity of marks for a dramatic landscape. Lastly, don’t fret over every imperfection. Allow streaks of colour and brush marks to remain. Doing so will retain freshness, vibrancy and energy to the painting.

Links on Landscape Painting

• Books on landscape painting
• Art materials
• How to paint lightning
• How to paint deserts
• How to paint sunsets
• How to paint Kilimanjaro
• Painting mist and fog

Troubleshooting Still Life Reflections


• Assuming that all reflections are white, leading to the exclusive use of titanium and piling it onto the areas concerned.
• Giving sharp outlines to all the reflections, resulting in the appearance of paper cut-out shapes where the reflections occur.
• Not varying the hue or tone within the reflection itself, resulting in an over-simplified version of reflections that contains featureless areas that fails to give impact.
• Painting reflections under shifting lighting conditions may cause the artist to keep altering the painting, particularly if deliberating too much over the area.

How to Paint Reflections

Painting reflections on a still life can be made a easier by placing the objects under a single light source, such as a room with one window. A few pale flecks might be all that is needed to suggest reflections on smooth surfaces such as china.

Reflections come in other forms as well as squares or pinpoints. Careful inspection may reveal an alien jigsaw of abstract shapes of varying hues and tones. White can in fact comprise only a small part of a reflection; violets, blues, greens and earth colours may also be seen. The outlines of reflection can vary from defined edges to no definable edges at all.
A reflection will rarely exhibit straight lines, but organic contours, some of which will stretch out. The key is to simplify and to clarify. This means viewing reflections not as a complex maze, but as simplified forms and tonal shapes, forgetting detail until last.

Art Techniques for Painting Reflections

Reflections are often paler in tone than the surrounding area and for this reason are hard to judge tonally if painting straight onto a white surface. But painting it last could risk colour contamination from a neighbouring darker colour. To overcome these difficulties, I would try the following steps.

1. With a stiff brush and very thin neat oil paint, roughly sketch in the colour of the object possessing the reflection as though it had no reflection. This entails extending the hue of the object over the reflection area.
2. Ensure the paint is as thin as possible but do not add linseed oil or its fluidness will make working on top difficult.
3. With slightly thicker paint, render the reflections on top.
4. Half close the eyes to simplify the shapes of the highlights into basic tonal areas rather than full detail. Make visual comparisons between the reflection and the surrounding area to ensure it keys in; is the reflection slightly paler, much paler, does it exhibit any hues?
5. Work from dark to pale, using increasingly thicker and paler paint, finishing off with bright highlights which might be rendered with neat white.
6. Retain objectivity by standing back from the painting. Ensure the shapes of the highlights are accurately depicted.
7. Avoid fussing over the area too much or it will lose its freshness.
8. If the painting does not work out, blot off surplus paint and allow to dry over a few days.
9. Work over the area again, aiming for increased accuracy.

Poor lighting may make the brightest still life objects appear dull. The artist may find colour mixing more difficult, which will have a knock-on effect on the painting. Artificial lighting serves only to make the still life setting appear lurid, creating fuzzy shadows with no contrasts. But outdoors, even on a cloudy day, the contrast can be breathtaking. How does the artist prepare for still life painting en plein air?

Painting a Still Life Alfresco

Tips for Alfresco Art

The artist does not have to go traipsing off into the landscape to paint alfresco; one’s own back yard is ideal. The light that floods the garden is often far brighter than the light that filters indoors, even on a cloudy day. Objects appear more vibrant and contrasts between colour and tone more intense. As a bonus, new possibilities for still life subject matter seem to open out: tomato plants, wheelbarrows, deckchairs, trellises, gardening tools, swings, hanging baskets, urns, water-features, bird tables, garden ornaments, fish ponds, bird boxes – and natural light.

However, the simplest everyday objects can be used and when carefully arranged in the garden, exude a beauty rarely seen indoors.

Still Life in the Garden

Setting up a still life outdoors need not be difficult. A patio table and chair can be used as the painting station. I often use as tripod stool as used by campers or fishers, as it allows unlimited elbow room. Adjust the seating so the thighs are parallel to the floor. This will also make the paints easier to reach if placed on the ground.

An informal setting with minimal clutter is best. An easel need only be used if working large. Otherwise, affix the painting to a backing board via bulldog clips and prop against a patio table or similar. Place all art materials on an old sheet so that it can be gathered up quickly if the weather changes. Weigh down with stones if it turns breezy.

Practical Advice for Painting En Plein Air

Beware of hotspots in the garden and also of bright sunlight bouncing off the painting surface. If possible sit in the shade or under a parasol. Wear a hat and sunblock. A cool drink always comes in handy. There is nothing wrong with wearing sunglasses, for they cut out the glare and make the still life stand out. But take them off from time to time to check the colour mixes.

Optimum Use of Light for Painting

Plan ahead for such a fickle thing as sunlight. Conceive and sketch the composition on a dull day. This will negate pressures to get the paint down before the light fades.

Finding an interesting still life composition in the garden will involve viewing, walking around, taking notes and sketching. Swapping and changing the objects might sometimes be necessary. Take the time to get the drawing right. Make a note of where the drawing took place and how the objects were arranged. Taking due thought over this will ensure a successful painting on the day.

If the weather forecast is good, prepare the art materials in readiness. Consider where and when the shadows creep in on certain times of the day. It would be pointless to begin a sunlit painting in late afternoon if the sun sets behind the house.

Allow more time to complete the painting than one thinks. I find early morning or teatime in spring or late summer allows the artist ample time to record the shifting shadows. Diffused sunlight as seen beneath a parasol will take away the element of transience if the artist wishes. But if the painting does not turn out at first another can be tried without too much preparation, but painting alfresco in the garden is arguably one of the most unique ways of producing still life art that may prove addictive.

More about producing still life art in the garden can be found in my book Oil Paintings from your Garden, as signed copy of which can be purchased from Ebay (see visual link on the top right of this blog) or from Amazon.

Articles on Still Life

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Subtle features on still life objects such as the pectin on the skins of grapes or condensation on strawberries may often be overlooked in preference to the fruits’ colour mixture or shape. The fruit painting may turn out as expected, but the still life misses something, an extra factor that could make the still life great. What art techniques can the artist use to suggest pectin on grapes or water droplets on food?

Insensitive Observation of Still Life Art

How to Paint Grapes

In many cases, the artist’s first rendering of any object, grapes included, is an exercise in capturing its most obvious elements: its shape, its dimensions, its hue and its tone. Subtle detail may easily be overlooked. The following practices may curtail sensitive observation of such objects:

Perceiving objects in symbolic and idealized ways and reflecting this in the painting. For example, grapes are small round objects, often found in bunches, that are either green or maroon in colour. A white dot can be used to suggest a highlight and a dark crescent for the darks.

Working in alla prima (in one paint layer), may not permit the artist the scope to make small modifications to the grape painting necessary to capture the essence of pectin or similar subtle effects.

Making do with cheap oil painting materials such as inferior brushes for exacting processes, or not having sufficient colours in the palette to attain the subtle colour mixes needed for specific purposes.

Subtle Effects for Still Life

Painting fruit and observing other still life artists’ work will inevitably raise visual awareness, which will in turn cause the artist to critically anaylise past paintings and perhaps feel dissatisfaction. This is a good sign, as the artist is beginning to see things in a more sensitive way. The following method can be used to suggest pectin on fruit.

How to Paint Pectin on Grapes

Photographs with high resolution of grapes are essential for detail. If painting grapes from life, keep the grapes in the fridge between painting sessions to keep them fresh. As with most painting techniques, work from the basic to the particular. Simplify the grapes into basic tones and shapes and record them onto the painting surface. Render the grapes as though without pectin, but see beyond it to the colour beneath. Use a little linseed oil to achieve a flat glaze. Brush out ridges and troughs. Allow this initial paint layer to dry.

The next glaze concerns the pectin. Mix a colour slightly paler than the colour used for the grapes. If the grapes are green, add a little white to the green mix. Dab a little of this colour onto a narrow filbert sable. Don’t load too much and don’t add linseed oil, or the mixture will become runny. Gently wipe surplus pigment onto a soft cloth until the bristles are lightly coated with the pigment. Aim for a fine, almost flaky consistency to the paint.

Lightly “scumble” the paint over the grapes concerned. Don’t apply the paint evenly or thickly. Allow the paint to drag over the painting in a broken glaze in an effect like lightly applied crayon. Darker areas of the grapes, such as shadows should be darkened slightly accordingly.

Pectin can also be suggested by dragging the paint over a painting completed on fine texture such as canvas. This will suggest the dustiness of pectin, as some areas will be darker than others.

How to Paint Moisture on Fruit

Paintig Highlights on Strawberries

Like the dustiness of pectin, observing the lusciousness of fruit, rather than the mere shape and colour of the fruit itself, will help create a super-real still life.

Again, good photographic reference is essential. Paint the fruit (in this case, strawberries) as though no highlights or water droplets can be seen. Apply the paint thinly where the highlights will be placed.

Once the colour and hues of the fruit has been blocked in, mix white with a hint of pthalo blue and a little linseed. Observe the shape of the highlights, which will vary in shape and size. In the strawberry painting, the highlights vary from linear flecks to doughnut-shapes. Place strategically around the fruit, ensuring the outlines of the highlights remain sharp.

Moist highlights will sometimes exhibit adjunction of dark linear shapes which are deeper than the general colour of the fruit. These dark convolutions hold the key to making the surface of fruit appear luscious rather than merely smooth or shiny. Like the highlights, these dark areas will vary in shape and size. Ensure the outlines remain sharp.

Super-real Fruit in Painting

Recording subtle observations in objects, such as fruit is key to creating a still life with super realism. Pectin on grapes or water droplets on strawberries, for example, require small touches, but could transform a painting.

Relevant Links to Still Life Art

• Books on floral art
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The artist trying to convey metallic effects with oil paint may be disappointed if brass ornaments or gold jewellery resembles dollops of mustard in the still life painting. How can the artist get gold effects in painting?

Problems with Painting Gold Jewellery

How to Paint Gold

A still life setting featuring gold objects such as jewellery may appear tarnished or plastic-like due to misconceptions about the colour gold, causing the artist to use a lot of yellow, orange or ochres. Such idealistic concepts about the colour gold may be indicative by the following notions and practices.

• Having the subconscious idea that all gold is basically yellow, yellow-orange or ochre.
• Reaching for any yellow pigment at hand for mixing gold colours.
• Darkening yellow with black or dark brown to achieve dark tones in gold.
• Mixing white with yellow to represent highlights in gold.
• Giving sharp outlines to gold objects with the aim of making them stand out, resulting in a cutout appearance.
• Using bright colours throughout the gold object such as yellows, oranges and ochres with the aim of conveying brilliance.
• Going overboard with white highlights to imply sheen.
• Applying gold metallic paint designed for gilt onto the gold objects in the still life.

Oil Painting Techniques for Gold

In order to make gold look authentic, the artist must forget about gold’s ‘local’ colour (yellow-brown), and instead think about how gold actually looks. A bright-coloured object does not necessary exclusively comprise bright colours. In fact, the secret to recreating the brilliance of gold lies in juxtaposing bright colours against sombre hues. Gold can contain such dour colours as dark green, dark grey or midnight blue.

Try not to get visually railroaded by bright colours, particularly yellow. Seek out neutrals and sombre colours within the gold objects. Highlights in gold seldom contain yellow, but cool pales such as powder-blue, eggshell or light grey. Only the smallest amounts of neat white (or yellow, if it can be perceived) are often needed to illustrate highlights in gold.

Look for opposing colours in the gold object; in the case of yellow or orange this will be any colour in the blue spectrum; violet, azure or indigo. Similarly, look for cool neutrals.

Look for unlikely colours in the gold object. I have often seen olive green, mauve and indigo in gold objects. Under certain lighting conditions, gold objects may exhibit no yellow, orange or ochre whatsoever. Believe what the eye sees as opposed to reaching for yellow, orange or ochre by automation.

Mixing Gold Colours in Oils

Prior to embarking upon a painting featuring bright objects such as gold, apply a neutral-coloured underglaze onto the art surface. Applying a bright or light colour straight onto a white art surface will make the colour appear darker than it actually is.

Before applying the bright colours or highlights, look for sombre colours in gold. This means neutrals, greys blue-greys and blue-greens. Similarly, look for cool colours within the highlights.

Look for definite hues in darks, such as blues and violets. Don’t darken the colour of gold by a mixture of yellow/orange and black, as this will result in dirty colours.

Don’t overdo it with bright colours, for yellows, oranges and ochres will often exhibit a modest ratio of the gold object. Even the smallest flecks of bright colours and highlights will provide great focal points for the gold object.

Apply the highlights and the brightest colours last. I will apply the paint thickly in these areas to make the highlights stand out from the art surface.

What Colour is Gold?

The following colour mixtures are ideal for capturing gold jewellery, ornaments or artifacts, although other colours can be seen. Remember to keep looking.

• Warm highlights: white with a dab of burnt sienna. A smidgen of cadmium yellow can be added if a yellowish hue is apparent.
• Cool highlights: white with a dab of ultramarine and burnt umber.
• Warm mid-tones: burnt sienna, a little cadmium red and white.
• Cool mid-tones: burnt umber, a little ultramarine and white.
• Warm darks: burnt sienna and ultramarine. A little cadmium yellow can be added for an additional yellow cast.
• Cool darks: Burnt umber and ultramarine. For extra depth, a little pthalo blue and permanent rose can be added.

Art Techniques for Painting Gold

Glazing is an ideal art technique for achieving smooth, metallic effects in oil paint. Glazing entails applying a thin, translucent layer of oil paint and working on top once the glaze is dry. Soft sable brushes and any oil medium, such as linseed oil or Liquin can be used to thin the paint into glazes. Once mixed into a translucent consistency, apply the paint for an effect like tinted glass.

Strategic use of impasto can also be used to make highlights stand out literally from the art surface. I do this by applying white neat from the tube.

Working dark to light will increase visual awareness of tones and bright colours found in gold. Sketch the composition via chalk onto a black art surface which has been overlaid with black acrylic paint (or a very dark colour). Apply the dark tones first off, working to the mid-tones, then to the light tones and finally the highlights.

How to Paint Gold Objects in Oils

Rendering gold objects convincingly entails discarding preconceived notions that gold contains lots of yellow and plenty of highlights. Using gold paint will only give a dirty yellow appearance if there are not reflections. Gold in fact can contain lots of sombre hues, even in highlights, which can be blues, greys, ochres and violets. Use bright colours sparingly and don’t overdo the highlights. Dong so will only make the gold object look more like costume jewellery. The secret is to pay extra notice to neutrals and sombre hues before the bright colours and highlights.

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A stereotypical still life setting may result from the subconscious collation of images depicting fruit, a bowl, a bottle or a vase of flowers to be requisite subject matter for still life painting. The artist may place such objects in a row and standing to attention beneath artificial light. On reflection however, the artist may suspect that opportunities for making the still life stand out may have been overlooked. How can an interesting still life painting be created?

Troubleshooting for a Captivating Still Life

Original Ideas for Painting Rachel Shirley

Although the aforementioned objects can in fact be used to create an eye-catching still life study, the following practices and assumptions may lie at the core of a still life painting that lacks interest:

• Not trying other possible object combinations and merely opting for the first objects that present themselves.
• Going for the most orthodox viewpoint without shifting the angle from which the objects can be seen, such as a setting viewed flat-on.
• Low visual awareness, consigning various elements to invisibility such as the background, the lighting and the shape of shadows may result in a painting that reflects this view.
• Fear that the still life may look silly to othes if trying experimental techniques.

Ideas for Still Life

The following ideas may open up more possibilities and further inspiration for creating original and quirky still life art:

Try viewing the objects from bizarre angles rather than just eye-level. View them from directly above or from a vantage point below eye level or even below if placed on a glass tabletop. Of course, painting from life may not be possible from such an unorthodox angle, so good quality photos might be necessary.

Try placing objects containing contrasting elements or those in unusual contexts within the composition. A rusty old engine or an animal skull within a setting of fruit could make the viewer see the objects in a new light. Provide contrast in other ways, such as warm colours against cool; rough and smooth, sunlit and shaded. Provide a quirky focal point by placing just one bright-coloured object within a setting of subdued ones, or one point of sunlight within a shaded view, which might fall across a carefully-selected object.


Try out different backgrounds rather than that of one of just one colour. A partly-open curtain; a window revealing a dramatic sky or light filtering through lace could bring the background to the fore. Brick, tiles or embossed wallpaper (or peeling wallpaper) will exhibit interesting textures if obliquely-lit.

Still Life Shadows and Reflections

Make unorthodox use of the shadows. Look out for bizarre and weird shadow shapes that may stretch across the table when the light source is shifted around. Bright sunlight filtering through a neighbouring window will often transform the most somber subject matter and bring out bright colours, contrasts and reflected light. Who said the still life had to be completed indoors? Try placing them on a patio table. Lace or lattice material can be used to create a dazzling soupcon of sunlight and shadow over part of the setting.

A split view of a still life can be exploited if part of it is distorted by a glass tumbler, a brandy glass or bottles. Try partially filling vessels with clear fluid to optimize this effect. Mirrors and other shiny surfaces will open up the view, otherwise invisible for new compositional possibilities. Unusual patterns over surfaces can be seen if sunlight is filtering through lace curtains or an embroidered lampshade.

Original Ideas for Still Life

New possibilities for still life ideas may often become apparent by simply trying things out. Practice is often more illuminating than theory. Mix and match objects; don’t exclude possibilities if they seem farfetched don't write-off objects as too mundane or kitsch. Trawl second hand shops or Ebay.Shift the light source and the viewpoint; juxtapose the still life against different backgrounds. Don’t stop if a good setting is found if it can be made great by a few simple adjustments. Experimentation and exercising visual awareness is often the key to finding original and compelling ideas for painting; still life is no exception.

Relevant Links to Matters of Still Life Art

• Art books on painting flowers
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