Painting an Acrylic Landscape

Greens and Blues
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
24 x 18 in/60 x 45 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2017

As I have said before, I enjoy painting landscapes, and this one was no exception.

Taken from a reference photo, I didn't have to do too much cropping to find a pleasing composition: high horizon line with a river for a lead-in.

I used pencil to free-hand the main components.
.
Next, I considered the palette colors: ultramarine blue, pthalo green, titanium white, violet light blue, yellow ochre, cad yellow light, permanent green light, terra verte, viridian, alizarin crimson.

I painted the sky first. I painted the mountains second. Then I painted the river (first pass). Next I painted the various values of greens of the fields, flatlands and foothills. Then I painted in the trees and other foliage. I did a second pass on the river to show the still as well as moving water and the reflections of the trees.

I let it sit for a day and then gave it a final pass to make refinement; that is, adjust lost-and-found edges, strengthen highlights, and another pass on the sky.

I hope you enjoy my work.

Impressionist Portraits Series 6

Young Mary Cassatt (from Public Domain photo)
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
8 x 10 in/20 x 25 cm)
Copyright Byrne Smith 2017

Another painting in my Impressionists Portraits Series, this one of a young Mary Cassatt. I used thinned down acrylic so that it acted similar to watercolor. I also used the naturally transparent acrylic colors of Hansa yellow, cobalt blue, and primary red (similar to permanent rose) along with alizarin crimson, which is semi-transparent. I hope you enjoy my work,

Another Encore Painting

Stucco Lighthouse
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
24 x 18 in/61 x 46 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2014

I found another painting "in the back of my closet" in the studio that I decided to frame and hang so that I could look at it all summer long. I remember how much I enjoyed working on this back in 2014.

I hope you enjoy it this summer, too.