How It's Done

Most of you realize that you can go to my web site samleejackson.com and see novels and music and my original oil paintings. I've just started a new painting and Carol suggested that some of you might be interested in how the process works. There once was a wonderful fuzzy headed guy on TV that would paint scenics in the space of one half hour show. His name was Bob Ross and he painted a lot of "happy little trees". I loved watching him and listening to his hypnotic whispery voice. He was very good at what he did and he inspired millions to pick up the paint brush, but for me, his painting was too formulaic and again to me, they mostly looked alike. For the rest of us the process seems to be much more complicated.



Below I've posted the start of my new painting. Actually, this is the second stage. The first is my taking some Payne's gray oils and using turpenoid as a cutter with a short stiff brush to actually draw the main subjects. Block them out on the canvas. In this case, on Carol's instigation I've chosen a western theme with a cowboy and some cattle. The background will be interesting to the eye if I do my work right. The overall look will have a misty affect. So after I've blocked out the subjects I start filling in the darkest back ground. I usually paint dark to light, adding the brightest highlights at the end. I used almost a whole tube of sap green, with some additives like small amounts of alizarin crimson and zinc white with Payne's gray on this so far. I have to wait for this first coat to dry then do it all again. If don't the canvas will look paint starved and you'll be able see the texture of the canvas through it, which is a no no. Later after I've progressed some more I'll post the progress so you can watch it become the painting I'll hope it will be.