Vevay Indiana Homemakers
Learn to Paint
April 12 was a glorious day in Vevay Indiana as homemakers learn to paint. They were having a delicious luncheon, showing off some spectacular projects, installing new officers and learning to paint a rustic red barn. Such a good time for friendship and expanding their art skills.
This painting party had 19 homemakers who came together to enjoy each other’s company and after the delicious Italian lunch and installation of officers, we snuck behind the dividing wall and learned how to paint a red barn with a spring tree just beginning to show its leaves.
We drew the barn first and then painted the sky and started painting the barn. We used alizarin crimson and then took a warm red, cadmium red light and very lightly went over the alizarin crimson to create a barn wood illusion.
Next we added the back square for the window and then painted the framing around it and the roof in white with a little blue added to it. Plain white out of the tube turns chalky so I add almost any color in a teeny tiny bit.
Next we added the trunk of the tree taking it up and over the edge of the barn. If you can overlap things it gives your painting more depth.
Next we started adding the leaves starting with a dark green and tapping them on with the side of the brush. Then we added a little yellow to the green and a little white and taped on some more leaves not completely covering the dark leaves underneath, Finally we needed at least one more value of leaves so we added more yellow and white and tapped on the top layer of leaves.
Finally we took the dark green and the pointed edge of the brush and flipped the grass into place starting at the bottom of the canvas and going up 2-3 inches on the barn. Then we did the same thing with the grass as we did with the leaves adding more layers of grass getting lighter with each layer.
Every item you paint needs a minimum of 3 values for it to look more real and have some depth. Without that, your painting will look flat. You could paint this barn in any color you wish. I mainly teach a method for you to use however you want.
Thanks a bunch for joining me at the party if you were there and if not, I hope this description helps you paint your own barn.
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