Step By Step Oil Painting Lesson By Dan Schultz

Demonstration of High-Key Painting Method - “Into the Light”

By Dan Schultz
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For this studio painting I used Claessens double oil primed linen canvas, #15 (my usual painting surface), mounted on 1/2″ Gator Board. This painting, as with most of my larger paintings, was completed using a photograph as my reference (shown below).

Step 1: Preparing the Photo

I first crop my photo so that it will be the same proportion as my canvas. This way I can more easily place all the elements correctly when painting the scene. While considering this photo as a painting source, I decided that it would be interesting to do the painting in a higher key than the photo. Painting in a higher key simply means that all the dark and middle-range values in the painting are lightened, while all the colors become more saturated. All the values still have to relate to each other properly, but the range of values to work with becomes more narrow. The darkest darks in the painting become mid-tone values, while the lightest lights remain about the same value as usual.

Step 2: Drawing

I then do a fairly detailed drawing on my canvas. In this case, I use vine charcoal and make sure to take as much time as necessary since my drawing will provide me with the direction I will follow for the rest of the painting. As I draw, I take careful measurements using my reference photo to make sure everything ends up the right size and in the right place. Once I’m satisfied with this step, I spray the canvas with fixative so that I won’t lose my drawing (paint thinner quickly erases charcoal).

Step 3: Toning the Canvas

My next step is to apply a wash of color to the canvas. I like to use a color and value that is similar to some area of the scene — in this case, the foreground.

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