city landscape

painting the built environment around us.

One of my favorite subjects to paint is mid-century architecture either from my surroundings or found vintage photographs. It’s also one of my favorite painting classes to teach.

I’m drawn towards older architecture and spaces, however, I tell students to choose a subject that interests them. Urban landscape or city landscape encompasses any built environment, like a park, museum, neighborhood, strip-mall, gas station etc. The interesting part to me about this is the connection to nature with-in a constructed environment.

The Saranay Motel, recently torn down, was in Royal Oak, MI. I saw the bulldozer in the parking lot one evening and decided to take some pics before it was gone forever. This painting is 50”x45”, done in acrylics. I loved the vintage sign so much, and caught it with some big clouds and bright sun back- lighting it.

Here’s my process in reverse order….I start with by doing a light wash over the entire canvas in order to have a base to begin painting. It takes away the intimidation of staring at a blank canvas. I start by drawing directly on the canvas with my paintbrush. I think drawing with the paintbrush, usually a round one, keeps the piece loose. Its usually the scariest part of painting especially for beginners but it can also be one of the most beautiful stages. Because that is the point where first inspiration is expressed. So I encourage my students, and myself, to be brave and start with the brush.

Starting with a value study is really important. Value is how dark or light something is, and I do that with a neutral paint to avoid getting confused about hue at this point. Usually I start with burnt umber or yellow ochre or paynes gray. Squinting your eyes will help you see the dark and light shapes. Blocking areas in general dark ,medium and light shapes gives the painting structure.

This is an example of a value study done completely monochrome. I used Paynes Gray, which is a nice blue/black grey and white. Could have left it alone at this stage. That’s the beauty of working from the very start with the brush!

I actually liked the painting monochrome, but for the sake of my painting class demo, I added color. With such a strong value contrast, I decided to use a high contrast color palette with orange and blue. Having the values determined made blocking in color easier. The tricky part is to make sure the lightness or darkness of the colors hold up.

Another example of under painting technique. Blocking in the drawing and establishing major light and dark areas.

The bowlero! In Royal Oak, MI

Seville Motel, Royal Oak, MI

My backyard during the polar vortex. It was after midnight, but the moon lit the snow up like daylight.

Astro Motel.

left this one in an “unfinished” stage because I was really happy with the effect.

Mid-Century Savings and Loan

Did this one in saturated technicolor!

Parking lot from a 1960’s kodachrome photo.

Saranay motel, Royal Oak, MI

Blocking in the image.

Another larger canvas. 50”x44” This is the stage after I block in drawing and major value shapes and start blocking in color. It’s still pretty loose and washy.

Used Bookstore, Royal Oak, Mi

This image is dear to my heart. Another local treasure of a structure torn down. I was able to get a photo during the golden hour one evening. Picking source references with strong light and dark contrasts makes for a much more satisfying composition.

My next urban landscape class begins 7/8 at Articipate in Berkley, MI.

All levels of experience welcome! Hopefully this is a nice introduction for what to expect. The classes are easy-going with a focus on individual progress and lots of positive re-enforcement.

one more in progress pic. developing more of the value study.