Blondheim Art Original Acrylic Painting Palms

5x7 inches
acrylic on panel

unframed

115.00 includes shipping

Purchase HERE

Artist Journal

My life is in a whirl. I have a big commission I'm trying to prepare for by doing portrait studies. Bad ones by the way, along with preparation for a wild and crazy March schedule. I'm leaving for a week of fun painting at the Wekiva River State Park near Orlando Florida, the first week of March, Then two days later I must run up to Alabama to pick up my daughter for Spring Break , coming home in the same day. Two days later I leave to be "artist in residence" for the Florida Trail Association Conference for two days. There will be large gaps in my posts during March. I don't think there will be any internet access in the state parks I'll be staying in.


Painters Tip

Preparing for important commissions.

I'm sure that some artists are talented enough to just jump in and do commissions with little preparation. I'm not that talented. I'm one of those who is a planner for everything. When I get a commission, I spend a lot of time doing preliminary drawings and painting studies, trying to figure out what I want to do and familiarize myself with my subjects first.

The first thing I do is decide what supplies I am going to need? Do I need paint? New brushes? Am I going to paint on linen or canvas? Oils or acrylics? What size will it be? Of course I have discussed all of these questions with the client to decide.

It takes a couple of weeks to get a custom made canvas and I want the best quality.

If it is a portrait, I am using photos, so I will need to get copies enlarged and also make gray scale copies so that I can do some value studies.

I use index paper taped to a hard board to do my painting studies and value studies. It is cheap and works great for oils or acrylics. I punch holes in the side and insert them into 3 ring binders. They will last a long time.

It is only after several practice paintings and value studies that I start the real painting. Then I have the confidence to do the job well. Even after having been a landscape painter for a long time, I still do this routine with landscape commissions too.