Build WORKSHOP
TherecentNASAlunar-landinganniversarygotmelooking
morecloselyatthemoon,marvelingattheingenuity,courage
anddramaofthathistoricevent.Formillenniathemoonhas
beena sourceofwonderaswellasanevocativeandromantic
subject,particularlyinpopularmusic.Forpainters,however,
themoonhasprovedtobea dauntingsubject;thelimited
illuminationfrommoonlightmakesworkingfromdirectobser-
vationfrustrating.Thischallengehasn’tstoppednumerous
paintersoverthecenturiesfrompaintingnightscenes—with
orwithoutthemoon.Someoftheseworksareamongthe
mostcelebratedinarthistory,includingpiecesbyRembrandt,
vanGoghandWhistler(SeeNightLights,opposite).
I decidedtotrypaintinga moonlitsceneasviewedfrommy
balconyoverlookinga lake.Itseastviewallowsmetoseethe
moonriseoverwateratvariouspointsthroughouttheyear.
I thoughta fullmoonwouldbethemostinterestingtopaint,
soI checkedtheinternetforitsnextoccurrence.Theinterval
beforethatdateprovidedmewithseveralnightstoobserve,
sketchandphotographmysubjectbeforeI beganpainting
MoonriseOvertheLake(page31).A step-by-stepdemonstration
ofmyprocessbeginsonpage28.NOCTURNE
ANDREW S. CONKLIN earned a BFA from
the American Academy of Art, in Chicago.
He attended the National Academy of
Design and the Art Students League of
New York before earning an MFA from
the Academy of Art University, in San
Francisco. Gallery Victor Armendariz, in
Chicago, represents his work. For more information, visit
cargocollective.com/andrewsconklin.Materials
SURFACE: illustration board
sized with rabbit-skin glue
TRANSFER MATERIALS:
· Saral transfer paper
· colored pencil
PAINT APPLICATORS:
· watercolor brushes: ⅛ - to
1-inch synthetic flats and
a genuine squirrel mop for
blending
· palette knife
OILS:
· Cremnitz white
· Mars black
· transparent earth yellow
· caput mortuum deep
· Venetian red
· burnt sienna
· neutral tint
· Naples yellow
· ultramarine blue
· Prussian blue
· naphthol red
MEDIUM: ¼ stand
oil to ¾ solvent
OTHER:
· ruler
· paper cement
· painter’s tape
· T square
· Colour Shaper, size 0Reach for the Moon
ANDREW S. CONKLIN takes on the challenge of a moonlit nocturne.
26 Artists Magazine January/February 2020