28 artistMay 2020 http://www.painters-online.co.ukFROM FIELD TO FRAME: 2nd of 6
I
t is easy to assume that we artists
need to travel in order to fi nd
subject matter to paint. Areas where
the landscape is more dramatic or
compositions are instantly recognisable
are appealing for obvious reasons:
plenty of shape, line and tonal changes
that allow picture making to come more
easily.
Although it is great to have a large
masterpiece on the go, something to
show off your skills and make an impact,
it is just as rewarding and productive to
take on the challenge of searching for a
composition within what at fi rst seems
to be an uninspiring or challenging
subject. I feel most inspired when I
am considering a composition and
trying to develop something from the
subject in front of me. I think it is this
practice that expands your artistic eye
and introduces a greater appreciation
and thought about why you paint
landscapes.How to fi nd a subject
Graham Webber’s six-part oil-painting series about the process of
landscape painting from small, plein-air sketches to larger, framed studio
work continues with advice on subject matter as he demonstrates a
plein-air oil sketch
Key infl uences
Essentially, light and atmosphere are
two key infl uences for a landscape
painter. A simple subject can be
transformed by a shaft of light or when
covered in mist. It is atmospheric
elements such as these that become
the starting point for a painting.
Playing to the strength of what you are
presented with is very important, too. If
it is a grey day, focus on subtlety, close
tonal relationships and shifts in colour
temperature; if it is sunny, contrast and
colour in aerial perspective come into
play a lot more. Thinking in this way
will help you to identify a subject for
painting and, for me, it’s the fi rst trigger.
The next consideration is composition,
which is more of a technical
consideration and needs to be thought
through practically before starting to
paint. If you are looking at an ‘ideal’
subject it may offer a visual journeythrough shape and line, perhaps
mountains and valleys or a
strong perspective such as that
found in a street scene. If you
are confronted with large, fl at
fi elds then other factors can
help you create a way through
the painting. On a sunny day
shadows from nearby objects,
furrows or clouds can be very
useful to develop a perception
of space and distance. On
grey days, however, the artist
has to work harder to achieve
a sense of place, and this is
when line can be very helpful
in directing the eye; when there
is no sun it is more important
to try to fi nd the hidden lines
in the landscape. Brushwork
and the physical application
of paint can help create visual
connections between areas of
the painting, even when there is
no observable shape to see.
Whether a subject is sunny, rainy or
bleak it has its own energy and sense of
time – these are the initial factors that
help decide the ‘why’ in approaching a
painting. From that point you can go on
to tune into that atmosphere, maybe
exaggerate it or select elements that
you start to notice more as the painting
develops and it is when you start to
paint with a feeling of the subject,
rather than just rendering the image in
front of you.Building confi dence
Above all, the subject for a painting
must inspire you, but the subject isn’t
just an object, place or view, it is all
of these together, with atmosphere.
Atmosphere allows you to paint an
experience, one that is unique to you;
any number of artists would paint it
differently because each individual
will pick up on different elements –