Moving beyond realism

I have been reading a book called “Beyond Realism” by artist Brian Ryder, who paints and teaches in the UK.

The lighthouse landscape is based on a step by step project in the book so that I could try out his techniques. He puts on very thin layers of acrylic, waits till the paint is beginning to dry a bit, then uses a damp cloth to remove some of the colour and blend different areas. He uses a similar technique with oils. He also uses oil pastels amongst the acrylic layers, with it acting as a resist and also adding texture.

It took me a while to get over the idea that it was “wasting paint” to put it on then wipe it off again – and I don’t even have Scottish ancestry.

The moonlit landscape is my first attempt at using his techniques to interpret one of my photos; in this case a late evening one I took of the moon in early spring. I really enjoyed doing these two, but should have worn gloves as I managed to get smothered in paint!