I love the magical golden light you get in Florence Italy late in the afternoon and early evening. This is a painting I did from near the Ponte Vecchio and this is my thinking behind this painting.
Cat. No. 1055 The Arno, Florence, Italy – 25.3cm x 30.4cm – Oil on Linen
About the painting
Florence Italy, October 2016. From a wall just next to the Ponte Vecchio, I watched the setting sun cast a warm golden light on a bridge over the river Arno and on the buildings on the other side of the river.
I liked the way the warm evening light hit the bridge and the buildings, contrasting with the deep blue grays in the river and in the cloud shadows. This was a good application of the principles of warm/cool contrast and repeating color spots.
The basic color harmony I used was a blue orange split complementary color harmony. I split the orange into red orange and yellow orange, and the blue into a warm violet and cooler green blue using the lower part of the sky to provide the green blue and so split the blue complement.
A splash of red from some fencing to protect repair work on the embankment harmonizes with the golden yellows and oranges, and provides a repeated color spot to improve the eye movement.
This diagram shows how I conceived the painting in an abstract sense. You can see how the warm/cool overall plan was designed and also the plan of the repeating color spots. This method of thinking about painting is called “Abstract Realism’. It combines the best of both the abstract and realistic worlds.
Another principle being used here is notan. This time however, the use is fairly subtle. Within the water I painted a kaleidoscope of colors all of roughly the same middle value. This lets you have a simple, and therefore strong, notan design, but at the same time adds interest and excitement to the painting.
For more information
For more information on some of the techniques I used in this painting see:
- complementary color harmony
- eye movement in art using repeated colors
- A Guide To Notan: The What, Why, and How
Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you find it useful. If you would like to get free painting tips by email, please sign up for my free tips newsletter.
If you are interested in a structured approach for learning how to paint, take a look at my online painting classes.
Happy painting!
Barry John Raybould
Virtual Art Academy
What The Students Are Saying
A great learning platform
I have been working my way through the Virtual Art Academy for almost a year now, and cannot recommend it highly enough. The Workshops are thorough, structured and substantive. There is a logical and step by step progression that makes the learning process so much easier, with new concepts being introduced and then practiced along… Read more “A great learning platform”
It is wild to see how much I am learning in this course!
Five star rating from me for Virtual Art Academy (VAA)! I retired last year, and decided I wanted to spend my time in retirement learning how to oil paint. But having never painted before, I wasn’t even sure what to look for in an online painting course. However, I did some searches for “Best Online… Read more “It is wild to see how much I am learning in this course!”
comprehensive art education
I wanted to get a comprehensive art education with the freedom to work at my own pace. I’m several years into the curriculum and I feel like my work has drastically improved. I’ve found holes in my knowledge that I didn’t know I had. Critiquing other students posts and reading their feedback to mine has… Read more “comprehensive art education”
Only online learning program I have ever discovered using a training industry best practice
Before repurposing my vocation into avocation, I spent 20 years in the corporate world as an instructional designer and performance consultant creating training curricula for diverse clientele from NASA to General Motors. I know curriculum development and how to guide a learner from beginning to certification. VAA is the only online learning program I have… Read more “Only online learning program I have ever discovered using a training industry best practice”
The small steps are easy to do
I am extremely impressed with the process that Barry has developed for VAA. Learning to paint can be intimidating, but when broken into many small projects it is very do-able. I just did my first live model painting session- a 5 hour, one day session. Thanks to VAA, I was able to break the painting… Read more “The small steps are easy to do”
An excellent foundation on so many aspects of painting
I never had formal training in painting and my style has always been very realistic, slow and not at all artistic, just a copy of a photograph. When I got word of the course available through Virtual Art Academy, I was very excited for the opportunity to learn what I never knew about painting. VAA… Read more “An excellent foundation on so many aspects of painting”
Barry gave me a fishing rod so I can catch my own fish
After weeks and even months of searching YouTube, “googling” and spending a fortune on art instructional books I finally came across the Virtual Art Academy®. When it comes to purchasing online I am always very careful how I spend my money. Especially when I already spent a small fortune on art books. They always seemed… Read more “Barry gave me a fishing rod so I can catch my own fish”
No need to buy expensive art books…. Just do the VAA 4 year course. I still refer to it
I finished the VAA course a few years ago, but always refer to the notes, rereading the course many times. This is not a course the day you are finished, you are done. No, you keep practising the assignments getting better and better over time. When I look back at my work when I had just… Read more “No need to buy expensive art books…. Just do the VAA 4 year course. I still refer to it”
The equivalent of a 4 year art education at a fraction of the cost
This is a great course for anyone who is serious about improving their painting. I have been a student here for several years. When I am finished, I will have the equivalent of a 4 year art education at a fraction of the cost. I can do the lessons anywhere and at my own pace.… Read more “The equivalent of a 4 year art education at a fraction of the cost”
Add comment