John David Phillip's workshop—featured in the spring 2007 issue of Workshop
magazine—stressed the importance of keeping a scene simple, connecting
with the subject matter, and postponing the use of white paint as long
as possible. Here, we examine how he imparted this advice to his
students.
by Bob Bahr
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“Soften the edge of the distant mountain so that it contrasts with
the sharper edges of the shed,” Phillips recommended. “You did about as
well as possible on the oaks—they are indeed vague.” The roof of the
shed was too dark—the student painted the color of the roof instead of
what she was actually seeing, which was blinding glare off the tin.
“Take a sharp-edged brush, load it up with a white mixture—be careful
not to overmix the paint—and stroke down from the top of the roof,”
said Phillips. “Do this for each panel. This will make the panels seem
realistically separate. And stop the stroke briefly to allow for the
tree branches—just pull down with one stroke, stop, and start again
underneath the branch. This will help define the shape of the branches.”
“You
nailed the tree—you got the rhythm of it, the shape, and the growth
pattern,” said Phillips. “It looks natural. You also did a good job of
pushing the mountain back into the distance.”
The student asked him what she should do next on the painting. Phillips firmly replied,
“You are done. You got the angles on the eaves just right, and look at
that silver on the fuel tanks!” The student pressed, asking if she
should add clouds. “No,” Phillips said. “The simplicity here is good.”
The workshop participant who painted this picture also painted the
barn with the fuel tanks. Again, Phillips advised against doing much
more on the canvas. As the instructor walked up to her easel, she said
to Phillips, “OK, now I am actually going to paint it. This is my
block-in.”
“No it’s not,” he replied. “This is not far from done.” The instructor
praised her composition and suggested that she darken the hills in the
background on the left. The student, who was a lively participant,
volunteered, “I have to control my energy. I am going to slow down,
clear my palette, and paint with more thought.”