In the following three part video tutorial, artist Will Kemp will demonstrate how to paint a copper pot using acrylic paint.
Be sure to scroll down beyond the videos in the post below for more on Will Kemp and what he has to offer over on his website. He has some very helpful and affordable courses that will really help you on your journey toward becoming a better painter. Enjoy!
Part 1, set against the vibrant summer backdrop, captures the essence of the season in a painting. Will begins by discussing the unique characteristics of summer light, such as higher contrast, more precise definitions between shapes, and the colorful fill of shadows due to the bouncing light. He explains that despite the bright sunshine, shadows in summer scenes are significantly darker explains the importance of mapping out these dark masses for a more realistic portrayal.
Choosing a riverside view for the demonstration, Will explains the selection of a green-toned ground to enhance the summer vibrancy of the painting. He mixes titanium white, cadmium yellow light, ultramarine blue, and pthalo green to create a bright base layer. With a 3B pencil, he sketches the basic tree shapes and shadow patterns, focusing on the intense light and shadow contrasts typical of summer landscapes.
The painting process begins with blocking in the sky to reduce the green undertone, using a mix of white and ultramarine blue. Will blends the colors, creating a gradient from light at the bottom to dark at the top, and adds simple cloud shapes with titanium white. This step helps support the creation of contrasts, particularly around the tree shapes where the clouds are thickest.
Next, will mixes pthalo green with blue and brown to create a dark, vibrant green for the shadow areas, in order to capture summer foliage’s deep, lush tones. They highlight the importance of the dark tones in conveying the intensity of sunlight in the scene. The video concludes with the first stage of the painting completed, setting the stage for further refinement and adding brighter colors to bring the summer scene to life.
Part 2 guides viewers on achieving vibrant greens and adding depth with contrasting colors. Will introduces permanent alizarin crimson, Hansa yellow light, phthalo blue with a green shade, a square-edged brush, a small nylon round brush, and acrylic glazing liquid gloss to achieve the desired effects.
Initially, Will establishes dark shapes within the painting, and connecting these shapes to create a cohesive composition. He introduces smaller, darker shapes to add variety and depth to the painting. Following this, Will uses cadmium yellow light to punch up the vivid greens, creating a striking contrast against the darker tones already laid down.
To create more muted greens, Will mixes cadmium yellow and ultramarine blue, adjusting the hue with brown to achieve the desired intensity and depth. The addition of alizarin crimson introduces warmer tones to the foreground, enhancing the overall vibrancy of the painting and making the greens pop by contrast.
Will uses a square brush to apply a watery glaze of green over the painting, enhancing its intensity. He then use Hansa yellow light with glazing liquid to add vivid punches of color, careful not to overdo it to maintain balance within the painting.
To match the intensity of the greens, phthalo blue with a green shade is added, creating a turquoise punch in the foreground and subtly in the sky, integrating the painting’s elements more cohesively. Will tweaks the composition with a finer brush, adding sky holes and other details to enhance the painting’s depth and realism.
The video concludes with Will taking a break to return later with fresh eyes. He discusses how he likes to step away from the work to gain a new perspective for final adjustments.
In this video, Will continues refining a landscape painting by reinforcing and refining the darker shadow patterns. Will identifies that enhancing the shadow pattern will significantly improve the overall cohesion of the piece.
Will uses the same palette as before, which includes a mix of colors previously mentioned. He uses acrylic glazing liquid gloss to subtly blend colors across the painting, enhancing unity and depth through glazing techniques. Adding dashes of cream color to the foreground to draw the viewer’s eye around the entire front section of the piece, creating a visual pathway.
Switching to a stiffer hog hair brush, Will concentrates on the darker shapes within the painting. By squinting their eyes while looking at the reference image, Will simplifies the scene into lights and darks, making it easier to identify and paint back the essential shapes and shadows of the trees. This technique helps balance the composition, and strengthen the interplay between light and shadow.
Will then introduces a mix of phthalo blue with a green shade and a bit of titanium white to add thicker, more vivid blue strokes to the sky and its reflection in the water. This addition enhances the painting’s vibrancy and depth.
Finally, with a smaller round brush, Will adds tiny dashes of pink across the foreground. These pink dashes act as a complementary color to the greens, making the green tones appear more intense and vibrant. This strategic use of color not only enhances the visual intensity of the painting but also brings a harmonious color balance to the entire piece. This video demonstrates Will’s thoughtful approach to refining his work, focusing on color harmony, shadow patterns, and overall balance to bring the painting together cohesively.
About Will Kemp
I’m Will Kemp, I’m an award-winning professional artist and teacher. Prior to painting full time I’ve worked in Museums, taught in schools, set up and ran my own gallery for 5 years and have taught hundreds of people to paint and draw. I’ve studied Classical atelier techniques in Italy alongside conceptual art at the Tate Gallery, London. I’ve painted in watercolours, acrylics and oils and my styles have ranged from abstract; impressionistic to realistic portraiture in order to realise my own personal style. I’ll teach you to become selective with composition, demystify colour mixing, achieve perfect perspective, and see the benefits of dramatic use of contrast. I’m looking forward to you joining me on your creative journey of discovery
Visit Will’s site today by following the link below:
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