Dark Light Blend

Painting by Dominic Vignola, 12"x16" oil on canvas

As an artist, it is fun and challenging to take workshops every so often. Important tips can be learned from experienced artists that can stay with you for the rest of your career. Sometimes the instructor's voice comes into your conscious mind at just the right moment while painting. One of my favorite and most valuable landscape painting instructor tips came from Dominic Vignola.

Vignola repeated the words "Dark, Light, Blend" throughout his demonstrations of laying down dark oil paint, then laying down the light oil paint colors where desired, and then blending the two. It sounds almost too simple to work as well as it does. He knew how to do it very well. By contrasting the dark to light, and then blending, you achieve a unifying flow of the two which creates a whole image that shows light and shadow.

This simple tip comes into my mind during every painting I create now. Of course, there are many other questions and problem solving thoughts that come to mind, but this one is key, I think. An artist's unique style comes from all the choices made about which dark and light colors to blend and where and to what degree they are blended. Then, laying those last crisp lights in, by brushing or splattering, to draw the eye to a particular area, is like the sugar on top - that fun and intense final step!

It's very important to loosen up and break the rules, but remembering certain tips that help you achieve your visions will serve you well. Rock on and paint your hearts out!