HOW TO PAINT TROPICAL

SUNSETSSTEP BY STEP

Gina De Gorna

2 | Painting Tropical Sunsets

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CHAPTER 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

MATERIALS AND TOOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Oils and Acrylics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Additional Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

CHAPTER 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

GENERAL TIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Drama and Mood in Sunset Paintings . 6

CHAPTER 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

COMPOSITION AND BALANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Focal Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Proportion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Depth and Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

CHAPTER 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

HOW TO PAINT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14How to Paint the Horizon . . . . . . . . . 14How to Paint the Background . . . . . . 15How to Paint the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

How to Paint Sun Rays . . . . . . . . . 16 How to Paint Refl ections and Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

How to Paint Sky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18How to Paint Clouds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18How to Paint Sea Water . . . . . . . . . . . 19How to Paint Rocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20How to Paint Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 How to Paint Human Figures, Animals and Birds in Sunset Paintings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 How to Paint Palm Trees in Sunset Paintings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

CHAPTER 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

TROPICAL SUNSET STEP BY STEP: SUNSET IN PARADISE . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Step ONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Step TWO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Step THREE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Step FOUR: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Step FIVE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Tropical Painting Step by Step: ANOTHER SUNSET IN PARADISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Step ONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Step TWO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Step THREE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Step FOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

REFERENCE PHOTOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Copyright © 2010 GinkaGueorguieva. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

Universal-PublishersBoca Raton , Florida • USA2010

ISBN-10: 1-59942-818-0ISBN-13: 978-1-59942-818-5

www.universal-publishers.com

Introduction | 3

INTRODUCTION

Sunsets fascinate.

The descent of the sun below the horizon with the accompanying atmospheric effects attracts the attention of people of all ages. Whether red or purple, pink or gold, sunset performances always charm spectators everywhere on earth.

Sometimes, sunsets can be so serene. The sun may just quietly set; leaving a sense of peaceful tran-quility. And on an astonishing occasion, the extravaganza of a stunning sunset drama may take your breath away…

Sunsets mesmerize.

Sunsets are the favorite romantic times. They captivate. The fantastic sunset colors and shapes have always inspired artists, poets and musicians from all over the world to create magnifi cent works of art. The brilliance of the setting sun connects the human soul with the divine. Only at sunset comes that special pure sensation of the Heavenly Presence. At sunset, the true God is discovered…

Sunsets intrigue.

Easily absorbed in the incredible sunsets, people wish to hold those special moments longer. Thus, only art could capture the wonder of sunsets. For artists could create a dazzling sunset at any time.

The focal point in many homes, a sunset painting, like a fi replace, has always been the favorite piece to enjoy. Now, so easy and affordable, anybody could create a sunset moment of their own. For the beginning artist, art subjects and ‘style’ are very confusing topics at times. Many people start paint-ing by trying to copy some art pieces of favorite painters, and there is nothing wrong with that. This is a common way of exploring and trying different techniques. An artist needs time and practice to be able to establish his/her own individual style. This happens naturally and is integrated in the very personal choices of subject matter, materials and tools used. With practice each artist fi nds the best methods and technical solutions for his/her artistic endeavors and thus, his/her style is born.

Sunsets, with their magical splendor, are so powerful. Like art, they infl uence and change life for good. Painting sunsets gives much more: to dip and spread some paint, to mix some colors, coat a canvas – It is proven to be therapeutic; a challenge to release the stress and desert depression; a chance to feel the Sunset passion...

Happy sunset painting.

Love,

Gina De Gorna

4 | Painting Tropical Sunsets

CHAPTER 1MATERIALS AND TOOLS

In general, good materials and tools are required for a sunset painting. The quality of the materials is important for achieving the desired results. Whether painting in oils or acrylics, the paints must be of higher quality. All painting surfaces, such as stretched canvas or canvas on board, must be ac-cordingly primed for these paints. Brushes and palette knives come in a variety of shapes and sizes and different effects may be accomplished by using each of them.

The basic materials and tools needed for oil or acrylic sunset paintings are:

1. Primed surface - stretched canvas or canvas on board suitable for oil and acrylic paint-ings. Mixed media paper for acrylic may be used as well.

2. Bristle brushes3. Medium size palette knive/s4. Oil or acrylic paints5. The softest 2” /or bigger/ fl at brush you can fi nd in a craft store6. Paints are messy. A few other things highly recommended are: disposable plastic covers,

paper towels, disposable palettes, disposable gloves, and disposable aprons so you don’t have to clean the palette and yourself longer than you paint, but to focus only on the fun part of the painting process.

Chapter one: Materials and Tools | 5

For beginners, paints and colors could be very frustrating. So, know your paints and colors. Experiment! While working with good quality paints, it is important to know that there is usually no need to dilute or pre-mix the oil and acrylic colors. It is also good to remember that over-mixing oil paint results in a muddy and grayish overlook of a painting.

Oil and acrylic paints differ in unique qualities and it takes practice to get to know them. Also, in general, to achieve a nice painting, there is no need to use all the colors of the rainbow.

Sometimes, just a few colors are needed to accomplish a beautiful art piece. For your convenience, a list of colors is included in each of the Step by Step sunset paintings in this book.

OILS AND ACRYLICSOil and acrylic paints are quite different. The main and most important differences and qualities to have in mind while using them are the following:

1. The drying process: Oil paints are oil based and take longer to dry. Acrylic paints are wa-ter based and they dry quickly. There are also some Water Soluble Oil paints but they dry slower than acrylics. The time of the drying process is crucial for using appropriate tech-niques. For instance, you need to paint faster with acrylics when working on background and broad areas of the painting. Also, you need to let an oil painting dry between the dif-ferent stages and before applying any highlights and fi nishing touches.

2. The outcome: After they dry, acrylics become darker than while wet. This means that it is necessary to adjust the lightness/darkness of the colors accordingly in order to result with the right color values you need. On the other hand, oils dry just the way they look wet.

3. In no circumstances should oil and acrylic paints be mixed while painting. Acrylic paints may be used for initial background under color but it needs to fully dry before any oil paint is added to the canvas.

4. Both oil and acrylic paints have great qualities and durability. They do not require any varnish unless further luster and protection is desired.

PLEASE NOTE: Oil paints need 6 months to dry in full. Only after 6 months, some Oil Paint-ing Finish Varnish may be applied for further protection of the oil paintings. You may purchase both Retouch Varnish and Oil Painting Finish Varnish at any craft store.

Both Oil and Acrylic mediums enhance the properties of the paints.

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS

The painting process requires more than brushes and paint. Here are some additional materials you may need while painting a sunset:

– Reference materials for inspiration such as photos; – Mediums for either acrylic or oil paint could be used for painting details in order to in-

crease the fl owing of the paint - Liquin for oil paints and Flowing Medium for acrylic paints.

– Cleaning Solutions: water for cleaning acrylic paint and brushes; Turpentine or oil paint cleaners are used for cleaning oil paint and brushes. Brushes and palette knives should be cleaned before they dry.

6 | Painting Tropical Sunsets

CHAPTER 2GENERAL TIPS

For your convenience, follow the easy Step by Step instructions of each painting. Avoid diluting or over-mixing the paints. Use the recommended colors and brush strokes for each step. Do not overdo things. Overworking is never good for a painting. Practice mixing colors or strokes on a separate surface if you feel hesitant. Enjoy painting and have fun. Be brave!

Remember, artists always make some “happy mistake”. Plus, rest assured that every “un-happy” mistake could be fi xed!

In general, all mistakes can be fi xed in paintings. The most common methods for fi xing mis-takes are by scraping off the paint with a palette knife and wiping it off with a paper towel or cloth. Another technique is to let the paint dry and then reapply new paint on top of it.

In very rare cases, when the canvas is accidentally torn, it can be repaired by gluing a small piece of canvas on the back. In extreme cases, when the artist decides that ‘all the work is ruined’, then he/she should put that canvas aside. In a few days, fi xing the problems may be reconsidered, or a new painting may be worked out on top of it.

DRAMA AND MOOD IN SUNSET PAINTINGSSunsets could be cool and relaxing or hot and exciting. The choice of colors and compositional ele-ments create the mood of a picture. A nice, peaceful, lazy sunset scene has few colors and less con-trast. Such sunsets may have either warm or cool illuminated skies. The coastland in the foreground is usually clean and not busy with elements such as rocks, trees, people, animals, etc. Tranquil sun-sets may be depicted by using light strokes and a muted palette.

However, usually a sunset painting needs a little additional drama because drama gives excite-ment. An artist can create drama in sunset paintings by using contrast colors and shapes. Also, by adding human or animal fi gures in the composition, the artist may change the mood of a painting and even tell a story.

To create drama, there have to be contrast and tension between the elements of the painting. That could be achieved by using opposing textures, hues and forms to keep the eye moving around the image. For example, all clouds, water, trees and rocks are elements with different texture and they always create interest.