This was my third oil painting. I was still uncomfortable with the idea of creating my composition, so I continued to study the works of other artists and test my ability to duplicate their paintings with a reasonable amount of accuracy. This painting was copied from a painting by Eduard Boehm, a 19th-century Austrian artist. I do not know Eduard’s title or the date he painted it. Please enjoy my tutorial “Lakeside Path“ by John O’Keefe Jr.
Composition and Materials – “Lakeside Path”
- Support: Pre-Stretched & Mounted Medium Textured Cotton Canvas (Acrylic Primed)
- Size: 11 x 14 inch
- Medium: Winsor & Newton Winton Student Grade Oil Paints
- Finish: Winsor & Newton Dammar varnish
Step-By-Step – “Lakeside Path”
Day 1
The clouds came first, followed by a rough outline of the distant mountains.
Day 2
More refinements to the clouds. Added details to the distant mountains. I blocked the land mass to the right, along with the waterway.
Day 3
Using my computer, I blocked in the left foreground. I did this to visualize how my next steps would look.
Day 4
First, I added detail to the right-side landmass and reflections to the waterway. For the under-painting, visible on the left, I used raw umber and blocked in the general landmass features.
Day 5
Starting with the distant tree line on the left side, I added darker colors to become my shadows. I then added more detail to the landmass on the right.
Day 6
Again, using the darker colors that would be the basis for my shadows, I began to add more detail to the left-side land areas. The path has also been blocked-in.
Day 7
I started adding highlights to the distant tree line and land areas, followed by the row of tree trunks.
Day 8
I started adding light green tones and the grass along the shoreline. Then I blocked in a dead tree trunk and rock to the front left. Also, I highlighted the path.
Day 9
Lastly, I added all the fine details. I finished the foreground shrubs, path, and rocks.
Finished Painting – “Lakeside Path”
I hope you enjoyed my tutorial “Lakeside Path” by John O’Keefe Jr.