The Path. Painting #47

The Path is painting #47. It is an original and painted using a similar technique as Rays of Sunshine. I got the idea from a photo I saw online. The photographer edited the photo in such a way that most of it was black and white but he only allowed a single color to show. I thought it would be a perfect way to paint a picture. The difference here is that I only added the color splash to the tire tracks and not in the foliage.

These black and white paintings are challenging yet fun. They take longer than my traditional oil paintings because you have to let layers dry. The paint doesn’t take long but you still have to wait for it to dry before you add the next layer. It was even more fun trying out the different brushes. Using acrylic paint, I couldn’t use my normal Bob Ross brushes. So it was pretty neat seeing how the different brushes worked. Acrylics also behave differently when you apply them so there is some trial and error involved.

These monochromatic pieces are great exercises for using value. You would think two colors would be easy with which to create a painting. However, that’s just not true if you want depth in your picture. The other cool thing to experiment with was the color splash. I had bought a basic acrylic paint set so they’re not my normal Bob Ross colors I’ve gotten accustomed to. There was some trial and error involved in getting the color I wanted. Remember, I started painting just a couple years ago and have no formal art training so I have to learn as I go or watch YouTube videos. Acrylic paints also mix differently. I really should get a small plastic palette knife for mixing that type of paint.

If you wanted to mess around with acrylics like I have, they’re rather cheap. you can get a pack of brushes for about $7. 25 brushes. These are cool because you can use them with other mediums as well. A basic acrylic set is around 10 bucks. 12 piece acrylic set. Give it a shot. It’s fun trying something new. 

This one was really fun to paint and I’m quite pleased with how it turned out! It got a very positive response. The coolest thing about this piece was how differently everyone interpreted it. I received a lot of questions about what the color splash is supposed to be or represents. That’s for you to decide. So tell me, what do you see in this painting? Comment below.