Outdoor lighting

[Alexandra Tyng]

Brian, I've been admiring these and the thing that stands out for me is how you subtly modeled the children's features with color, within a limited value range. This is so hard to do! I especially like the head and shoulders of the boy.

[Brian Neher]

Hi, Linda. My palette consists of the following colors:
Raw Sienna
Gold Ochre
Cadmium Yellow Pale
Cadmium Yellow
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Scarlet
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Red Deep
Permanent Alizarin Crimson
Cadmium Green Pale
Permanent Sap Green
Prussian Green
Viridian
Manganese Blue
French Ultramarine
Titanium White

These are all Winsor Newton colors. I occasionally use other colors that aren't normally on my palette, depending on what the painting calls for. These colors consist of Terre Verte, Indian Yellow, and burnt sienna.

As far as working methods go, I will take photos of the subject using both color 35mm film and digital photos. From these photos I then make 8" x 10" enlargements in black and white which I will then use during the painting. I work from black and white prints because I am more interested in the value relationships which are often more difficult to notice in a color photograph. This also allows me to incorporate my own color. I will then work up two preliminary studies to show the client. Once the client chooses which study they like best then I will begin the final painting. I use Claessens #13 single primed linen and start out by blocking in the painting on a white canvas. I prefer not to use a preliminary drawing underneath, but rather start by massing in large areas of the canvas. It is then a process of refining. This involves painting with a brush, palette knife, fingers, and paper towels in order to get the look that I am after. If certain areas of the painting get built up with paint too soon then I scrape the canvas down with a palette knife in order to control the surface of the canvas throughout the painting.

Outdoor lighting tends to be more challenging because the value relationships are very close in an outdoor setting. This means that I am using a limited value scale and am keying my paintings higher in value. By doing this I am raising my darkest value which, in turn, forces me to lower my lightest values. This causes me to work primarily in a middle value range. By limiting the values in a painting you must then use warm and cool color changes in order to achieve the look of volume and form. So instead of using a value change in order to make a form turn, you would use a color change. This play of warm and cool colors throughout the painting is a vital tool in achieving the look of outdoor light. The same principles are used for an indoor portrait, but tend to be more subtle.

[Chris Saper]

Dear Brian,

Fantastic temperature control! I will print these out to study. So nice to see you here

[SB Wang]

My friend Brian:
Thank you for sharing these beautiful works!
Your works remind me of Monet's words: "Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment".

[Brian Neher]

I just wanted to thank all of the artists for their kind words of inspiration. I am adding two more outdoor portraits to this post for those that are interested. I wish you all the best. Take care.

[Cindy Procious]

Brian, your work is fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing, and welcome to the forum.

Any chance of you treating us to some choice details??

I see SO much color in your work, but it's all so beautifully subtle - I'd love to study some close-ups.

[Brian Neher]

Hi, Cindy. Thank you for your kind words. I will take some close ups of portraits that I am currently working on and post them in the near future.

As far as the subtlety of color goes, it is an important tool in getting color to work in a painting. By keeping your colors somewhat subdued, or slightly grayed down, you reserve more of your pure colors in case you need them later in the painting. I have found that it is easier for me to start a painting a bit brighter and warmer in color and then gray it down as I go along by adding complimentary colors. It seems to be easier to cool a color down with its compliment then to try and work in color into a grayed area. Color relationships are similar to value relationships, in that a color appears more brilliant or more subdued according to the other colors that are on your canvas. You can key your painting higher in color (brighter, more brilliant color) or lower in color (grayer, subdued colors) in much the same way that you would key a painting higher or lower in value. Just because you have a wide spectrum of colors to work with doesn't mean that you have to use all of them in your painting in order to convey what you are trying to say. The same goes for values. You do not have to use every value from black to white in every painting. If you compare this to music you could think of it this way: You don't need to use every note on the scale in order to write a song. Some of the most memorable songs are the simple ones that we find ourselves humming throughout the day. I hope that this will be of some use to you. Take care.

[Brian Neher]

Here are a few more outdoor portraits.

[Cindy Procious]

I always get excited when I see you've posted, Brian! These latest are so beautiful. I especially love the last one - and thank you for the detail shot!

You have such a faciltiy with portraying atmosphere - I literally find myself squinting as though I was in the sun right with these kids.

Thanks for sharing.

[Julie Deane]

Wow, Brian!