Brandon Nixon

This is a landscape oil painting done with Holbein Duo Aqua water mixable oil paints. These paints are great! They work like oils but cleanup with water.

This painting was painted using a photograph my parents took from a trip they made this year to Vancouver BC.

The Technique

I used a vignette technique to help move the viewers eye towards the distant trees around the river bend. I really like using this technique.

It is simple to do.

1) Identify the path you want your viewer’s eye to take through your painting.

2) Make sure that there are areas on this path that have one or more of the following:

- Hard edges

- Bright Colors or values (Your eye is attracted to light)

- Detail

3) Then make sure that the other areas of the painting don’t have these items. In other words make the other areas have soft edges and/or duller darker/colors and less detail.

I softened the top left and bottom right corners of this painting and used less intense colors in the corners as well. I then pumped up the contrast and detail on the river and put some highlights on the small fall right at the river bend.

Have you used this technique before? Try it on your next painting and let me know how it goes.

This is a 36” x 36” painting of aspen trees in the fall. I used Holbein Duo Aqua water mixable oil paints. They are great work just like traditional oil paints but clean up with water! I painted this on a prepared MDF panel. Check out my blog on how I prepare my panels.

I will be doing a lot more videos on how I use these water mixable oil paints in the future so stay tuned!

I have had several artist ask me about the panels I paint on, so I thought I would do a quick video on how I prepare them.

They are 1/4” MDF panels. You can purchase these at Home Depot. They are sold in 4’ x 2’ sheets. I cut them to size with my table saw but you can have the folks at the store cut it to size for you for FREE!

The process is easy:

Step 1 - Cut To size

If you have them cut it at the store this one is easy! Remember to cut them to standard frame sizes to save on framing costs.

Step 2 - Sand

This is to remove the film that is on the panel from the factory. If you don’t do this step the gesso will not stick as well. It doesn’t take long. It is easiest to use a sanding block that is 100 grit. They are also available at the Home Depot.

Step 3 - Gesso

I have had good luck with the Blick Master Gesso but any brand will work. I use a 4” house painting brush. If you like you panel texture smooth get a soft brush. If you like to have a texture than get a stiffer bristle brush.

Step 4 - Let Dry

Let the panels dry overnight and you are done. Ready to paint.

These are great for Plein-Air painting as they are not as susceptible to dinging the canvas and they fit in most field panel boxes and the are CHEAP!!! I love cheap!

Let me know how you like this and if you do anything different. I always like hearing how you do things.