top of page
Writer's pictureRobert Hopkins

Week 10: Two failed paintings, and more training.

Updated: Dec 20, 2022

12/18/22 to 12/24/22


Friday and Saturday saw failures on my part. Nothing was working. So, I regrouped on Sunday and watched an extensive video by Kathleen Dunphy. One of my favorite artists located in the Sierra Mountains of California.


Her work is wonderful! I noticed her five years ago. But, I don’t think at that point she had a training video. Well, now she does! It’s 1:45 long in duration and is chocked full of information. Wonderful information!


  1. She uses just six colors: Cad Yellow Light, Permanent Red Medium, Ultramarine Blue Deep, Titanium White, Naples Yellow Deep, and Cool Gray. All Rembrandt oil paints. Good paints that I have used before.

  2. The key to her success is how she pre-mixes her palette before she paints. She mixes while she is painting too, but the pre-mix is critical. She makes sure to have the primary colors and mixed secondary colors available on her pallet before starting to paint. This way, she has the compliments right up front and can gray down the colors easily and fast. A key component to great looking landscape paintings. Nature has far more grays to it than most painters ever paint.

  3. Dark to light, thin to thick.

  4. Cool Gray and Naples Yellow are used to darken or lighten a color. The advantage of Naples yellow is it can be added to a mixed color and it will make that color look like it is in direct sunlight! Cool gray can make a color look like it’s in the shade. K.I.S.S.! I like that!!!

  5. She uses flats and round brushes. Size 2 to 8 mostly. She carries six total brushes and a pallet knife. Easy peasy. She uses Gatorboard panels covered in linen. I’ll continue using Masonite boards for now with less, or not at all, pumice added to the gesso.

  6. And so much more!

I plan on creating a post of “everything” she discusses and will post it here as a good reference for all painters. She has been painting for over twenty five years now and knows her shit! You can tell by her wonderful artwork.


I will create a different post later on this week, after I have digested everything in the video. I will make a list as I watch the video for reference purposes.


Here is one of her paintings (WoW):

Kathleen Dunphy, Copyrighted

10 views

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page