This area, the river Wye in Wales, holds a special place in my heart. Not only have I been there on photography trips, searching for painting inspiration and subject matter, it’s been a regular feature of my studio too. To me, it feels like a place where every turn and meander of the river rewards you with a new peaceful view rich in content. I chose this particular scene because I wanted to show you how I tackle the different levels of detail from the distance with its fine brush strokes to the foreground where definition and sharpness are required for a 3D look. I hope you enjoy painting along with me and the best of luck with your painting!

Michael

Difficulty: Intermediate
Panel Size: 12 x 12
Brushes used in this lesson: Michael James Smith Professional Brush Set

In August 2019 Michael switched brush manufacturers and as a result the series numbers/names are different in some of the lessons. In order to be able to complete the lessons regardless of which set you’re using we have put together a chart which lists the equivalent brushes from both sets.

Acrylic paints I used in this lesson:
Titanium White
Cadmium Yellow Light
Sap Green
Ivory Black
Winsor Lemon
Cobalt Blue
Burnt Umber

Oil paints I used in this lesson:
Titanium White
Cadmium Yellow Light
Dioxazine Purple
Sap Green
Ivory Black
Winsor Lemon
Alizarin Crimson
Cerulean Blue
Burnt Umber

Thinner:
White Spirit