Alright, let’s talk about this David Hiles thing I got into recently. It wasn’t some big plan, you know? I was just browsing online, maybe looking at old landscape paintings, and his name popped up. Saw some of his work, thought it looked pretty interesting. Different.
There was this specific way he seemed to handle light, especially on water. Looked simple enough at first glance, but the more I looked, the more I realized there was something tricky going on. So, I thought, why not give it a shot? I’ve got some paints lying around, canvases stacked up in the corner. What’s the worst that could happen, right?
Getting Down to It
First off, I had to figure out what he was actually doing. Wasn’t much info out there, just bits and pieces. Seemed like he used thin layers, almost like glazing, but with oils, and really focused on the underpainting showing through. So, I grabbed:
- A small canvas I had prepped ages ago.
- My usual oil paints, nothing fancy.
- Some linseed oil and thinner.
- A couple of soft brushes I rarely use.
I started by sketching out a simple scene, just some water and a bit of shore. Then came the underpainting. Tried to keep it light, thinking about where the highlights would eventually hit. Let that dry for a bit. Well, mostly dry. Patience isn’t always my strong suit.
The Messy Middle
Then I started with the layers. This is where it got fiddly. Mixing the paint really thin, trying to gently brush it on without disturbing the layer underneath too much. It felt… weird. Not like my usual way of painting at all, where I just sort of slap it on thicker.
Honestly, the first few layers looked like garbage. Muddy. Colors weren’t quite right. I almost scraped the whole thing off right then and there. Seriously frustrating. Felt like I was wasting paint and time. Had to step away, make a cup of tea, stare out the window for a while.
Came back to it the next day. Looked a bit better once it had settled? Maybe? Decided to push through. Added more thin layers, focusing on building up the light on the water bit by bit. It was slow work. Really slow. Each layer had to be just right, or at least that’s what I was telling myself.
End Result? Well…
So, after a few sessions, I called it done. Is it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. Does it look exactly like a David Hiles painting? Not even close. But… you know what? I can kind of see something there. A hint of that layered light effect I was going for. It’s subtle.
More importantly, I learned a fair bit. Mostly about patience, I guess. And about how different techniques force you to think differently about applying paint. It wasn’t a total success in terms of the final picture, but the process itself was valuable. Made me appreciate his skill a lot more, that’s for sure. Might even try it again, now that I have a slightly better feel for it. Or maybe I’ll just stick to my usual way. Haven’t decided yet.