Oil painting:

I experimented with oil paints for the first time in response to the portrait that I chose at the castle, I wanted to extract and use the colours from the portrait which resulted in me working with and variety and shades and hues of green. My normal go to type of paint is acrylic so I was excited to try out something new, one of the major differences I found was that the oil paints took far longer to dry and therefore I was able to continue to add and adjust my painting without the risk of it drying and needing to start again, I found that these paints flowed smoothly and I was able to layer and blend them with ease which I believe is reflected in my work as the colours are intertwined and the gradients and tones transition from one to another smoothly. I opted to work with water soluble oils rather than traditional oils as they are able to thinned with water and the paint brushes are able to be dipped in water while painting which I believe made the experience as a whole quick and efficient. 

For my first attempt I used the green colour from the tube and altered the shades using white, I started lighter on the right side and the tones gradually get darker towards the left, at the end I also applied some paint using the impasto technique to create flecks of white and darks green to represent the light and tree bark that can be seem in the original portrait that I was responding to. However when looking at at my oil painting I noticed that it resembled a waterfall rather than a leaves and tree bark, I believe that some factors that could have contributed to this could be that the green paint I used had slight undertones on blue in it which became more apparent as I added white to lighten the tone as well as my methodical vertical brush strokes, I don't think that this has negatively impacted the final outcome of my painting as the blue undertone invoke a calm and expressive atmosphere and I believe that the imagery of flowing water add a spiritual and mystical touch to my painting that allows the viewer to feel calm and at peace, as if they are peering into a fairies grotto.

For my second painting I decided to mix my own colours and shades as I wanted to achieve a more vibrant, mossy green than in my last painting, I decided to paint the lightest shade in the middle and then progressive get darker around the edges to create a focal point of light within my piece which I believe has brightened up my painting as a whole which I think allows the breathe and appear more open. I again added flecks of pale and dark green in a semi impasto technique to imitate light and to have something within my piece that draws attention as otherwise I believe that the painting would be a lot more boring. To me my second piece feels a lot more down to earth, in contrast to my previous that felt airy and whimsical, it reminds me of moss growing on tree bark in the middle of the forest and I believe that the use of green hues invoke an atmosphere of growth and allow the viewer to be drawn into the painting and surrounded with forest imagery. I believe that both of my oil painting are successful and I am proud of what I have been able to achieve on my first attempts.