For your inspiration today is Isaac Levitan’s Trail in Deciduous Forest, Ferns. This painting is a great lesson on simplification, feature details, and analogous colors. Isaac Levitan, Trail in Deciduous Forest, Ferns, 1895 Painting Details (Click to Expand) Dimensions: 10.6 x 15 inches (27 × 39 cm) Year Created: 1895 Medium: Oil on Canvas Current Location: Saint Petersburg, State Russian Museum Click here to download a high-resolution photo of the painting. Some key observations: It’s a simple landscape, with a few intricate details doing most of the work. The background areas are nothing ..read more

Let’s take a closer look at The Little Worker by Helen McNicoll—a pleasant landscape with high-key colors, compressed values, and an intimate perspective. Helen McNicoll, The Little Worker, c.1907 Painting Details (Click to Expand) Dimensions: 20 x 24 inches (51.3 × 61 cm) Year Created: c.1907 Medium: Oil on Canvas Current Location: Ontario Art Gallery, Toronto Click here to download a high-resolution photo of the painting. High-Key Colors and Compressed Values The first thing that strikes me about the painting is the sense of light. Apart from a few dark accents, the colors are compressed ..read more

I recently put the finishing touches on Fraser Island, Analogous Colors (see below). It’s a simple landscape with a sea of analogous greens and blues. In light of this painting, I put together a few tips for painting with analogous colors. Dan Scott, Fraser Island, Analogous Colors, 2024 (I also published a video walking you through the key steps of this painting. You can watch it here.) Recap: What are Analogous Colors? First, let’s make sure we are all on the same page about the meaning of analogous colors. Analogous colors are groups of colors that are close to each other on the color wheel ..read more

Scumbling in art refers to a painting technique that involves applying a thin layer of paint with a dry brush and a loose hand over an existing layer. The idea is to allow parts of the already existing paint below to remain exposed. In most cases, scumbling is used over dried paint, but you can also use it over wet paint. You just need to be careful with the colors blending together if you are scumbling over wet paint. It is most commonly thought of as an oil painting technique, but it can also be used with acrylic or watercolor paints.  When to Use Scumbling in Art? How to Use Scumbling ..read more

In yesterday’s email, I listed a few of my bad habits and tendencies that you should probably avoid. (If you missed it, you can read it ​here​.) I wanted to follow up and say that not all bad habits, kinks, and quirks in your technique and processes need to be ironed out. To some extent, it is these imperfections that make you unique as an artist. For example, as I mentioned yesterday, I rarely clean my brushes between sessions. I just leave them in solvent. This may not be the best practice, but perhaps it leaves a distinct quality in my work and reflects me as an artist and how I like to wor ..read more

I have been fairly open about what I’m working on and my process for over nine or so years. Part of this is for my own self-improvement, and part of it is to help you on your journey. Whilst there are some things I do okay, there are many things I do where you should NOT follow my lead (or at least do so with care). A few that come to mind are: My studio is often quite messy and disorganized. I often work too fast and would be better off slowing down and being more calculated at times. I rarely clean my brushes. I just leave them in solvent between sessions. I often forget to clean my palette ..read more

Many of my paintings are based on quite simple subjects. My latest one, for example, is really just a still pond with a few trees, clouds, and a crisp blue sky. But simple doesn’t always mean easy. Sometimes you need to work even harder to make simple subjects work. Your technique and execution must be spot on and it’s essential to get the key features right. Anything less and the painting will appear bland and uninviting. With complex subjects, you’ll get some credit simply for painting it well enough. For example, if you paint a tricky portrait of a loved one, you’ll get credit, perhaps even ..read more

After spending so long on the Elora painting, I wanted to change things up and paint something fast and with instinct. Here’s what I ended up with: Fraser Island, Analogous Colors.  Dan Scott, Fraser Island, Analogous Colors, 2024 I painted this within a day over two sessions. All up, it was about 2.5 hours of painting time. For reference, it’s 18 by 24 inches.  I find this way of painting much more enjoyable than laboring over a single painting month after month. But as I discussed in my last email, deep work on challenging projects is required from time to time to continue progress ..read more

I spent the first two months of this year working on just one painting, Elora With Christmas Lights (shown below). During this time, I shunned most of my day-to-day tasks. I ignored social media. I hardly published any new emails, articles, or videos. I didn’t draw or work on other paintings. I basically locked myself in the studio and tunnel-visioned this one painting. That’s the only way I was able to do it justice. Anything less than deep, focused attention for a significant period of time wouldn’t cut it. The following are some notes and observations on deep work. Dan Scott, Elora With Chr ..read more

Let’s take a closer look at this stunning landscape painting by Daniel Garber titled September Morning. I love Garber’s work. He had a unique, peaceful style. This one caught my eye the other day with its crisp colors, rolling hills, and brilliant yellow sky. Daniel Garber, September Morning, c.1938 (If you enjoy learning about beautiful art and master artists, you might also be interested in my Exploring the Masters email series. It’s free to join.) Matching Brushwork to the Subject This painting is a great demonstration of matching brushwork to the subject. For the rolling hills, Garber used ..read more