Diamond Head, oil on canvas board, 9"x12"

This is the first finished oil painting of my life. I have been painting for all of three weeks and my enjoyment and enthusiasm for painting far exceeds my skill. I know there is much to improve with regard to my skill at painting. The composition is dull because it is pretty much just what I saw, except for the hedge that was moved to show the sidewalk (the suggestion of my teacher who said it helps bring the viewer into the painting). I think the vine that is going up the pergola is too close to the edge of the canvas (poor planning of the composition). I still need to develop my brushwork and color harmony. The feeling of the painting is rather uninspired since I really was just trying to paint accurately what I saw rather than capture the mood. I have done a great deal of reading and viewing more of Richard's lessons since painting this so I hope to do better next time. I will be sure to write down the theme or mood of the painting when I do my notan as Richard recommends. I am also half way through a book of exercises on perspective which can't hurt. This is a rather pedestrian painting but it is a start. Besides, painting has made me get to the beach more in the last three weeks that I have in the past ten years!

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Comment by Gregg S. Geary on August 2, 2012 at 10:17: Thanks to Candy and Toggi for your kind words of support. So far I am painting outside every Saturday and have a few sunburns to prove it (my bottle of sunscreen went missing). These other paintings are not ready for prime time, as they say, but if I rework them I will try to put them online. My teacher does push me to work more quickly since I tend to work on details too much. I am getting faster at filling the canvas in about 3 hours. I can't say the results are more satisfying at this point but my training in music reminds me that it takes practice, practice, practice.

Comment by Þorgrímur Andri Einarsson on August 2, 2012 at 6:40: Congradulations with your first oil painting. Feels good doesnt it ?

I think this is a super good result for a first try. I do have a general suggestion, if you like to paint landscapes, which is to paint outdoors as much as possible. You will develop much quicker in terms of colour and composition.

Keep up the good work and please post more images :)

Comment by Candy Prather on August 1, 2012 at 21:51: This is great, Gregg...keep it up...it'll get better. The thing about painting is, we never arrive...seems like the more we learn, the more we know we need more learning. This is really great for your first painting!

Comment by Gregg S. Geary on June 24, 2012 at 19:47: Ruby,

Thanks so much for the encouraging words. That mean a lot. I have another one that I started with a banyan tree and will let you know when I get it done. The tree is looking good, I think, but having some trouble with getting the shadows to my liking. I will let you know when I get it uploaded. Have a wonderful day and Aloha!

Comment by Ruby on June 24, 2012 at 19:42: Gregg this is very good for your first oil. Your shading is nicely blended and you captured the movent on the water spot on. Not too bad I would say for a first.