Landscape Painting Abc – Xyz

By George Demont Otis

This art instruction manual was written for the aspiring to advanced artists, by a renowned master landscape painter and teacher, in oil, pastel, water color, and drawing techniques. Although this long time buried treasure, that Otis culminated in 1941, finally comes to light in February 2017, it is totally relevant for current artists desiring to enhance their artistic expression.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jan 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781490777405

George Demont Otis

George Demont Otis, American Impressionist, 1879 - 1962 was a prolific artist, supporting himself by teaching and selling his paintings, while traveling from Chicago though the Southwest, living in the Los Angeles area then settling in Marin County, CA. Otis’ mediums included oils, watercolors, gouaches, pastels, etchings, and wood blocks. This  master painter was also a wood carver, poet, teacher, lecturer and community leader.  George Demont Otis' training included teachers Robert Henri and John F. Carlson, and institutions of Art Insittute of Chicago, IL, Cooper Union, NY, and Woodstock School of Painting in NY. According to Otis’ autobiography part of his travels of 38 states included living and painting amongst 15 southwest American Indian tribes, where he wrote poems of their cultural ways. (Refer to page 102.)

Book preview

Landscape Painting

ABC – XYZ

by george demont otis

1879 - 1962

Landscape Painting ABC – XYZ

by George Demont Otis

1879 – 1962

American Landscape Impressionist

Front cover image: The Creek 30 x 36 oil on canvas, c 1934

Back cover image: Quiet Lagoon oil on canvas 30x36 c 1940

Paintings owned by: Shirley D. Meloy

Many images of works of art by George Demont Otis

may be viewed at

www.georgedemontotisart.com and at

www.otisprints.com.

© Copyright 2017 Shirley Meloy.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7741-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7740-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016919672

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Introduction, by Shirley D. Meloy, great niece of the Author

The teachings contained in this book were a long time buried treasure. George Demont Otis wanted his art instruction manuscript, culminating in1942, to be published posthumously. He died in 1962. His widow, Clara Van Tine Otis, with the risks, expenses and labor, did not publish the manuscript, nor did her next of kin, her niece, Grace Van Tine Hartley. After receiving ownership in 2013 I, Mrs. Hartley’s daughter, and great niece of George Demont Otis, with the ease of On demand Publishing, bring this manuscript treasure finally to surface that both the novice and advanced artists will benefit.

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According to his autobiography part of his travels of 38 states included living and painting amongst 15 south west American Indian tribes. Otis wrote some poems of their ways, which are yet to be published. My great uncle lectured for the Mary MacDowell Foundation clubs in various states. His many mediums included oils, watercolors, gouaches, opaque, pastels, etchings, and wood blocks.

This master painter was also a wood carver, poet, teacher and lecturer. I loved visiting him, and Great Aunt Clara, and seeing the paintings and hand carved wood furniture. Refer to the inside pages to view his many art club associations and exhibits. His reverence for nature is evident in his impressionistic expressions.

To view many images of his works visit www.otisprints.com and www.georgedemontotisart.com.

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I received a portion of the rich legacy of inspiration and knowledge which had been transmitted to Otis by some of America’s greatest artists and teachers … Robert Henri, William Merritt Chase, John F. Carlson, Birge Harrison …

George Roberts, of "George Demont Otis Was My Teacher page 100 in California Collection" ©1998 George Demont Otis Foundation

Teachers and Institutes of Training

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Teachers:

John F. Carlson for landscape

Robert Henri for still life

Izra Winters and Wellington J. Reynolds for figures

Birge Harrison taught Otis in Plymouth MS

William Merritt Chase at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

Befriended by Winslow Homer as a boy

Painted with John Sloan and Thomas Moran

Institutes of Training:

Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, under John Vanderpoel, IL

Art Institute of Chicago, IL in 1894; In 1901 he taught there.

Philadelphia Academy of Art, PN

Cooper Union, NY with Robert Henri

National Academy of Design, NY

Arts Student League, Boston, MA

Brooklyn Academy of Fine Art, NY

Woodstock School of Painting, NY

CONTENTS

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Foreword by Dr. Kevin Starr, California State Librarian Emeritus Introduction by Mr. Otis’ great niece, Shirley Hartley Meloy. Preface by the author, George Demont Otis Teachers and Institutes of Training

Chapter 1 The Finder

Chapter 2 Perspective

Chapter 3 Drawing

Chapter 4 Form

Chapter 5 Crating

Chapter 6 Line of Beauty

Chapter 7 Roads and Entrances The Letter S

Chapter 8 Elements of Design

Chapter 9 Proportions

Chapter 10 Decorative Tree Design

Chapter 11 Repetition

Chapter 12 Continuity of Line

Chapter 13 Law of Principality

Chapter 14 Undulation

Chapter 15 Laws of Interchange

Chapter 16 Rejections

Chapter 17 Concentration

Chapter 18 Values

Chapter 19 Echoes

Chapter 20 Curvature

Chapter 21 Piers of Painting

Chapter 22 The Vista (Gateway)

Chapter 23 Radiation

Chapter 24 Ballast

Chapter 25 Composition

Chapter 26 Equipment

Chapter 27 Analysis of Our Palette

Chapter 28 The Wash and Painting Procedures

Chapter 29 Drawing and Painting Hints

Chapter 30 Brush Practice and Technical Points

Chapter 31 Reflections, Boats and Water

Chapter 32 Sketching and Painting From Nature

Chapter 33 Color Practice

Chapter 34 Glazes and Scumbles

Chapter 35 Quality

Chapter 36 Moonlight Painting

Chapter 37 Still Life Painting

Chapter 38 Marine Painting

Chapter 39 Harmony

Chapter 40 Drama or Animation

Chapter 41 Rested Motion

Chapter 42 Personal Experiences and Advice

Chapter 43 A Review of Essential Principles and a Primer on Drawing and Painting

Chapter 44 Final Thoughts

Appendices

In Conclusion

Autobiography

George Demont Otis was my Teacher

Exhibits in which George Demont Otis Participated

Organizations in which Otis was Affiliated

References to George Demont Otis

The Preface

by George Demont Otis, American Impressionist

I count as the most pleasant years of my life those spent in the great outdoors, in constant touch with the varied moods of nature. After I developed the ability to paint well and understood the fundamentals of art, much of my time was given to counseling and advising students who wanted to paint from nature. The joy of service and the feeling that it provided satisfaction to those whom I was able to assist has given me strength and pleasure. The incentive to write this book came from the many questions brought to me by students. I hope that in these pages students will find helpful guidance; however, they in turn must study the book carefully, and practice untiringly in the presence of nature. You cannot learn to paint by reading, but a book can help you to observe, which is the first essential in art.

Experience has taught me that when one can see what an artist must see, one can learn to paint well enough to produce satisfying and worthwhile pictures. I also hope that the illustrations and instructions in this book will stimulate interest and create desire to do original work. Originality, initiative and personal inventiveness are always the most important factors in a student’s growth and progress. The student who wishes to master art should try every medium, but one book cannot cover all of them. This one deals primarily with oil, though it does include some remarks about pastel, which is an excellent stepping stone between drawing and painting and can in fact stand alone in its own right as a final medium. Oil painting has been selected for emphasis here because it is the first and foremost of mediums considered when one mentions painting. Also, it is the best medium for a beginner, as mistakes can be corrected more readily than in watercolor.

The thesis of this book is that a painting can seldom have merit unless the underground structure, the drawing, is done skillfully. In the process of painting a good drawing is never lost. Real art lies in the ability to draw, compose and embody one’s own unique personality in the expression of an emotion. These points, and others, are reiterated throughout the book, because I believe that repetition is a necessary element in teaching. Many students are disappointed by their work and wonder what has gone wrong. Often they have not given sufficient attention to drawing and composition before starting to paint. They may have failed to understand that the real essence of art cannot be obtained by copying the work and style of others, or through a detailed familiarity with formulas and techniques; but only by a sincere expression of one’s individual viewpoint and personality.

No book of this kind is worthwhile unless it benefits in some way the person seeking knowledge. Nor is it really serviceable until it has been read, reread, loved and even marked to make certain passages a ready reference. Personalizing the text is especially important for the student.

All of us have a starting point in art, and every master was once a student. The only reason he became great was that he continued working on through trials to conquer, and anyone who has the determination can do likewise. You may not achieve any fame but you will have those marvelous hours that are so priceless to life, days outdoors when you seek more truth and have your efforts rewarded with a good painting. No one comes closer to being a part of nature than the artist who seeks conscientiously to portray its glories.

Great artists were prodigious workers, concerned above all else with the attainment of high standards of quality. When a fine artist sets out to paint, he tries to produce an interpretation of nature as he sees it. He doesn’t paint to please, to fit a space on a wall, or to ornament some hall of fame, and there should be no thought of posterity. His goal is simply to create a soul satisfying impression of the day.

Art is not merely construction, or just a play of colors, but is based upon feeling and interpretation. To learn more of the inner art is to add more to the beauty of surface, for beneath the splendor of the sky, the land, the sea, or any other phenomenon of nature, lays the majesty and mystery, which produce the setting for surface beauty. Art is the doing well of what needs doing.

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Chapter 1. THE FINDER

The finder can be a plain dark-colored piece of cardboard, its proportions and size as pictured above, with the center space cut out leaving an opening. The opening is 1½ x 2 ¼, the margin about 1" wide. This opening is used in the selection of subject matter. It focuses on a part of nature, allowing for concentration of attention and eliminating much confusion.

When one has learned to use the finder properly, one finds that perplexing problems of perspective can often be solved easily. Make certain that the finder is held absolutely level, the bottom line of its opening a perfect horizontal. Closing one eye, look straight ahead through this opening, never raising or lowering the head or peeking out the sides of the opening. Hold the finder about 6 to 12 ½ away from