Nocturne Notes - Jim McVicker

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Nocturne Notes

Jim McVicker



Trinidad Nocturne, 20 x 24", Oil, © Jim McVicker
Trinidad Nocturne     20 x 24"     Oil     © Jim McVicker

   In our fascination with how the eye sees and then translates the world around us to our brains, we have found it particularly interesting to study how the eye sees at night. Search for the words "Nocturnes" and "Vision" in the search bar to read many interesting articles about the science of seeing at night and the art of painting at night, or, download our book, Nocturnes - A Primer on Night Painting. We've asked some of our favorite artists to show us examples of their nocturne work and to tell us a little bit about their processes in this series of Nocturne Notes.

   We have previously featured Jim McVicker's work in our interview—Voice of Experience - Jim McVicker. You can also see more of his work at Jim McVicker Fine Art. He sent to us these examples of nocturnes he painted in Trinidad, CA and wrote to us:

   "We spent nine days renting a home in Trinidad that sat above Trinidad harbor with the most fantastic views to the east, south and west. I never left the deck and painted several works of the views. I rarely paint a nocturne, but with the deck view and the beauty of the night I set up for a couple nights. I used the soft porch light as my light source for working, not ideal, but it worked. I love painting bright sunlight so I really had to pay attention to the quiet light of night, The lights in and around the buildings and on the water were the points I paid attention to and helped me design and create movement. Both paintings needed attention back home in my studio where I spent time finishing the painting. In the studio I could see more clearly what I felt the painting needed to harmonize the color and values."


Trinidad Nocturne II, 20 x 24", Oil, © Jim McVicker
Trinidad Nocturne 2     20 x 24"     Oil     © Jim McVicker

 


In our fascination with how the eye sees, and translates the world around us to our brains, we have found it particularly interesting to study how the eye sees at night. Search for the words "Nocturnes" and "Vision" in the search bar to read many interesting articles about the science of seeing at night and the art of painting at night, or, download our book, Nocturnes - A Primer on Night Painting. We've asked some of our favorite artists to show us examples of their nocturne work and to tell us a little bit about their processes in this series of Nocturne Notes.

Copyright Hulsey Trusty Designs, L.L.C. (except where noted). All rights reserved.
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A Primer on Night Painting - Nocturnes

Nocturnes - A Primer on Night Painting

Filled with inspirational examples by the masters of nightime painting, this little book is sure to fire up your creative energies. Never tried painting at night? We show you how it's done with a step-by-step-oil demo and a tale of night painting in the wilds of Rocky Mountain National Park. The Primer on Night Painting - Nocturnes is a 7 x 7" PDF download with 40 pages of text and images. It includes a gallery of paintings by masters of the nocturne, information to inspire and encourage you in your plein air nocturne painting, an illustrated step-by-step demo and tips for working in pastel and oil. Also available in a softcover edition. Check out the tools and other products that we use in our own art and travels in The Artist's Road Store. We only offer things for sale that we enthusiastically believe in.

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We are artists, authors and teachers with over 40 years of experience in painting the world's beautiful places. We created The Artist's Road in order to share our knowledge and experiences with you, and create a community of like-minded individuals.  You can learn more about us and see our original paintings by clicking on the links below.
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