Speaking of directions, I have attached a photo of a recent hiking trail at Sunshine Meadows- it is the Twin Cairns, Simpson Overlook trail….happy painting and brushwork!

Historically, the cardinal direction points have been important in navigation, direction, mythology, religion and now…. art.

In class I was helping someone create a shadow under a log -but she was okay going from left to right with the brush in her hand but when she tried to go back over the shadow she couldn’t change direction. She was trying to keep her hand in the same position and still move from right to left over the top of the shadow giving it a lost and found edge- it wasn’t working. And the time she was taking trying to figure it out meant  that the  shadow color dried and she was unable to get that lovely transitional value.

Instead, when you get to the right-hand side of the page turn the top of the brush to face West-  the opposite direction-   your wrist will also turn…. now you can move the brush smoothly along the top of the shadow.

Practice moving your brush in the  four directions…… point the top of the brush East, West, North and South…bend your wrist as you do this……..