Painting Ferns with James Gurney

James Gurney paints cinnamon ferns in gouache. His sketchbook page is primed with a yellow-green underpainting that simulates the typical backlit leaf color.
Gumroad tutorial: "Gouache in the Wild": gumroad.com/l/gouache
"Casein Painting in the Wild": gumroad.com/l/casein
"How to Make a Sketch Easel": gumroad.com/l/sketcheasel
Gurney's videos also available as DVDs: jamesgurney.com/collections/v...

[@BryanCoombes]

Just fantastic James! The priming of the bright green worked so well. Then it seems you built around that green by negative painting the areas behind and positive painting the forms in front right? I'm going to try this!

[@JamesGurney]

Yes, exactly. Gouache works well for this subtractive/additive method because it give you the opacity to cover an aggressive underpainting, and it allows you to layers of detail without getting muddy.

[@lauriec3354]

Seems like...what.. about the ferns..

[@ArchitecturalAesthetics2046]

that 'visual music' analogy is poetic. awesome painting.

[@LuhPlu2o]

Architectural Aesthetics yea that analogy is very elegant

[@NoahCatan]

Oh man, this is super complex! (for a beginner like me, anyways) It's really inspiring to see you, who has experience painting all your life, paint something as difficult as this in about two hours! It's amazing!

[@dmanzenpaintings]

Wow.. this process is so soothing 😍 very beautifully done.

[@joschuaknuppe5849]

Ah, yes, the never ending pain of painting lots of ferns... Looks truly stunning.

[@blab1231]

James ferney

[@johnbarrows4265]

I like how you keep challenging yourself with the most difficult of subject matter. Your fun and informative videos showing how it can be done makes it easier for the rest of us. Thank you, James!

[@OliviaBlakeArts]

This is great. I've always really loved gouache-- I was really reluctant to try it because so many people said mean things about it-- ie it was difficult to work with, finicky, etc. but so far I have found the opposite-- I love it as a medium and I'm only sad that it took me so many years to start.

[@francisco7586]

Very good, fantastic James !

[@Taka_Takata]

What I admire most is that when faced with such complexity, you know where and how to start.

[@nomadiccoyote]

Thank you for this! Ferns are by far my favourite flora out there but I felt very intimidated by the intricacies and this definitely helped shed some light on how I might approach and tackle such amazing plant scene :)

[@dtswerwertwer]

You are a master i love your work. You and Drew Struzan are my favorite artists

[@josephlowry4320]

Brilliant Mr Gurney Mother Nature is an beauty.

[@jenniferballesteros7715]

So beautiful!

[@masja1790]

WOW! Just WOW 😳💕

[@OceanaFlorida]

Ha! When I looked up at 01:55, after writing something down, I thought it was one picture on my screen. Wow. Beautiful artwork.

[@MarkNiceyard]

stunning painting

[@forrest603]

James, thank you for all the work you to, sharing your experience and wisdom!

[@kathleengarness1660]

That's amazing - you caught their character and color so well

[@GabdeVue]

I am enthralled! I try to find short cuts for black and white or greyscale to give the impression of realistic plants in backgrounds - but again and again i failed on ferns! They're so intricate, to make them readable as ferns, i get caught up in detailing them, which is beautiful but attracts way too much attention (and I am far from mastering it, so they don't always come out as ferns ; ) ) Since I keep coming back to this plant, i am so enthralled and amazed again how you go about capturing them. I am always amazed, how you capture complex shapes in their natural light. I enjoy all your painting videos, but this especially, since you used such strong colors, intriguing light, very complex shapes! Thank you, i really enjoyed this video!

[@jasonmullins4826]

Awesome work...and a bonus Chestnut-sided Warbler in the background. Well done Mr. Gurney!

[@thomasvasta3688]

Good morning Mr. Gurney, I wanted to let you know sir that I am thoroughly enjoying your book "Color and Light". I am looking forward to applying the techniques you've gone over. Thanks

[@lulamidgeable]

That is beautiful. Dramatic as well as calm.

[@currololo]

Another master lesson of James "Genious" Gurney. Thank you very much!

[@aimeefritz9186]

what you said at the end was so cool! so true! rhythm in art

[@Debbyiamme]

Perfectly painted. Great Job. I love this. Thank you for sharing. The things that matter; Beautiful, just Beautiful!!!

[@tamasmihaly1]

I love your videos, James. Keep'em comin' please. This one is right up there with your snowy parking lot. I envy your technique.

[@RandomRabbit121]

very good James! I been watching your video since a while ago, you are very creative painter, is not easy to filming and painting at the same time, thank you for showing your technique, it helps a lot, hope to see more of your videos:>

[@VishalNamani]

I assume this might be the most difficult thing to paint from life, damn getting those details might be so difficult

[@JamesGurney]

Vishal, Francesca, and Noah-The rarest commodities for me are patience and concentration, and I have to tell myself to slow down, ignore distractions and take my time.

[@VishalNamani]

James Gurney thank you so much for your advise, your are a great inspiration :)

[@essietangle9931]

Thank you for showing us more detail than on instagram. What a beautiful place. I cant get over the size of the ferns and the large grouping of them.

[@iPervy]

Haha always feels like such a privliage to see you paint- and it never gets old every time! Hope to always keep seeing more from you hohohho!

[@stripeytapir]

Insightful and interesting, as always. I really like the point you brought up about the value of actually working on location, also.

[@persephoneblack888]

These videos are really inspiring me to experiment with this gouache set I got awhile ago. I've always been intimated by paints but I do love to attempt it when I can!

i love your paints. your work inspirism me.

[@yarinageshonen]

I love this process. Thank you for another awesome painting video. I'm appreciating gouache since i subscribed to you. Cheers!

[@Welther47]

this seems insanely hard for me to paint.

[@steenystuff1075]

For me too... 🙁

[@catherinecervas3726]

But worth a try or two or more...it is easy to lose your place, but you can be encouraged by your effort.

[@Emiliapocalypse]

That’s why I clicked on this...saw the thumbnail and knew I wouldn’t even know where to begin 😳

[@MrKubahades]

Amazing art

[@TimKaminski]

Inspirational work James. instantly subscribed. I remember years ago you visited Savannah College of Art and Design and I had walked by you painting on the street but didn't know who you were at the time. I always regret not stopping to say hello or at least get a peek of what you were working on.

[@JamesGurney]

Hi, Tim, that's funny. Well, I'll bet you get that chance again someday. I could be sketching in your town anytime, you never know.

[@79Louise]

Nice I love painting nature and you are spot on with it. ^^

[@arlenemurphy804]

BEAUTIFUL

[@carmenfestas1]

Amazing!

[@Davidgopaint]

such a difficult subject, nice!

[@juanjoseleonardosolisvarga4101]

Fantastico.....que belleza...

[@trondsi]

Very nice! Interesting that the brightest color is the background color. I remember you did this before as well.

[@SolanaAmanda]

Beautifull!

[@liviariviello9474]

Complimenti!

[@zoepiel]

Looking forward to learning about the sighting grid.

[@TheKitkatt]

Fantastic...I don't know how you do it!!!

[@NuraysArt]

I struggle with foliage so much... I've learnt things from this video but i still can't draw ferns... so complex ahah

[@totayoyo1362]

very nice. 😊

[@JojobaNutOil]

the level of concentration required to do this oh man!

[@vadimkotikov6167]

James, congratulations on a fabulous painting, my only 'complaint' is that the video could be at least twice as long! By the way, your book "Color and Light" is a big hit in Russian. One related question: you were doing gouache on a casein priming. If I were doing oil, would tempera or acrylic work as priming?

[@levinhale8584]

gouache master!

[@joannmartin1571]

Going to try this method with some Sumac.

[@rj8944]

Visual music. 😊

[@dianeo]

Wow.... just... wow. Beautiful. Can you lay down a gouache underpainting or does it have to be casein?

[@rempuku]

wonderfull job James, its very inspiring, here in argentina stores not sell casein painting. Can I paint Guache over an Acrylic painting?. Thanks for give us your art!!!

[@CrystaliumJMC]

Yeah, a colour base wash over a white surface does take out a lot of effort of covering up the whiteness in your final markings. It's harder to do this with watercolours as you rely on the white for brightness and it's difficult to build thick layers over itself without muddying your colours. Gouache works better for its opaqueness despite being water-based.

[@essietangle9931]

Hope you get this note. Day 4 of Teohs trip to Japan. He went to a large store and one shelf he saw your books in Japanese. Pretty Cool. (Teoh or Parka)

[@christopherreisenbichler2506]

The green underpainting is stunningly bright! Is there a straight casein color that fits the bill or just the fruits of smart mixing?

[@JamesGurney]

Christopher, Cadmium Green by Richeson or Shiva comes pretty close, but I lightened (and yellowed) it with cad yellow light and white.

[@beavillalobos2316]

Wowowowowow

[@flamminia]

it took you 2 hours? Ahah now I can be at peace with myself when I take 1 hour to make a quick colored sketch, I thought you pros took way less time! it's a relief.

[@aartadventure]

For the complexity of this subject, 2 hours is extremely fast.

[@lycan0000]

The only right time amount to paint something is the time you need to paint it.

[@SarahBurnsStudio]

This was truly captivating to watch! And your insight is incredibly valuable. Just wondering, does thicker gouache "flake off" if it's too thick like where you did the white details at the end?

[@JamesGurney]

I checked that little bit of gouache impasto after you asked, and it flattened down a bit when it dried and stuck there like glue. So no worries. With casein I'd be careful though when working on flexible paper because the paint emulsion doesn't have much binding strength.

[@SarahBurnsStudio]

James Gurney ooh great thank you!

[@leolaus332]

i love your paintings, you are a big inspiration. I tryed priming with acrylics but that did not work, i live in europe so i can't buy Casein.

[@kylepatterson7140]

One thing you might try is putting less water in in your gouache. I've found that acrylic underpaintings can work so long as the gouache on top isn't too runny. Go for opaques right off the bat. Hope that helps a little. Good luck!

[@JamesGurney]

Colvich- Yes, Kyle said it. Also, you can use an acrylic-gouache hybrid like Holbein's Acryla Gouache, which has a matte surface. Diane-yes, you can use watercolor or gouache as your initial layer, but then you have to have a very light touch with subsequent strokes, especially if they're too runny and wet.

[@mukeluk]

spettacolo

[@jennya9163]

What kind of Gouache do you have?/Recommend? I'm an avid water colorist and I've used gouache but it was a cheap brand. I'm looking into getting a better brand but not sure which to go with (or how many colors to get)

[@JamesGurney]

Here's a blog post that compares details of various brands. gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2015/06/gouache-ingredients-info-from.html My current favorite brand overall is M. Graham, but Holbein and Winsor and Newton are also excellent.

[@ClariceAust]

I wanted to buy a video on how to achieve these effects, but couldn't find one on your site.

[@joshdartist]

Fantastic vid! If one didn't have access to casein, could you use acrylics for the underpainting of "vegetable green"?

[@JamesGurney]

Joshua Davis Yes, definitely. Acrylic or acrylic gouache. Make sure it has a matte surface.

[@joshdartist]

Awesome! I figured it would work, didn't know if there'd be any interaction between the two. (Acrylic would be best considering the budget I'm on.. lol) Thanks for your videos, books, and response!

[@cartapax5077]

James 'Polaroid' Gurney.

[@leslieturner1385]

Could you use acrylic instead of casein for your underpainting?

[@CrystaliumJMC]

Try reading the article of this link: www.richesonart.com/products/paints/richesoncasein/richcaseinfaq.html

[@CrystaliumJMC]

Or maybe this link: www.tri-art.ca/en/faq/#FAQ9

[@IbogaineCuresPTSD]

jeeeeez...

[@rajijojo]

how do you practice drawing ?

[@Alien-gh3dx]

사진같아

[@timowthie]

I wonder how sargent would have painted this.

[@Rubi1angel]

maybe in a thousand years I could paint ferns. too difficult

[@evanseventy7593]

"I just really want to paint ferns" Said no one, ever

[@DanekZdenek]

Not bad, but oil colors will do a better work.