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Years ago I was asked by The Artist’s Magazine to write an article about painting with watercolor and acrylic.  The article was popular and was later reprinted in Italian.  People ask me to explain the process all the time. I posted the article on my website so that it will be available for easy reference and hopefully help others with their experimentation in combining mediums. Click on this link to read the article “The Best of Both Media” .  Let me know if you have questions or comments.
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Students joined me for a sketching walk at the Historic Kennecott Copper Mill site. We climbed the trail alongside the mill and sketched from the bridge over National Creek. Students are pictured on the trail to Silk Stocking Row sketching a scene of the mill buildings.

A bonus surprise, we found a garden of Columbine to sketch.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

My first assignment as Artist-in-Residence for the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park was to teach a workshop about sketching in the field. The sun blessed us as we walked and sketched along the bluff trail overlooking the Copper River with views of the Wrangell Mountains. We pursued three points of view; finding compositions in the distance, middle ground and up-close. (more…)

The finished original painting “High Country” in pointillism.

This original painting is available as a giclee on canvas and can be ordered on my website. The giclee is slightly smaller (22′x44″) than the original painting, but can be custom ordered larger or smaller. My technique of pointillism is slow and painstaking, but very satisfying. I am very proud of this painting. It is a view north to the Alaska Mountain Range from the Denali Highway in interior Alaska, a place that I spent many, many years exploring when I lived in the rural wilderness of Copper Center.

Thank you for following my Blog.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Close-up detail showing a section of the original painting “High Country”.

The pointillism on the midground ridges is shown here as shown in my previous Blog entry Painting with Pointillism 11. You can also see the detail in the lake.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Finishing details are added in pointillism to original painting “High Country”.

I’ve been concentrating on the lakes and the ridges directly behind the lakes, adding detail in pointillism. I’ve also added more detail to the distant mountains, the painting is nearly finished.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Artist

Partially finished painting in pointillism “High Country”.

At this stage I’m adding detail, more in the immediate foreground and much more to the midground valley. You can see patches of snow in the greyed back valley tundra. The dark ridge in the distance is taking on structure with details of forests of trees creating interesting patterns. Detail and pointillism have been applied to the distant mountains, and more work has been done to the clouds in the sky. The painting is taking shape at this point.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Close-up detail of a section of the original painting “High Country”.

Another detail from a previous blog entry Painting with Pointillism 7. This illustrates how I achieved depth between the foreground ridge and the midground valley by using greyed back colors in the valley applied in pointillism.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Artist

A close-up detail of the center section of the original painting “High Country”.

This is a detail of the previous blog entry “Painting with Pointillism 7″.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Partially completed pointillism on original painting “High Country”.

I’ve begun to define the distant mountains with pointillism, and have applied several layers of dots to the sky. The midground is greyed back giving a distinct illusion of a foreground ridge rolling down hill. I’m working hard to create depth in the painting at this stage. Underpainting still exists on the distant mountain to the right and the very far mountains on the left, as well as the ridges behind the lake.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Artist

Original painting “High Country”.

I’ve applied pointillism to the foreground in multiple layers and it is partially finished at this point. The midground is in the beginning stages of development, and the distant mountains and sky are still the original underpainting. Notice that the blues in the lake have been toned down and greyed back to create the illusion of distance.
More tomorrow.

Gaill Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Close up detail of pointillism in the foreground of original painting “High Country”.

This is a detail of the previous blog entry “Painting with Pointillism 4″. As you can see, several layers of dots have been applied, underpainting is still showing through along the tops of the orange, brown and gold bushes.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Artist

Progress of pointillism on the original acrylic painting “High Country”.

I’ve added more pointillsm to the foreground to define the vegetation, and I’ve started the first layer of pointillism in the midground. The lake is underpainted with shades of blue.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Underpainting and first layer of pointillism on original painting “High Country”

At this point I’m establishing the shapes of the bushes and areas of scattered snow with the first layer of dots (pointillism) in the lower third of the painting. Much of the underpainting is still visible under the dots in the foreground.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Second layer of underpainting with acrylic on “High Country” original painting.

I continue to rough-in the image with several layers of acrylic paint, and work very fast at this stage. I’m extablishing stronger areas of dark and light and intensifying the colors.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Artist

Acrylic underpainting for “High Country” original painting.

First I sketch the subject with pencil onto the painting surface, in this case a 22″ x 48″ Sintra PVC plastic board.  Then I begin to quickly apply underpainting, establishing the light and dark areas and base colors that will show through beneath the hundreds of dots of pointillism that will be applied during the course of the painting.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

I designed the logo for the Copper Basin 300 sled dog race in 1989 using research from my visit to the village of Atmutluak, Alaska. (more…)

“Race Day” 18″x24″ pen,ink and watercolor painting ©Gail Niebrugge

Another image painted as a result of my visit to the village of Atmautluak, Alaska. New subject matter can be overwhelming, sometimes it takes awhile to absorb what you see and find the true gems that should be painted.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

“Yupic Funeral” 22″x30″ acrylic painting on rag paper ©Gail Niebrugge

If my memory serves, the painting “After School” is underneath this painting. I painted this from my research in the Yupic village of Atmautluak, Alaska, showing the overflow crowd at the funeral of a village elder. (more…)

“Cruisin’ the Boardwalk” 12″x30″ watercolor painting on rag board ©Gail Niebrugge

Here is another painting from my visit to the village of Atmautluak, Alaska, showing my eskimo buddies that shadowed my every move. I was fascinated that the houses sat in pools of water during break-up, and no one seemed to mind.

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist