She wonders | Canvas #3
My painting class continues into Term 4. This week we learned a new technique - glazing. I understand the idea behind the technique but I'm struggling with the application! I rather like splashing paint on in opaque layers and taking comfort that my "mistakes" can be covered with an opaque layer of paint.
Glazing builds on the layers underneath - building transparent layer upon transparent layer. I think I will need a fair bit of practice to get this technique right ... or even close to right.
Part of the problem with this particular canvas is that I haven't got the initial drawing right. Her shoulders and head aren't proportionate. Ugh. I think I'm off to find some gesso and start again ...
Wanderlust 2017 Week 31
I have been working away on my Wanderlust classes. Some I like ... some, not so much!
This was my version of the Week 31 lesson. The lesson intended the work to be completed as a 3D piece ... I preferred to keep it in my art journal. I'm not actually sure if it has all that much of a resemblance to the Wanderlust project :-) ... This was a quick splash of colour in my art journal but sometimes that is all it takes to refocus my creativity and get me moving on other projects.
I love the orange and green playing off against the grey and white background. A colour combination I think I will need to use again.
Wobbly pots
At the request of one of my boys, we went to a weekend "Introduction to Ceramics" course at the Brisbane Institute of Art. I haven't ever really enjoyed working in 3D; always having preferred 2D art. I do have to admit, however, that I really did enjoy the weekend class.
We were introduced to four different techniques: pinch pots, slab building, coil pots and wheel throwing. My wheel efforts were pretty basic ... and very wobbly!
I could definitely see the appeal of the coil pots. I would, of course, feel compelled to create sculptures of heads and faces rather than vases or mugs. Hmmm, maybe I should stick with 2D ... easier to store the multitudes of creations. Our place could get very quickly overrun with ceramic "masterpieces"!
These are some of my creations from the weekend:
Canvas #1: Slowly she appears
My art class continues and so does my canvas #1. (I am also working on canvas #2 at the same time but that is a story for a different day).
I am trying to work slowly and methodically on this canvas. (Again, canvas #2 is a whole different story ... there is a frenzy of paint being splashed around there). Each layer is followed by another layer - piece by piece she is slowly appearing to gain depth and life. This is a different style of painting to what I have done before. I like the challenge ... although every part of me just wants to move more quickly.
I am not entirely sure where this style will take me and how she will finally appear. We will just have to wait and see ...
Canvas #1 cont'd: The underpainting
It's weird. I thought working large-scale would be intimidating; such a big, blank canvas to fill. Actually, it's the opposite. At the moment anyway, I am finding working on a large scale is fantastic. You just have to be brave; there is no room for being cautious.
I started with a mixture of reds ... warm, cool, all the options. Fun.
I then used green to start to find my face. I can start to see her; African I think. That may change. I might struggle with the next part. I actually quite like her already and that's a problem. I need to be brave enough to continue and see where I get to. I know I will go through phases of liking or not the painting. Hopefully I can get to a liking stage at the end ... we'll see.
Canvas #1: It begins
Painting class this week focused on composition. We are about to embark on our first large scale painting and so it was important to think about the size and shape of the canvas and the general composition before we start.
I think I am going to paint a face ... which is, of course, what I like to do. I'm not sure on exactly how I will frame the portrait. I think I will need to see who arrives on the page. I am tempted to paint a super close up face but I think for this first one I might step back a little. I have done some preliminary sketches ... let's see where it goes from here.
Whilst we have complete freedom on what to paint, we do need to focus on adding texture. I am not a huge fan of texture. I appreciate it but I am usually drawn to pictures that are painted flat - almost gouache-like and not heavily textured. Still, interesting exercise.
Let the fun and games begin.
Goodbye underpainting, hello finished painting
Last week I was challenged to paint a green guitar, a yellow background and an orange/red tablecloth using complementary colours ... (here is that post). This week we worked to finish that painting - using the actual colour scheme of the still life. Phew.
The idea of the exercise was to produce some "zing" when the underpainting is allowed to show through to the finished painting. Great exercise. Harder that it sounds ... or at least that is how I felt :-)
I like the finished painting. I didn't like it for a long time as I was painting it. In the end though, I think it worked OK. (I still don't think I will rush back to paint more guitars ...)!
Lesson 1 ... of 50
I have had a book in my collection for a while. I keep picking it up; thinking about using it and then getting side-tracked. The book is called "Learn to Paint in Acrylics with 50 Small Paintings". The author is Mark Daniel Nelson.
I am pleased that I have finally made the time to actually start using the book. I am planning to work my way through all 50 lessons ... right from the very beginning to the very end; one lesson per week.
The first series of lessons "getting to know acrylics" are all designed to introduced various ideas and techniques. The first lesson is just getting you familiar with basic paint application.
And so, I begin my journey of 50 paintings. One more step to improving my skills.
Pardon my underpainting
Orange is blue and green is red and somehow yellow is purple. My head is spinning.
This week we started a painting that is to be finished over two weeks. This week we painted the underpainting using complementary colours. This, in theory, make sense. This, in practice was challenging. It was surprisingly difficult to look at a green guitar and know to paint it in red. The same applies with painting a yellow background in purple.
Time flew. I love that for that moment, while I am in class, my biggest decision is whether a certain shade of purple is the exact opposite of a particular shade of yellow. Awesome.
My actual painting of the still life - a green guitar - wasn't awesome. Maybe next week when we go back and paint over the painting with the true colours I might be able to salvage my painting ...
This is the still life we were working from ...
Limited colour palette and a vase of flowers
Was I ready for the challenge? Today saw us continuing in our class theme of only working with a limited colour palette; this week it was blue, red, black and white.
I am OK with that. Really, purple is a lovely colour and who doesn't love a bit of pink and baby blue? I was a little more intimidated with the still life challenge ... a vase of flowers. Hmmm, flowers. In a vase. Hmmm. There is a moment when I look from the still life to the blank canvas where I definitely have no idea where to begin. The answer? I paint. Quickly. Big, broad brush strokes on an A2 sized page.
I am pleased with the final painting. Not perfect but I like it. And really, I spent a morning painting ... what's not to like? ;-)
Here is the still life we were painting:
