Autumn Thoughts

I just returned from all my painting getaways of the summer--one to Montana which was somewhat successful and one to New Mexico which was better, largely because I am starting to get a better grip on watercolors for sketch and also some compositional things I have been reading about but need to be practiced.

1. First, paint sketches SMALL. I have been taking a big sheet (15x11) and ruling it into six smaller rectangle which does away with the problem of "what to put there" in that vast space.  For a beginner, it makes things easier to control because the space is easily filled and also lends itself to sketches of small things, like flowers much better.  And more control means less frustration.

2. I have found high quality half pans to be better than the tubes of paint which, when you are on the go and must move quickly, are more convenient and more easily transported since they are less messy.  There are problems with the little blocks: they can get dirty easier and it is a bit harder to get concentrated color.  But the contamination can be taken care of by paper towels and care and the color by using less water and layering colors.

3.Use much less water.  Water can be used to great affect, especially when trying to make a mist or a cloud in a hazy, for example, but should be used with care.  Having a paper towel handy to help with excess BEFORE putting brush to paper really helps with control.  Again, this also controls FRUSTRATION!

4.Don't necessarily use the colors that are in front of you.  Simplify the palette, intensify the shadows.  I was doing this solely  on value until my last trip, when I discovered the value of complimentary colors.  After all, when it is on the wall of my studio, no one is going to say, "But the colors of that sunset were gray and purple not orange and blue!"  It is a fallicy to be hemmed in by people who judge your work primarily on how well you copied what you saw.  Form is most important in illusion and contrast is what gives form.  Go for CONTRAST.

5. Remember that things in the back are smaller and less well defined than things in the front.

6. Make your focal points in sharply defined relief as well as highlighted by color. In other words, SHARPEN the focus of the points you want the eye to travel on. The rest can be fuzzy and not as detailed, but the best composition can be ruined by not showing the viewer what it is he is supposed to be looking at.

7. Finally, Simplify!!!! You really don' t need all those leaves on that tree to get the idea across.

I'd say that's a pretty good list for a summer.  If I am sharing this with anyone out there, may your days be filled with light, and your mind be lost in color!

Have Paint, Will Travel

I am leaving for an overdue and much looked forward to vacation in Montana soon which is going to give me the opportunity to see family and (secondarily, of course) do some plein aire sketching that I have been reluctant to do as the summer grinds into its hottest time and the grass (along with all else green) shrivels into a drab brown.

This means I need to take my paints with me (along with brushes, canvas, garbage bags, box for wet canvas, paint clothes, hat, sketch book, pencils, erasers, etc, etc.).  Needless to say, I either need a gigantic suitcase (which I have) or I need to scale back.This is always a difficult choice for me because this problem, especially of taking so much equipment would be much less if I took watercolors or acrylic. I have not ventured into watercolors that much, but when I have, I found them, at least for my beginning level, not as fast nor as free as oils.  They are thoughtful paints, where the placement of color must be more deliberate (at least that is what I am gathering) and planned.  Of course, it also plays to a strength of mine which is drawing.  I don' t seem to struggle as much with that, and of course, that could just be that there is an emphasis on values rather than color which simplifies my choices emmensely ( and I DO need to keep it simple!).

I found this website for watercolorists that might just be on my level, since I have no pretense that I am any good at this.  Most books glide over and make watercoloring complex;  in my experience, the books I have seen are more galleries of what I could do if I were experienced enough (which I am not)  I have found them frustrating.  This website, however, starts very simply, in a sort of kindergarten, A B C manner. 

http://www.watercolorpaintingandprojects.com/basics/basics.html

I don't  really know much about the person running the website and haven't ordered any of the projects, so can' t vouch for them.  But I am enjoying the simple explanations, and post it with the idea that it will help another struggling beginning watercolorist.

Ah Ha!

Well, after reading more and drawing and painting two more sketches on my "commission"  I realized that:

1. It is helpful to shut down the analytical brain functioning.  I did this by putting on  Gordon Lightfoot ballads which helped keep my "left brain function" busy so I was freer. I have tried classical music and contemplative music, but the effects were not as good.

2. A detailed charcoal sketch was helpful for me to grasp light and dark.  This works in the studio, but I am not sure it is a good move outside, where the light quickly changes (as well as the scene).

3. The sketch, quickly done, is not tight (I would say "uptight") and fussy but full of life.  There were defects, of course, but it was greatly improved.

4.  Practice makes perfect!  I suspect we watch PBS, then wonder why we can' t do what the artists do.  Well, they probably don' t do that either, but have years of visual memory and hours of prep time involved before taping (I can' t imagine going on nationwide TV without some prepartion!).  So people think it is magic, but it is nothing but lots of hard work. I plan to complete an hour's sketch each day, sort of like I practice my guitar.

All this greatly encouraged me yesterday. Nice to be painting again!

Finally Getting an Idea

I have been commissioned by my son and his fiance to do a painting of the tropics.  Ok, so that's no big deal.  But the fact that they asked was enough encouragement for me, and I have been working on the project with considerable care.

The paint will be one of their favorite places, an idyllic albeit generic Carribean beach.  I finally had a small painted sketch of what I wanted to do last week.  Since, I have been playing with different types of pigments and have decided, once again, to venture another underpainting and layer the paint until I have achieved the effect I want.  Part of that is that although the sketch I did was satisfactory, it lacked the luminence of the ocean there.  It is a tall order they have given me.  I have no idea if I will pull it off, but, armed with my new selection of transparent pigments, I am off tonight on another painting adventure.

I have a sign here at my desk which says. "Do one thing every day that scares you."  This scares me.

Hoping "Artist's Block" is over

Well, I am not sure what you call it, but I call it that.  No ideas; brush does the opposite of what I wanted, etc, etc.  This has been going on since I tried my first showing.  Since that showing was less than successful, I'd say that it is a miracle I didn't give up and go back to, say, writing, which is another dicey, block prone art.

But tonight, as I reworked a piece I started several days ago, it seemed to fall into place in a sort of surrealistic way that I am inevidably attracted to. There is something about impressionism and surrealism that I really can't shake.   This picture was made 1000 times (at least) better by the use of dark and light and a disregard for the middle values.  I say disregard, but the painting does have them;    it is almost impossible for them not to show up when the other two are in place.

I am hoping against hope that the use of strong contrast is the answer.  I have been sick of the mud I seemingly always made with paints that was glaringly absent from the charcoal drawings I have been doing. 
There may be other reasons why the charcoal seems  to be almost magical while with paints I am a slow plodder, but the contrast is definately one that is vital to a good picture.

Frustration Weekend

This  has been a weekend of arrrrrgh in the studio.   I had started with high hopes, since my cone-flower watercolor attempt had actually inspired me to put down my charcoal and paint.

And I did paint, but the result, though accurate in terms of light and shadow and  was well drawn ended up being , in my estimation, stiff and dead.  I tried another work which was adobe structures against a turquoise sea at sunset and felt so confined, rigid and therefore frustrated that I stomped off to do the dishes that had collected over the afternoon.  At least I knew I could successfully complete that.

One of  my books said that cold press was the only way to go in watercolor.  Maybe that is the problem.  I would like to blame the paper instead of myself.  So we will see. They say the moment one gets excessively critical of what he is doing he gives up.  Hmmmmm.   Well, maybe things will look better tomorrow.

Inks and Hope

Yesterday was a search for new pens and proper ink.  The one think that has discouraged me in the past was that my artwork would actually turn green over time, like a cheap ring, destroying what I had done.  So even though I liked the medium, I dropped it. This time, however, armed with the Internet and my smart phone, I went forth into my community.

Now we are talking small town here (well, maybe medium town).  There are two craft stores and a host of office supply places.  I had done some research and had come up with several names of pens I thought might work: Koh-I-Noor, Rapidograph and (of course!) Prismacolor.  My first stop was at Staples.  For a one aisle arts department, they actually had some nice drawing/drafting pens, but when I checked online, I couldn' t find anything on these particular pens (Staedtler) other than to note that they were not the top pens this manufacturer made.  I made note of them and moved to Hobby Lobby, a few doors down.

There I hit the jackpot.  They had two packs of Prismacolor's premier line which I had read very good reviews on, and so, with reservations (after all, who advertises their ink turns green over time?) I bought them.  It occurred to me also that the greening may have been due to the paper.  It was acid free, but was not what I would call "top of the line".   At any rate, so warned and so armed I took my prize home.

In the evening, I got out the pens.  They were smooth, responsive and easy to use.  I sketched a sparrow with results that heartened me after several months of setbacks and failures.  Maybe I could do this, just in a different way and using a different set of tools.

As Winston Churchill is quoted as saying: "Never, never, never give up!"