Painting / under painting

Painting.

During these session we explored a range of different painting mediums and processes.

We have used:

• Gouache - a water-based painting medium that is ideal for flat, strong colours (graphic designers use this as a preference because of this)
• Acrylic - Another water based painting medium that is slightly less viscous than Gouache and is ideal for larger paintings.  
• Oil - an oil based painting medium.  This can be thinned with turps (turpentine or white spirit*) or linseed oil.     Using linseed oil maintains the paint colour better than turps as this can dilute the colour.  Oil paint cannot be mixed with water, as the oil and water will separate. 

 *these are highly flammable and corrosive so contact with skin and eyes should be avoided (although a small amount on hands won't do any harm - unless you have sensitive skin (such as eczema)

 Equipment.

Brushes - We have used two different types of brushes.

Sable.

Sable brushes have soft bristles and are commonly used for watercolour, Gouache and Acrylic painting.  They hold water well, which makes them great for creating washes of colour as well as for more detailed work.




Hog-hair.

Hog hair brushes have tougher bristles and are ideal for acrylic and oil painting








Under painting.

http://artopiamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/16-9484.jpg

An underpainting is an initial painting that artists produce to establish tonal values of the subject prior to applying colour.  This usually begins with a general wash of Yellow Ochre mixed with a little Burnt Umber thinned down with Turpentine (white spirit) as a ground (the surface on which the paint is applied).  It is important that the paint does not create any kind of texture when applied, as this initial painting will disappear once colour is applied.  A combination of Burnt Umber and Yellow Ochre is then used to identify to tonal values of the piece.

This under painting is an extremely useful process by which the painter can analyse tonal contrast, shape and form, before concerning themselves with colour mixing and application.  Colour can then be gradually built up on top of this.

We looked at fabric, using oil paint, to create a ground and then an initial underpainting.  As the fabric was white, it was important to also consider the contrast between this and the darker background.  The dark tones in the background (as seen below) has created a stronger sense of depth and enabled the artists to emphasise the lighter, subtle tonal variations within the white fabric.

Portraiture

Colour

understanding the basics of Colour.

Over these two weeks we have looked at colour, what it is, how it works and the basic principles of colour.

Issac Newton discovered that by shining white light through a prism, you could separate this into the colour spectrum.







(http://architeckne.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/prism-02.png)

From this, Newton created what is known as the colour wheel, categorising colour into three categories- Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary colours.









(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Boutet_1708_color_circles.jpg)

Primary Colours.

These are Red, Yellow, and Blue; colours that cannot be made by any combination of other colours.



Secondary Colours.

These are the colours that are created by a combination of two primary colours.

Red + Yellow = Orange
Yellow + Blue = Green
Red + Blue = Purple

Note that there is only one secondary colour from the combination of the two primary colours.  These secondary colours are pure colours in their own right, an equal visual balance of the two primary colours, where neither of the two primary colours are dominant.

Tertiary Colours.

There are, of course, a vast range of variations of colours between the primary and its secondary.  These are known as tertiary colours. For example, red-orange, yellow-orange, blue-purple, and so on.

Complimentary Colours.

In colour theory complementary colours appear opposite each other on colour models such as the colour wheel. The colour complement of each primary colour (primaries are red, yellow and blue) can be obtained by mixing the two other primary colours together. So the complementary of red is green (a mix of yellow and blue); the complementary of blue is orange (a mix of red and yellow); and the complementary of yellow is violet (a mix of red and blue).

(http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/complementary-colours)

Complimentary colours have been used by many artists over the centuries (especially the Impressionists) to draw attention to particular objects, or to maximise the effect of a particular landscape.

Impression, sunrise, by Claude Monet, 1872.   Which complimentary colours have been used?  How does this impact on the painting? 

Van Gogh: Six Sunflowers, 1888.  Van Gogh has used lots of contrasting colours to to define shape and colour.

Tints and Shades.

When we observe colour in our world the light source has another impact on colour.  The colour could be a secondary orange, for example, but could be a lighter or darker as the light hits its surface.  A lighter version of a colour is known as a tint (with white), and a darker colour known as a shade (with black).  A tone of a colour is a colour with grey.

(http://patsysmiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Tints-Shades-and-Tones.png)

Ellipses and glass

During this session we worked from a still life of jars and bottles.
An ellipse is created when we see a cylindrical object in perspective.  For example, the top of a jar seen from the top is a circle.  When we look at this from the side, it becomes an ellipse.

When we drawn an ellipse, we must follow a simple mathematical principle, that each half of the ellipse should mirror the other half.  

If the Ellipse is at an angle, as shown in the jar above, we need to find the correct angle of the centre lines first..












We also looked at how to record translucent/ transparent objects, in the case, glass.  Transparent objects are objects that can be seen through, with objects the other side of the object looking very much the same as if you were looking at them on their own.  Translucent objects will cause some kind of distortion to objects seen through them - such as frosted glass, or in this case coloured glass. 

As you can see in the painting to left by Impressionist Paul Cezanne, (Still life, peppermint bottle, 1893 - 1895) the glass objects use the colours and shapes (and distortions) of the objects and surfaces behind them to create the illusion of them being glass.

The detail of the glass objects themselves is minimal, where the light hits to create reflection and shadow.  Less is more when you are attempting to re-create glass like surfaces.

We used a neutral ground, and used chalk pastels to capture the qualities of glass, very successfully!!! 

Positive and Negative space

Positive and Negative space – still life in pencil on cartridge paper – exploring how to use negative space to ensure positive objects are drawn accurately in relation to each other, proportion, line, scale

This week, we have explored how we can use the negative space that surrounds an object to achieve more accurate observational drawings.

 An object (in this case a stool) takes up positive space in the world.  This can be seen in the central image to the left.  The space that is left around the stool is called  negative space, as seen in black in the far right stool.  We can use our understadning of this to ensure the drawings of our objects are accurate.  By ensuring the space around an object is accurate, we can be certain that the edges of the object we are observing is therefore also accurate.

 We worked from a still life of easels, lamps, and chairs to create a drawing by only recording the negative spaces.  This was to test this theory of creating accurate drawings of the objects without drawing the objects!

This is a difficult concept to grasp at first, but, once understood, will be a massive help to you when you are drawing any objects in future-  it will improve the accuracy of your observations if you are accurately recording the spaces around the objects then the objects themselves should also, by default be accurate.  Barbra Hepworth sculptures use negative space created by her sculptures become almost the focus of the work.  The empty space being the main element of the work.

Barbra Hepworth - Two Forms - Divided Circle

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16279968

Perspective

Perspective – Boxes – Pencil on A2 cartridge paper – exploring one and two point perspective, tone, proportion

This week we considered the effects of perspective on an arrangment of plinths.  

 

Single-point Perspective.  Single point perspective is created when the front of the object is directly facing you.  Other side that are going away from you will dissapear / meet at one vanishing point on the horizon line.






 

 Two-point Perspective.  Two point perspective is created when you are facing the corner of an object and multiple sides are going away from you.  The two side that are going away from you will dissapear / meet at two vanishing points on the horizon line.







 We also introduced the measuring technique.  We looked at how your pencil can be used to compare sizes of widths and lengths as well as record angles of shapes to ensure drawing maintian the correct proportions.  

We also consider shading and using tone to make surfaces stand out from each other, including darkening the background to make lighter surfaces stand out.
 Some great drawings produced this week!!


 

Natural forms

Natural forms (Pen and ink on sugar, manila, watercolour, and newsprint) – exploring shape, texture, scale, tone.

This week we were creating observational studies of natural forms.  We revisited last weeks introduction about looking at the shape of the object, rather than trying to draw what you think it looks like - leave dont often look how your mind percieves a leaf to look, due to theytype of tree, weathering etc.

We also used pen and ink.  This was an experimental session exploring marks we could make with a dip pen, and how the ink behaved on a range of different surfaces.  What happens if we work onto wet paper?  Or newsprint?

We also craeted a continuos line drawing using a fine line.  We used water afterward to create tone, taking advantage of the inks solubility.  This excercise will also help you with your sketching technique.  When you are sketching quickly, the less the you take your pen / pencil away form the page the better!