This week's class is focused on painting a live model. Our subject is a man, approximately 40 years old, posed in a relaxed position on a sofa reading a magazine. Sort of a 'kick back and relax after a hard day at work' feel. This is the first attempt I have ever made with a live model. I have to say the experience is somewhat intimidating but exciting at the same time.
At first I felt somewhat guilty viewing this person as more of an object than a human. But after awhile, I felt myself relax and focus on the elements and nuances involved in creating a life painting.
The biggest challenge of the night was placing the first pencil mark on the canvas. With composition being the key to a well balanced image, I wanted to be sure the image was well spaced, placed and of an appropriate size to make an impact, while ensuring that the eye was not drawn off the canvas due to poor planning. Once our instructor, Cristian, gave us a time limit for finishing the sketch, I found myself laying down the drawing much more quickly and thinking less.
The next challenge I experienced was the speed at which I mixed the colours needed. I'm sure that with time, my confidence will build and the mixing will become faster and more accurate.
What I enjoyed the most was seeing the shape on my canvass begin to come to life with a likeness of the model.
All in all, I'm quite pleased with the progress I am making, especially considering this is my first time painting a person from life. I can't wait to see what begins to emerge through the layers of paint next week.
Challenge: Not mixing enough paint, positioning the image
Reward: Seeing the likeness take shape
Thanks to a dear friend of mine who is traveling the path of voicing her inner author through her own blog, I have decided to begin one of my own in the hopes of gaining inspiration and motivation as I discover and release my own inner artist.
As a child, I loved to create. Whether it be pencil drawings, finger paintings, crocheting or decorating home made cards with gold spray painted macaroni noddles, I needed a way to express myself in a fun and creative way. Being a shy child, it was difficult to find my outward voice. But through arts and crafts, I could go to a place deep within and pull out something fun, colourful, satisfying and rewarding. I could bring my inner world to my outer world.
Its not to say there were never frustrating moments....but those moments are the ones that encourage me to push forward and grow rather than give up. Those moments challenged me (and continue to challenge me) to find another way to conquer a particular element, media or style.
During highschool, my art teacher was my favourite. An eccentric fellow, Mr. Williams, with his flashing bow ties, sparked a passion within me for the finer arts. Over the four years we were with him, he introduced us to the history of the great masters. He encouraged us to explore many different medium and to try and try again.
When it came time for post secondary education, I followed a safer route in the field of computer technology, rather than partaking in an education of fine arts. Now, 20 years later, I have left my career in technology behind me and am delving further into my creative side.
Over time, I will share with you my experiences, joys and frustrations, triumphs and challenges and personal discoveries as I journey through discovering my own style. I will also post photos of my latest works for your truthful opinions and feedback.
Enjoy exploring my personal paintbox.
June 2008
First Oil PaintingLast winter I enrolled in a beginner's oil class at a local art shop. Here we were introduced to water soluble oils - my first true experience with this traditional medium. Until then I had been painting strictly with acrylics. Although acrylics have the bonus of drying quickly which enables the painter to quickly cover their errors, oils are a much more organic experience requiring patience and devotion to the subject. I soon feel in love with the silky textures and the neccessity to slow down and enjoy the painting process without hurridly rushing through to completion.
The Exercise:
The purpose of this exercise was to work in shades of gray, focusing on the blocks of shade within the photo while at the same time lifting the need to accurately mix many different colours (which can be very frustrating for the beginner painter). Since I had already created a grayscale painting in the beginner acrylics class the previous semester, our instructor asked me to use shades of purples. In this class we used only the five basic colours - red, yellow, blue, white and black. As a new painter, I found purple to be one of the most difficult colours to mix. However, with patience and determination, I managed to mix the right depths and shades of colour for this photo (source unknown).
Hints to Other Beginners:
Having the right combination of blue and red is necessary for a vibrant luxurious purple. For this painting I used red light cadmium and french ultamarine blue. The result was a muddier purple lacking richness and depth. After this class I experimented with other reds and was able to create a variety of purples that revealed more characteristic hues of purple. Even though I enjoyed the thrill of creating my own colours, I can see the need for the pre-mixed purples, such as Dioxazine purple, available in art stores. If you should choose the pre-mixed option please be sure to attempt mixing your own purples at least a few times.
This week's class is focused on painting a live model. Our subject is a man, approximately 40 years old, posed in a relaxed position on a sofa reading a magazine. Sort of a 'kick back and relax after a hard day at work' feel. This is the first attempt I have ever made with a live model. I have to say the experience is somewhat intimidating but exciting at the same time.
