Tool for keeping your values strong

May 30, 2014


Value

From different teachers I have heard many times in different ways - value does all the work and color gets all the credit.

On her blog Sue Williams talked about a tool she uses and it is a great idea.  Here is a link to her blog.  Please take a look at her paintings, too.  The first shown called "Arrived"  really uses shapes and values for its success.  It just twinkles. 


http://suewilliamsstudio.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Sue, I made this tool immediately.  I like the size of yours better, but I had this scrap of wood leftover from a painting.  Next time I will make a bigger one. 

While you are painting if you have a question about the value of your choice paint right on the board to check your value . 

 

I did a lot of thinking about value in this painting.  I like these two colors together.

Note:  Patti Mollica's book Color Theory   covers this topic very well.  Sue learned about this from one of Patti's videos from YouTube as she mentions on her blog.  I recommend Patti's book and any of her DVD's.  She is also a master of very strong brushwork, too.  The book is concise and packed with information, one of my favorites. 

 

Palette of Anders Zorn

May 28, 2014

I completed the color charts for Anders Zorn.  It was a very worthwhile project, something I will refer to in the future.    With just five colors he created an amazing and harmonious array. 

My labeling is a little difficult to read.  The idea was to mix the original palette with every other color on the palette.  The basic palette is top left  and includes yellow ochre, cad red, ivory black, cerulean, and viridian. 

May 27. 2014


Thank you to Heather Boutique and her wonderful staff for making the Trunk Show such a positive experience for me.  We sold quite a few paintings and added a lot to the walls.  Because I was there most of the day on Saturday I spotted gifts for Christmas and some birthdays coming up.  There is something for everybody at Heather Boutique. 

Show at Heather Boutique - Saturday, May 24th

May 21, 2014

I am not painting as much this week because I am getting ready for a show and that means a lot of framing. 

The show will be at

 Heather Boutique at 721 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA

 

Saturday, May 24, 2014

10-4

 

(You can see some of the new paintings on my album on facebook called "Paintings at Heather Boutique")

Click here for the link  to see the paintings.  The album includes ones that were already there and new ones for Saturday. 

I recommend Franken Frames to everybody.  They make custom sizes for very good prices with excellent workmanship and service. 

 

Here is a link to their website.  There is free shipping this weekend for purchases over $100.

 

 

http://www.frankenframes.com/

 

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.  I will be there from 10-4

 

Thank you to my husband for framing all of these.

 



Color Board - Anders Zorn

May 19, 2014

I have long admired the work of Anders Zorn, but have been too cheap to buy a book showing his art.  A fellow artist reminded me about him so I did a little research and found an exercise similar to Richard Scmid's color boards.

Anders Zorn is known for his limited palette of yellow ochre, cad red,  ivory black and white.  According to what I read he may have also used cerulean blue and viridian.  I just can't get very good green without using the CB or V.

I'm almost finished with the grids of mixing every color with every other color.  It has been worth doing because it reminded of colors that I should use more often.  I think you can get into the habit of using the same mixes that become your favorites.  Doing the exercise gave a new way of thinking about color even if I don't stick with that limited palette. 

Colors I used:

Not finished yet, but will post the finished one with better labeling soon.  (I got so excited about doing this that I thought maybe somebody else might want to give it a try and get started right away).

More info at this link: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Zorn+Palette+Color+Chart&Form=IQFRDR

Painting Children

May 15, 2014


Last blog I said I would include steps for this painting, since I remembered to take photos along the way.  When I saw this photo it just seemed so perfect for a painting.  Is it because one is my granddaughter?

Finished painting - 9 x 12

Step by step for "special moment" painting

Step 1 - Loose drawing using wash of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue, pulled out lights with paper towel and add some color. I spent quite awhile trying to get the proportions correct in the drawing, but did some redrawing along the way. 

 

 Step 2 - Started adding  some darks, color and lights, worked on getting skin tones, using mix of cad red, yellow ochre and viridian.  Shadow color is permanent rose and UB.

Step 3 - Worked all over canvas, refining shapes.

Step 4 - Kept refining shapes, especially arms and hands.

I like the title suggested to me of "Special Moment"

?????????????????????

Questions that I ask myself at the end of a painting.  ( I keep adding to this list)

CHECKLIST

Are the darks dark enough?
  (If there is something wrong, it is usually this, other than a major drawing error)

Are there at least 5 strong values?

Is there enough variety?

Did I plan my composition?

Are there too many shapes and values?

Are there soft and hard edges?
Light against light soft edge?
Dark against dark edges?

Is there a dominance of either darks or lights?

Did I simplify shapes?

Are these interesting abstract shapes?

Is there thin paint on the shadow side?

Is there heavy paint on the light side or center of interest?

Is there thick paint anywhere?

Pattern of lights?

Pattern of darks?

 

I remembered to take photos of this one and will include on next blog

Happy Mother's Day

May 5, 2014

BRUSHWORK  and EDGES


Why is brushwork important?

It determines the "look" of the painting which is part of your style.  Helps you create a painting that has soft and hard edges. 

Gives your painting variety.  Probably lots of other reasons. 


PRACTICE:
Use  your brushes in different ways. Use both bristle brush and soft brush to makes as many different  shapes as possible:  strait lines, wide lines, dots, etc., etc.

USE ALL PARTS of BRUSH

Flat side of brush
Corners
Edge

With bristle and  soft brush

load the brush
drag the brush
lay the paint on thickly


thin paint
thick paint

use light pressure
use heavy pressure

Terms to know:

pentimento-  scrape off the top layer of the painting and what is remaining will be a soft version of whatever you were painting.  Often it looks better than what was there and that is because  the edges are soft which is the way the eye sees and, therefore is it pleasing to look at. 

scumbling- use opaque paint to paint over the underpainting and let parts of it show through.

glazing- mix TRANSPARENT  paint with medium and paint over a layer that has dried.  For example if you paint over a dry layer of blue with a glaze of yellow, the final layer will look green.

This painting shows a variety of edges. 

        

May 5, 2014

BRUSHWORK  and EDGES


Why is brushwork important?

It determines the "look" of the painting which is part of your style.  Helps you create a painting that has soft and hard edges. 

Gives your painting variety.  Probably lots of other reasons. 


PRACTICE:
Use  your brushes in different ways. Use both bristle brush and soft brush to makes as many different  shapes as possible:  strait lines, wide lines, dots, etc., etc.

USE ALL PARTS of BRUSH

Flat side of brush
Corners
Edge

With bristle and  soft brush

load the brush
drag the brush
lay the paint on thickly


thin paint
thick paint

use light pressure
use heavy pressure

Terms to know:

pentimento-  scrape off the top layer of the painting and what is remaining will be a soft version of whatever you were painting.  Often it looks better than what was there and that is because  the edges are soft which is the way the eye sees and, therefore is it pleasing to look at. 

scumbling- use opaque paint to paint over the underpainting and let parts of it show through.

glazing- mix TRANSPARENT  paint with medium and paint over a layer that has dried.  For example if you paint over a dry layer of blue with a glaze of yellow, the final layer will look green.

(I need to add photos to this)