Hawaiian Beach No. 03
A different source photo now, same Hawaiian trip. It may or may not be an entirely different beach than the last two paintings. Painting these make me want to go back to Hawaii though. Eat some macadamia nut ice cream, enjoy the sun and the ocean. My favorite vacations are the ones where I get to be in the water.
Hawaiian Beach No. 03
Hawaiian Beach No. 02
This painting uses the same source photo as yesterday’s painting. I tried slight variations here on the sky, water, and land. Which one do you prefer? No. 01 or No. 02?
Hawaiian Beach No. 02
Hawaiian Beach No. 01
I’ve been looking through old photos on my phone and came across some beach landscape photos from a family reunion trip in Hawaii. I wish I knew the actual location, but this was from before phones added location info to the photos. But, I do know, it is somewhere on Oahu!
I’m curious how to paint the cresting waves better. It is stumping me a bit, like the first time drawing shadows, but then I learned the shadow’s edge looks more realistic when it fades out (the lines aren’t crispy). Will do some research.
Hawaiian Beach No. 01
Tiny Paintings
I decided to take a little break from Milan Art Institute because I felt like I was struggling with improving in painting, especially compared to my improvement in drawing. My biggest challenge is with mixing colors, particularly when looking at my previous Milan Art painting assignments.
So I searched for some oil painting books (because sometimes hearing about the same subject but told in a different way, by a different person, can help the message click) and came across Think Big, Paint Small: Oil Painting Easier, Faster & Better by Joyce Washor. The title reminded me of one of my Milan Art assignments where I opted to use a smaller size paper than usual. While working on that piece, I realized working on a smaller surface meant I could complete my piece more quickly. So smaller sized paintings = practice and iterate faster. And then the more paintings I paint, the quicker I can learn. So, this book really intrigued me and was heading in a direction that I wanted to go.
In the book, Think Big, Paint Small, there are 3 different color palettes Joyce uses: red/green, orange/blue, and yellow/purple. Over the course of two months, I did 15 tiny paintings, which were demos and exercises from the book.
Red/green palette
Creating the color charts to use as a reference was very helpful. After a few paintings, it started to be easier to use the book’s photos as references rather than reading what colors to mix together in the text.
Red/green color palette
Each tiny painting had its own theme or skill it focused on. This first one is about “blocking in the basic shapes” (Washor 62). Essentially, choose and paint in the colors for the largest shapes first, then use those colors as a base or anchor for the rest of the painting. Each object has a dark and a light side. I found the painting looks better when painting in the dark side first, and then the light side.
Blocking in basic shapes
“Shaping a three-dimensional image” (Washor 65) is about rounding the form - the focus on identifying and painting the different tones made by light and shadow on an object.
Shaping a three-dimensional image
“Capturing the mood” (Washor 84) emphasizes the advantage of being able to finish a painting in one session - your mood can change day to day and this can be reflected in the painting. I personally love being able to finish a whole painting in one session. There’s that feeling of accomplishment to know I’m done. Also, some days I get really in the flow, and other days it’s tough. So the quality of painting can fluctuate as well.
Capturing the mood
“Seeing the forest for the trees” (Washor 94) focuses on fitting a large scene into a small painting. The trick to do this is to draw the entire scene as one big shape, instead of many small shapes making a larger scene.
Seeing a forest for the trees
In “using what inspires you”, Washor discusses how she has a number of red series, similar to Picasso with his blue series. The red/green color palette is the most popular in the book and the majority of these exercises use this palette. This particular painting focuses on using many different reds, yet making them distinguishable enough from each other that the viewer can still perceive the objects.
Using what inspires you
The challenge in “size really doesn’t matter” is to see how many objects can fit into one small format 3 x 4 inch painting. The small space means the objects cannot be too detailed, but still need to accurately represent what they are. Here is a foreshortened vase, turned on its side, accompanied by a bouquet of roses, another vase, and a teacup.
Size really doesn’t matter
“Making color your subject” is about painting a landscape that is still recognizable as a landscape, yet using a different color palette (when have we seen yellow skies?) (Washor 110). I really loved the brightness of the yellow sky in this one, along with the brushstrokes for the tree branches.
Making color your subject
In “honey jar and sunflower”, Washor suggests mixing more paint than you think you need. It makes it easier to move the paint around, resulting in better brushwork. It also gives the paintings a more lush feeling (130). This is also the exercise where Washor suggests doing two paintings at a time. Either concurrently, so you can try different things on each canvas, or sequentially, so you’ll have more confidence the second time around.
Honey jar and sunflower
Orange/blue palette
Orange/blue color palette
After reading the advice from the previous exercise, I decided I would give two paintings at once a try. At this point, my speed was increasing so instead of one painting taking 3-4 hours, one painting was closer to 1.5 hrs or so. Of course though, both paintings need to use the same color palette.
I did the following two:
“Painting from reference photos” (Washor 88). This was the first exercise using a reference photo.
And “adding surface interest” (Washor 91) which uses a technique where the initial block-in is completed, then the paint is scraped off with a palette knife, leaving a “ghost of painting” left. This did not work out too great on my paper. I have scraped paint off canvas before when I’ve made mistakes, so I have an idea of how the “ghost” should look. I’m assuming this technique would work better on canvas or a different material.
Painting from reference photos (left), adding surface interest (right)
“Thinking of Van Gogh” is about being inspired by Van Gogh’s letters Washor read before visiting The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Van Gogh: The Drawings exhibition, as a result, this painting is very blue (122). I love all the blue colors though, and how rich and juicy they feel.
Thinking of Van Gogh
Yellow/purple palette
Yellow/purple color palette
“Learning from the masters” is based on Washor’s inspiration from the American painter, Charles A. Platt (102). Her advice is to draw inspiration from the masters since “painterly problems are all addressed… trees are massed, atmospheric perspective is employed, composition is designed and colors are integrated throughout the composition” (102). I definitely agree, I love seeing how other artists use colors and brushstrokes.
Learning from the masters
We focus on painting the flowers in “painting the planes for realism” (Washor 113). Similar to painting the planes on a cube, this concept is applied to the flowers as well. When the light source is in the top right, the lightest plane is the top plane, and the next lightest is the side facing the right. Using different tones of red helps define the shape of the roses.
Painting the planes for realism
Capturing the familiar (top) and Sunflowers and brass vase (bottom)
“Capturing the familiar” (Washor 118) is about painting what you know. The reference photo for this painting is a scene near Woodstock, NY near the author’s home. By painting a place familiar and comfortable to you, it allows you to focus on other things like using a different color scheme. Similar to how reading a book the second time, you notice new things you didn’t pick up on the first read. On the second read, you already know the plot and what happens, so more details capture your attention, making the reading experience richer.
Capturing the familiar
“Sunflowers and brass vase” (125) is the final tiny painting exercise I did from this book. I haven’t quite figured out how to paint flower petals, however this painting ended up being my favorite one, especially with all the purples for the background and table.
Sunflowers and brass vase
In the photo below, you can see Washor’s version versus mine. Throughout this process I also started mixing colors in a kind of grid system so I could more easily remember what colors I mixed together.
My painting setup
Iterating quickly allowed me to experiment with thing to make painting more efficient. For instance, I figured out it was faster to mix all the colors I need for a certain area, and then paint. Instead of mixing a color, painting it on, and then mixing another color… and on and on. In addition, this allowed me to see if the colors look good together when they’re on the palette. If a color did not work out, I would just wipe it off the palette and start over, which is a lot easier than trying to correct the color after it has already been applied to the painting.
Other things I learned:
Paint the background and then the subject, so the subject feels more like it is in front of the background. I don’t know exactly why, but trying to do it the other way around just does not look as good.
Paint cast shadows first, since these areas are darker and I want them to stay darker. The cast shadows don’t retain their value as well or accidentally get too mixed or muddy with other colors if they don’t go on first.
Painting small is it’s less expensive, since I’m using less paint and smaller substrates.
There is less clean up. And I have been using a paper palette instead of the glass palette for these exercises.
Working smaller can feel more comfortable. There’s less pressure and anxiety about dirtying a pristine canvas or piece of paper when it’s 3 x4 inches. I’ve also got a nice pile of fresh ones waiting for me.
Storage is much easier, especially in a smaller studio space. Also, perhaps smaller is the way to go. In the United States, house sizes are shrinking. If people have less space in their homes, will they also opt for smaller paintings to decorate with?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it turned me on to painting tiny, which is something I definitely want to continue. So, until next time friends.
Supplies:
Gamblin Artist’s Oil Color: India Red
Gamblin 1980 Oils: Naples Yellow, Ultramarine Violet, Raw Umber
Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Color: Blue Black, Cadmium Red Deep, Permanent Rose, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Chrome Yellow Hue, Indigo, Winsor Blue (Green Shade), Purple Madder, Mars Violet Deep, Permanent Green Deep
Daler-Rowney Georgian Oil Color: Yellow Green
Old Holland Classic Oil Color: Yellow Light, Violet Grey
Utrecht Rhenish Pure Hog Bristle Brush - Filbert, Size 1, Long Handle
Utrecht Rhenish Pure Hog Bristle Brush - Filbert, Size 2, Long Handle
Winsor & Newton Winton Hog Bristle Brush - Filbert, Long Handle, Size 1
Robert Simmons Simply Simmons Chungking Hog Bristle Brush - Filbert, Long Handle, Size 2
Princeton Catalyst Polytip Bristle Brush - Round, Long Handle, 2/0
Milan Art Institute Mastery Program Review: Week 8 Part 2
The remaining exercises for week 8 are all meant to use a live model. However, I used some photos from Unsplash.
Alla Prima Live Portrait
Yellow ochre and burnt sienna are used as warm paints for areas coming towards the viewer. Viridian is used as the cool paint for receding areas. I frequently mixed viridian with a little bit of black for the dark areas of the painting.
The process is 80 minutes long, broken up into 20 minute increments in order to give the model a break to rest.
First 20 minutes:
Create a thin layer of paint over the canvas, using a mixture of burnt sienna and viridian, in order to remove the white of the canvas.
Then use a thin, small brush to draw in the proportions of the face.
Block in the dark values.
Second 20 minutes:
Using a clean brush, move some of the paint from the darker areas to the medium areas, gently blur the edges for a softer look.
Subtract the light values with a clean brush.
Third 20 minutes:
Then using white mixed with the yellow ochre and burnt sienna, put in the skin tone colors and highlights.
Fourth 20 minutes:
Finally, do any touchups and work on the background.
My attempt at this assignment
Alla Prima Full Figure
The full figure assignment is very similar to the portrait assignment. The color palette is increased to add both primary warm and cool colors: cadmium red medium, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow light, Prussian blue, alizarin crimson.
The process is the same as the one outlined above. 80 minutes total, broken up into four sessions of 20 minutes.
My girl reminds me of some of the statues at the Vatican museum. The ones with the funny eyes. My favorite part of the painting is her front leg, which I spent 20 minutes on, and then quickly tried to catch up on the rest of the body. The time limits on these assignments make them quite challenging. I tried to do the best I could. These are for learning, rather than making a perfect painting.
My alla prime full figure painting
Statue at the Vatican museum
Look at those eyes!