My lovely Warsash class restarted this week after the Christmas and New Year break. This term, we are focused on the core disciplines of painting, starting with the blank canvas. After you are done staring at it trying to figure what to paint, you have conquered the hardest part of any artwork which is getting started. The next, and most complex task in any artwork, is the consideration of composition. So, for the purpose of the class practical demonstration, I loaded on to a small table, 2 litres of BOB Milk, Azera coffee, a tin of biscuits, sugar cubes, a lemon drizzle cake, a new wave teaspoon , and of course tea bags, to which I added some pretty napkins and a cake slice.
Yep, the contents of our trusty tea break bag!
So, using these items, each class member took a turn in arranging a composition for an imaginary painting, including naming the proposed work. The rules were simple: You may take away any item (s) that were not needed, you could do anything with any object, as in open a packet or box perhaps. It was very interesting to see how each painter approached the exercise.
The first to rise to the challenge, Steve, arranged the items in a row, with the impressive intention of creating an Andy Warhol type Pop Art scene. Many combinations followed, each painter with their own idea of how the scene should look. Each arrangement offered a new perspective to the previous. The message in the exercise was this: An artist never accepts what they see in the first person. They should look beyond the packaging, look beyond the 2d photograph. Rearrange things, use your artistic licence to create your individual artistic identity.
Henri Matisse acknowledged that our mood affects the way we perceive our world, including the humble elements that we may have gathered for our planned artwork, which is why, once you have the concept and the composition in your mind, you should really wait a day or two before introducing mark maker to paper or canvas. If you mood is perhaps tetchy, and you are trying to paint some delicate sweet peas, you will go to war with your work. Getting into the right mindset is vital.
When considering composition, it is vital that you take your viewer on a journey. Even if you are painting a still life of a vase holding a single bloom, you would vary the light in the background, adding perhaps a little texture here and there, to guide the viewer from the visual entry point right around the canvas. In the video below, Stefan Baumann explains the considerations and the application of placement skills.
Your next consideration is sketching. Try always to sketch with charcoal. From the lightest of grey for watercolours, to a more appropriate grey tone for acrylics and oils. Charcoal turns into a great ink when you introduce a damp brush to it. So you sketch your outlines very openly, adding the details using a damp brush. The addition of moisture also sets the charcoal, ready for the next step.
I shall cover the subject of charcoal sketching with water next week. In the meantime, here is something real fun to try!
Have fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment