Technique Tuesday: Q-Tip Hack
It’s been a while since I published a “Technique Tuesday” post. It occurred to me today that I could share a cheap tool I use all the time in the studio-the humble Q-Tip. I have found over the years that this a simple, yet versatile tool for painters. I use it to erase areas that I would rather not have painted over, and it also helps make the softest “lost edges”.
I bought this cute, little travel pack of Q-Tips at my local Target in the travel toiletries area. I think i spent a dollar on it? Worth every penny to me.
Have you tried adding Q-Tips to your painting technique? Give it a try and let me know here how you like it!
Workshop Wednesday: Edmond Praybe {Part 1}
Artist, Edmond Praybe, Oil on Yupo paper, 2020. Private Collection.
All painters have a list of other painters they admire for one aspect or another. Some artists are admired for technique, others for the conceptual idea behind the work itself. Edmond Praybe for me falls right in the middle of both considerations. He is one of my favorite contemporary painters working in a very modern feel of realism, one full of abstraction and yet his paintings are still ripe with mood, representation and sense of place. The perfect mix if you ask me. And I am not alone in my admiration of Edmond’s work. He was one of the 2021 finalists of the Bethesda Painting Award, a recipient of the Hohenburg Travel Grant, a two time Mercedes Matter Award winner and was recently profiled in the Painting Perceptions Blog by Larry Groff.
I was lucky enough to get a spot in his “Floral” class at the Winslow Art Center in January of this year when we were still under lock down and at a time before the vaccines were widely available. Winslow Art Center was one of the first to pivot to online classes during the pandemic and it continues doing so with a really robust line up of classes including more from Praybe in the future.
The following are my notes (and screen shots) that I took in class that I will happily share with you here over two blog posts (that will be published a week apart). I found his class intellectually fascinating on so many levels and definitely left feeling inspired. So much so that I taken two more classes with him since then and will happily sign up for more.
Week 1, 02 Jan 2021
-”Treat the flowers as a portrait. Treat them as an entity. (Painting flowers) can become cliché when the attention to specificity is lost.”
“Think about yourself as a botanist when approaching your flowers. The specific shapes - the light catching certain planes, the shards of color. Patterns of shape & lines & value.”
Edmond likes to save flowers after they have dried for a “spot of color” in his still lifes. (And a bonus being that they don’t change after they are dried).
Week 1 was comprised of two demos of the same hibiscus flower (students were assigned later the same exercise). In an effort to maximize his time Edmond, prepped both studies with a simple under-drawing that he did beforehand. He painted on Arches oil paper for both exercises. Same toned ground.
Week 1 , Value Study of Hibiscus Flower
First Exercise: Tonal Value study
Palette: Titanium White & a Neutral Dark (Mixed Up of Primaries).
The goal in this exercise is to decipher the internal shapes and forms of the flower, not paying too much attention to the composition. To be used more as a value study for the second color painting.
Limited palette painting of the same hibiscus flower.
Second Exercise: Limited Palette Painting of the Same Subject
Palette: Indian Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White.
-“Think about basic shapes, breaking it down by values.”
-“Working with a palette knife helps you to make broad decisions about value without getting too fussy.”
-Generally starts his paintings by laying down the darkest darks and lightest lights from the start.
-Is interested in specific shapes and how they exist in space. “What is moving toward me, what is moving away.”
-“You will mostly be operating in the middle values. Ask yourself how do you translate saturation into a value that makes sense?”
-”Scrape down and simplify when things get too overly complicated. When the painting gets “too brushy” etc. Chances are it will make more sense the second time around.”
“Constantly re-evaluate the edges. How soft is it? How hard? How about the proportions? Keep your view point constant.”
“The spaces in between forms (negative shapes) will key you into what is the true form of your subject.”
-”Keep asking yourself, "What is the value next to that value?”
-”You can be as “detailed” as you want or as “open/painterly” as you want.”
-”Don’t lose sight of the big planes if you are the type of person who likes to dive into detail.”
-Uses a palette knife to soften edges and transition values.
-”Slowly a sense of the movement of the forms begins to emerge.”
“Always ask yourself: “How light is this light? How dark in that dark?”
-”Never assume that the values are the same as you move across your subject. Most of the time there is a shift. Look for the dynamism.”
Limited palette painting demo using the previously painted value study as a guide.
Limited Palette Demo
-Use the Value Study as a guide for the underpainting on the limited palette.
-In addition to using the palette knife to soften edges, Edmond also uses it to fill in surface, re-state/erase form.
-Uses Impasto Medium for thick passages (C.A.S. Alkyd Texture Impasto Medium).
-When laying out his limited palette Edmond will often mix up the secondary colors; an orange, a violet & green. Then adds white to each to make a mid-tone & light value of each (he likes to have the visual of what gamut of colors and values he has available when working with a limited palette).
-He has a solvent free brush cleaning routine. Just uses Linseed oil. soap and water to clean his brushes.
-Starts painting the red flower with a mid-tone red. Then paints a light red and the background at the same time, varying the color along the contour.
-”Striping off the excess paint with a knife allows you to get more of that ground through and makes things more luminous.”
-Will “blast in a little color” broadly & suggestively when describing form then will come back and describe negative space (which simultaneously describes the subject). This is also a good way to re-evaluate your shapes when working.
-”The color of the area that trumpets out of the flower is always the most subtle. Has more green in it, is duller. If you get it right it makes the color “pop”. A bright colored neutral scumbled in {will do it}.”
-Lays in a mass of color again at the end of the stamen - then cuts back into it to create the form.
-During the lecture portion of class he shows a slideshow of art work to consider and advises, ”Look at Conrad Gesner’s work (German botanical artist). And Margaret Meed. Also Jim Dine’s Sunflower charcoal drawing and Antonio Lopez Garcia. (Look at) Euan Uglow’s Freesia painting.”
-”Morandi painted a lot of dried flowers.”
-Edmond works from life on toned Arches oil paper saying that “Even with figurative work, the secret to (successful painting) is engagement. You get more out of it working firsthand and you get a sense of time that creeps in. It creates a sense of depth.”
-He will often follow the decay of the bloom or will use a “stunt model” and substitute a blossom as needed.
Week 2, 29 Jan 2021
Assignment: Create two paintings from a limited palette, one limited time exercise and one from long observation
-Some painters benefit from time frames to help them focus.
-Edmond sometimes works on Yupo paper. Just puts a layer of oil paint on top (it is made of plastic, no need to prime).
-”You can get away with “mushy transitions” if there is a bigger shape to hold it in. Otherwise you will get the amateur look of everything being blended to the same degree.”
-At the end of a day of painting Edmond will scrape down all of his paint in to neutral piles and add a tint of white to these mixtures. He will then use these grey piles to neutralize his colors if needed on the the next studio day. Edmond will also use these mixtures to tone his canvases and papers.
-”Find a visual lynch pin in your object then compare out from there. Especially helpful for something complicated like a pine cone. It also helps you figure out distortions.”
-”Be open to allowing the painting to develop as it wants to. If it wants to be a 2 hour painting - then let it”.
Week 2 demo. Notice how Edmond paints the objects as he goes along (as opposed to drawing the items and then filling it in with color).
Week 2 Demo
Limited Palette: Titanium White, Cad Yellow Lemon, Cad Red Medium, Cobalt blue, Thalo Green.
-Starts by adding a note of color and then draws the shape of the water in the vase.
-”This is roughly where this blue is going to be” he says while adding his notes of color & initial drawing to canvas.
-He paints very ambiguously not really defining things initially. “Be accurate with color but lose with drawing (in the beginning).”
-”If something isn’t working don’t be afraid to come back in with a rag or palette knife and get that paint off.”
-His demo grows from one point out. ”Build your form out with the paint - not just color it in.”
-If a mark is too forceful he scrapes it down to make it push back into the space better.
-Balance giving enough accuracy to make sense as an image but do not lose the gestural quality of the paint itself (which you get in faster sketches).
-”Sometimes the best solution for a tricky part is just to let it rest & come back to it.”
-Uses his palette knife a lot to incorporate the object in the background.
-As yourself, “Is it there vs. do I need to state it?”. “Do I need it to further the main goal of the painting?”
-”The areas that I try the least are the best, the areas that I focus on too much I overwork.”
-Edmond tries to approach a fast painting like a Diebenkorn with areas of transparency in the paint application.
Week 2 limited palette
Stay tuned until next week for Part 2 which will cover Weeks 3 and 4 from Edmond’s “Floral” class.
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Workshop Wednesday: Dennis Perrin
“Sonata” by Dennis Perrin. 40” x 40” Oil on linen. Available through his website.
"My method flows from page 17 and 18 of Robert Henri's "the Art Spirit" shared Dennis Perrin on the first day of his floral painting workshop.
Over the course of 3 days in May of 2019, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop by Dennis in a private studio. We watched in rapture as he painted not one, but two beautiful demos that long weekend. What I observed was a gifted artist who was also a deep thinker, a man who was as interested in philosophy and meditation as he was in the art of painting.
Among Dennis’ many gifts, he certainly has a gift for simplifying information. It is a trait I have tried to cultivate in my own teaching practice and so his method resonated with me immediately.
The following are my notes that I took during his workshop mostly on day 2 and 3. The photos were taken by me and fellow attendee Lorrie Herman.
The first demo..
The Palette:
Winsor Newton Water Soluble Artisan Paints
Titanium White, Cad Yellow Light, Cad Red Med, Cad Red Dark, Alizarin Crimson, Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Viridian, Ivory Black
Day 2
Early stages of the second demo. Notice the quadrant framework underpinning the composition.
-Dennis begins with a very soft gestural drawing in Alizarin Crimson.
-He looks for ”counterpoints of weight” in the four quadrants of the canvas.
-Encourages "intuitive placement" first, then checking for accuracy.
-"Ask yourself ; Do I want drama, poetry, a lyrical feeling?".
-"If background is close in value to the subject then you get poetry. It will all merge together as subject".
-"You are looking for the integration of all the elements in your painting. Bring things together in a much more subtle way".
-"The mood of top-lighting is more uplifting - convivial. In almost all classic painting the subject is light form above".
Dennis’ palette for his first demo. He began with 5 puddles of local color/value and then altered them as needed while he worked.
-Begins painting any subject by reducing the visual information to 4 or 5 values of local color and mixing them accordingly. This is based on the writings of Robert Henri where he explains that all masterworks can be reduced to 4 or 5 values. {Try analyzing any masterpiece yourself and you will see he is correct}. Dennis then alters those values within strings as needed.
-"Scumble in the lights, you want to see the pattern of light & shadow".
-"(When squinting) If shapes merge, let them merge".
- Uses a size 20(!) flat brush in the beginning stages of painting.
Blocking in the light and shadow shapes and to the right beginning to shape the forms further.
-Uses the tip of the brush when abstracting foliage.
-"Paint a mass from which the stems will emerge".
-When painting silver uses overlapping strokes of black + yellow + red for the dark value.
-"Blues (and black) put you in the right value slot, then red, yellow and orange tip the color ratio".
-When painting the roses, he used cobalt blue + cad red dark + yellow + a touch of white for the rose shadows.
-"Don't overmix your paint. If you mix with a brush you avoid that".
-"Mixing with a brush allows you to stay in flow and this is what you want".
-Will use the background color in turning the form IF the value is right.
-"Unity over diversity every time".
-Uses a palette knife to remove soiled paint into piles.
-When he has painted for a substantial amount of time he steps back from his canvas and muses, "I tell myself that I am on my way to town but that I am not there yet. So if the color, temp, etc. is off that is ok. I will get to town eventually".
-Switches to a size 16 flat or filbert brush when when beginning to refine shapes.
-"Simple statements. You don't have to be perfect, just convincing enough".
-Recommends that people read the book, "The Painted Word" by Tom Wolfe.
Day 3
Second demo close to completion and final state.
-His painting needs a little reworking because a couple of flowers expired.
-When replacing flowers, do not pull the old flowers out because you will disturb the arrangement. Instead, cut the bloom and insert the replacement with a much shorter stem so that it will merge with the arrangement".
-He paints while wearing a hat in the studio which helps when assessing values.
-Prefers a broad stroke when building form. Lays it down Horizontally and if the area needs to be smaller will look for a smaller brush width to fit it.
-He likes the look of Carol Marine's brushstrokes.
Detail from the second demo (the lower right peach rose).
-”You can create a painting from start to finish with a bright.”
-A more limited palette to try is: Cobalt, Cad Red Dark & Cad Yellow Light + White.
-Suggests keeping values to 3 for exercises.
-Try limited stroke exercises.
-He intentionally makes his table line very subtle so as not to take away from the contrast/balance of the painting.
-”Start looking at painters who say less with their paintings. It is how you build aesthetic. Search them out, study with them and them approach your work with the same intentionality.”
The set up for Dennis’ second demo. Flowers were carefully replaced as they wilted.
At this point I bet you are wondering how you can study with Dennis (smart question)! Luckily for all of us during this time of COVID, Dennis offers virtual courses and mentorship opportunities through his “genius circle” , For more information click here.
Our jubilant band of happy painters at the conclusion of the workshop (I am on the far left). A special thanks to Dennis, his wife Aimee and our dear hostess Francie Freitas for making it all possible.
Online Classes
Finished oil painting demonstration for the upcoming “Sunflowers and Pumpkins” workshop.
One of the few silver linings during this crazy COVID time definitely has to be the ability to take online classes.
I have recently rolled out my own online art classes for both adults and teens. Next up will be my “Sunflowers and Pumpkins” online oils workshop for beginners - intermediate level painters.
During 3 hours each day, I will demonstrate and break down my painting technique in simple terms so that students can follow along at home. Students are encouraged to email a photograph of their finished painting for feedback once the workshop is over. A Zoom conference link and materials list will be emailed closer to the start of the workshop.
Sept 19th & 20th. 1:00 - 4:00 PM. I hope you will join us!
Workshop Wednesday: Scott L. Christensen
Scott L. Christensen 3 hour demo.
Artist, Scott L. Christensen speaking to a packed room of workshop attendees.
A special workshop just wrapped up last week at Zoll Studio School of Fine Arts in Timmonium MD. Reknown landscape painter Scott L. Christensen shared with a group of very lucky students his process and personal development as an artist during a 3 hour demo. I was one of the eager fans in attendance.
I am sharing with you here the notes and photos I took during his demo (with permission of the artist). I take copious notes during any workshop/demo I attend because I am a visual learner and it helps me to retain information better that I receive verbally (i.e., in a lecture) and also because I can revisit my notes later during my study time. Self directed learning is something I apparently have in common with Christensen who credits daily studying as one of the keys to his success.
ON THE VALUE OF STUDYING:
-Don’t try to make good paintings when doing plein air. Paint to study, to get information. Worry about the painting itself later.
-”I would rather do volume when working outside then try to wrestle a painting to the ground (by over rendering)”.
-”When you study outdoors you have to sacrifice something. Decide what the focus of your study will be.”
-He limits his palette when making studies.
-He studies for hours outdoors everyday. It is part of his regular working practice.
-”Study paintings and take them apart”. When going to museums, he often takes detail shots of paintings that he admires that have a good solution on how to paint a rock, a tree, etc. He then turns the photos into black and white and studies them more closely to see how that artist achieved that specific effect with value, form, composition… whatever information he is seeking.
-”Ask yourself why the Master did things? They did things for a reason. Figure out why”.
-He has done a lot of studying on Sargent and more recently, Fechin.
-”Study what it is that you like about an artist, and what you don’t”.
NOTES ON CHRISTENSEN’S PROCESS AND SUGGESTIONS ON PAINTING::
-Begins by writing in his notebook, trying to define the scene in front of him with words. He asks himself questions like; What is drawing him to this scene? Is it light? Color, etc? What compositional elements can he build upon? He then settles on something from this enquiry that he wants to explore further, and makes that the theme of the painting.
-He often starts exploring ideas by working on craft paper or drawing in his journal.
-The next step is to distill the composition down initially into “10 lines” on the blank canvas. In the demo he used just transparent red oxide and paint thinner for this step. The idea being to simplify and develop all the elements of the painting at the same time. He is after unity of subject here. Christensen says that “connectivity of things is one of the hardest things to paint”. He believes that connectivity/unity of composition is much more important than rendering a specific tree or rock perfectly.
While making his 10 marks he asks himself:
”What is different with this space compared to that space?”
”Where is my variety”
“Should I add a cloud here for tension?”
“Think connecting points and tension areas (where your eye draws to)”
Some of the beginning “10 marks”.
The entire “10 mark” composition mapped out.
-When working from reference or life, don’t allow the photo or scene in front of you to decide the placement of things. “You decide the composition”.
-He looks for “unequal distribution of shapes and scale” in his compositions. Too many shapes at similar sizes is not interesting.
-”All the detail in the world can take place AFTER you have your design down”.
-While traveling he has started using gouache. He did 100 gouache paintings in one month recently but feels that is not enough time to really know the medium.
-He preferes to paint to music.
-His palette consists of the following Vasari paints (partial list):
Cobalt, Ultramarine Blue, Kings Blue, Video Blue, Yellow Deep, Permanent Red, Ruby Violet, Transp. Red Oxide, Thalo Green, Chromium Oxide green (which he uses less often) and the Vasari neutrals that he developed with the Vasari Paint Company, “Color and Light” set.
-When mixing color he starts with one of his neutral greys and then adds a color hue into that say Bice and Cobalt blue.
-His philosophy on color is based on p. 88 of Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting book which reads, “good color has infinite varieties, a reserve.”
Christensen’s palette. Notice how he efficiently groups values together.
Here Christensen is beginning to lay in some of his color notes. You can see him altering his blue values as he searches for the right relationship between the water and the sky.
-He begins his paintings with brushes of all sizes (including a 2 inch brush for blending water for instance) and will then switch to palette knives after he has locked in the design and is seeking more impasto.
-Reminds us that Sargent stayed in the mid-tones most of the time. He added his darks only at the end. ”Staying in the mid-tones adds unity to a painting”.
-Quotes Carlson, “its the juncture (of values) that require thought”.
-Reminds us that a specific value can appear differently when surrounded by lights and when surrounded by darks. Keeping this is mind will help with the simplification of values.
-”Keep it all in tone. Every note must be in harmony”.
-"Put in determined value, not half value, not “sneaking up on it” value”.
-”Try to go out & do relationship painting. Try to figure out those things instead of trying to paint the perfect tree”.
-”I am big on experimenting with most of my painting”.
-Moves specific temperatures (colors) around the painting by adding it in a new area- but always alters value appropriately first.
-”Sometimes I will completely change the season of a painting”.
-Will recompose a painting as he goes along if needed “I might put something in and the take it out dozens of times”.
-”It doesn’t take long to lose a painting if you (mindlessly) just pat color down for 2 mins”. Be intentional.
-Uses a mirror once his painting is established to check for corrections.
”Landscape (painting) is learning to put parts together more than anything else”.
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE STRUCTURE OF CLOUDS:
-Clouds get warmer at the core.
-Value & temperature changes make something turn.
-The yellow in a cloud will turn to orange and then red as it recedes.
Christensen’s finished painting with palette.
Christensen’s finished 3 hour demo.
“Be willing to sacrifice your paintings to get something better overall.
Be willing to make them ugly, then fight to make them better”
Closing Day of "Bloom" Exhibit
I currently have 15 paintings displayed at Tryst Gallery in Leesburg for my 2019 solo show “Bloom”. This exhibit of oil paintings is coming to an end after tomorrow, May 30th. The overarching theme that unites the show are floral and natural motifs. They are also united in palette with predominantly soft pastels & gem colors. Several of these paintings will be going home with collectors for which I am extremely grateful. But there is still time to snag one to grace your own walls! The gallery is open this Thursday from 10 - 4 pm. I hope you will come out and see it if you are in the greater Washington DC area.
I had the honor of being interviewed for the exhibit by Tryst Gallery owner, Jim Sisley. If his last name rings a bell to you there is good reason. Jim is a descendant of the famed Impressionist, Alfred Sisley.. He casually mentioned that to me prior to our interview when we were discussing my art influences. Needless to say I was a little starstruck after that.
Workshop Wednesday; Casey Childs' Painting Oil Portraits From Life
When I take my copious notes during workshops I have a system of highlighting certain passages by assigning a number of stars to them or by calling some things out as "money tips" (my terminology for thoughts that truly add value to your painting). When I looked over my notes for Casey Childs' painting workshop, I found stars and comments littered through out the pages. What I am giving you here is some of the best advice to painting that I have heard, at least that is the way it struck me. Part of Casey's genius as an instructor is that he is a really good communicator and can easily explain both his working process and (more importantly) his thought process in ways that students can digest.
The following notes I took during Casey's Painting Oil Portraits From Life Workshop in October of 2017 at Francie's Studio in Purcellville VA:
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-Casey believes it is good for your painting to work on charcoal drawings in between, because it forces you to work on values.
-Working with a limited palette is also good if you are having problems with color.
-It is well documented that Sargent used lots of paint. You should too!
-Casey uses a palette of 3 reds, 3 blues and 3 yellows. Ivory Black, Flake White (lead white -does not use titanium white). Genuine Naples Yellow Light (Vasari), Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Transparent Red Oxide, Cad Yellow, Cad Red Light, Alizarin, Ultramarine Violet, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Viridian, Bice (Vasari), Ultramarine Blue, [Writer's note: may not be transcribed as a complete list of his palette nor in the correct order].
-Casey believes in pushing primaries together to make subtle grays. He finds & mixes color accordingly.
-Makes his own panels with gatorboard and linen canvas that he glues together using Beva Glue Film. He hand irons it together.
-When beginning a new painting he lines up the canvas at eye level.
-Starts with a thin wash of neutral color. A red + a blue + black.
-If anything is too warm he hits it with the complementary color. He is always thinking what he needs to adjust.
-Then he begins to wipe (with a blue paper shop towel) out shapes which immediately makes him think only in regards to lights & darks.
-Raw Sienna + Alizarin + Blue for the under-drawing. Today he is pushing the mixture towards warm because of the models red hair.
-"Get the shapes to relate to each other and you can start to get a sense of likeness without even drawing."
--"This simple block in approach is so important - spend the most time on that. You can't fix poor drawing with colors or edges."
-"Try and be a perfectionist. If you are tackling portraiture you have to be."
-Maintain the relationships of light & dark. Meaning, keep the values in the general same range.
-Starts working with color by jumping into the darks (Aliz + black).
-Observing where else you can use a specific color is a good way of harmonizing a painting.
-"Think of the biggest brush you can use for something then go one brush bigger. You get better marks that way."
-Uses the following mixture as his initial flesh tones; Ultra Violet + Lead White + Cad Red Lite + Yellow Ochre + Bice.
-Lays in color swatches to test value.
-"I'm slowing down. Just looking at big shapes."
--He purposefully dulls down the flesh color so he can sneak in more primaries, pushing the greys into one chroma or another.
-Casey observes on the model a blueish tint in between the shadow & the light (known as "the last light") and paints it that way. He uses subtle color to turn form. It is one of the cornerstones of his painting.
"I am trying to build the eye without building the eye (by building the large shapes). I put in my shadows, then suggest a color and then another value change. All those little notes come together & build the eye."
-"The areas that are not necessary I blur out or leave intentionally out of focus. With eyes for instance, I take my time & detail them well and in focus."
-"I often draw something by drawing the things AROUND it."
-"People often make the value of the crease near the nose way too dark".
"You can hold more paint in a bristle brush than you can with a soft hair brush so I often switch brushes to lay in more detail."
-"As I lay down piles of paint, I utilize them in creating new colors-- it helps harmonize the whole painting." Grabbing from the "mother puddle" to create new tones.
-When working on larger paintings he often starts the under drawing in charcoal and then works in a similar way to his demo, working general to specific. He works ALL the figures up at the same time. This allows him to bring areas into fuller focus and leave other areas more finished which gives more life to a painting.
-"Notice that I haven't really drawn the eyes or nose. I've been concentrating on the big shapes but because I have done that it suggests the other parts."
-Highly recommends Harold Speed's Painting Book.
-"Sneak up around the eye. Find the eye socket first then suggest the eye --only then do you add eyelashes."
-Thinks darkest dark, lightest light. The highlight on the eye is the purest white. All other lights are local color.
-Always maintain the relationship between shadows and lights.
-Local face color usually appears in the following "banded" manner (based on the amount of blood seen under the skin)---Forehead: Yellow, Nose: Red and Jaw: Green.
-Around the eye sockets things lean more blue.
ON REFINEMENT
-"Lead your viewer to the areas you want to stand out by how much refinement you do to that area. Think Rembrandt. Closer to the light has more detail. You can focus on a couple of features and bring them to refinement--but be choosy."
-He prefers filberts in bristle rather than flats.
-Makes corrections first (color, drawing etc.) when choosing what areas to start back into.
-"I paint like I am a millionaire (meaning use paint like cost is not a concern)."
-Color has a tendency to cool as it goes into shadow (last light) although on fleshy areas like cheeks & nose it can be warmer.
-"When painting the iris I am going to make that whole circle dark & then place the color on top. It is more pleasing that way."
-Likes using Trekkel Brush Restorer for keeping the shape of his brushes.
-Likes to paint with the corner of larger flat brushes.
"I think in terms of time when painting, especially in front of the model. For instance I will say to myself "spend 20 mins on that eye and then 20 mins on the other eye."
-Eyebrows--make lighter initially and then darker as it turns.
-Paints the darker circle of the pupil and then places the highlight on top.
-Don't paint a hard edge around the pupil.
-Load up the brush and add the lead white highlight to the eye, but be careful & delicate when placing! For this application he uses a Rosemary 279 flat 0 though he would have preferred a 2 or 3.
-In general key the nostrils lighter.
-"Refinement of value is all you need to turn the form on the nose."
-"It is important to work in value strings so that you can go up and down in value as needed." Incidentally, his value strings are not grouped by color so different colors merge together according to value to create his value strings.
-"Value is more important than color. If the color is close that's good but what is important is the value."
-He built his eye (with this particular model) using the value of the neck shadow and then simply adds more strokes of value on top, either lighter or darker, to build form as needed.
ON HAIR
-Lays in a middle value then will paint the darks & lights over that. Using a #6 brush or bigger. #10 for laying in the initial color. Used a palette knife on the shoulder to scrape back a little.
"Squint and paint the passages of light over the hair. Paint hair in one session because it will change."
I will end this post with one of his best tips so far: "Start everything with the middle tone value & then paint lights or darks into that (air, jewelry, features etc). And paint back to forward, always thinking about things in terms of depth."
Casey will be returning to Francie's Studio to teach another Oil workshop this April. He is honestly one of the best instructors I have studied with. I would highly recommend him to all of you and there are still spots available in this workshop. If interested, please email me at lagoarthur_studio@yahoo.com for more details.
Root to Bloom at Principle Gallery
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I am really thrilled to say that I was juried into the Root to Bloom exhibit at the famed Principle Gallery in old town Alexandria (VA) by the amazing Teresa Oaxaca. There are so many great artists in this show that I feel humbled to have my painting, "Feedsacks" (above) included. I am told that they had nearly 1,000 submissions to the competition and only 73 artists were selected overall.
There is currently a social media competition happening at the Principle Gallery for this exhibit. The artist who gets the most "likes" on their painting in the link below will win an award. I would really appreciate your "like" on my painting. Simply follow the link and click on my painting and hit like. https://www.facebook.com/principlegallery/photos/a.10154652878153383.1073741843.98926243382/10154652879903383/?type=3&theater
And I hope some of you will come out to the opening on November 11th from 6:30-9 PM. Thank you readers!
Abuelo and Alexander
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This past August I finally finished a very personal family portrait of my father and son which turned out to be a true labor of love, begun 3 years ago. My patient father simply waited until I was able to work on it, a little at a time, in between my portrait commissions.
My father is a passionate gardener and the background of this painting is my father's very own garden depicting his collection of azaleas, deciduous azaleas and rhododendrons. It is a fitting tribute to him and to the loving relationship he shares with my son. My favorite part being the tender gesture of their hands touching each other.
2016 WLAST Studio Tour
I will be exhibiting again with the Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour (WLAST) next weekend June 18 - 19, 2016. Come see my work along with the work of potter, Carrie Althouse and jeweler, Dana Jansen at STOP #1 on the WLAST tour. In addition I am excited to share that all 3 of us will all be conducting art demonstrations, Tarara Winery will be giving wine tastings, Jules BBQ will have his yummy food for purchase and there will be LIVE music performances on both days of the event! Pack a picnic blanket and make a real day of it. Afterwards continue your tour at the other 30 open studios across Western Loudoun Co. If you live in the Washington DC area, this is an event you will not want to miss!
WLAST STOP #1 June 18 - 19, 2016 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 42498 Farm Lane, Leesburg, VA 20176
Workshop Wednesday: Robert Johnson
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Twice now I have had the pleasure of taking a Robert Johnson workshop. Both at the private studio of a wonderful friend of mine in Purcellville, VA. This most recent workshop occurred during the record breaking deluge of rain we received in Northern Virginia. However, despite the rain spirits were bright and the painting "spell" cast by Johnson was magical.
Robert Johnson is a master painter of exceptional skill and technique. His marks are in essence calligraphic--and he admits to having been inspired early on by the Japanese art of Sumi-E painting. This influence is evident in his work and separates his approach to oil painting from his contemporaries. The way he applies paint is a performance all on its own. He delicately controls the lift & pressure of his brush to accurately render the ephemeral quality of his subjects. Any opportunity to study with him is not to be missed.
One of the highlights of this recent workshop for me personally, was meeting an honored participant, the noble Statesman from Virginia--Senator John Warner. Senator Warner stands with other notable Statesmen (such Winston Churchill), who have turned from politics to painting later in their career. I thoroughly enjoyed the Senator's recollections of his time both as Secretary of the Navy and as a United States Senator as well as his anecdotal stories of celebrities and personalities he has known along the way.
Below are my notes that I took during both of Robert Johnson's workshops. I have placed them in categories to make them easier to understand and apply:
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Composition
-Decide which direction the viewer will travel through your painting.
-Concentrate on negative shapes, variety, design. Decide whether your design will go off the canvas--if so, let it go off in several directions or it will look like a shortcoming.
-You want variety in your set - up. Its inherent in nature.
-Seek a feeling of movement. Good proportion: mass of flowers to greenery to container.
-Using the convention of "polarity"-the juxtaposition of opposites, allows both objects to acquire visual impact. i.e. vertical/horizontal, bulky/delicate.
"The function of the background is to support the "prima ballerinas". It should not detract from the main event. The background should not be as thick, the values not as saturated ed, the edges not as hard, etc."
-"Strive to get depth, even on a front to back composition."
-"The eye goes to hard edges, more paint & bright colors. Be aware of this and design accordingly."
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Materials
-Works on double primed lead supports.
-Preferred medium mixture: 5 parts stand oil, 5 parts Gamsol (OMS), 1 part damar varnish.
-Lays in an "imprimatura" wash with cobalt, viridian & transparent red oxide. Puts down marks on top in a rhythmic patter which he sometimes allows to show through in the final product.
"What do mediums add to your painting? They loosen up piles of paint, make longer brushstrokes like in the background and can create transparency"
-"You need flat brushes to get at the delicacy of the flowers. Paint them with the thought that if you blew on them they would move."
-"All brushes should come to a nice sharp edge. Even your filberts."
-Begins laying in his drawing very loosely-brush held way back, long brushstrokes. Thins down paint with turps (OM).
-Paints with only one glove on his "painting" hand.
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Rendering
-On levels of importance: Values, then Edges, then Colors
-Johnson wipes out the flower masses with paper towels from his initial drawing to set up the structure . He lifts quite often.
-He recommends creating charcoal drawings on toned paper to get used to "lifting out lights. Wipe out like an artist--your touch should have the feel of going over a peony."
-"Paint the subject as if it is a under single source light. Ignore the ambient light."
-"Don't ever leave anything on your canvas that is confusing. Make it clear."
-Johnson often redesigns as he is painting. He will mutter to himself, "Let's make this little guy (a yellow peonie bud) white."
-"The moment you touch your canvas, everything should be done with artistic intention."
-"Don't think about sugar bowls and roses-think about shapes and how they relate to one another."
-"There is no democracy in art. The big forms always win."
-"Get to your final painting stage quickly so that all you have to do are revisions. Finish the big statement as quick as you can."
-"Always remember that perpendicular planes reflect the light the most. If you are having problems seeing or drawing try to remember that principle."
-"Try to put the light down horizontally-it will stand out more. Implies ridges."
-"The Rembrandt effect": Horizontal then vertical marks, ending on the vertical.
-THE 5 MIN RULE: "When you make a bold statement there is this instant fear that you have done something wrong. When you have that urge to change it-ignore it. Take a deep breath, recognize what is happening. Give yourself permission to modify it--but only after 5 mins."
-"Strength and boldness lead to more strength and boldness. This is the purpose to the 5 min rule."
-"Learn to make good descriptive brushstrokes. As the painting evolves each stroke should be laid down as if it is never getting lifted."
-"Maximize the utility of the highlight. Give them breathing room in your design."
-"The light (within a painting) can describe the intensity of the light on the subject, the surface texture, direction of the light, the contour that it is going over."
-On painting flowers: "Start with the outside shape of the flower, get that accurate. Then strive for the dimensional -the light and dark of it. Only then have you earned the right to paint a petal. Work abstract to detail."
-"Say the most with the least. Be precise and you can get away with suggestion."
-On the second day of a painting Johnson begins reworking the canvas by reapplying the background color so he has something to paint into.
-On painting rugs: " Try to establish a pattern. Don't be a slave to it. Rugs should have a clear, paintable pattern to them. Use the weave of the canvas to describe the weave of the rug (sometimes scratches the paint away with the side of a palette knife to reveal the weave). Say the most with least. Allow the materials to do the work for you. Go back in and restate the design of the rug but avoid getting mechanical & uniform with your brushstrokes. Use a light touch, get the paint just on the tip of your brush and drag it into place."
-"Brushwork should be a muscle memory thing. You should be able to render the object just by looking at it with your eyes."
"Just lay the paint on. No scrubbing. The paint will look better if you just allow it to do what it naturally does."
-"You need a blend of soft and hard edges. Let the soft edges dominate. Use hard edges sparingly. Especially in the background. "
-"If you can do it in one stroke it looks better. Start with a very light touch and then apply pressure-the stem will be painted naturally going from thin to thick."
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Values/Colors
-Follows thick lights/thin darks rule.
-Gets a highlight on quickly to key in the values.
-"A trick from Sargent's portraits: Add more light/color to the shadow of a subject--just past its contour. It helps turn form more and gives a sense of air."
-"Within the dark areas there are accents. The opposite in value of highlights."
-"We never think "dark" (values) with flowers but we should."
-On foliage: "Layer light over dark, dark over light--adds dimension. Overlapping planes also give you dimensional".
"Cast shadows are extremely important. Get them in early. They keep everything honest, related. The main thing I think about here is getting them dark enough and in the right places."
-On greenery: "Ultramarine blue + Cad yellow pale + something from the red family. Always sneak red into your greens."
-On painting red roses: "Don't make lights, lighter- make darks, darker. White only makes red look chalky."
-"Be careful painting yellow roses. It is the color most easily adulterated. It turns the key way down when other colors are accidentally introduced to it".
Recommended Reading
-"Painting Techniques of the Masters", Hereward Lester Cook
-"Russia, the Land, the People"
-"The Painted Word", Tom Wolfe
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The Making of "Mortui Spinus Tristis"
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I thought it would be fun to show some process shots of one of my most recent paintings. I found this sweet little goldfinch one day after she flew into my window. Once I got over the sadness of the whole thing, which took about 30 seconds, I ran into the house to get a freezer bag because I knew she would be the subject of a painting one day. Fast forward about a year, I found myself recently in search of a still life subject to paint under artificial light because it had been raining day after day and the light was horrible for the projects I currently had up on my easel.
So I pulled Franken Goldfinch out of the deep freezer and began placing her on objects in my studio. From a previous experience with a Franken Rooster, I know that frozen birds tend to thaw out really quickly under hot artificial light. So my strategy was to paint the bird alla prima (in one session) which took about two hours from start to finish. This includes redrawing the initial under drawing a couple of times until I had the composition just right to line up with the golden ratio.
The next day I began working on the plate. The following day I finished the Blue Willow design. I did the painting in about 8 hours spread out over a couple of days which I was able to accomplish because I put my covered palette, my painting and my subject back in the freezer in between sessions. I simplified the Blue Willow pattern considerably as I was only interested in getting the "feel" of it. However in future attempts at blue & white pottery, I know I will want to approach the design more abstractly.
The title of this painting means "The death of the Goldfinch" in Latin. Spinus Tristis is the Latin name for the American Goldfinch. Coincidentally, "Tristis" means sorrowful in Latin. It adds to the significance of the painting which for me is an homage to a delicate and beautiful life.
This painting, “Death Of the Goldfinch/Mortui Spinus Tristis” is currently available for purchase.
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Art Video Review: Donato Giancola's "Joan of Arc"
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This post is the first in a series of reviews of art videos I have in my personal collection.
Several months ago we made the decision to lose the extra cable box we had in our bedroom and use the bedroom TV to watch videos exclusively. Little did I know that this decision would lead to me being more productive & organized as I have taken to folding laundry while watching my many art DVDs. Before now, I never seemed to find the time to do either. Now it is something I dare say, I almost look forward to.
What sets Donato's video apart from other art videos I have seen is that he shares his entire process from conceptualization (which includes thumbnail sketching), compositional design, historical research, photography of models and source materials to preparing a surface, underdrawing, underpainting and through all the stages of painting his large multi-figurative narrative piece, "Joan of Arc". Joan of Arc by the way is one of my favorite saints because she is the patron saint of female bad assery. Donato is a much revered artist in the illustration and imaginative realism fields and has studied with some big names in the fine art world including Vincent Desiderio and Jerome Witkin. I think it is his unique perspective as an artist in these particularly deadline driven fields that has allowed him to create and hone such a strong working process which for me tends to be a bit of a moving target.
My favorite take aways are these:
-Use chroma shifts to help turn a form, not just value shifts. This was a timely nugget to absorb as I was able to use this technique a lot on my current portrait commission. -Donato refers to his paint palette as his "mud pile" and will pre-mix all his colors along with all the chroma shifts possible prior to painting his subject. -Keep a good book on anatomy handy as you model the form and constantly refer back to it for greater definition of the figure. -Donato is constantly referencing a lot of Master painters and their paintings to help inform his painting such as Rubens, Van Dyck and Bouguereau which I found really inspiring.
To purchase Donato Giancola's "Joan of Arc" click here. I highly recommend it.
Workshop Wednesday: Rick Weaver's Abstraction for Realists
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I've had the pleasure of taking two workshops from the artist, Rick Weaver. Rick has extremely impressive credentials having received his formal art training in New York at the National Academy of Design, the New York Academy (now known as the Graduate School for Figurative Art), and the Art Students League. He studied painting and drawing with a number of notable art instructors, including Robert Beverly Hale, Ted Seth Jacobs, Ron Sherr, Harvey Dinnerstein and he earned his Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where he was influenced by the sculptor Billy Lee.
I can tell you from experience that he is a deep thinker who stretches your mind alongside your skills. He seems to come at things always from a new angle and perhaps this is because he is both a sculptor and a painter, and extremely accomplished at both. I've discovered that the best teachers show you how they think which is much more powerful than learning someone's style. Rick is definitely that kind of teacher. If you ever have the opportunity to take one of his workshops, I would strongly encourage that you do so.
Below are my notes and photos I took during his workshop this past July which was hosted in the beautiful studio of Francie Freitas. Thank you Francie for having included me in this wonderful workshop.
Rick Weaver Workshop Abstraction for Realists July 22 2014
[Rick began Day 1 of his workshop by having us look at prints of masterpieces he intentionally distorted digitally (using filters) to better show us the degree of abstraction underpinning the work.]
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When you look at a great masterpiece in a museum, if you pay attention you will always notice an emphasis on composition.
"Ask yourself why an artist did things. Why a cloud there? Why that shape?"
Great painting is a combination of formal elements; line, shape, color & value organization.
Space is not a formal element but it collects form together for us. So does rhythm, so does light. Visual weight etc.
"There is a natural trade off between the amount of resolution (finish) you want and the base abstract power of the painting."
"Making a painting is not copying nature. Old masters made significant changes to what they observed in making their paintings. Be aware of this and be sensitive to it in your work."
"Make yourself make changes for the better in your work."
There are 3 main elements of painting 1. Subject Matter, what you see in the painting, direction of etc. 2. Form= line, shape, color (value) 3. Content
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The early stages in a painting are an opportunity to give your painting a strong abstract power to build upon.
Don't think of objects as separate. Think of them as joined, like in their shadows & forms, color.
If you think in terms of object you are ultimately separating. If you think inclusively you will see all kinds of connections.
Like in figure, the shadow is often indicative of the color of the drapery.
Show those connections.
Rounded lines are organic.
Angled lines are inorganic.
There should be a strong connection between form & subject matter.
Square, is a non directional shape, neutral. Look at Lincoln Perry. Be wary of putting something right in the middle because it will be weak.
Look at subject matter and see it as pattern within the rectangle. (Matisse)
There aren't really any definitive books on composition out there that I am aware of but these books are a start:
-Erle Loran book on Cezanne composition
-Andrew Loomis' book on perfect mean
Things you can physically do at the start of a painting to think formally:
Connectivity/Unity-literally make things connect in the beginning.
Always make a rectangle on your page to set up your boundary, picture plane.
"As soon as you put a silhouette you are making an object". Draw a two dimensional shape showing how the subjects link into each other from edge to edge, line to line. Work from the edge of the picture plane in. You can get in touch very quickly with the whole thing this way. Picture remains open, promotes flexibility.
You can use a more organic or architectural line.
No line has anything to do with the object. It functions just form connectivity. Same thing with tone, divide the subject into 2 or 3 values.
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"If I can't get a preliminary sketch to say/do what I want it to in 3 values, I never go further with it."
What seems to visually connect to you? You got to want it. Make it connect. Be on the hunt for those 3 values and only those values.
Vertical spacing pushes things towards you.
Horizontal spacing pushes things away.
Pay attention to your "sit down" (object touches plane) spacing will give you the horizontal space.
Paying attention to negative space will give you the vertical spacing.
Ideally make your circuit within a minute round the entire drawing for that first exploratory line.
Exercise to just allow things to connect more than anything else (mine was too slow).
Am I able to move into the picture? Is there ground plane? Foreground, middle ground, back ground?
Day 2
Demo 4 color palette, primaries + white Permanent rose, Ultramarine blue (or thalo blue), cad lemon
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Subject of demo: Hue-the most problematic issue of color.
Gestural start, linking forms. One continuous line.
Thinned down ultramarine
Uses a brush larger than he's comfortable with to keep him from drawing objects.
Holds brush perpendicular to surface, carving shapes as he masses in.
Tries to think in terms of three values, light, dark mid tone.
When he starts adding local color he looks to see where else it shows up, shadows, reflections etc.
"As I am working I am trying to reinforce my idea (initial gesture/approach) with the way I paint. Being consistent with the same approach through out the painting."
"The last thing I want to do is complete an object with this approach. I want to keep things open."
"I am starting to think about the quality of lights anything in the light has both yellow and red to it. You must use both."
"I really try to keep it formal, stay away from object making as much as possible."
"With the figure, I approach the same way but if I want a more traditional approach I take more care with the drawing. "
I will go back and introduce the (unifying) line in drawing while painting (as many times as needed).
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On a personal note I want to thank Rick for helping me to stretch both my thinking and my technique. I will be back for more workshops. You can count on that!
Face Off Heavy Hitters
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The most happening place to be last Friday was at the Principle Gallery in Old Town Alexandria for their annual alla prima portrait "Face Off" featuring gallery heavy hitters; Mia Bergeron, Elizabeth Floyd and Cindy Procious.
What is that you say? You didn't know about it? Well I guess that just proves you're not as cool as me. Luckily I am feeling generous today and will give you this brief little wrap up.
Veteran Face Off champions Mia Bergeron and Cindy Procious went toe to toe with a new tenacious challenger, Elizabeth Floyd over 3 hours with plenty of breaks in between for schmoozing and attending to their adoring fans. It was obvious early on that all of them had a good likeness of the model, Mr. Franco Landini, who is the owner of several Old Town restaurants including Landini Brothers and is something of a local celebrity.
Events such as these at the Principle Gallery always attract the hippest artists from the local painting scene. Besides my fabulous self in attendance were Jonathan Linton, Rena Selim, Susan Gallagher O'Neill and Abigail Davis Muncy.
Honestly, next time you should really just come see it for yourself. But until then you will be able to watch it on Youtube and I will post that link here when the Principle makes it available.
What are you painting?
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I'm only about 9 hours into copying this hand study of a portrait by Gerard Soest at the National Gallery of Art here in Washington DC. The reaction to my copy by the public has been extremely entertaining and at times has had me in stitches, like today. I guess visitors are not used to seeing a person paint only a small portion of a painting in the collection, and the oval shape I chose to emphasize the dramatic swirl of the dress and the gesture of her hand is unexpected and definitely throwing people off. But what seems to be the icing on the proverbial cake is that it appears to people that I am not painting the picture in the right color. Um, what gives?!! [Insert Valley Girl tone here]
Well there are some really good reasons for all the choices I have made so far in regards to this painting. The first decision I made, that of doing only a hand study of the larger painting is because I only have the months of July & August to copy and I thought by narrowing my subject I could get more accomplished in that time. Second, the oval shape is an intentional decision as far as the composition. In addition, if I have more time, I will paint another oval of her other hand to have a matching pair. And lastly, the colors you see before you are just the underpainting known as a "grisaille". The areas that are more grey are called a "closed grisaille" meaning they include white, plus the umber I used previously and prussian blue to achieve the overall modeling and value relationships. Those are the areas that I painted today. I will indeed get around to the actual color of the painting, eventually, in thin glazes of color. It is the way this painting was painted and since I am more of a direct painter, learning this technique is part of what drew me to the painting.
Below are some of the amusing things I have overheard/ or been asked directly while painting in order of frequency:
"What are you painting?" (Um, a hand and her dress....)
"Are you trying to paint abstractly?" (Yes, actually. A strong abstract design is the basis of all realistic painting)
"Dad, I don't get itttt!" (Snicker)
"Esa mano esta horrible/That hand is horrible" (Said by someone who doesn't know I speak Spanish. Ouch? ;)
I'll end this post by saying that painting is a process that is sometimes not self evident. So hang in there with me, eventually you will be staring at the exact doppelganger of that hand. Just don't hold your breath waiting.
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Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour (WLAST)
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I will be participating again in the WLAST tour as a guest artist at Franklin Park Arts Center, stop # 32 in Round Hill, VA this weekend, June 21 & 22 from 10 AM - 5 PM. The paintings above, and many more including examples of my portraiture will be on display and for sale. I will also be conducting paintings demonstrations through out the weekend. Consider making a day of it by visiting the studios of more than 60 artists in Western Loudoun Co. You will see painters, potters, print makers, sculptors, jewelers, fabric artists, photographers and so much more! There will be something to suit everyone's taste & interest. I hope to see you there!
Mastering Work Flow: Black Boards
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Here's a little peak inside my studio. I am currently working hard at getting a body of work together for the Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour (WLAST) which is scheduled for June 21 & 22. At the same time I have a double portrait commission half way done. I need to work on all my projects at the same time and I need an easy, daily reminder of where I am in each of those projects. I grabbed this low tech Mastering Work Flow technique from my bestie, Dana Aldis a couple of years ago and I find it really helpful to keep one on task while avoiding pulling out all of your hair.
At a glance I can see what the project is and whether or not it is complete (check mark = done, "o"= open). I could take this one step further and diagram out how long I think I have left on each project and then schedule my day accordingly. And I might just do that as I get closer to my deadlines.
Or I could just simply ignore the white elephant in the room...
What's On My Easel
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This sweet little girl is part of a double portrait commission I am currently working on. You can't really tell from this picture, but I am using a lot more paint here and aiming for more expressive brush strokes all around. And another new approach for me is the palette I am using, it is basically the Zorn palette with three additional colors (Cad red, Cad yellow light, Yellow ocher, Black, White, Prussian blue and a color similar to Magenta).
Impasto Logs 6: Pure Awesomeness
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I have been anxiously awaiting the latest installment of David Cheifetz's awesome painting podcast. It is one of my absolute favorites to listen to when I'm in the studio. Not too long ago I went on a bender and heard ALL of them while painting and was left wanting more. So I was really happy today to discover that he had published a new one, #6 in the series, on the subject of composition which was a topic he covered in great depth at the recent workshop I took with him. Imagine my surprise then when I heard him mention my name, in particular the copious notes & blog post I wrote about his workshop. I was literally grinning from ear to ear when I heard it and somehow managed to keep a paintbrush moving in my hand. Thanks so much for the shout out, David! You totally made my day!
To listen to David Cheifetz's wonderful podcast, please click on the Impasto Logs logo above.