Making an imitation of a Van Gogh painting
December 30, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Old Masters
Van Gogh Drawbridge near Arles, 1888
The content of this painting is a drawbridge from a perspective lower than the bridge and perpendicular to its direction. There are stone walls either side of the bridge and grass/crops on the far bank, reflected in the water. There is also grass in the foreground, in front of the left stone wall. The subject of the painting is a horse and cart halfway across the drawbridge.
The context of this work is that Van Gogh had travelled to the south of France. It was here that he was inspired to create his most famous paintings. Drawbridge near Arles’ is one of many of his paintings that shows the world through Van Gogh’s eyes. He is very to the point when it comes to titles for his works of art.
I used acrylic paints and the process of mark-making with the end of my paintbrush. I used this for when I needed thin marks, such as detail in the reflection of the water. I also used this technique for texture in the grass in the bottom left of the painting. I enjoyed doing this piece of work because I like using bright, vibrant colours and bold brush marks. I spent under five hours from start to finish on the process of painting this, whereas Van Gogh would have spent many months and possibly years trying to get the final product just right.
The mood of this painting inspires calm and tranquillity. It is also of a sunny day, which makes everything, especially natural forms, look at its best. Van Gogh uses bright colour and the composition of a wide space in the centre of the image allowing the background to be fully viewed. This technique makes you feel like you are in the paintings. The artist has placed the focal point (the horse and cart) away from the middle of the image in this case, at the top of the picture. The clear blue sky represents a summer’s day, which oozes peace and contentment.
Vincent Van Gogh took up painting at the age of 27. He was largely a self-taught but absorbed the inspiring lessons of Impressionism during two years in Paris. He moved to the south of France, where he created his most famous works. He painted landscapes, still lives and portraits. They are all signed Vincent’, which was his trademark.
During his life, Van Gogh suffered poverty, hunger, alcoholism and insanity. His attempt to found an artist’s colony with fellow painter Paul Gauguin ended in self-mutilation when he cut off part of his left ear. Despite his younger brother Theo supporting him to the end, Vincent shot himself in the chest, aged 37.
Van Gogh inspires me because there is a story behind each painting. The true meanings of his works are not necessarily at face value. He has been described as a Dutchman with a Mission’, which shows what a phenomenal individual he actually was.
Monet’s Lilies Set New World Art Record
December 30, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Old Masters
Recently a late period work by Claude Monet was bought at auction for over 80 million US dollars at Christie’s in London. The painting, entitled ‘Le Bassin aux Nympheas’ set the record for a painting by Monet. The previous record for one of the impressionist master’s works was 41 million dollars. This record selling price kicked off a week-long auction of major artistic works.
When the painting was unveiled, hands shot up all over the auction house. Six would-be buyers bid furiously for the piece, speaking with their clients on their phones. When the price reached 70 million, one of the auctioneers told a women in the front row to take as long as she likes. The woman, Tania Buckrell Pos of Arts and Management International, ultimately won the piece for her company.
Formerly owned by J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller, two collectors from Columbus, Indiana, the painting is one of the most important pieces of Monet’s late period. Monet signed and dated this and three other pieces from this time in his life, and put them up for sale himself. One of the other water lily garden pieces is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, while another is in a private collection. Sadly, the fourth painting in the series was cut in two shortly before World War II.
The painting was purchased in 1971 for US $320,000 and was kept in a private collection, away from public viewings. Mr. Miller died in 2004, and his wife died in February 2008, leaving their estate to their children. In their lifetimes, the Millers supported historic buildings in Columbus, turning the city into a showcase of modern architecture. The painting was likely auctioned off to help pay estate taxes.
Monet is considered to be the founder of the impressionist movement. In fact, the term impressionism comes from the title of one of his paintings, ‘Impression, Sunrise’. A prominent art critic of the age coined the term as a derogatory statement, but impressionist painters gladly adopted the title.
He developed his style while visiting the Louvre in Paris as a young man. He stayed at one of the local hotels in Paris France. Other artists had come to the Louvre in Paris in order to copy the works of the previous masters that covered the walls. Monet decided to sit by a window and create works based on what he saw outside. Thus, his impression of nature flowed onto his canvas.
Monet created his water garden as a method of rerouting a river. He chose a wide variety of water lilies in order to bring as many different colours to the garden. The decision to include so many different flowers implies that he purposefully made the garden for use in his work.
After Monet’s death from lung cancer, his home and water lily garden was given to his heirs, who then donated the land to French Academy of Fine Arts in 1966. In 1980, the property was opened for public visits. Through the Fondation Claude Monet, the home was refurbished to represent the exact living situation of the artist at the time of his greatest work.
Abstract painting explained – Part 4
December 30, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Abstract & Cubism
Art in general is representational or abstract, representational pictures are pictures which you can know what it means from a look at like a picture in your kid’s story an abstract painting is the one where you can’t know what it means instantly.
If we want to define Abstract Art we can say it’s abstracting everything that surrounds from its real form to a new form using colours, shapes & your imagination to describe it.
Abstract art is a high level painting technique which depends on artist’s deep thinking and deepest feelings and also depends on the viewer’s understanding to what the painting say.
“We have to accustom the eye to listen to the painting” Paul Kelly.
There were abstract movements established like: Cubism, Futurism, Vorticism, Neoplasticism, Dadaism, Surrealism..etc. then in the 20th century art Abstract Expressionism was established , and this one was interested in not only the paint but how it’s painted , the material that was used in the painting from colours, papers, toolsetc. which means the overall painting process. Jackson Pollock (American, 1912-1956), Arshile Gorky (Armenian-American, 1904-1948), Franz Kline (American, 1910-1962), Mark Rothko (Russian-American, 1903-1970) are names that must be mentioned when talking about abstract art of this move.
A very well known example nowadays for abstract art are patterns created by graphic designers, most of the patterns are collection of colours and shapes forming a beautiful piece of art that can be repeated to create a prettier background for cloth, wall, …etc.
How to paint it?
The truth is that you have no rules to follow for painting such art, Which is the good thing about it yet a bad thing, it’s good to have no rules bounding you from doing what you want but the bad thing is that you have nothing to follow but your mind, creativity and imagination. Those are the only tools that will guide you, A one piece of advice you can take is reading more about this art and seeing other painters work and what their pictures means that will help you a lot in your path to being professional abstract art painter. So you can just get a piece of paper and brush and start to output everything you have. But always remember is as easy as it may seems as hard as it is, As abstract art is considered one of the most difficult arts as it requires a lot of concentration and a high sense of colours& shapes mixing to get to your point.
How to Find a Fine Art Piece
December 29, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Abstract & Cubism
Nowadays, there are many art auction houses available online such as sotheby and ebay. However, before attempting to bid for a fine art auction, there are some points you need to take note especially if you are a beginner to art auctions.
If you are new to fine art auctions, you might first decide what it is you like to collect. Is it abstract art, oil-based painting, impression art etc?
You also might want to read up on the art category that you prefer to buy. Take for example, you are into abstract art. It would help you in your art auctions if you knew more about abstract art history, the various abstract art movements. The best way to start would be on the internet. One such site is www.artsconnected.org. They provide comprehensive search tools for visitors to research on their favorite art category.
The other way is to browse the various art magazines, books, periodicals. You could go to your local bookstore, amazon or even the local library. Visit a few fine art auction houses and get a feel for the type of art you are interested in. Art Auction houses will usually provide detailed information on the art piece being auctioned.
How Do I Know The Art Piece I Like Is Real?
Ok, so you finally found an art piece you like. The next question you are probably asking is how do I know it is authentic? Since the value of an art piece is subjective depending on the person looking at it, it would be best if you can afford it to get a professional art appraiser to value the art piece.
For large fine art auction houses such as sotheby, you can be assured that the art piece is already appraised and is authentic. However, if you are looking for an art piece at smaller auction houses or online art auctions such as ebay, you do need to be extra careful. Particularly so for online art auctions where there are many fake art pieces being auctioned.
If you like a fine art being auctioned online, the best way if possible would be to communicate with the art seller before buying. Online art auctions usually keep a track record of the art seller’s sales history and can help you to determine whether the seller is a reputable person.
Landscape Painters
December 29, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Impressionist
Painting landscape has been a popular art form in many cultures for centuries. While most of us cannot afford original masterpieces, modern reproductions and print allow us to bring them into our homes.
Painters of Landscape
While few of us can afford paintings by the greatest landscape artists like Monet and Constable, reproductions give us an affordable access to their works to enhance our decorating schemes.
Amateur painters often chose landscape as a subject matter as they may not have access to decent studio space and therefore can more easily paint in situ. This was not always the case and the first Impressionist to take their easels outside were viewed as rather unconventional, as artists before them would have painted inside from memory or sketches.
Painting landscape is an art tradition common to many cultures, and it goes hand-in-hand with the popularity of the genre. This was especially the case in Japan, North America, the Netherlands, France and Great Britain until the latter part of the twentieth century as other forms of artistic representation, such as Surrealism and Cubism, for example, grabbed the artists and critics’ attention. Nowadays with the advent of video and installations landscape artists are becoming a rare, rather obsolete breed.
With all this being said, let’s note, however, that most people still rather like landscape paintings. They usually convey a sense of emotional connection to the subject matter, which does not necessarily occur when one looks at a portrait or still life. This is particularly the case when the painting in question reminds of times past.
A number of very famous landscape artists became well known for concentrating on specific areas. In some cases it could almost be tantamount to obsession if you consider that Paul Cézanne, for instance, painted around eighty versions of the Sainte-Victoire mountain located near his home in Provence, France. He wanted to represent it as it looked to him throughout the year, with different weather.
In the seventeen century Holland saw the first European painters representing seascapes, Vermeer and Rembrandt. Since this time there has been a noted recurrence of sky and water themes for some landscape painters, like for instance the well-known English artist JMW Turner. Turner was fist noted for his representations of the sea and skies in violent storm conditions. This said his later works point to the future development of abstract painting by blurring the previously clear line between the water and the sky. French artist Claude Monet’s developed his technique for painting landscapes involving water by doing so in close proximity to his subject matter, which would sometimes involve painting from a small boat. American painters Homer and Wyeth, both renowned landscape painters, were also noted for the admirable way they managed to represent the effect of light on water surfaces.
Artist profile: Spencer Tunick
December 29, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Old Masters
When I first saw this article title, my first thought was: Who the hell is Spencer Tunick? I’ve studied art history for years, from cave drawings to Andy Warhol, and this guy’s name never came up in any list of prominent artists I’ve ever read. He must have done something recently, and maybe spectacularly.
Then I remembered where I had seen this guy’s name, hopefully for the first and only time. All the newspapers and online news sites featured the idiotic performance he perpetrated in Mexico City a couple of weeks ago. He lined up 18,000 Mexicans in a town square and photographed them all together in the all-together … naked as uncooked tacos. Wow, I’ll bet Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Leonardo would be proud of this great artist’s work. I believe the same guy took his camera to England and did the same a year or so ago.
Why does this guy make a career of photographing large numbers of naked people? Maybe because his name is Tunick, he has some mental compulsion to take pictures of people who aren’t wearing any tunics? Anyhow, why do people get excited about this kind of crap art?
Tunick’s so-called art reminds of the stuff a guy named Christo does. He wanders around the world with bolts of yellow cloth and drapes huge amounts of them on buildings, waterfronts, trees and whatever else suits his fancy. He did Central Park recently, and the project looked less like a work of art than an explosion in a toilet-paper factory.
I never could get excited about the 100-year-trend for charlatans who pose as artists. As a retired artist myself, I believe in the old traditions of competent, realistic sculpture, drawing and painting. Sometimes when I want to get a good seat in a restaurant, I can truthfully put BFA, MFA after my name on the waiting list. It rarely helps, but it makes me feel as important as the guys who do get choice tables because they put MD or PhD after their names.
Travel destinations: Amsterdam
December 28, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Old Masters
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland. It was founded as a fishing village in the 12th century. With its old world charm and contemporary outlook, it is a city of tolerance, diversity and culture.
During the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age, Amsterdam’s canals were built as four main concentric canals with interconnecting canals and over one hundred bridges. The middle three canals were for residential purposes and the fourth, outer canal was built for defense and water management. A boat ride through the canals is the best way to see this beautiful city the way it was built to be seen. An elegant mix of old and new, Amsterdam consists of cobbled streets and crooked buildings, coupled with cafes and coffeeshops.
Amsterdam is recognized for its world-famous museums. Visit Museumplein, or “Museum Square” in English- called such because four museums are situated around the square- to see the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, the Van Gosh Museum and the Diamant Museum. The Rijksmuseum has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age as well as a collection of Asian art. It boasts works by artists Jacob van Ruysdael, Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt and Rembrandt’s pupils. Rembrandt’s famous Night Watch is one of the many masterpieces in the Rijksmuseum. The Stedelijk Museum is a museum of modern art. It includes the big artists of modern painting movements in impressionism, cubism, and expressionism as well as a large collection of paintings by Kasimir Malevich. The Van Gogh Museum has the largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh in the world. The main exhibition provides an opportunity to witness Van Gogh’s development as a painter. The Diamant Museum contains a collection of jewelery and offers the visitor information on diamonds and their journey from formation through mining, distribution, trade and processing.
Another bustling tourist spot and museum is the Anne Frank House, where Anne and her family hid from Nazi persecution. The house was converted into a museum in 1960, and is dedicated to Anne Frank. Tour the Secret Annex where the family hid and Anne wrote her famous diary, and examine the various exhibitions highlighting persecution and discrimination. The Rembrandt House Museum, like the Anne Frank House, is also a house converted into a museum and a very popular tourist attraction. In this house Rembrandt lived and painted until 1958. Today it attracts visitors with its collection of Rembrandt’s etchings.
But perhaps what Amsterdam is best known for is the Red Light District and its controversial drug policy. In Amsterdam, prostitution is legal, and a “coffeeshop” is an establishment where the sale of small quantities of cannabis for personal consumption is permitted. To get an actual coffee, one would visit a “koffiehuis”, while a “caf” is equivalent to a bar. Take a stroll through the Red Light District to see the ladies of the night in the windows, or stop at one of the Sex Shows or Banana Bars. Other attractions include the Sex Museum, the Condom Shop Het Gulden Vlies and the Hash Marihuana Hemp Museum. Amsterdam has a reputation as a party city and its nightlife attracts tourists from all over the world.
Biography: Salvador Dali – Part 2
December 28, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Abstract & Cubism
Meet Salvador Dali
Surrealism, n. Pure psychic automatism by which the real functioning of thought is expressed, by verbal, written, or artistic means.
Who: Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dali Domnech.
What: Master of Surrealism.
When: May 11, 1904-January 23, 1989.
Where: Born in Figueres, a small town in Spain bordering France.
Why: Imaginative and eccentric character who often did bizarre things to attract attention. Believed he was the reincarnation of his older brother, Salvador, who died nine months before his own birth, lending to an early inclination to surrealist thought.
How: In 1922, he began studying at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid, where he experimented with Cubism (abstract art form where objects are broken up, analyzed and re-assembled) and Dada (purposely objected to every standard and accepted value of art). He was expelled in 1926, despite his astounding mastery of realistic painting. In 1929, he collaborated with Luis Buuel, a surrealistic film director, and met his muse and future wife, Gala. In 1931, he created one of his most famous works, The Persistence of Memory, of the surrealistic melting watch, suggesting Einstein’s relative theory of time. In 1934, art dealer Julian Levy introduced New York to Dali’s works, showing up at the exhibit in a glass case and a brassiere. In 1936, he was featured in the London International Surrealist Exhibition, arriving in a deep-sea diving suit. In 1944, he painted Dream Caused by the Flight of the Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening, influenced by Sigmund Freud and Dali’s exploration of dreams. In 1949, he returned to Catalonia, Spain. In 1959, he took part in the Homage to Surrealism exhibit, organized by Andre Breton, the founder of surrealism. From 1960 through 1974, his main focus of artistic energy was on the Dali Theatre and Museum in his hometown of Figueres. In 1989, Dali passed away of heart failure and was buried in the crypt of his museum.
Fun Facts:
- Though recognized as the father of surrealistic painting, Dali experimented with many unusual kinds of media, like his bulletist (shooting ink at a blank sheet of paper) work, holography, and his incorporation of optical illusions.
- Dali was fascinated with Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud and human DNA.
- Symbolic images within Dali’s paintings include clocks, elephants, eggs and ants.
- Dali was an iconic influence for Andy Warhol.
- Other artistic endeavors include filmmaking, scriptwriting, theatre, fashion, photography, sculpture, scenery construction, writing, jewelry making, and an animated cartoon for Walt Disney.
- A donated sketch of the Crucifixion hung in New York City’s Rikers Island jail for 16 years before it was stolen in March 2003, and has yet to be recovered.
- Andre Breton, longtime friend and foe, nicknamed him Avida Dollars, an anagram implicative of Dali’s greediness.
- One of Dali’s most recognized characteristics is his upturned, waxed mustache.
- In a Sixty Minutes interview, Dali spoke only in third person and claimed, “Dali is immortal and will not die.”
- In 1982, King Juan Carlos of Spain bestowed him with the title Marquis of Pubol.
- The largest collections of Dali’s works are housed in the Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain; and in the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Online Art Gallery: a Striking Triangle of Creativity, Trade and Technology for You!
December 28, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Abstract & Cubism
The concept of online art gallery quenches the thirst of art connoisseurs by making art and crafts just a click-away option. While, this gallery makes stalwarts’ creativity easily accessible, it simultaneously gives a big platform to budding artists to display their talent and skill. Apart from that, online art gallery is by far the easiest way, where paintings for sale are made available. Even more, as far as abstract act is concerned, all those e-art galleries are also enriched with scores of sites.
Thus, it is very appropriate to say that any online art gallery is nothing but an impressive amalgamation of imagination for profit-making purpose using the state-of-the-art technology. To revisit in detail, it is an arena where art is being showcased with the help of modern technologies for the fulfillment of the purpose of displaying paintings for sale. Mainly, various websites, contain arts and crafts, are referred as online art gallery. Most of the times, the pictures are snapped and showcased on these websites. Sometime, a single site exhibits the paintings for sale of a single artist and sometimes, a single site can bring the creations of various artists under a common roof.
Further, you do not need to be a rocket scientist to access these online art galleries. Some guidelines will lead you to find the wonder world of creativity inside an online art gallery. Most of the times, these galleries will ask the visitors to create their own accounts, that is, register themselves with the site. Once you get your own account on a particular gallery, you can check the online abstract art of your favorite artists from the catalogue of the particular online gallery. And ultimately, you will get the price tag of every picture displaying on the site. Besides, many art galleries also publish the story of paintings for sale to double the fun.
Your fondness of abstract art can also make you a regular visitor to online art galleries. The availability of online abstract arts at various websites undoubtedly gives you a sense of completeness of these galleries. It not only helps to enhance the sell at a particular website, but also helps the site to get maximum visitors and increase its rank.
At the end, it would be quite appropriate to say that online art galleries have made the world of arts closer. Now, buying the paintings of eminent artists has become easier for the art connoisseurs worldwide. Truly, a single click can easily create a huge miracle in the world of creativity- a perfect triangle of creativity, trade and technology!
Freelance Makeup Artist – The Basics
December 28, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Old Masters
I know you are anxious to begin working as a freelance makeup artist, but just in case you don’t have the funds to attend school right now, you can still gain useful knowledge and experience. I’ve been working as a freelance makeup artist for about 5 years now, and even though it’s hard work, I get to meet lots of different people and attend beautiful weddings. The most rewarding part for me is being able to “transform” the look of my clients. I just love it when they get excited and start smiling at the results.
The advice you receive from this article will help you get a descent start in getting the products you need, some clients to put in your chair, and to help you be more professional. Don’t forget there is more than one way to gain the experience you need, and I’m presenting some ideas and lessons that have helped me along the way.
When I first started I remember reading books about makeup/beauty. What helped me was getting books with color pictures to demonstrate the techniques, and with detailed writing. Some books contain content that is very vague, so it’s difficult to tell what is being done to the model’s face, which is why detail is so important. Also, try to be diverse about the types of books you read. I read books about mature beauty, Asian beauty, and Latina beauty because I wanted to be aware of certain concerns those groups may have. Great places to get books are from online bookstores and the local library.
If you have the extra funds I totally recommend attending a seminar from a professional (or a celebrity) makeup artist. This is a great opportunity to help you network with other freelance makeup artists, and to see the makeup application process through someone else’s eyes. It will help you improve your own work because you will receive some fresh ideas and information about great cosmetic products that are on the market.
Some items that you will need before getting started as a freelance makeup artist are a makeup case, makeup brushes, sample testers, a director’s chair, and makeup of course. A great place to purchase these items would be Ebay, or your local beauty supply. The makeup case I use has wheels with an extended handle, and fold-out compartments. I’ve used it for all of my assignments, and I’ve had no problems traveling with it. In regards to makeup brushes, make sure you opt for a set that isn’t too expensive, and will last a while – preferably sable or squirrel. Some examples of sample testers are individual mascara wands, lipstick applicators, and spatulas. These are so important to have because you want to prevent the transfer of bacteria from one client to the next. Pencil sharpeners are essential too for lip and eyeliners. Use it to shave off the used portion after dealing with each client.
You will use a director’s chair when seating your clients. I’m tall, so I find it incredibly useful. It’s also easy to fold and place in the trunk of my car. When collecting makeup, always start with basic, very diverse shades and colors. This will help in case you’re ever in a situation where you have to mix two different colors to get the desired color you need. The brand you use is up to you, but make sure you have the basics.
Some other good pointers would be to start with family and friends first. When you’re first starting out, you’re going to make mistakes, so it’s easier to use people who are close to you as your guinea pigs. They’re a lot less critical, and I’m sure they’ll make recommendations on how you can improve. Also, expose yourself to other artists that have different strengths. I say this because every freelance makeup artist has a different interpretation of what a certain look should be. I’ve known makeup artists that were wonderful at dramatic makeup, stage makeup, and bridal makeup. The more you learn from different people, the more diverse your techniques will be, which will improve your ability.
Last, but certainly not least, be professional. If you have a scheduled assignment, please be on time. Know that the bulk of your business will come from referrals, so you want to leave a good impression with your clients. If you have a client that is getting married and you have to work on location, dress appropriately for the wedding. Always wear an outfit that is classy, but that you can easily move around in. I tend to do a lot of walking when I’m on location, so it helps that my clothes aren’t restrictive. Don’t forget to bring your business cards with you to every event. Always pass them out so that others will have your information and can contact you if they need anything. Have fun and good luck on your glamorous journey!
