How to keep the energy alive when creating outdoor paintings
September 16, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Portraits
Have you ever wondered if what you know about portrait from photo is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on portrait from photo.
Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about portrait from photo? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?
Using larger brushes
The brushes that used to work in a small sized painting just will not work the same in a larger painting. It is simply because the scale is so much larger! at is why if you have been used to brush sizes 6 or 8 it is time you started using sizes 16 or 18. This is especially true if you are trying to create a portrait from photo. In such cases delicate elements like face, etc. will need detailing and fine finish.
Increasing the paint amounts
Most artists seem to forget that the amount of paint that would normally work on a small painting will cease to provide effect on a larger canvas. Therefore if you have been using a small bottle of acrylic paint on a 8×10 inch canvas then you will need 5 times more paint for a canvas which is 5 times larger. Most seasoned artists who create portraits from photo know that there is a much larger effort and quantity of paint needed in large sized canvases.
Create the swatch first
It is always a good idea to start small and work bigger. That means it is better to create a scaled down version of the painting first before proceeding to the larger sized one. If you are creating a portrait from photos then you need to probably create a small 8×10 inch piece before moving on to a 24×30 inch canvas. You need to paint even the small portrait from photo outdoors as it will provide you an idea of how sunlight will affect the outcome of the painting.
Filtering the sun
The sunlight will have a natural tendency to filter through the cloth. This can affect the way you are able to see your painting. To prevent this from happening just try putting a lawn bag made of plastic behind the cloth. This makes for an opaque covering. This way you will get a realistic view of the paints on the portrait from photo.
Is there really any information about portrait from photo that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.
Madhubani Paintings
August 30, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Impressionist
The history of ethnic paintings in India can be traced back to the Bhimbatka Caves, where some of the earliest paintings of India are found. But when it comes to ethnic ‘tribal’ paintings of India the names which top the list are Warli paintings and Madhubani paintings.
Madhubani paintings, also known as Godhna, Maithili and Chitra figure paintings, originated out of the humble domestic rituals in Madhubani district of Bihar. Chiefly prevailing in Madhubani district, it also diffused to the adjacent districts of Jetwarpur, Ranti, Rasidpur, Bacchi, Rajangarh, etc.As per the belief of the people of Madhubani that Gods visit each house in the morning to bless them with luck and prosperity, Madhubani paintings started as a welcome painting on the walls, doors and floors for the Gods. Till the 1960s it was a purely a decorative art. But the Bihar famine of 1964-65 took its toil on the people of Madhubani and they had to shift from agriculture to other forms livelihood. And with that started the commercialization of the Maithili paintings; it shifted from walls and floors to paper, satin, sarees, dupattas, etc, without deviating from its original themes, the themes of religion and mythology. Most of the people of Madhubani now depend on these paintings for their daily necessities.
A paste of cow dung and mud is applied on the walls and floors to give a perfect black background on which pictures are drawn with white rice paste; bright vegetable colours are then applied on the figures making them more vibrant. A great number of Madhubani painters still apply a thin layer of cow dung and mud paste on their canvases to give a more authentic look and also because it helps in proper absorption of colour.
Essentially practiced by the women folk, Madhubani is an exclusively feminine school of folk painting. As a respite from their daily home-engineering they portrayed their visions, beliefs, customs and creativity with abstract figures, mostly in linear patterns. This school, however, is not confined to the feminine genre now, as the number of male painters is increasing with each passing day.
Thematically, Madhubani paintings are mostly based on religion and mythology. The religious themes are branched into two types – little tradition and great tradition. In the paintings of little tradition, Gods like Raja Salesh, Buddheshwar, Jutki Malini, Reshma, and the likes occurs in abundance. Great tradition is a tribute to the Hindu Gods like Krishna-Radha, Shiva-Parvati, Ganesha, Maa Durga, and the likes. Nevertheless, natural scenes of villages, everyday life, flora and fauna which are so much a part of life of this school of painters, also entered the domain of Godhna paintings.
The attributes characterizing almost all Madhubani paintings are :-
1 Use of bold natural and artificial colors.
2 A double line border with simple geometric designs or with ornate floral patterns on it.
3 Symbols, lines and patterns supporting the main theme.
4 Abstract-like figures, of deities or human.
5 The faces of the figures has large bulging eyes and a jolting nose emerging out of the forehead.
Madhubani painting is an emblematic expression of day-to-day experiences and beliefs. As such, symbolism, simplicity and beauty hold them together in a single school of traditional art. The symbols that these Maithili painters use have their specific meanings as, for instance, fish symbolize fertility, procreation and good luck, peacocks are associated with romantic love and religion, serpents are the divine protectors.
The treatment of colour in the Indian folk art form of Madhubani painting brings it somewhat close to the Impressionistic school and the Post-Impressionistic school of painting. To some extent their theme of trivial daily activities and nature are also shared by the Godhna painters.
Characterized by vibrant use of colour, underlying symbolism and traditional geometric patterns supporting the main theme, the Indian folk art form of Madhubani succeeded in creating a place for itself in the international house of fame and is now recognized world wide. The Government of India is also paying its tribute by starting training programs educating people on Madhubani paintings.
Madhubani Paintings – An Indian folk art form ethnic to the core with International recognition.
Francisco Goya as the father of modern art
August 7, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Abstract & Cubism
Francisco Jose de Goya was born in March of 1746 in Fuendetodos, Spain. Although throughout his career he struggled through oscillations in his relationship with the Spanish Crown, today, Goya is recognized as one of the last of the Old Masters. The term “Old Masters” loosely encompasses those painters of extraordinary skill from the 13th to the late 18th century. Goya’s exemplary skill undeniably places him among these masters; however, the particularly express later half of his body of work also allows Art Historians to classify him as a leader of both the Romantic and Modern Art periods.
Whereas the Old Masters were concerned with depicting the real world, adhering closely to reality, Goya’s insertion of emotion and fantasy realms into his pieces undoubtedly allowed him to pave the way for the more abstract painters of impressionism and cubism like Monet and Picasso, respectively.
Cycling through periods of success, depression, and illness, Goya was intensely isolated, particularly in the later half of his life. Between 1793 and 1794, Goya would paint a series of fantastical and nightmarish paintings that would undoubtedly set the stage for Modern artists. The series, known as Fantasy and Invention, was completely focused on imaginary realms of existence, which most believed to be allegorical to the day’s society. He often personified the effects of war with nightmarish creatures.
Modern art, which today is used to refer to works of art from the late 19th century through the 1970’s, is usually identified by an increased inclusion of the artist’s own emotions and social commentary. Rather than simply use a canvas to record, document, or tell a story; artists began to use canvases as a vehicle for their own opinions, emotions, and expressions.
As a result, a great deal of modern art is abstract and intensely moving, evoking one’s own emotions in response to the artists’ own. Francisco Goya represented his own inner turmoil throughout the course of the later half of his work, unquestionably leading the way for other artists to use their creativity to push the boundaries and let in more emotion into their art.
Sadly, Goya died in April of 1828 in Bordeaux. Needless to say, Goya diverse body of work allows him to retain his position as both the Father of Modern Art and the last, great Old Master.