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.
Basics of art appreciation
September 3, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Abstract & Cubism
Art is not essentially abstract. Art is about looking at the world from a different point of view. Often taking a mundane or simple aspect of life and causing the viewer to re-question and reconsider its meaning. It is about putting on the brakes.
Pretty pictures are sadly and surprisingly to some people not actually art. The more scenic, the prettier and the more aesthetically pleasing a painting… the less likely it is art. Those well painted and realistic flowers that your Gran likes are not art!
Good art can be something you don’t like at all, something you hate. The stronger the reaction whether it positive or negative the more successful the piece. Great example for this .. Emin’s unmade bed. The only people I know that like this piece are artists who can appreciate the conceptual implications. Yet its success is partly to do with controversy it caused. No wonder it won the Turner prize and was snapped up by Saatchi for a cool million.
The best thing about art is that its so rich and diverse, the possibilities are endless. Art is intelligent, exciting and magical.
How to paint self – Part 1
August 21, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Portraits
Painting a Self-Portrait
It is fairly easy to paint a self-portrait. You just sit or stand in front of a mirror with pencil, charcoal, or pastel in hand and begin to draw what you see.
You should first do a rendering in pencil or charcoal to get all the values in place such as shadow and light. It is easier to see shadow and light in black and white than in color and it can give you a map of how to finally paint your painting in oil or acrylic. I like to also think of a well-produced charcoal rendering as a painting.
Before getting started, get all your materials together that you will need for drawing your self-portrait. Once you have drawn it, you can use the drawing as your model to paint in oil or acrylic on canvas. Your final self-portrait can be any size.
You can also do a self-portrait from a photograph, but working from photographs is not as original as working from the object itself and in this case the object is you.
It is important to try to capture the personality and characterization of yourself when doing your self-portrait just as it is important to do this when doing any portrait. In the world of art, this is deemed more important than painting an exact replica. After all the camera can get an exact replica. But a camera will never capture your essence.
The best way to capture essence is to start with the eyes. As that old says goes, “the eyes are windows to the soul.” Once you have the eyes to perfection you have the whole portrait and the rest is just finishing touches.
Now you have done your self-portrait in charcoal or pencil, and you are ready to reproduce this on canvas. You can also render your portrait in pastels and get into the color immediately and this could be your final rendering.
But however there is more to working in pencil and then reproducing it on canvas. Now you will copy your drawing on your canvas in soft pencil. Map out your drawing to scale by eye if possible. If you are not good at this you can make a grid. Just draw block lines or your pencil drawing and then larger block lines on your canvas and fill in.
Make sure to ground your canvas with a coat of gesso, before you begin mapping in the details, unless you are working with an already grounded canvas. You can either stretch your own canvas or purchase canvases that have already been stretched and grounded.
When working in oil you can work almost any way you want to work. Apply your background first and work
Biography: Vincent Van Gogh – Part 11
August 9, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Old Masters
The brilliant painter, Vincent van Gogh, was born in the Netherlands in 1853, the son of a minister. He had 2 brothers and 3 sisters, but was closest to his brother Theo. His letters to Theo form the largest part of what is known about his attitudes and feelings.
Though some of his artwork is among the most expensive in the world, Vincent van Gogh sadly never sold a painting in his life.
After starting out with a middle-of-the-road realist style, van Gogh moved on to the style which he is famous for, which was centered around bright colors and a thick application of paint. The first time I saw one of van Gogh’s works in person, I was amazed at the thickness of his paint.
He spent time painting in several cities, including Paris and Arles,
Vincent van Gogh’s most famous painting is probably “The Starry Night”, which he painted while in a mental hospital in Saint-Remy.
Vincent is also famous for chopping off part of his own ear. Needless to say, he had some emotional problems, and, no doubt, if he were alive today he would be medicated for his dreary state of mind.
My question is this: Would he have made the same wonderful art if his mood was flattened with Prozac?
Birdman’s Guide to Buying Art Online
July 13, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Impressionist
Some of the reasons for buying art online:
These days you can see just about every style of art there is to be seen online in the comfort of your own home or office. This saves you a tremendous amount of time where you don’t have to go walk around a huge gallery, drive a long distance and end up looking at art that you have no idea who painted it, what materials they used, etc. You’ll be surprised how many people just love art and are not experts on techniques, painters’ names or styles. Another benefit to buying art online is the fact that at most online galleries, you will get a short biography on the artist who painted the piece as well as the and their style & price. What if you have a question that isn’t answered at the online gallery you’re viewing? Well in the real world, sometimes finding someone to help answer your questions can take you a tremendous amount of time & there are even times when you won’t find anyone who can help you at all. When you browse online galleries you generally have the option to email the artist directly and then you can have your answer within minutes- depending on how busy the artist is and when they’re checking their email but that’s still a huge bonus over scouring an entire gallery for someone to help you.
Reasons you have for purchasing art:
I’m sure it seems like the obvious thing but in truth many people overlook this point as their basis for buying art in the first place. You have to know WHY you are purchasing art in order to get the right piece. Think about it for a moment, are you buying a painting for someone you love, for your home, for the office decor or maybe as an investment piece? Or perhaps you want to start collecting artwork from a particular artist to build up a nice collection. Each reason I’ve shown you as well as others you might have in mind require a different outlook when you’re purchasing from the style of art, the subject matter to the most obvious- the price. Not too many people want to spend a few thousand on a painting they’re just going to hang up in their living room or hallway but on the other hand, if you’re wanting your first piece of art for investment reasons, you won’t want to pick up a 5 x 7 picture of a fruit salad in a plastic frame. Also, don’t just consider the piece you’re looking for but also the artist, their reputation as well in determining the price of the piece. Naturally, a very well-known artist who sells a lot of their work and is featured in many showings will charge more for their work than someone who’s just beginning in the art world.
What’s more important? The latest trends or Personal Taste?
Let’s face it, we all fall into this trap at some point in our lives- whether it’s to do with clothes, cars and yes, even art. There are so many people who purchase an art piece simply because the style is popular or the artist is very well-reknowned yet they honestly don’t like the piece they bought at all-they bought it just to be “fashionable”. Well speaking from personal experience and as an artist myself I want to give you a big tip that is too often overlooked but it is the VERY reason you should be buying art in the first place- because you love it!!
Don’t worry about the latest trends in art styles or the popular subject matter for paintings or even how the frame looks that the piece came in. First and foremost before going any further in the purchasing process ask yourself this- ” DO I really like this piece?”, “Does it speak to me?” These are the sorts of questions you need to ask yourself before you even talk to the artist. I will admit it, naturally I want people to purchase my work BUT most importantly I want them to be in love with it, to have it speak to them in some form, have it convey an emotion to them that just cries out “I have to have that painting!!” Unlike a car or a blouse, always go with your personal taste and intuition when purchasing any form of artwork.
What sort of medium should I choose?
As you may well know, art comes in so many forms, I can’t even begin to do them justice here but as a few examples: you have watercolors, oils, acrylics, photographs,digital art, statues, murals, etc. Which style is the most valuable or the most respected? The truth is that the medium the artist used to create their painting means very little in the end buying decision if you’re truly in love with the piece. Take for example, I’m going to a site that sells acrylic paintings and even though I’ve never owned such a painting and never really cared for that medium, I find a piece that speaks to me; it has a beautiful bright and bold tropical rainforest scene with a gorgeous flock of birds in the foreground and I’m just in awe of the craftmanship this artist has used. Would I just say to myself,” Mike, you hate acrylic paintings, don’t waste your money on that”? NO WAY in the world would I be this foolish!! Naturally I’d buy this piece because it spoke to me, it gave me something that transcends the paint used or the surface where it was painted on. This is the sort of mindset you have to get yourself into. There are so many wonderful pieces of art that are being created every day around the entire world in various mediums- from acrylic to digital paintings to 3-D images- what makes any of these styles less important than another? Absolutely nothing but your own taste. If you see a watercolor painting and love it- buy it!! if you see a digital painting that speaks to your soul- buy it!! Do you see where I’m coming from here? If you’re brand new to the art world, let me give you a few definitions of some of the more popular styles:
1. Abstract- This is art where the artist an artist either exaggerates or simplifies the form of the subject to attach emotion or other meaning to it.
2. Art Deco- A form of abstract art, this celebrates technical advances of the 1920’s and 30’s. Art deco paintings have a slick, metallic look, they include jarring angles & use machinery colors.
3. Gouache watercolors- This is a type of watercolor that include white pigments that make them thicker & more opaque than other types of watercolor paintings.
4. Impressionist- This type came into being in the late 19th century and include such well known painters as Monet and Renoir. These painters altered their strokes to approximate the effects of changes in lighting on the subject. Impressionism still remains very popular among artists, collectors & art enthusiasts.
5. Pop- Pop art shows contemporary, common objects in a way that makes a statement about modern culture. You might be familiar with the work of Andy Warhol who painted Campbell’s soup cans- he was a pop artist.
6. Realist- Realism art portrays faithful and realistic depictions of subjects; this comes from the idea that any subject is worthy of being painted in and of itself.
7. Surreal- Surrealism, is a very cool approach to art; it features objects that look or act unnaturally or are depicted together unexpectedly; this is similar to a dream.