|
For great posts about the business of art, check out The Artsy Shark HERE!
  |
The Secret of Painting from Life If you want to see the world as spectacular as it is, take a walk in the forest with an artist. The painter’s eye is more sensitive and receives a vast amount more information than a normal person who is seeing the same view. When students first come to my classes, within weeks they report that they have never before seen the world “in color” as they are able to do now and that painting has opened their eyes to the beauty that surrounds them. The first assignment for new students who come to my classes is to paint a white egg on a white plate that is sitting on a white table cloth. This exercise requires that they really look at their subject before beginning to paint. Most students look at the setup and only see white. Then, with coaching, they look deeper and see that white has little to do with painting eggs at all. At this point, their consciousness has undergone a small expansion and the artist has increased awareness about the painting process. Once the shadows are discovered, then and only then, can the student focus his awareness on the effects that light has on the subject matter. After that, it is the composition that commands the focus. Gradually or suddenly, the realization that the artist is the one directing the viewer’s perception and that perception can be directed to only one thing at a time. We can not see light, shadow and color at the same time. And we cannot see composition, temperature, and air with just a single glance. We cannot see the windshield and the road at the same time. Creating art is like juggler trying to keep 15 balls in the air. It’s no wonder that artists begin painting from photos just to make the process easier. But when an artist paints from photos, something is lost, and the connection between the artist and subject is disconnected, filtered and dumbed down. When setting up a still life in your studio, the setup must be created just as it you want it to appear in your painting. If you want your painting to have a dark wall with Japanese print wallpaper in the background, you must carefully set up the still life subject using the same objects, values and colors. If you are going to add something red, it must be placed into the composition you are working from before you begin your painting so that everything appears on the “stage” just as you want it to appear in your painting. Also, when painting a still life, lighting the stage is as complicated and as important as setting up the composition. I am amazed that many artists who paint from life often don’t have a proper light to work with. Having a light that can be adjusted to be brighter or dimmer, that is easy to move around the studio, and that has a stand that allows the light to be moved up and down is as essential as setting the stage. It is also helpful to have a light that has a barn door attachment that can dim and focus the light stream, or a light that can be dimmed or made stronger with a dimmer switch. Without the ability to adjust the lighting, you can not produce a masterpiece. All of these elements and many more are important to your success as a still life painter long before you even lay your first brush stroke down. Imagine what it would be like to be that familiar with your subject before you start painting! Then, you can enjoy experimenting and noticing what happens as you really see what you are painting; and once you do, you may never work from photos again! —
I woke this morning with the feeling that something had changed. The air felt a little crisper, the sky looked a little darker and I could smell the earthy scent of leaves scattered on the ground in the woods. Yes, this is the feeling of fall, my favorite time of year! To celebrate the season, this year I am offering a September workshop that includes painting outdoors with a focus on Composition. An important element in a painting is a good compostion which includes line, balance, movement, abstract form and many other details that are needed to create a great painting. Composition combined with other aspects of painting helps artists achieve their goals of creating pictorial unity. To do this, one must understand what to include and exclude in a painting and how to focus the viewer’s attention on what the artist wants the viewer to experience. A good painting requires the effective use of the concept, variety, rhythm, repetition, unity, balance and harmony in its composition. The first step to achieve this begins with an accurate drawing of the subject or scene that also includes the relative values and potential colors to be used in the painting. When you begin a painting, the first thing to consider is if the subject is worth while. Is there something about what you are painting that will enhance or educate the viewer’s experience? Does it wake up the viewer’s mind and go beyond the mere making of a picture? Sometimes selecting subjects that are simple are better then overly complicated views. Try to find a subject that has large masses or chunks. Then, by squinting your eyes, you will be able to identify the relative values of the masses in your painting, and ultimately see four or five value planes which form the foundation of your composition. Artists often start by painting these chunks of value instead of painting the landscape’s details or sky. Once the value chunks are painted in, the artist can open his eyes a bit more and draw the subtle details in each chunk. At this time, color is not a concern as long as the rules of aerial prospective are observed, (things get lighter as they recede into the distance.) The effectiveness of large, simple masses produce a direct and immediate structure in a painting, and the result creates appealing and striking arrangements of masses and designs that inspire the viewer. Painting requires practice that is ongoing throughout the life of an artist. Every journey begins with the first step, and I invite you to come to Mt. Shasta for an experience of a life time. Fall workshops at The Grand View Ranch are exceptional. Autumn is a special season when thousands of dogwoods and oak trees change their green summer foliage to orange and golden yellows, and the sun begins and ends lower on the horizon extending its shadows onto the landscape making it the most perfect time to paint on location. During every workshop I challenge my students to stretch their comfort levels and learn new painting techniques and applications. In this way, students have opportunities to enhance the way they see and paint more effectively on location. The post Composition ~ The Foundation of a Painting appeared first on Stefan Baumann – The Grand View: Paintings by Stefan Baumann. South Stage CellarsExhibit of paintings, including many new works, by Pegi Smith will be on display August 11–September 22, 2016  72″ x 24″ Acrylic on canvas ~ Welcome to my new blog! I’m celebrating this New Year with a beautiful new website! Thank You Hannah West for your brilliance ~ I would also like to introduce you to my first completed painting of 2016, “She Dreams of Bears.” She is a large painting on canvas, 6′ wide by 2′ high. Will she be dreaming at your place? Contact me to learn more… Wishing you all joy and peace in the new year. ~Pegi Artists often take for granted that a vista or interesting subject will always be there to paint. We pass by places and say to ourselves, “Someday I will come back to paint that.” Sometimes the reluctance to set up and paint in populated neighborhoods is linked to a feeling of anxiety about failing to paint successfully when others are present or of being judged negatively when painting in public. I remember when I passed by this little cabin located in the middle of the town of Mt. Shasta year after year. This abandoned cabin was built around 1905 and was one of the first structures in Mt Shasta. Because it was located so close to a pond, the cabin began to sink and fall apart. Last year I finally took the time to paint it. This was a bit of a departure for me because I usually paint scenes high in the mountains by myself. But on this day, I had to set up my easel in the middle of a bike lane with cars driving by, with runners passing around me as they jogged by, while others stopped to see what I was doing and had conversations with me. Needless to say, I experienced anxiety and had many thoughts about failing to paint well and embarrassing myself; thoughts like “What if I can’t paint the cabin well enough to look like it should look,” or “what if my neighbor passes by, stops and sees that my painting sucks.” Artists can feel discouraged and avoid painting in public if they listen to their anxiety. The truth is every artist feels fearful and anxious at some time. It is part of the excitement/fear of doing anything that is really important to us. It is what makes great actors give great performances. And the good news is that it is possible to learn how to manage your fear, self-doubt and anxiety. After many years of painting outdoors and in town, I have learned how to reduce my anxiety by filling my mind with positive, empowering, and encouraging thoughts. Of course, I would rather paint next to group of wild bears high in the Sierras than oil paint on a sidewalk in town. But bears don’t interact with me. I find that my anxiety when I paint in public is often replaced with a feeling of pride when someone passes by and says “Wow, I wish I could paint outside like that!” Painting is a noble and challenging activity. You will be surprised at how many people actually admire you and want to talk with you about what it’s like to paint outside in public places. Remember, when you paint, you have the satisfaction of doing something you love to do that few others can do, and that your attempt is better that not painting at all. Soon your anxiety will be replaced by feelings of courage and pride in yourself; and with practice, your paintings will get better, too. We frequently regret what we don’t do in life, and regret is far worse to live with than a bit of anxiety. By the way, the little cabin that I painted was torn down just a week after I painted it. I am so pleased that I seized the opportunity to paint it that day! Life is richer when we live with the victories of accomplishment rather than the regrets of what might have been. _________________________________________________ The post Anxiety When Painting in Public appeared first on Stefan Baumann – The Grand View: Paintings by Stefan Baumann. Sunset at Panther Meadows, Mt. Shasta The smoke from the fires in Northern California is extreme. At times you can see only a mile ahead and it has made it difficult to feel inspired to paint outdoors. The dense smoke and ash falling from the sky constantly reminds me the losses others are suffering during this summer of great drought and fires. During the last few nights, the smoke lifted allowing me to steal away with my new Strada Pochade box to paint on the slopes of Mt Shasta. The smoke in the atmosphere blends with the light of the setting sun creating a beautiful “alpine glow” lighting effect on Mt Shasta, making the light seem even more spectacular than usual. The smoke adds a subtle color to the atmosphere and it is this pollution that we see in the paintings of Albert Bierstadt and Frederic Church. Not only did these early artists live in a time of great wildfires on the plains, they also had the resulting pollution generated from occasional volcanic eruptions. It has been my experience that the best time to paint is in the morning and evening. The angle of the sun at these times of day creates the best shadows and interesting light patterns. Painting in the evening is my favorite time to paint on location. The light travels slower and the colors are more vivid than any other time of day. I have extra time to think of a concept, set the stage with a sketch, and mix colors before I begin painting the subject. This first 10 minutes of preparation before painting is critical and mandatory. I encourage students in my plein air workshops to take even more time before sketching their composition. Light, as I explain in my You Tube videos and at my Plein Air Workshops, is essential when creating a stunning painting. In fact, a painting without the effect of light will be a painting of things – a rock, a tree, a mountain, etc. Great artists don’t paint things, they paint the effects of the light and how it illuminates things to make a stunning, eye-catching painting. I had the good fortune of witnessing the sun setting from my studio window at The Grand View Ranch and saw an awesome lighting effect generated by the light filtering through the smoke from the fires in Northern California. I knew that if the smoke cleared, the colors of the sky the following evening would be amazing. I am always looking for stunning locations with good lighting to share with students when they attend my painting workshops in Mt. Shasta. One location that I have been looking forward to exploring for years is called Panther Meadows. This place is considered sacred by many people around the world, and I am amazed by the number of people who travel here to see Mt. Shasta and to learn the secrets of painting on location. These are a few pointers that we talk about during the workshop: Tragically this summer wildfires have burned many locations in the west; however there is a silver lining for the artist. The effects generated by the smoke-filtered light can produce stunning effects in your paintings. So, go out and paint. And if you need some additional motivation, attend my workshop in October in Mount Shasta. The information is located under Workshops on my website at www.StefanBaumann.com. (Note: The Strada outdoor pochade box is fantastic! It is sturdy and strong with very little shaking and rattling like my Open Box M. It is easy to set up and to clean. Strada has made a modern quality box that fixes issues that I have had with Plein Air Boxes made with wood, springs and screws.) _______________________________________________________ Plein air and alla prima artist Stefan Baumann, host of the PBS painting series “The Grand View, America’s National Park through the eyes of an artist” and author of “Observations Of Art and Nature,” travels in his vintage travel trailer painting America’s western landscape. Baumann paints outdoors with oils and canvas capturing stunning vistas, wildlife, western landscapes, National Parks and still life, thrilling art collectors throughout the world. He has many international collectors acquiring his paintings as investments. His painting style is called Romantic Realism with Luminism, and the extraordinary way he captures the effect of light is a truly American style used to paint the Western landscape. He can be seen plein air painting in Yellowstone, Yosemite and in the Grand Canyon. Baumann’s “how to paint” DVDs filmed on location in the National Parks are the very best on the market. The post Capturing Light in your Paintings appeared first on Stefan Baumann – The Grand View: Paintings by Stefan Baumann. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright © 2023 Art Matters! - All Rights Reserved Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
