| Author | Message | ||
  Linda |
"...the lack of a single focal point of a vast block of white. Instead there is dappled light. Any suggestions on how to create compositions with this?" The lack of a focal point: There are two answers I have for this. 1. There is a book out there somewhere that addresses fourteen styles of composition, or something to that effect. It is in the better bookstores right now, as far as I know. Use one of these styles to create your work, Robert. 2. What is the reason to paint the location? THIS is your focal point, even if it is not "a thing" but is more of a feeling. | ||
Goerge |
Ah yes! The cows! It seems that a lot of cities have taken up that same approach to public art. I’ve seem cows, horses, fish, pigs, and other animal themes used in a number of different cities. The angles are the first city theme that I’ve heard of that was not an animal theme. Somewhere, some plastic molding company is making a fortune off of this idea. By the way, you do very colorful work. I like it. | ||
SutureSelf |
George, those are oils. I saw the "Plein air" palette topic and overlooked the "Watercolor" heading. Sorry. The "Angel On The Green" story may not be as interesting as you might imagine. For several years, the Los Angeles County Fair held a plein air painting competition in conjunction with the California Art Club. I was fortunate enough to win several prizes, including First Prize, in various years. You may remember that a few years ago in Chicago a group of artists were each given a fiberglass cow to paint however they chose and the painted cows were distributed around the city as public art. The next year, in sincere flattery, some Angelinos got the notion to paint a bunch of fiberglass angels. The angels were then, prior to their being distributed around the city, displayed throughout the L.A. County Fair. I thought this golf-themed one was the most interesting of the group, so I painted it. It was a three-hour sketch. I also painted another of the angels, for which I won a prize, but this one was the better painting. | ||
Robert |
Hey Sutureself-- Nice paintings. Thanks foir poasting them. How about posting some of your watercolors too! | ||
George |
SutureSelf, those look like acrylic paintings. Am I right? What’s the story about the man with wings? I bet it’s a good one. | ||
George |
Robert, I’m from Kentucky but take a vacation every year and jump the border into Tennessee to paint the streams of the Smoky Mountain National Park. When I paint farm fields here at home I visit a neighbor’s farm. When I first asked the owner to use her land for this purpose she said yes but looked reluctant, so I did a painting of her house and gave it to her as a gift. Now when she sees me painting in one of her fields she always greets me with a warm smile. What state are you from, and what kind of sights do you prefer to paint? I know what you mean by “a vast block of white”. The first painting that I did of a mountain stream looked just like that – a vast block of white bounded on both sides by a dark shore line. But, the more time that I spent studying the water of those streams the more color that I found in them (the same is true of cloud formations). I remember the first time that I noticed this. My wife and I had packed up the campsite and were ready to head home but I wanted one last look at the stream. Suddenly the light shifted and that vast block of white was now full of the most beautiful gold and silvers. Your question about a “focal point” is a good one. I always look for a waterfall even if it’s only a small one to form a focal point. Sometimes I’ll make a dominate rock the focal point. Rocks can have great character. John Smith (what a great American name), It must be hard to not be able to paint the deep recesses of nature because of age. I guess that will happen to us all in time. Have you thought about setting up a comfortable chair and table in the back yard (is that possible)? Some of my favorite paintings have been of the clouds that float over the roof of my house (with a bit of the distant tree tops to anchor them). | ||
SutureSelf |
   I've found a very limited palette extremely useful when I paint en plein air. By limiting my palette, I've been able to learn all the possible color mixtures well enough that I never have to think about what colors to mix to find the result I'm after; it's automatic. Also, the fewer the colors one uses, the more harmonious the composition will be. After all, when all the colors in the piece are derived from the same basic components, they will all be related. This relationship is the essence of color harmony. My normal palette is: Cadmium Yellow Cadmium Red Dark Cadmium Red Light as a warm red (and please don't lecture me on the new party line. I have my own thoughts on the subject that I may or may not verbalize on the appropriate thread.) French Ultramarine Blue Permanent Green Light Black White There are other colors in my bag of tricks that I won't hesitate to pull out when they're appropriate. For example, when I need to mix a clean purple, I'll pull out the quinacridone violet. | ||
John Smith |
Robert, I'm a very direct painter, and don't use many of the tricks and gimicks that have become so popular. Ocasionally I use a little masking material, ( I prefer Pevbeo Drawing Gum) If there's no other way, but generally I just paint around whites. Yes, sometimes a little dry brush for sparkle. My painting methods are very much like John Pikes'-- if you have his book. Wish I could post some of my work, but I'm computer illiterate. It's hard to explain without pictures. | ||
Robert |
As I said--I like Lowrey'd art a lot and I also suspect I was being too hard on him below. John, you mentioned painting white water etc. I'd like to know your apporoaches to painting. How do you painting the waterfor instance. Do you brush in the ripples and patterns accurately or do you, for instance, dry brush areeas to create a general efect of running water? How do you handle dappled lihgt? etc. | ||
Anonymous |
John Smith, thanks so much for your view of Arnold Lowrey. I, too, find him very down to earth and interested in other artist's work. His use of white is amazing, but then all of his paintings are wonderful and fresh. He often uses very few colours but manages to give the impression that many were included. | ||
John Smith |
Robert, I met Arnold Lowery in a workshop at Myrtle Beach a few years ago. He's a down to earth artist, still learnng as are the rest of us. I'm still in touch with him via email. Right now he's recovering from a heart attack but seems to be doing OK. Years ago I painted only Plein air, I really had trouble painting in the studio. But I'm old now (80) and can't spend my time on rough ground, sitting on a camp stool-- much as I'd like to. I've learned to paint indoors from photos but I don't think these paintings have near the energy that my location paintings had.. And I don't think I could do studio paintings without Having learned to paint on the spot. As to palette, I use indoors or out-- Alizarin Crimson, Permanent rose, New gamboge, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Ultramarine, Thalo Blue, mostly. Other special colors as needed. Too many colors when painting Plein Air can be confusing | ||
Robert |
Oh! Arnold Lowry. I looked at his painting wehn he posted on here a few months ago--he had linked them at that time. I found his work to be very impressive. I like the "british school" a lot, with its use of subtle realistic earth colors etc. I can;t slight his art in the least. However I'd like to discuss with other participants "as equals" about thier approaches. No so much teacher to student, initiate to novice, as practicing painter to practing painter. That's the beauty of the group. The last time Arnold got on he responded to my posts in what I perceived in a condescending, teacherly fashion. If I wanted that, I'd seek out a workshop instructor. But that's another distraction. What is your palette/ How do your work? | ||
Robert |
Thanks, but What about water that provides to white, as my post stated? Is Wetcanvas a bulletin borad? Actually I have plenty of books on the topics of plein air and a lot of experience. I actually wanted to know how George (or anyone posting) does it, since each apporoach is unique. Not for instructional purpsoes but for diacussion purposes. artist to artist. | ||
Anonymous |
You might want to see Arnold Lowrey's work. He's been posting on Wetcanvas in the Watercolour Forum. He has some excellent examples of white -- water, foam, snow, etc. They are brilliant. | ||
Robert |
"focal pint of a vast block of white" **************** I meant in the post below-- "focal point or a single vast block of white" | ||
Robert |
George--Around here we have some beautiful creeks that are only white water after a storm. Usually they have just a bit of slow moving water and are highly shaded. I'd love to paint them, esp. in a close up fashion but I have a loose juicy style. It's hard for me to see good composions in these settings , perhaps becasue of the lack of a single focal pint of a vast block of white. Instead there is dappled light. Any suggestions on how to creat compositions with this? Any chance you'd give your state just in case I'm ever on a plein air excursion there? | ||
George |
I thought that I would post my response to Robert, (from another thread) about my plein air palette, as a new topic. How about everyone else? What’s your plein air palette, style and favorite subject matter? I don’t use the same exact palette every time I paint on location. I’m far too experimental for that. Anyway, the palette would change some depending on the subject matter (more earths for winter, more intense yellows for spring and so on..). Typically I like at least one or two of each of the primaries and a few earths. I don’t really favor any one pigment over another, but I do exclude most of the pigments that have a metallic shine to them (for example Winsor green, even though I have used it, is not a favorite). My use of the earths should reveal to you that I lean toward a realistic, rather than an impressionistic, painting style. I prefer painting mountain streams, cloudy skies, and wind swept fields. How about you? |
