| Author | Message | ||
  Rekha Member Username: Rekha Post Number: 44 Registered: 8-2006 |
I have the book, Jay, and yes it cost me a fortune. Talking about books, I wrote to one reseller in amazon.com if they would sell Frank Webb's Strengthen Your Paintings With Dynamic Composition for ~$30, they don't sell international. The next one jumpst to > $45!!! | ||
Jay Unregistered guest |
"....Skip Lawrence's out of print book: Painting Light and Shadow in Watercolor..... You may be able to find one used at Powell's Book Store in Portland, Oregon. " Or in Rekha's case (Nottingham), amazon.com.uk -- but kinda spendy. Cheapest Amazon 'Used' category here was ~$50US....I saw UK priced at $38 & they said one was available. HTH. Just thank heavens you're not in Germany - $160.57! ~8o /Jay | ||
Whitewatercolor Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 26 Registered: 10-2006 |
Every painting should have a dark, middle and light value area, ie., look outside. The sky would be either darker or lighter than the trees in the middle ground. The foreground would be either darker or lighter than the middle ground. Determine which area is darkest, which is lightest and what is mid tone. One of those values should be larger and one should be smaller. They should all vary in shape and size. Within each area, you will have change in color and shape, but not too great of a change in value, generally. Shapes can be connected to make a good value pattern. Skip Lawrence's out of print book: Painting Light and Shadow in Watercolor is a good reference book for using value patterns to your advantage. You may be able to find one used at Powell's Book Store in Portland, Oregon. They can be found online. They sell new and used books. I found mine there and you should check weekly until you find one. It is very helpful. I'm sure others on this list will have lots to add. Maybe we should start another thread discussing helpful value tips. | ||
Rekha Member Username: Rekha Post Number: 41 Registered: 8-2006 |
Can you expand on value organization, please, Whitewatercolor? | ||
Whitewatercolor Junior Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 25 Registered: 10-2006 |
Pick some rules that are really general and adhere to them--or come back to them. If I get lost somewhere in the painting and it just doesn't seem to be working, I step back and consider the following: This is what my well poster says: Skip Lawrence -- fundamental elements Space Division Shapes Value Organization Character of Dominance--Color, Texture and Direction I don't care whether your painting is realistic, impressionistic, abstract, etc., if you consider all of the above, it will work. At least it always does for me. I save every painting (except for maybe a couple of dozen in all the years I've been painting). I have very few paintings that haven't sold over the years. If it just isn't working I consider these elements, one by one and bring the painting together. Does this make sense? Sometimes I realize the photo or composition I started with just doesn't work without changes that I didn't consider to begin with, but if I consider all of these elements, it will become a painting. | ||
Rekha Member Username: Rekha Post Number: 40 Registered: 8-2006 |
What you write, Whitewatercolor, is a relief to me, because I get so bemused at all the rules one has to follow before laying brush on paper, that the excitement of painting goes out the window. Or do you work at the rules till they become second nature? | ||
Whitewatercolor Junior Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 22 Registered: 10-2006 |
Maybe the reason it worked is I had no easy composition. I just took the weeds beside me and had to really look at them. Create depth, a center of interest, etc. I had to apply all of the priniciples I've learned over the years. For center of interest, I relied on something Tom Lynch taught me, which is include at least parts of three items in the center of interest. And, I read someone make disparaging remarks about a workshop by Skip Lawrence, but even though I've not had the opportunity to take his workshop, I have learned an incredible wealth of information from his books, video, and The Pallette magazine. I have a big piece of foam core in my studio reminding me about variety and dominance, shapes, etc. When I go to Bill's wi-wue space, or whatever it is, I try to think of all the "rules" that help transform an idea into a painting, and most of the rules I choose to follow, I've learned mostly from Lynch and Lawrence. When I apply learned rules to what I personally know and/or have personally observed, the painting just turns out better and is more likely to strike a cord with someone who has the money to purchase it. There is no such thing as a painting or subject that sells better, in my opinion. Any subject sells if it is painted with knowledge and emotion. Of course, this is one person's opinion and it may change next week. | ||
Jay Unregistered guest |
Ya, that's cool....I understand. I then wonder what your 'center of interest' might have been. I (naturally?) assumed it would have been the weeds...but wonder if something else came out - perhaps serendipitously? Would be an interesting experiment to paint another, very similar or even try to reproduce that one, & see if it also caught interest / sold. (For you, the experimentalist...and for me, out of curiosity.) Were it me, this would be a MUST try! I luv trying to figure out the mind....what makes us tick. (Or tic <G>). /Jay | ||
Whitewatercolor Junior Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 21 Registered: 10-2006 |
I guess it would probably have been an impressionistic painting. I try to stay somewhat loose, giving an impression of the subject, with detail only in area of impact, but other shapes true to the subject. I took a plein air workshop from Kenn Backhaus (oil painter)and found that instinctively I paint as he taught--look at the subject, be careful with values and shapes, etc. If you haven't seen Backhaus's work, it is a treat to look at (for an oil painter). I don't think it was the weeds itself, it was the emotional response that was transferred through the painting. A painting can be simple, quick and the subject may not matter as much as the trueness of the subject. I have a hard time conveying it all in words and sometimes when I read things back I've totally miscommunicated what I'm trying to say, so take it all lightly. Bonnie | ||
Jay Unregistered guest |
"I keep my work reasonably priced and try to look at selling art as one big experiment." >> Then as to the subject matter of this thread, you've probably hit the nail on the head! ~8) Curious - your 'Weeds' painting? What 'style' would you say it was....(photo) realistic, impression, abstract....other? It would be interesting to know what might've drawn the public interest. (Perhaps poor choice of words - didn't mean it insultingly re your artistic ability!) & hmmmmmm....where did I put my Weed Brushes!?! *LOL* /Jay | ||
Whitewatercolor Junior Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 20 Registered: 10-2006 |
From my experience, if you are painting what you know and love, and you do it in a way that captures your excitement about it--it will sell. If you are trying to paint something you dont' know well, or don't feel good about, or someone else wants you paint, it seems as though you are so critical about it while you are painting and paint with such hesitation that it never attracts as much attention. For example, I was painting plein air one really hot day. I was sitting in the direct sunlight and having a hard time straining to see the building I had been painting, so I started painting the weeds next to me, just as an exercise. I took the painting to an art festival and it received an undue amount of attention and was one of the first to sell. It taught me a lesson. It doesn't matter what you paint, just let yourself go and make it work for you. If you do that, others will probably connect. I sell a lot of work. I keep my work reasonably priced and try to look at selling art as one big experiment. | ||
Jay Unregistered guest |
Opening joke: #1- "Say, whatever happened to the 'starving young artist' we always used to see selling paintings on this street corner?" #2 "I heard he died." #1 "Really? What happened to him?!?" #2 "Well...he starved to death." You know what they always say about artists becoming most successful and/or their works being in demand after they die...? OK, maybe that's what it takes....but from a personal standpoint, I don't recommend it! @<G>@ /Jay _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ | ||
Raliegh Member Username: Raliegh Post Number: 33 Registered: 8-2006 |
Agreeing with Marie, What I've notice about 'sales' is there is definite trend like status. Different artists will stay on top because they are popular and they have good marketers but no matter how their work evolves they eventually go out of style. I have noticed countless artist sell their work for bags, kitchen items, throw rugs and this seems to keep them going longer as their work becomes more accessable to the masses. I think mostly its more the success of marketing than the art work. | ||
Marie Member Username: Marie Post Number: 46 Registered: 8-2006 |
Oh, and the other reason paintings sell is that someone buys your painting, and then that person's neighbor or friend has to have one too. The thinking seems to be: "I have to have one to keep up with the Jones." | ||
Marie Member Username: Marie Post Number: 45 Registered: 8-2006 |
Oops --- I was trying to spell 'lettering', not 'letting' at the end of my last post. | ||
Marie Member Username: Marie Post Number: 44 Registered: 8-2006 |
I'm still trying to figure out what sells. Of the paintings that I did last week, here's how it broke out: 1) The golfer picture sold because the buyer's husband is a golfer. And people were waiting in line to buy it; I think I could have sold half a dozen with no problem. 2) The chef picture sold because the buyer's son is a chef. Someone else wanted to buy it because it was a behind-the-scenes painting but the other person got it first. 3) The sunset picture sold because the buyer's house had a similar view of the lake. 4) The lamp picture sold because she thought it would look good in her hallway. 5) I don't know why the clubhouse picture sold. None of the landscape/golfcourse pictures sold. I think this was because there wasn't anything to distinguish them. They could have been done anywhere by anyone. My experience so far has been that people have to relate to the painting; they have to make some connection to it. It won't necessarily sell just because it's pretty or well done. I also sell a fair amount of stuff to other artists who do figurative work -- often because they were sitting next to me when I did the painting. The other thing I have noticed with figurative work is that the figures need to be a little anonymous. A really good likeness won't sell unless unless it's a commissioned portrait --- and then when you do a portrait, the likeness is never good enough. One of the things that drives me up the wall is when I do architectural landmarks is that people usually want any letting to be legible, even if it kills the composition. I actually did a cemetery commission a few months ago and they were very specific that they wanted the names on two of the tombstones to be legible. I did another painting of someone's family mausoleum (not a commission) and one of the descendants wouldn't buy it because the she couldn't read her great-grandfathers name. | ||
Eugene Intermediate Member Username: Eugene Post Number: 83 Registered: 8-2006 |
Landmarks do sell, but they're usually boring to paint. My rule is to paint what you love and know best. However, my paintings don't sell very well! | ||
Eric Unregistered guest |
On another thread Marie mentioned that golfers like to buy paintings about golf. Just wondering, based on your experience, what subjects seem to be popular? Also what subjects seem to collect dust? In my limited experience, it seems that subjects that have a landmark featured do well in that particular city or area. |
