Since I haven't completed many portrait paintings. I found a few websites that had instruction, although most were about using oil paints, you can also use acrylic. YouTube is a great place to find an actual person using a brush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a__n22dp2k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4wAoTb9etk&feature=related
and last how to paint one of my favorite paintings. Vermeer's, The girl with the pearl earring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLh5b9CDNmg&feature=related
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Acylic Paint Tips
1. The best paints to use are Golden for their coverage.
2. Scketch out the painting by diluting a color with water.
3. To thin use acrylic glazing medium, I prefer gloss. You can also use this to seal, cover the painting when you are finished. Since acrylic paints dry mostly flat, I like the results of the gloss glazing as a final coat. It helps the light to pick up and show the thicker strokes.
4.Usse modeling past or texture gel to thicken paints. I foudn the gel to be better, it disn't affect the color as much, I also used palett knives and lots more paint on the brush to achieve the effects I wanted.
2. Scketch out the painting by diluting a color with water.
3. To thin use acrylic glazing medium, I prefer gloss. You can also use this to seal, cover the painting when you are finished. Since acrylic paints dry mostly flat, I like the results of the gloss glazing as a final coat. It helps the light to pick up and show the thicker strokes.
4.Usse modeling past or texture gel to thicken paints. I foudn the gel to be better, it disn't affect the color as much, I also used palett knives and lots more paint on the brush to achieve the effects I wanted.
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Fourth Painting
This painting went through a number of changes. I continued trying to layer the paint strokes to build up the surface. Midway through I took a picture and ended up sanding down some of the problem areas. After taking a break I ended up happy with the final result. I concentrated on the figures and came up with a suitable background of swirling paint. The only thing left was to give it a name. What is the title for a mother holding a baby, the word responsibility came to mind.
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Rush to Finish
I figured I should go back and record the events leading up to my final show.
Not necessarily is order.
Goal from last semester was to make representational work but have it more personal. I also wanted to figure out how to paint impasto style. Lots of research on the web about acrylic impasto. Additives to use to make acrylic paint thicker.
Excited about trying this new style of painting.
Started working, painting my 3 nieces at my wedding gathering shells on the beach, I love this picture. I finish the under painting and then decide the thick paint wasn't working. The painting is quite large, 48 x 36 and the tools (brushes, knives) I have are making small strokes that don't seem to be helping me to show nice heavy thick paint.
Back to the Art store to try other additives and purchase the larges size brushes they have. More research about trying to find something to make the paint thicker.
I started sanding off the painting I had done. This turned out to be a disaster, sanding wasn't level so it started to affect the other areas of the painting. Frustrated. I turned the piece over and gessoed the back.
While that piece was drying, I started another image of a mother holding a baby. I like the abstract style but still not getting the results I want with the paint. At this point I'm out of a number of tubes and find myself back at the Art Store in Henrietta to purchase more paint and gesso boards.
Not necessarily is order.
Goal from last semester was to make representational work but have it more personal. I also wanted to figure out how to paint impasto style. Lots of research on the web about acrylic impasto. Additives to use to make acrylic paint thicker.
Excited about trying this new style of painting.
Started working, painting my 3 nieces at my wedding gathering shells on the beach, I love this picture. I finish the under painting and then decide the thick paint wasn't working. The painting is quite large, 48 x 36 and the tools (brushes, knives) I have are making small strokes that don't seem to be helping me to show nice heavy thick paint.Back to the Art store to try other additives and purchase the larges size brushes they have. More research about trying to find something to make the paint thicker.
I started sanding off the painting I had done. This turned out to be a disaster, sanding wasn't level so it started to affect the other areas of the painting. Frustrated. I turned the piece over and gessoed the back.
While that piece was drying, I started another image of a mother holding a baby. I like the abstract style but still not getting the results I want with the paint. At this point I'm out of a number of tubes and find myself back at the Art Store in Henrietta to purchase more paint and gesso boards.
Finished versions of paintings #1, #2, #3
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Monday, February 1, 2010
Catching up News
So I had my first painting in the Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) Member's exhibit called "Summer Boats" It was on view December 5th through January 17th. Its not a big whoopla, all members can exhibit this one time during the year but I'm very proud for fitting it in the schedule and actually following through. The schedule meaning: pregant, work full time, taking 2 classes, a 3 year old and one in college.
So my first public gallery. I was so excited after dropping it off I went out an bought more canvases. An older woman standing in line behind me asked "Are you going to paint your way to having this baby" (I probably had 8 canvases) I laughed and said "Yes, I just might try."
So my first public gallery. I was so excited after dropping it off I went out an bought more canvases. An older woman standing in line behind me asked "Are you going to paint your way to having this baby" (I probably had 8 canvases) I laughed and said "Yes, I just might try."
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Art & Fear
pages 1-23. The Art & Fear book has a bunch of topics about making art, the fun and exhilerating feeling to the trouble, frustration you discover. A few quotes from the book I want to remember.
"Artmaking involves skill than can be learned" I agree, art for some is not a gift, anyone can paint if they want to. "In large measure becoming an artist consists of learning to accept yourself, which makes your work personal, an in following your own voice, which makes your work distinctive" Finding your own voice is a problem. Most everything I paint already has been done, or relates to a familiar style so it is hard to feel you are an individual, distinctive voice. This next sentence contradicts how I make a painting. I like to make a perfect piece and have it serve as my current direction. " The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your artwork that soars" and the statistics for graduates quiting after they finish school was sad so I need to remember, "Basically, those who continue - or more precisely, have learned how to not quit" and that Fatalism, a species of fear - the fear that your fate is in your own hands, but that your hands are weak.
"Artmaking involves skill than can be learned" I agree, art for some is not a gift, anyone can paint if they want to. "In large measure becoming an artist consists of learning to accept yourself, which makes your work personal, an in following your own voice, which makes your work distinctive" Finding your own voice is a problem. Most everything I paint already has been done, or relates to a familiar style so it is hard to feel you are an individual, distinctive voice. This next sentence contradicts how I make a painting. I like to make a perfect piece and have it serve as my current direction. " The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your artwork that soars" and the statistics for graduates quiting after they finish school was sad so I need to remember, "Basically, those who continue - or more precisely, have learned how to not quit" and that Fatalism, a species of fear - the fear that your fate is in your own hands, but that your hands are weak.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Gerhard Richter
I now see all the fuss about Gerhard Richter when it was suggested I take a look at his work. I have selected a few of his paintings from the oil on paper series where he sometimes will combine oil and watercolor. I particularly enjoy his choice of colors and gestural painting style. Love them! Photos from: http://www.gerhard-richter.com/art/
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