THINKING ABOUT PAINTING

Female Portraits in Western Art

2012-02-11T11:12:00.003-05:00

This is a pretty cool slide show of 500 years of female portraits in Western Art. I really enjoyed seeing all these amazing works morphing into each other!

The Business of Art Conference at York University

2012-01-26T17:58:00.004-05:00

I just learned of a great weekend event for artists in the Toronto area. The Business of Art Conference, held at the Accolade East Building at York University, 4700 Keele Street on January 28, 2012 will take place from 9:30 am to 4 pm.

The conference is meant to provide emerging artists with entrepreneurial business skills, resources and knowledge that will help them increase their sales and visibility and also build community through networking with other professionals in the arts.

You can register here to attend. The cost is a great deal - for only $5 you get admittance to the conference plus a free lunch, so even starving artists can afford to take part!

For more details visit http://sifeyork.com/projects/business-of-art or phone (647)403-1926

Painting Tip #34 - Beware of Phthalo Colors!

2011-10-10T17:06:00.002-04:00

Be very careful with Phthalo blue and Phthalo green (also known as Winsor Blue/Green and Thalo Blue/Green) as they have extremely strong pigmentation and you only need a tiny amount. They are to be used judiciously and sparingly and only when absolutely necessary to obtain a particular color. I have had the same tubes of both of these colors for decades and doubt I will ever need to buy another tube, that is how little you need to use! Having said that, sometimes a tiny touch of either color can really enliven your work.

Stick to Ultramarine Blue as a basic for most of your color mixing.

Painting Tip #33 - Travel With Wet Oil Paintings

2011-10-09T17:05:00.002-04:00

When traveling, bring pieces of canvas and a board, rather than prepared panels or stretched canvases. Cut the canvas to a size to later adhere to a panel (I prefer 8"x 10" with 3/8" border to adhere with masking tape to a 10" x 12" board) or stretch on bars when you get home. Tape the canvas to the board to do your painting. Layer the paintings with wax paper to transport home, either flat or in a tube with the painting rolled to the outside. You can leave the last couple of still wet works taped to the boards and bind them together (using more tape) with felt pads (that have a sticky back) separating the boards from each other.

Painting Tip #32 - Air Travel With Oils

2011-10-08T19:54:00.004-04:00

When traveling with art supplies, never refer to your oils as “paint”, rather call them oil colors, pack the tubes securely in containers in your checked luggage (palette knives too) and include MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) forms and a printout from the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) showing that they are allowed on the plane and have an acceptable flash point.

Painting Tip #31 - Skin Color for Portraiture

2011-10-07T17:52:00.001-04:00

The human face tends to have bands of color – the forehead is yellow, the middle of the face is red and the lower face is cool. Look carefully and you will see this tendency, especially in Caucasian models.

Painting Tip #30 - Try a Limited Palette!

2011-10-06T17:51:00.001-04:00

Try a palette with a warm and cool version of each of the primary colors: Cadmium Red Light and Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Yellow and Lemon Yellow, Thalo Blue and Ultramarine Blue. With this palette, almost any color is possible.

Painting Tip #29 - Properties of White Oil Paint

2011-10-05T17:49:00.002-04:00

Choose your white paint carefully, having in mind the different properties of the various types of white available. Titanium white dries slowly, allowing wet into wet painting for a few days, has a bluish quality and can become chalky. Flake white dries quickly and has a warm, translucent quality which creates beautiful skin tones for portraiture but it contains lead and requires careful handling due to toxicity. Zinc white is also translucent but has been implicated in eventual cracking. It is often combined with Titanium white.

Painting Tip #28 - Inexpensive Palette Ideas

2011-10-04T17:47:00.001-04:00

For an inexpensive, disposable palette for oils or acrylics, tape wax paper to a square piece of wood (tape goes on the back side) or masonite (hardboard).

Another inexpensive palette idea is to sit a piece of glass on a grey piece of paper or paint the back of the glass with mid-grey paint. Dried on oil or acrylic paint is easily scraped off the glass palette with a straight edge razor from the hardware store.

Painting Tip #27 - Still Life Setup

2011-10-03T19:44:00.003-04:00

To make a box for setting up still life, cut a 5” square hole in the box and sit an inexpensive metal fixture on top of the box to cover the hole and allow light to shine into the box. Cut out a piece of cardboard to the same dimensions as the back wall of the box and cover it with scraps of fabric to change the background color. Bring the box up to eye level by stacking boxes or milk cartons on tables. Walk by this set up with care so you don't knock it over! This method is taught by Rich Nelson of Skyuka Fine Art in North Carolina.

Painting Tip #26 - Study Master Painters

2011-10-02T17:43:00.004-04:00

Study the work of the old masters and contemporary painters you admire. Buy books and visit museums, take workshops and look up information on their methods online. Doing this will exponentially speed up your growth as an artist and painter.

Painting Tip #25 - Paint Shapes

2011-10-01T19:42:00.002-04:00

Remember that you are not painting objects, you are painting shapes. If you get the right shape in the right color and the right value, your painting will portray your subject!

Painting Tip #24 - Trick to Check Accurate Drawing!

2011-09-30T19:41:00.001-04:00

Use a hand mirror to check your painting and subject at the same time. Any drawing mistakes will immediately become apparent!

Painting Tip #23 - Try Painting with a Palette Knife

2011-09-29T19:34:00.004-04:00

Save your brushes by mixing your colors with a palette knife! I like a medium size, diamond shape knife. Less paint becomes embedded in the ferrule of your brush when using it only to apply the paint to the surface rather than also mixing with the brush.

You can also try doing entire paintings with the knife. This forces you to simplify things and loosen up. A great advantage is not having to wash brushes at the end of the day. The Cape Cod School of Art (recently revived by followers of Charles W. Hawthorne and Henry Hensche) in Provincetown has traditionally promoted the use of putty knives on gessoed board to create color studies outdoors.

Painting Tip #22 - A Free Resource You Ought to Take Advantage Of!

2011-09-28T19:33:00.001-04:00

Save yourself some money and utilize your local public library to check out books on art and painting. I only buy books I have read and loved, plus the ones that I am unable to order from the library.

Painting Tip #21 - Stick to A System for Your Palette Layout

2011-09-27T19:32:00.002-04:00

Always lay out your palette in the same order so you can automatically reach for the correct color. I like to lay my paints out from light to dark, warm to cool, right to left starting with white. Obviously, the more colors you use, the bigger the palette size!

Painting Tip #20 - Try a Prepared Palette

2011-09-26T19:31:00.003-04:00

Try mixing up value strings ahead of time – values 1-10 with black and white on either end in grey, yellow, orange and pink. This process takes some time, but it is a great way to learn values and simplify the actual painting process. This idea was taught by Frank J. Reilly at The Art Students League in New York City.

Painting Tip #19 - Use Your Palette To Judge Values

2011-09-25T19:29:00.002-04:00

Judging values is easiest on a mid-tone palette. Compare the tone of your palette to whatever you are painting – is your subject lighter or darker than the palette?

Painting Tip #18 - A Free Brush Washer/Holder

2011-09-24T19:28:00.003-04:00

Make your own brush washer by hammering a large nail repeatedly through a shallow can (such as those in which tuna is sold) and then place it upside down in a coffee can.

You can also make a inexpensive (or even free) brush holder by drilling holes (of a size to fit your brush handles) in a two-by-four piece of board.

Painting Tip #17 - Time Saving Tips

2011-09-23T19:26:00.002-04:00

If you don’t have time to wash your brushes, try dipping them in some vegetable oil (I like walnut oil as it is less viscous than most options and is a drying oil), wrapping them in plastic wrap and putting them in the freezer until you get around to washing them. Same goes for your palette, as you can also cover it with plastic wrap or place it in a large tupperware type container and put it in the freezer to drastically slow the drying of your paints!

Painting Tip #16

2011-09-22T19:25:00.001-04:00

When the light source is warm, such as outdoors in sunshine or indoors in incandescent light, the shadows are cool. When the light source is cool, such as in a north light studio, the shadows are warm.

Painting Tip #15

2011-09-21T19:25:00.001-04:00

Vary your edges – soften an edge by placing a stroke of paint in an intermediate value and interesting color between the subject and background. Remember that sharp edges make things come forward and should be used judiciously.

Painting Tip #14

2011-09-20T19:23:00.002-04:00

Set up a still life from life, then set a timer for a shorter period of time than you think you need to complete the painting. Try to paint with as few brushstrokes as possible on a small canvas. This will force you to look carefully and make decisions quickly. You may be pleasantly surprised at your results which will be fresh and loose.

Painting Tip #13

2011-09-19T17:11:00.003-04:00

Try to never use green paint straight from the tube. Instead, mix your greens using yellows, blues, earth tones and even black instead or modify the green paint with another color.

Painting Tip #12

2011-09-18T17:10:00.003-04:00

Do color charts using your palette of colors. You can either tape off squares on a piece of foamcore or mat board or just use a palette knife and do a gradation from one color to the next. Mix every tube you use regularly with every other tube and then do a tint and a shade! There is no better way to know immediately how to match that color you are looking at. For more information on this procedure, consult the book “Alla Prima” by master artist Richard Schmid.

Painting Tip #11

2011-09-17T17:09:00.003-04:00

Some of my artist friends never wash their brushes with soap and water. They just rinse them well in mineral spirits and their brushes seem to stay remarkably serviceable albeit a little stained! If you really hate washing brushes, you might want to give this idea a try!

Painting Tip #10

2011-09-16T17:07:00.004-04:00

Try painting on masonite hardboard, prepared with a couple of coats of acrylic gesso or oil primer (sand lightly before and between coats), using only a palette knife to loosen up your painting style! You will be forced to simplify and not get hung up on details.

Should You Join an Art Group? Are You a Dog or a Cat?

2011-09-16T09:55:00.002-04:00

I just read an interesting article about joining art groups. The writer draws an analogy between cats and dogs and what tends to happen in a group. I have belonged to some art groups where it became pretty clear, over a period of years, that an artist would never be featured or recognized in any way unless they had a MFA or painted in the style the lead dog preferred or were somehow either favored or not threatened by the lead dog, so I thought this article really hit home and explained my discomfort with groups in general. I currently do belong to one painting group that seems quite egalitarian, but I haven't actually been that involved for the past year due to time constraints of my own other pursuits, I guess in a cat-like fashion. I do know that I have enjoyed plein air painting with the group, in my own little solitary spot but knowing there are other cats doing the same nearby! I guess it all depends on the temperament of the artist and how much they need the company of others. Personally, I feel most artists treasure their solitude and it needs to be that way to grow in their creative abilities. Food for thought.

Cats Walk Alone

by Carolyn Henderson

We can, however, choose to be superb artists, whether or not we are invited into the middle of the circle -- and indeed, the likelihood that we reach our potential as artists increases when we decrease our dependence upon the group, the group's policies, the group's likes and dislikes, the group's approbation or censure. [...]

Read the rest of this article at:
http://fineartviews.com/blog/34972/cats-walk-alone

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This excerpt appears courtesy of FineArtViews Art Marketing Newsletter by FASO,
a free email newsletter about art, marketing, inspiration and fine living for artists,
collectors and galleries (and anyone else who loves art).

For a complimentary subscription, visit: http://www.fineartviews.com

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Painting Tip #9

2011-09-15T17:06:00.002-04:00

It seems crazy and hard to believe, but white in shadow is darker than black in the light. Keep your division of light and shadow distinct!

Painting Tip #8

2011-09-14T17:04:00.003-04:00

The sky is always the lightest part of a landscape. The only situation where another area comes even close to that brightness would be a snow scene.

Painting Tip #7

2011-09-13T16:59:00.005-04:00

Try a limited palette. Use just three colors, Winton Red #6, Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Yellow Light along with Titanium White to paint almost anything. This is the palette Dawn Whitelaw uses. Dawn is an experienced portrait and plein air artist and wonderful teacher. When I asked her whether she ever thinks about adding another color, she reluctantly replied that perhaps lemon yellow might be needed for a beach scene in the Caribbean.

Painting Tip #6

2011-09-12T16:57:00.005-04:00

When painting "en plein air" (outdoors) make sure that your canvas support is in the shade, otherwise your painting will be terribly dark and dull when you bring it inside. Painting in the shade ensures the most colorful and vibrant effect. Sometimes you have to position your easel in such a way that you need to look back over your shoulder at the scene you are portraying. An umbrella can be helpful, but it is yet another item to lug about and if there is any wind you are liable to have your setup carried away with disastrous results.

Painting Tip #5

2011-09-11T16:55:00.002-04:00

Try to find the correct color and value right away rather than putting down something that is only approximately right – don’t delay your decision making!

Painting Tip #4

2011-09-10T16:54:00.005-04:00

Work from the middle – always reserve your lightest lights for highlights and darkest darks as accents. This is easier said than done and requires good judgment when it comes to values! Never paint darker than a value 8 or lighter than a value 3 (Munsell aficionadoes, just reverse those value numbers to: darker than a 3/lighter than an 8) so you can come in with the accents and highlights at the end.

If you haven't yet done so, please click on the "LIKE" button on the sidebar of this blog so you can see the rest of the tips on Facebook. I am going to be sharing lots of things I have learned over the years that I wish someone had told me sooner in my painting career!

Painting Tip #3

2011-09-09T16:54:00.003-04:00

Vertical elements in the landscape such as trees are always darker than the sky and the ground or lake which receives light from the sky.

Painting Tip #2

2011-09-08T16:53:00.003-04:00

Always look for a horizontal element in the landscape to lead your eye into the painting to the area of focus, which is where the most contrast should also exist – having the lightest light and darkest dark in close proximity. Also, never put your area of interest or horizon line in the center of your painting.

If you haven't yet done so, please go to my Facebook Page and click the "LIKE"button at the top of the page (Fine Art Portraits by Laurel Alanna McBrine) to receive my daily painting tip (until October 11, 2011).

Alternatively, you can click on the "LIKE" button on the sidebar of this blog! I am going to be sharing lots of things I have learned over the years that I wish someone had told me sooner in my painting career!

Painting Tip #1

2011-09-07T16:50:00.000-04:00

Figure painter Rose Frantzen recommends that we go with what immediately appeals to our eye. Start with areas that appear easiest to see or make sense of, put down those shapes right away and work from there.

Artists Helping Artists Radio Tips for Motivation!

2011-09-07T13:28:00.002-04:00

Download the most recent episode about motivation for artists now, put it on your listening device and enjoy it as you go for a walk, or even better, paint something!

Would you like a daily painting tip via Facebook?

2011-09-07T09:15:00.005-04:00

I am going to be sharing some of my favorite tips gleaned from years of study and workshops with other artists. On Facebook, just go here and click on the "LIKE" button at the top of my page (Fine Art Portraits by Laurel Alanna McBrine) to receive a daily painting tip for the next month or so. Alternatively, you can click on the "LIKE" button on the sidebar of this blog!

Cost Saving Ideas for The Artist

2011-08-10T19:21:00.003-04:00

Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry, two painters who created the radio show entitled Artists Helping Artists, will be talking up a storm tomorrow at 1 p.m. EST about how to save money as a painter. Click here for a link to their number one art show on Blog Talk Radio!

I love listening to these gals share information while I paint or walk. Leslie is a palette knife painter and marketing genius with more ideas than you could ever possibly implement and Dreama adds years of experience as a working artist plus her unique southern charm. I am sure they will have lots of interesting ideas that we can use to save a few dollars.

Why do you paint?

2011-06-09T16:14:00.002-04:00

This is a question that was recently posed on Facebook. My answer is rather complicated, just like painting itself. I think the fact that it is so difficult to do well and can therefore never be conquered makes it a lifelong pursuit. There is no finish line, you never arrive and you always have a bunch of paintings in your head that you want to bring to life. It is never boring.

Other reasons for me include: the serene zen of flow when deeply involved in painting, the tactile pleasure of pushing around the buttery colors, the fun of trying to bring to life an ideal in your head, the constant challenge of improving and learning more and the hope of creating a poetic masterpiece.

Quote of the Day

2011-04-21T08:46:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my friend, Desiree Holmes Scherini, who posted this on Facebook:

"Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions.
Small people always do that,
but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.”

~Mark Twain

Sargent and the Atelier Methods of Carolus-Duran

2011-03-22T15:53:00.016-04:00

Carolus-Duran was the progressive painting instructor in Paris with whom Sargent chose to study. His teaching diverged greatly from other painters of that time because of the emphasis on color and form, created with direct and painterly brushwork, with inspiration from past master Velasquez. This method of painting was very different than the academic norm at the time, which emphasized smooth blending. Sargent's facility with a brush is almost universally admired among oil painters and an examination of how he achieved such beautiful realism combined with gorgeous brushwork is of interest to many of us, so I thought it would be good to find out more about the method he learned from Carolus-Duran.

I found this quote, taken from The Lure of Paris: Nineteenth-Century American Painters and Their French Teachers by H. Barbara Weinberg, very interesting as the painting procedure described is still practiced by painters today, such as Cedric Egeli:

Despite his gifts as a draftsman and his success in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, there is almost no easel painting by Sargent, from his atelier studies to his most ambitious late portraits and outdoor genre works, that does not disclose an affiliation with the painterly, anti-academic manner of Carolus-Duran. Sargent’s early Blonde Model vividly exemplifies Carolus-Duran’s method, as described by R.A.M. Stevenson, an English painter, and later writer, who also entered the atelier in 1874:

No preparation in colour or monochrome was allowed, but the main planes of the face must be laid directly on the unprepared canvas with a broad brush. These few surfaces – three or four in the forehead, as many in the nose, and so forth – must be studied in shape and place, and particularly in the relative value of light that their various inclinations produce. They were painted quite broadly in even tones of flesh tint, and stood side by side like pieces of a mosaic, without fusion of their adjacent edges. No brushing of the edge of the hair into the face was permitted, no conventional bounding of eyes and features with lines that might deceive the student by their expression into the belief that false structure was truthful . . . you must make a tone for each step of a gradation. Thus, you might never attempt to realize a tone or a passage by some hazardous uncontrollable process.

Also, here is an account of how the studio ran by Carolus-Duran functioned, taken from A Manual of Oil Painting by John Collier:

The model was posed on Monday, always in full light, without shadow effect, and against a strongly-coloured background, which we had to imitate exactly in its relations to the figure. The figure was drawn in in charcoal, then we were allowed to take a sable and strengthen the outline with some dark colour mixed with turpentine, but not to make any preparation, nor put in conventional dark brown shadows.

The palette was set as follows: Black, verte emeraude, raw umber, cobalt, laque ordinaire, brun rouge or light red, yellow ochre, and white (the colors being placed on the palette in this order from left to right).

We were supposed to mix to or three gradations of yellow ochre with white, two of light red with white, two of cobalt with white, and also of black and raw umber to facilitate the choice of tones.

We were not allowed any small brushes, at any rate not for a long time—many months or years.

On Tuesday Duran came to criticize and correct the drawing, or the laying in of painting if it was sufficiently advanced. We blocked in the curtain first, and then put in the figure or face in big touches like a coarse wooden head hewn with a hatchet; in fact, in a big mosaic, not bothering to soften things down, but to get the right amount of light and the proper colour, attending first to the highest light.

The hair was not smoothed into the flesh at first, but just pasted on in the right tone like a coarse wig; then other touches were placed on the junctions of the big mosaic touches, to model them and make the flesh more supple.

Of course these touches were a gradation between the touches they modelled. All was solid, and there were no gradations by brushing the stuff off the lights gently into the darks or vice versa, because Duran wished us to actually make and match each bit of the tone of the surface. He came again on Friday to criticise and on that day we finished off.

Finally, here are some painting notes attributed to Sargent and recorded by http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2009/02/sargents-painting-notes.html

1. Painting is an interpretation of tone. Colour drawn with a brush.

2. Keep the planes free and simple, drawing a full brush down the whole contour of a cheek.

3. Always paint one thing into another and not side by side until they touch.

4. The thicker your paint—the more your color flows.

5. Simplify, omit all but the most essential elements—values, especially the values. You must clarify the values.

6. The secret of painting is in the half tone of each plane, in economizing the accents and in the handling of the lights.

7. You begin with the middle tones and work up from it . . . so that you deal last with your lightest lights and darkest darks, you avoid false accents.

8. Paint in all the half tones and the generalized passages quite thick.

9. It is impossible for a painter to try to repaint a head where the understructure was wrong.

PALETTE: Silver White, Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Ochre dew (English Red), Red Ochre, Vermillion, Ivory or Coal Black, and Prussian Blue.

James Gurney explained his interpretation of the above notes as follows:

For me, one of the keys of understanding Sargent is looking at the painting methods of his teacher Carolus Duran, who had a somewhat unusual method compared to other academic teachers. In a nutshell he tended to block in the tones in discreet mosaic-like patches at first (like a plane head, if you're familiar with those things) and then later in the game you blend the patches into each other.

I believe this method gives the best tonal accuracy, which is what he's singing about in #5.

Regarding #7 about starting with the middle tones, I believe he means that right away you want to make your big value statement (or the 'effet' as they called it), but you should reserve your very darkest accents and lightest highlights for final, carefully considered touches.

Make sure to download this wonderful account of Sargent's painting methods:
http://www.goodbrush.com/misc/painting_lessons/sargent_notes.pdf

For more information on this subject, check out this detailed blog post:

http://www.studiorousar.com/2011/03/21/carolus-durans-methods/

And here are a couple of articles from the 1800's that are linked in the above mentioned blog:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16620532/The-Century-Magazine-Jan1886.pdf
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16620532/The-Contemporary-Review-May1888.pdf

*Photo of painting by John Singer Sargent of Carolus-Duran taken from http://a1.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/140/14cacec186024a5f83205c066c4df582/l.jpg

Cedric Egeli - Another Modern Masterpiece

2011-02-22T20:20:00.005-05:00

Here is another beautiful oil portrait of Joanette by Cedric Egeli.

I think that those long, elegant arms are reminiscent of a couple of Sargent's subjects - Madame X, as well as the painting of Ena and Betty Wertheimer, where the sister in red languidly holds a fan.

Frank J. Reilly - The Papers

2011-02-11T20:43:00.003-05:00

If you are a representational painter, this is a must visit site: http://ennisart.blogspot.com/

John Ennis, who has taken on the rather daunting task of posting the personal notes of Frank Reilly online for the greater good of all realist painters, deserves all kinds of support from his fellow artists for sharing this information, so please visit and leave some comments.

Thank you, John!

Save the Environment Brush Washing Method

2011-02-11T15:32:00.005-05:00

In a letter to Robert Genn, Mark Gottsegen, a member of the subcommittee on artist's materials of ASTM International (originally the American Society for Testing and Materials) since 1978, wrote:

In the recent clickback regarding cleaning brushes, no one asked what to do with the left-overs from washing brushes. Down the drain? No, that's environmentally irresponsible - putting solvents and pigments into the waste stream is never a good idea. If you have a septic system, you will pollute it; if you have a municipal sewer, you will pollute it. If you are in a class or a school, then in the US doing this violates federal law; if you are an individual artist, doing this is just bad practice.

Collect the veggie oil, waste water (or sludge), waste solvents, dirty rags and paper towels (dried) and take all the collected waste to your community's hazardous waste collection station, where it is consolidated, incinerated and burned to ash. Then it is cast into concrete billets and encapsulated. Only then can it be taken to a protected, certified landfill. The cleaning part is the easiest. Being environmentally responsible is more difficult.

Mark Gottsegen sets out an environmentally friendly way to deal with brush washing in his book, The Painter's Handbook. I will try to describe the system in my own words, with a few of my own tweaks, as follows:

1. Get 3 large plastic buckets with lids (about 5 gallon size, which can be obtained from stores like Home Depot, Lowes or Rona) and one that is even bigger that you will use without a lid to allow liquid to evaporate (I use a smallish, inexpensive garbage can lined with a plastic bag for easy cleanup). I have also recycled those gigantic protein powder containers to use for A, B and C and that has worked well in that when you swish the smaller opening keeps the splashing in the container instead of all over your clothing.

2. Label the first three buckets A, B and C. Container D is the larger plastic container which will hold at least 10 gallons. You will also need a container with vegetable oil. I use a coffee can with a tuna can (which has holes punched in it with a nail) inverted on the bottom. You could use a glass jar or any other container. If you use a fancy brush washer, line it first with a plastic freezer bag to save yourself some messy cleanup later on.

2. Fill A, B and C halfway with water. Add 1 cup of liquid dishwashing soap to bucket A. Make sure to use a highly concentrated, good quality liquid soap for this as the cheaper brands are diluted and you have to use more for it to be effective.

3. Now for the brush cleaning method I use: First of all, dip your brush in the vegetable oil and wipe it on an old phone book until much of the color is released. Second, rinse the brush in the can to get more of the pigment out - this will eventually fall to the bottom of the container.

You can use any kind of vegetable oil for this, so I use whatever is cheapest. You can also mix some water with the oil if you keep the mixture in a jar and shake it up just before use and that will make it less thick. Walnut oil is nice to use as it is less viscous, but it is much more expensive. The only downside to using regular old vegetable oil is that you have to be sure to wash the brushes more thoroughly to get all that non-drying oil out.

Squeeze the bristles and wipe on a paper towel to get as much oil and pigment out of the brush as you can. Then, vigorously swish the brush in container A, then container B and finally container C. Wipe the brush on a paper towel or rag to see if any color remains. If it doesn't seem to be completely clean, repeat this process until clean.

When container A becomes too dirty, transfer the contents to container D and allow the liquid to evaporate, eventually leaving a dry cake of pigment which can be safely disposed of by taking it to your local hazardous waste disposal center. When your cleaning oil becomes unusable, it can be recycled in the same manner. Pour container B into A and pour the contents of C into B. Add another cup of liquid dishwashing soap to what is now in container A.

There you have it, an environmentally friendly method of cleaning your oil painting brushes that does not involve any pigments escaping into our septic systems or drinking water!

An Early Masterpiece by Cedric Egeli

2011-02-11T15:20:00.015-05:00

This life size portrait shows Cedric's wife, Joanette, an accomplished artist in her own right, with their daughter Anastasia.

Cedric is a modern master, following in the footsteps of amazing portraitists such as Raeburn and Sargent, with the addition of amazing color pioneered by the French Impressionists.

Cedric combines a deep knowledge of human anatomy and how to portray people on canvas with tonalist as well as colorist knowledge. He studied with both Frank Reilly and Frank Mason at The Art Students League in New York and later Henry Hensche (who studied with Charles W. Hawthorne, a student of William Merritt Chase) in Cape Cod. As a result, he is exceptional in his abilities as a painter.

One of the main things taught by this great painter is how to create form and construct a figure rather than just copying.

Every January, a group of enthusiastic students, a large percentage of whom are working, professional artists and teachers in their own right, convene on the Maryland studio of Cedric and Joanette Egeli to learn more about how to improve their work and grow as painters. Summertime finds a lot of the same group on the beach in Provincetown, studying the effect of color and light on the figure. Very few instructors have this comprehensive knowledge of both drawing the figure, tonalism and also color. Study of color is crucial for paintings set out of doors.

Origin of Inspiration - New Book by Sam Adoquei

2011-01-29T13:15:00.007-05:00

I am always interested in writing that addresses issues pertaining to creative people. Origin of Inspiration: Seven Short Essays for Creative People is the second book for Sam Adoquei and it has already made it to number one in only two weeks!

Many people believe that inspiration comes to only a chosen few. However, in his new book, Mr. Adoquei shares his decades of experience in finding lasting inspiration to achieve any creative goal and proves that anyone can do the same. This book will prove beneficial for artists, musicians, filmmakers, actors and entrepreneurs.

As an added note, for anyone who has not yet obtained a copy of Mr. Adoquei's first book, How Successful Artists Study: Effective Learning Ideas and Knowledge for Artists, now is the time to order it - it is going into a second printing, but the new edition will have less images and cost more.

More Information on "Painting The Plein Air Portrait"

2010-11-01T17:12:00.004-04:00

This excellent DVD series simplifies the process of capturing the true light effect out of doors, both with colored blocks and when painting a portrait. Utilizing the method of painting taught by The Cape Cod School of Art, every plane change is not only a value change, but also a color change (not just darkened or lightened with black or white) when painting with this colorist process.

Ms. Baumgaertner is an excellent teacher who explains everything you need to know about painting a portrait "en plein air", from the materials to how to set up your model to shocking new ideas about color - did you know blue turns pink in sunlight? Sounds crazy, but it really works!

There is now information about how to purchase this unique instruction here:

http://portraitclasses.com/dvdvideoandbrushes/pleinairdvd.html

Age and Gender - Does It Matter?

2010-09-30T09:30:00.006-04:00

I just read a very interesting post by artist Alexandra Tyng, who is represented by a New York Gallery, about discrimination women face in the art world. Go here to see what she has to say about contemporary figurative work:

http://alexandratyng.blogspot.com

One of the issues she discusses is age discrimination by galleries, asking, "doesn't age bias eliminate many female artists whose career trajectory takes a different path?"

Shouldn't choosing artists to show in a gallery be about the art?

Food for thought.

New DVD from Margaret Carter Baumgaertner - Painting The Plein Air Portrait

2010-08-19T22:18:00.000-04:00

I have wanted to view this DVD for months, but have been so crazy busy (selling my house, moving to a smaller place and subsequently spending hours hunting for things on a daily basis) that it has taken a back seat until now!

In the photograph above, you can see a rundown of the contents of the DVD, filmed by Baum Squad Productions. The footage I have watched so far has been clear and well edited.

This DVD fills a gap in the market for art instruction videos by addressing painting outdoors in a colorist/impressionistic fashion, following in the footsteps of artists such as Monet, Sorolla and many others.

Ms. Baumgaertner (also known as Peggy) trained with Cedric Egeli, whose teacher was Henry Hensche of The Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown.

In this DVD series, she explains how to capture the light key, initially with colored blocks and then by painting a little girl in sunlight. The beginning of the painting process, after a charcoal drawing is dividing the subject into areas that are in the light and shadow. Peggy, an accomplished painter and teacher, uses an extensive palette (over 20 tubes) and does all her mixing (other than to match value) on the canvas rather than the palette.

For more information, here is the website to peruse: http://www.baumportraits.com

Plein Air Festival - A Brush With The Highlands

2010-07-21T14:49:00.000-04:00

I have been doing way too much thinking about painting and not enough doing lately. I just managed to live through a rather stressful period of time wherein we listed and tried to maintain a perfectly tidy home while still living there with two active kids. After way too many weeks of this, the place finally sold and then we had the fun task of getting rid of stuff, packing up the rest and moving. Ugh. I do not recommend it.

Anyhow, I have been doing a lot of painting in my head these days. Everywhere I go, I see paintings that just haven't happened yet, whether I am driving down the highway or walking in my neighborhood. I keep telling myself, "I would use a combination of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna for that", or "I would have to really compress the values for this", and asking myself "Is the ground really darker than the sky in this instance"?

Even without a brush in my hand, I am always creating something in my head. Time now to get to work and actually do it! Fortunately, I am going to be participating in an outdoor plein air painting festival at the end of July. It is called A Brush With The Highlands and participating painters will be guided to scenic areas in and around Wilberforce, Ontario. I am really looking forward to immersing myself in painting in the company of other plein air enthusiasts, including a number of people from the newly formed Ontario Plein Air Society.

I hope everyone is getting out there and enjoying the beautiful warmth and color of summer - there is no better way to improve your skills as a painter!

Everett Raymond Kinstler at The Players Club

2010-05-17T20:38:00.000-04:00

I just stumbled upon the most wonderful interview with artist extraordinaire, Everett Raymond Kinstler, shot in March 2010. In this six part short film by Sharon Littig, Mr. Kinstler gives a tour of The Players Club to a group of artists and tells some very interesting stories about the paintings, the sitters and the painters.

Mr. Kinstler gives a tour of the club, including the Sargent Room and also talks about his own work that hangs there. Sadly, one of the Sargent paintings (which had been custom fitted above a mantel) was sold and a copy hangs there instead.

Here is the link to the Kinstler video:

http://www.sharonlittig.com/Video/kinstler/main.html

Sharon Littig has also posted videos of Cedric Egeli, Joanette Egeli and John Ebersberger demonstrating the Hensche method of painting here:

http://www.sharonlittig.com/Video.html

More Jewelry and Hands by Sargent

2010-05-13T10:57:00.000-04:00

From the same painting as the previous post - here are some lovely hands and rings for your perusal!

How To Paint Jewelery by Sargent

2010-05-10T08:51:00.000-04:00

What we can learn from Sargent's treatment of jewelery is: don't spell everything out! Suggest things.

This is a close view of his painting of Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler. I am actually quite surprised this photograph turned out, as I took it with the camera propped on my forehead to avoid distortion. Aren't digital cameras the best?

The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

2010-05-07T21:01:00.000-04:00

There is some amazing art here! First, a couple of close up images of Rose Frantzen's work. I thought her older people were done with particular sensitivity.

Portrait Society of America - More From The Art of the Portrait

2010-05-04T02:02:00.000-04:00

It is so great to get together with a bunch of other artists who are obsessed with the same issues and talk shop. There are demos by many of the top portrait painters in America, portfolio critiques, art materials, books and DVD's for sale. It is fun to network and see old friends.

Here are some images of Michael Shane Neal painting Dot Svendson.

Two Alla Prima Paintings by Rose Frantzen

2010-05-03T23:40:00.000-04:00

Alexey Steele, painted by Rose Frantzen

Tony Pro, painted by Rose Frantzen

Portrait Society of America, Art of The Portrait Conference - April 22-25, 2010

2010-05-03T22:43:00.001-04:00

I recently returned from a few days in beautiful Reston, Virginia, where I attended The Art of The Portrait, the annual convention organized by The Portrait Society of America. I was planning to post a bunch of photographs I took of the opening night "Face-Off", where a number of artists paint a model from life, but I discovered that someone else (Matthew Innis) beat me to the punch and did a fabulous job of photographing and posting the work, so just click here to see all 15 paintings of 5 different models:

http://underpaintings.blogspot.com/2010/04/2010-portrait-society-face-off.html

It was intriguing to see how each artist saw things differently.

Rose Frantzen, a master of alla prima portraiture, ended up being chosen by those in attendance to give a demo on Saturday morning. During her opening night demo, she quickly whacked in her dark background and proceeded with a very vigorous technique involving an oil stick crayon. She speedily captured the likeness, light effect, and character of her model. I would have to say that she was the star of the show and was a little bit mobbed by her compatriots. She ended up painting 2 more portraits during the weekend, of artists Tony Pro and Alexey Steele (shown in the photograph), and she was entertaining throughout the process, which is not an easy task to accomplish!

Rose Frantzen also has a very prestigious show in progress at The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and many of those in attendance at the conference traveled by bus to see her 12x12 plywood panels, unframed with edges painted black, of the 180 heads of people from her hometown of Maquoketa, Iowa. Rose Frantzen opened up a storefront in her hometown and anyone willing to pose was painted from life in 4-5 hours.

It was quite an emotional experience to see all the portraits grouped together and the impact of the show imparted the eerie feeling of being acquainted with the town and the people who reside there. The exhibit runs until July 5, 2010 so if you are anywhere near Washington, D.C. don't miss it!

Must Have Book: How Successful Artists Study (Effective Learning Ideas and Knowledge for Artists)

2010-04-20T04:36:00.001-04:00

When I first flipped through this fascinating and unique new book, by Samuel Adoquei, I was so excited to see how much valuable information was packed into it. The book contains essential advice from someone who knows how to achieve the goal of having a successful career in fine art. It is a fantastic resource for any artist, with Mr. Adoquei serving as mentor, and is destined to become a classic.

Not only is the volume chock full of relevant information, the chosen paintings that illustrate the book are absolutely wonderful and include colorful samples of the work of past masters (including Sargent and Sorolla, two of my favorites) and contemporary artists.

This is not a book to be read and then put back on a shelf, never to be seen again. I plan to keep it on my nightstand and I believe it will become a treasured source of guidance, inspiration, advice and encouragement.

Some of the many topics covered in the book include: getting the right education, artistic growth and the pursuit of excellence, the practical aspects of drawing, different painting methods, color and paint handling, issues around photography and technology, dealing with art competitions, the value of still life as a learning tool, finding your own style, developing good taste and what to have in mind when preparing your portfolio and approaching galleries. Mr. Adoquei writes in a friendly and accessible style, with many anecdotes and personal stories to enliven his teachings.

The book is available online here:

http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Artists-Effective-Learning-Knowledge/dp/0578043580/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271752486&sr=8-1

You can also contact the author directly to order the book:

http://www.howsuccessfulartistsstudy.com

Whether you are already a working artist or dream of earning your living this way, this book is a must have resource.

Hands - Close Up of Raeburn Painting

2010-03-09T21:12:00.000-05:00

I neglected to write down the title and date of the paintings I photographed at The Montreal Museum of Fine Art, but I am pretty sure this is by Sir Henry Raeburn, a recent addition to my list of favorite painters.

Just look at the economy of detail for these hands - amazing how they can be represented by only a few strokes of paint.

I just love the relationship between the man and his dog too.

Sir Henry Raeburn - Sargent's Predecessor

2010-03-07T19:13:00.000-05:00

Most painters like to get their noses right up next to the canvas when examining work in museums, risking the wrath of museum guards, so I tend to photograph small areas of a canvas so I can study the painting later at my leisure.

Given the fact I only had my teeny point and shoot camera along for the ride during my trip to The Montreal Museum of Fine Art and very dim lighting, I am amazed that some of the shots actually turned out, so I am going to share them with you.

Isn't this wonderful?

J. W. Waterhouse: Garden of Enchantment at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

2010-03-05T19:25:00.000-05:00

In December 2009, I traveled to Montreal on the train with my youngest son (the other art enthusiast in our house) and visited this exhibit. My son, being a bit of a Greek and Roman myth aficionado, was able to enlighten me about some of the subject matter, so we both enjoyed the show very much, stopping to sketch a few details and noting the thickness of paint and lush color harmonies.

My initial impression of the exhibit was the brilliant, jewel-like color and thick paint in the pieces - even in the darks. The scale was smaller than I expected, with figures being significantly less than life size even in enormous paintings like Mariamne. He appears to have used a bluish/greenish underpainting, at least some of the time, which shows through the flesh in some areas. The values are massed and carefully planned to emphasize the area of interest. For instance, in Ulysses and the Sirens 1891, Ulysses white robe really pops and the values of everything else is subdued, with the faces of the sirens being the next lightest value.

Three of my favorite paintings in the exhibit were:

1. The Lady of Shalott - in the boat, absolutely breathtaking and riveting.
2. Mariamne - a masterpiece, great feeling, striking composition, brilliant value massing, color, and texture - the highlight on the medallion at her waist is a huge, very thick glob of whitish paint!
3. Circe Invidiosa - gorgeous blue green color, intense expression, value massing, very modern feel.

I also love all the other Lady of Shalott series, one of which normally resides in our very own Art Gallery of Ontario.

The June 10, 1907 Royal Academy of Arts Visitors Report, found displayed in a glass case, was rather amusing, ". . . work of the students . . . not quite so good. They seem to have no idea of setting a palette and are too much addicted to the use of small brushes." Seems not much has changed when it comes to students of painting!

All in all, the overnight trip to Montreal was well worthwhile to be able to see this amazing group of paintings.

Sadly, photography was not permitted in the special exhibit, but after we finished with Waterhouse, we visited the regular collection and found some really great work including Bouguereau, Rembrandt, Tissot and Raeburn.

Your Studio - Better at Home?

2010-02-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

The Canadian painter Robert Genn recently sent round an article wherein he strongly recommended that a young man have his studio in his home in order to overcome his procrastination. His argument for this stance is that everything is right there so you have no excuse to not get to work. Mr. Genn spoke of how, while his house was full of company at holiday time, he escaped to the garage to paint.

My reaction to this story was a mixture of envy and longing. I tried to picture myself doing the same while entertaining company. Nope, I don't think I could get away with it. Is this a gender divide or am I just not brave enough to put my own desires ahead of my perceived responsibilities to other people?

Mr. Genn did have the good grace to send a reply to my reaction, and I quote, "You got me there Laurel, men do get away with murder". So I think my suspicion that men have an advantage working from home is correct. The dust bunnies and piles of dirty dishes just don't call out to them in the same way. I am sure I am generalizing somewhat and there are male artists who also have trouble ignoring the other tasks at home and women who are better at using their time, but I don't think I am alone in my difficulties working at home. When other jobs are not the issue, my own inherent laziness sometimes surfaces and I find myself making a sandwich or calling a friend or trolling the internet.

I recently decided to rent a studio outside my home. I am not sure whether this will improve my productivity, but I suspect it will. Maybe it is just me, but I often find myself putting in a load of laundry or cooking something when I had every intention of working on a painting. My feeling is that having a space solely dedicated to my work will mean more painting gets done.

Don't get me wrong, I love my work and spend hours and days happily immersed in it, but interruptions are sometimes frequent, especially when the three other people I live with are around.

How about you? Do you have a studio outside of your home, or do you create your art at home?

By the way, if you do not already receive the really terrific twice weekly letters from Robert Genn, you can subscribe at http://www.painterskeys.com and be sure to search through the backlog of clickbacks from the past as there has been some terrific information discussed.

Avoiding Perfectionism

2010-02-01T10:44:00.001-05:00

Recently, I was excited to finally meet and have a photo shoot with my very first famous person. I wasn't so much nervous about meeting a celebrity, but I was anxious about getting all the reference information I would need and thoughts about the potential benefit to my career were buzzing in the back of my mind.

I had worked long and hard to first contact and then convince this person to agree to pose for me. You would think, given the importance I had assigned to this painting, that I would immediately and unceasingly work on it. However, I have had a surprisingly hard time with the progress of this piece and have found all kinds of excuses to do anything other than work on it.

Fortunately, since the holiday season has ended, the kids have gone back to school and external demands on my time have decreased, I have finally gotten into the groove and back into the studio most days of the week, with the painting progressing well.

How have I overcome the perfectionism that was stalling my progress? I have decided to do an adequate job and just enjoy the process. Once I start painting, I am in the moment, and no thoughts of grandeur interfere with the process.

Procrastination due to fear of failure is at the heart of most avoidance behavior when it comes to artistic endeavors. I had built up in my mind the extreme importance of creating a masterpiece with this commission. Telling yourself that this painting must rival the work of Rembrandt is a sure way to become frozen with indecision and fear.

So, get into your studio and just do it. No one can predict whether the end result will be amazing or mediocre, but getting in the flow and letting the magic occur will guarantee that you enjoy the process and isn't that really what painting is all about?

Fear of Flying - Airport Strategies for Traveling with Oil Paints

2009-11-19T17:31:00.001-05:00

I have flown often with oil paints and because of my fear of confiscation have always put them in my checked baggage and had no problem.

I always pack them carefully (wrapped in absorbent paper towels, in a closed plastic container), along with a printout of the following page from Air Canada and MSDS forms, following these instructions (look under PAINT and see the heading "Exceptions" for how to pack artist's colors):

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/security.html

When I traveled to Paris I even printed out and attached a statement in French, stating that I was a painter and my materials were not flammable and officially permitted.

When I travel to the U.S.A. (I am Canadian), I also put a printout of the TSA site page stating they are allowed:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

However, I really wish I could just use a carry-on bag so I don't have to worry about my suitcase going AWOL. And, unfortunately, these days it costs extra to check a bag.

I had always interpreted the TSA instructions to apply to checked items and not carry-on, but on re-reading the information just now, it seems okay to carry on the paints as long as the tubes are small (make sure you exclude that giant tube of Titanium White, even if it is almost empty) and you can prove they are not flammable. I think I will try this next time, and bring a printout from TSA along with the MSDS which proves that the items are non-flammable.

Of course, you can't bring a huge array of colors and you have to limit your toiletries since everything has to fit into that teeny ziploc bag, AND if you need a largish painting support you are out of luck.

MSDS forms are available online from Gamblin. Look under Gamblin Oil Painting Materials, Artist Grade Oils, and then click on the individual pigment:

http://www.gamblincolors.com/artists.grade.oils/index.html

MSDS forms are also available from Winsor & Newton, which provides for individual colors as well as their paint in general:

http://www.winsornewton.com/products/oils-solvents-mediums-varnishes/oil-colour--oils-solvents-mediums-varnishes/health-safety-data-sheets-oil-colour-oils-solvents-mediums-varnishes/

Some of my less mainstream brands such as Michael Harding have not responded to requests for MSDS. I figure if I can prove that oil paints for artist's in general are not flammable, they will probaby accept that none of them are likely to be dangerous.

It is also a good idea, if you check the paints, to politely request in writing that they replace everything in the same manner it was found. I have heard horror stories of people opening their suitcase to find everything coated in cadmium red after an officer failed to put the cap back on a tube correctly. That's enough to ruin your day for sure!

Art and Fear - Overcoming Procrastination, Perfectionism and Paralysis to become more Productive

2009-09-17T08:27:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about this subject because unless I have a deadline, nothing I do is ever finished.

Why? Because I always think I will be able to improve it some day. So the paintings that have not left my studio remain unsigned, unvarnished and unframed.

What leads us to delay completion? I am no psychologist (unless you accept my armchair degree in self-help reading) but I have come to the conclusion that I believe I can improve on my mostly completed paintings, but I am also afraid to completely mess them up - and believe me that has happened more than once!

So I procrastinate - I start a new painting, take another workshop, read a book, cook something, make a phone call, travel somewhere, go shopping or any other activity, rather than knuckling down and addressing whatever it is I think needs to be changed and tackling it with courage and skill.

I think that is why I like the start of a work - it is easy to be completely free and change things with abandon. Nothing is precious. Right eye 1/8 of an inch too high - paint it out and start over! Don't like the color of the background - change it!

I have a full library of books on the subject, so I know I am not alone in this kind of avoidance behavior. Julia Cameron has written a very funny cartoon book entitled, How to Avoid Making Art, and exposes some of the silly ideas we use as excuses for not working when we ought to be working.

Right now I have two portrait studies that need a few slight tweaks and have been patiently waiting for my attention for months. So here I am, writing a post and drinking coffee instead and dreaming of my next painting.

Today I am going to head down to my studio and finish something. Nike has it right - let's all just do it!

Dawn Whitelaw Workshop

2008-05-29T10:02:00.000-04:00

I first met Dawn Whitelaw quite a few years ago, at a Portrait Society of America conference, when I showed her the one and only oil portrait I had ever done. Dawn was very encouraging and I immediately decided I would move heaven and earth to get the chance to study with her one day.

Dawn is a knowledgable and talented instructor, and a prize winning painter, who is down to earth and well organized. Upon arriving for a five day workshop with her, participants are not only graciously offered refreshments, but also presented with a binder containing favorite inspirational quotes, books and websites. The binder includes a supply list, easel positions for the week (to make sure you have a variety of lighting situations) and even suggestions about where to eat lunch! There are also tips on drawing, value, procedure, color mixing, varnishing, brushes, stretching canvas, and cleanup. You are also provided with a CD with images to view on your computer.

For painting people, Dawn uses grey acrylic in a thin, watery wash to stain her alkyd primed canvas. She uses a warmer stain for landscape outdoors, because of all the green. Dawn tones her canvas the value of her hand, the general value of skin in light or sometimes a darker tone for a low key painting.

The palette Dawn uses consists simply of Winton Red #6, French Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Yellow Light. That’s it. She mixes the secondary colors herself and lays out the colors from left to right, on a large wooden palette, starting with 4 “worms” of white and then yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, green. The advantage of using just these three colors is that color harmony is easily achieved and at the end of the day you can mix what you have left and save it in the fridge on a paper plate to use the next day as a useful gray.

Dawn occasionally may add lemon yellow or cerulean to her palette to achieve aquamarine (perhaps in a tropical setting), but she would make sure to use that color throughout the painting to ensure color harmony.

Dawn does color charts, by taping out squares on 18x36 foam core which has been treated with acrylic matte medium to seal the surface. It is surprising how great a range of colors can be obtained with this palette. Dawn likes inexpensive Winton paint because it has less pigment and is more oily, so mediums are not necessary.

With regard to composition, for plein air, Dawn spends a lot of time walking around to decide on what to paint. When painting a model, she tries various lighting situations for maximum interest and flattery and talks to the sitter while she is doing this to obtain information. Thumb to middle finger is approximately the face length. You need to take your time when doing this and look carefully at the negative space.

Dawn writes notes immediately after a meeting with her subject in order to record her impressions and she tries to describe the subject succinctly so someone could pick them up at the airport after hearing her description. This helps her to find her way back to her original intention if things begin to go astray.

Some notes on Dawn's procedure:

To begin, you can draw in paint or charcoal. Gesture and measurement are both important, so work on your weakest area!

Start with the darks. While you have paint on your brush, look for other areas that are that color and value. Simplify – mass the shadow on the side of the face with the hair at the start. First, separate the light and dark. For dark colors, keep mixing in the same pile of paint, variations of color.

Hold your palette up to the model and compare the value of the shadow – can the palette stand in for the shadow or is it lighter? If the shadow is darker, you mix a color that is darker than your palette. Trust your palette. Reserve your darkest dark. Work in the middle range of values. Accents of the darkest dark and lightest light finish off a painting.

Mix light colors separately. Light areas have to be calibrated. Most skin is neutral. A close up of pixelated photo shows many colors in skin, but they are all muted. To identify color in light, start with white, add a speck of color and then neutralize it. You can either use the mosaic method of placing spots of color or you can mass in light areas and then vary with color temperature, which is sometimes easier to maintain the correct values. Don’t rely on value when modeling in the light – use temperature and color changes. Turn form with temperature.

Use thin paint and keep your options open. Lay in paint with sides of brush.
Bounce color from clothing into hair and skin when you see it. For a highlight on the lower lip, instead of white, use an intense, pure color in a light value. Hold the palette up and look for what is the exactly the same tone.

Painting is really just correcting mistakes. Fear of getting things in the wrong place is paralyzing, so just put something down and know you can fix it. Is the color neutral? Put something up and then adjust the value. Don’t hyperfocus.

The range of values in reality is greater than what we have in paint. We are limited by our materials – lightest light and darkest dark. Painting is all about relationships.

To finish, ask yourself: What do I need to simplify? It’s not just about detail. If the face is rather rough, the hair cannot be finely rendered. If you keep simplifying, the details will take care of themselves. Finish with a big brush, pull things together and take things out. And remember that no amount of detail will correct wrong shapes and proportions.

When working from photographs, set up a slide show on your computer instead of using just one photograph. For studies – staple alkyd primed linen to ½” gatorboard. Keep your studies – you can use them when painting someone with similar skintones.

Dawn is a fantastic teacher whose methods and materials are very accessible and yield beautiful work. It is somewhat of a revelation to see her achieve these results with just three colors.

(To view examples of some of the paintings I did at Dawn's workshop, go to www.laurelmcbrine.blogspot.com and scroll back to the portraits of "Bruce" and "Erin", both posted on April 29, 2007.)

EXCITING NEW BOOK FOR ARTISTS!

2008-04-09T10:23:00.000-04:00

Many artists are clueless when it comes to marketing their work, but thankfully we now have a great resource from art-marketing consultant Alyson B. Stanfield, of ArtBizCoach.com.

Books about marketing usually present ideas for self-promotion that I just would not feel comfortable using. The strategies that Alyson presents feel sincere and natural, not pushy or forced or artificial.

Alyson talks about how to share your work directly with potential buyers through electronic and traditional communication outlets. She addresses all the excuses we use that lead to our lack of success. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about putting together the dreaded artist statement.

I truly believe this book will be invaluable to any artist who wants to be more successful in promoting their work. It is accessible and easily understood with ideas and suggestions that are realistic and easy to implement.

I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion

THANK YOU TO SCOTTSDALE ARTIST'S SCHOOL AND THE WINDGATE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION!

2008-02-12T22:45:00.001-05:00

From a letter to a young artist in 1901 . . .

“You say you are studying to become a portrait painter and I think you’d be making a great mistake if you kept that only in view during the time you intend to work in life class, for the object of the student should be to acquire sufficient command over his materials and do whatever nature presents him. The conventionalities of portrait painting are only tolerable in one who is a good painter.

If he is only a good portrait painter, he is a nobody. Try to become a painter first and then apply your knowledge to a special branch. But do not begin by learning what is required for a special branch or you will become a mannerist.”

John Singer Sargent

These words were shared with me by one of my teachers, Everett Raymond Kinstler, and I have taken them to heart. The idea that a painter should work to become well rounded and be able to paint anything, in any situation, led me to request an oil painting class of any type when I applied for a scholarship from the Scottsdale Artist’s School. I had the privilege of studying at this fabulous school the previous spring, when I took a portrait class from William Whitaker and I hoped to have the opportunity to continue my artistic growth. I wished to branch out and challenge myself with new ideas and practices. I believe it is particularly important to work from life and plein air landscape painting requires all the skills and perseverance a painter possesses. You are dealing with the elements – wind, rain, cold, bugs and sun, for instance. You are lugging heavy equipment into rugged terrain and ignoring your hunger and thirst at times. You need to decide on how to render the huge range of value before you. You need to work very quickly to capture the essence of the scene before the light changes too much. You need to convey depth and enough detail without ruining that effect. However, you are also enjoying the beauty of nature and the zen of flow while becoming absorbed in your work.

The class I was awarded, was with Gabor Svagrik, a young artist who specializes in outdoor scenes. I think representational painters naturally gravitate to what they are good at and landscape is a whole different cup of tea from portraiture. When painting the figure, most decisions are made when you set up the pose. What you paint is right in front of you. You certainly don’t change the position of the person’s features, but in landscape painting that is exactly what you do. You must edit and include only part of the panorama you are confronted with. You must simplify the complexity that nature presents and choose the best, most interesting and commanding features of the grand scene before you.

The week spent painting Tucson vistas was exciting and inspirational. I had to push myself out of my comfort zone. I will take what I learned and apply it to my outdoor portraits and continue to work outdoors as much as possible.

I want to sincerely thank Scottsdale Artist’s School and the Windgate Charitable Foundation for their generosity, which has enabled me to continue to expand my abilities. Becoming an artist is a lifelong process, which is why the never ending fascination with painting is such an obsession for many students of art and I am very grateful that they have made it possible for me to advance a little further on that path.

The Reilly Palette (Mattelson Version)

2008-01-08T14:48:00.000-05:00

As you can see, this palette consists of four strings of color with 9 values plus black and white. The rows of paint daubs consist of:

1. Neutral greys, made with Raw Umber and black with white.

2. Yellows, made with Yellow Ochre and Raw Umber plus black and white.

3. Oranges, made with Terra Rosa, white and black;

4. Pinks, made with Indian Red, white and black.

Make sure when you mix any of these colors together you stay within the same value.

Mixing the palette is rather time consuming and tedious, but it allows for efficient painting and is good practice for anyone struggling with values, the foundation of all realist art.

These colors allow for natural and realistic skin tones. The grey is used to lower the chroma.

WIPE-OUT!

2007-08-23T18:46:00.000-04:00

I often start an indoor sitting with a wipe-out. It is an easy method to quickly establish the masses of light and shadow and get the drawing done before complicating matters with color.

I was introduced to this method by portrait artist Marvin Mattelson, at a workshop where he covered a huge amount of information. After doing a drawing with the wash-in method, he utilizes a prepared palette similar to the one developed in the past by Frank Reilly, except Marvin eschews the use of cadmium pigments. Frank Reilly was an instructor at The Art Students League in New York who trained many artists to paint realistic skin tones in this way. A good book to try and find on the Reilly method is entitled, “The Fine Art of Portraiture: An Academic Approach” by Frank Covino. I believe it is out of print, but can be found in libraries and sometimes for sale.

To prepare for the wipe-out, when using standard acrylic primed canvas, you need to apply a couple of coats of extra acrylic gesso well ahead of time, letting the gesso dry and sanding lightly between coats. The gesso is applied across the canvas both horizontally and vertically to smooth out the brushstrokes. If you use an oil or alkyd primed support you can skip this step.

Before beginning the drawing, the canvas is covered with an extremely thin layer of cold pressed linseed oil. The amount of oil used has to be just right, as too much will result in the paint coming off too easily and not enough will make it difficult to remove the paint right down to the bare primed canvas. Sprinkle the oil over the tip of a palette knife, rub in with a rag and then wipe off most of the oil with another clean rag or paper towel. Test to see if it is ready by rubbing a clean finger over the surface. The finger should not be shiny! Check that the oil is distributed evenly by holding the canvas at an angle to the light and looking carefully over the surface to find any dry areas. Having a thin, even coat of oil is very important to ensure that you get an even layer of paint in the next step!

On a white ceramic tile, Winsor & Newton or Michael Harding Raw Umber oil paint (a 4" strip squeezed out of the tube) is then mixed with one drop each of cold pressed linseed oil and Distilled English Turpentine, plus half a drop of clove Oil (to prevent the paint from drying too fast) and applied evenly to the support with a large brush. Try to get the paint to approximately match the skin in shadow, usually Munsell value 3 or 4, depending on the complexion of your subject.

To remove the paint, gradually rub the paint off with a rag wrapped around your finger. For more detail, you can use stomps (usually intended for drawing) or just wrap the rag around a pencil. You can also use a clean brush to remove paint from the canvas.

For darker areas, apply the paint with a brush, rubbing the oil off the canvas first for the darkest darks.

Since raw umber is a fast drying pigment, your wipe-out will most likely be dry the next day and you will be ready to start applying color.

I don’t always use this method, as I sometimes go right in with color and paint in an alla prima fashion. When I decide to start with a drawing, however, this method is a really unique and fun way to begin. It is especially good for someone just learning to paint, as it breaks down the process and makes it much easier to obtain results in an organized fashion. It is a disciplined approach that simplifies things a lot.

PAINTING WITHOUT SOLVENTS

2007-08-23T18:06:00.001-04:00

As published in Curry's Artwise Newsletter, March 2007:

I spent many years painting with watercolors and acrylics because I was scared of solvents. I didn’t want to deal with something so toxic on a regular basis. This was a real shame, because I now paint almost exclusively with oils and I love the buttery texture, lack of color shift (the color, when dry, is exactly the same value as when you put it down, rather than darker as in the case of acrylics, or lighter when using watercolor) and ease of revising my work. Of course, you can always use water soluble oils, but as a professional portrait artist, I prefer traditional oils. It came as a revelation to learn that solvents were not necessary when painting with traditional oil paints, in fact, for archival reasons, it is actually preferable to not to use them at all in painting mediums. Another benefit from painting without the use of solvents is that there is no need for complicated ventilation systems and no worries about the fumes affecting the health of yourself and family members.

I use paint straight from the tube and do not usually use a painting medium, other than a very small amount of cold pressed linseed oil or walnut oil if the paint is too stiff. Sometimes, when adding a second or third layer of paint, I will “oil out” the surface by adding a microscopically thin layer of oil before beginning to paint again. After sprinkling the oil over the area with a palette knife and rubbing it in with a rag, it is a good idea to use a small makeup sponge to remove any excess oil. Using the “oiling out” technique accomplishes the same thing as retouch varnish, without the solvents, by bringing back the original appearance of the piece, refreshing any dry or sunken areas and facilitates matching colors. It also helps the paint flow on more smoothly due to the wet surface.

While I am painting, I try to use a lot of brushes, keeping at least one brush for each value so I don’t have to rinse clean the brush in solvent as I paint. I have a brush holder, which is fairly easy to make, that holds 3 rows of 11 brushes (yes, you read that correctly, 33 brushes) but I don’t always use that many, sometimes making do with just one row of 11 brushes, for 9 values plus black and white. The system, inspired by one of my past instructors, Marvin Mattelson (who teaches at The School of Visual Arts in New York City), involves using small, medium and large brushes in three rows. Being somewhat organizationally challenged, I usually get them mixed up, but it is fairly easy to just dip the brush in some walnut oil and wipe it off on a paper towel or rag if necessary. Although Marvin’s version of the brush holder is somewhat sophisticated, with several sizes of holes being drilled inside each other to fit various sizes of brush handles, a simpler version can easily be made by drilling holes large enough to fit your biggest brush handle in a foot long chunk of 2x4. Yes, you do have a lot of washing up at the end of the day, but because walnut oil is slow drying, it is possible to avoid the task for a day or two by dipping the brushes in oil and wrapping them in plastic. Before using them the next day, wipe the brushes clean, rinsing with walnut oil if necessary. Solvents are very drying to your brushes, so an added benefit to cleaning brushes with oil instead is that they will be kept in better condition. By the way, this method of delaying brush washing is best used when painting without lead based whites, which tend to dry quickly.

For final cleaning of the brushes, walnut oil can very successfully be substituted for mineral spirits, as the texture of this type of oil is thinner than other vegetable oils, which are usually too viscous to allow the pigment to fall to the bottom of your brush cleaner in a timely manner. M. Graham, a company that also makes very nice paints, supplies walnut oil specifically geared for artistic use, as opposed to putting it on your salad! Beware that using vegetable oils from the supermarket may compromise the integrity of your paintings, as most oils are non-drying and traces may remain in the brush after washing with soap and water.

To begin cleaning my brushes, I first dip them in the oil and then wipe them on a page from an old phone book (which is a great way to reuse and recycle, as it cuts down on the amount of paper towels used and ultimately trees as well) until most of the pigment comes out. Simply tear off the page when it becomes too full of paint. The next step is to rinse the brush in the oil in the same way you would use solvent. I have a fancy stainless brush cleaner, but I also use coffee tins with a tuna size tin, punched full of holes and turned upside down in the bottom (hammer holes in it using a big nail) on which I rub my brush to get out the last remnants of paint before washing with soap and water. When I feel that my bar of soap isn’t getting all the paint out (sometimes I neglect to clean the brushes promptly, making it more difficult to get them thoroughly clean) I use “The Master’s” soap instead of my usual bar, letting it stay in the bristles overnight if they are really gummed up, and that does the trick!

Finally, I am going to share with you a tip for cleaning brushes that was passed on to me by William Whitaker, a wonderful artist with decades of experience. This tip alone was worth the price of admission to his workshop at the Scottsdale Artist's School. After getting soap into the brush, grab the end of the bristles with your left hand and, while holding the brush handle with your right hand, wiggle the brush handle back and forth several times - doing this helps remove the stubborn paint that is close to the ferrule and will extend the life of your brushes.

Painting with the method I have outlined is better for your health and the environment. If you have always wanted to use traditional oils, but hesitated because of concerns about solvents, this is your chance to experience all the joy of painting with oils with none of the drawbacks!