Chalk Art / Street Painting Tips

Transcription

1 Chalk Art / Street Painting Tips 2016 Pre-Festival Chalk Art Workshop August 20 Watson Park, San José Tools and Supplies All you really need is some chalk and some pavement! However, the supplies below will help make things a little easier and more comfortable. Chalk Best: Soft pastels (not oil pastels) Good: Crayola sidewalk chalk (the boxes with a full range of colors including black) Artwork A drawing or photo Layout grid and outlines (see Preparing Your Artwork) Optional: pounce pattern Blending Tools (any of the following will do) Your fingers work great, but they will get sore if working on rough pavement. You don t need a lot of tools, so only choose 1-2 items below. Experiment to see which works best for you. Many of these items can be found around the house, at dollar stores, or hardware stores. For larger areas: Carpet samples/scraps, scrubbing pads, large paint brushes, rags, old t-shirts or pieces of felt Detailed areas: Makeup sponges, cotton swabs, small paint brushes Prep and Layout Yardstick and/or chalk snap line with powder Masking tape Broom Spray bottle and rag (for cleaning up grid lines or mistakes)

2 Comfort Knee pads (carpet/rug, pillows, garden pads, cardboard, or pool noodles all work well) Wet wipes Gloves Hat, umbrella and/or canopy Sunscreen Water and snacks Dust mask Camping chair or bucket to sit on Other Camera and tripod Helpers Bag, toolbox or bucket to carry your supplies Luna Park Arts Foundation 1

3 Making Marks and Filling in Color Tips 1. Use light/medium pressure and controlled motions. 2. Avoid grinding the pastels, heavy scribbling, and overly thick/dusty layers of pastel. 3. A little pastel goes a long way, especially when you blend the chalk. Techniques Lines : Vary the pressure and use different parts of the pastel/chalk for various effects. Hatching : Diagonal, horizontal or vertical parallel lines, generally in one direction. Cross Hatching : Diagonal, horizontal or vertical parallel lines in two directions. Shading: Wide lines using the side of chalk. Blending : Lightly lay down an area of color, using cross hatching or shading. Then, using your finger or blending pad, rub the chalk into the pavement. Scumbling: Random motion in a controlled manner (not scribbling). Stippling: Dots or short strokes in a random or planned pattern. Luna Park Arts Foundation 2

4 Color Mixing Color theory is a fascinating and complex topic. Here, we will give you a few basics about color. The Color Wheel Primary Colors There are 3 primary colors: red, yellow and blue. They are primary colors because these colors cannot be made by mixing any other colors. These primary colors can be mixed together to make any other color. Luna Park Arts Foundation 3

5 Secondary Colors Mixing two primary colors together makes secondary colors: red+blue= purple red+yellow= orange blue+yellow= green Tertiary Colors Tertiary colors are made by mixing together a primary and neighboring secondary color. yellow-orange red-orange red-purple blue-purple blue-green Yellow-green Black and White In chalk/pastels, white pastels have no pigment, so they are technically not a primary color. However, like a primary color, white cannot be made by mixing other colors. Black is mixed by mixing together all the primary and/or secondary colors. (Technically this makes a really dark grey.) Luna Park Arts Foundation 4

6 Making Colors Lighter (Tints) Making colors lighter is as simple as mixing the color with white. For the lightest tints, lay down white first, then add a very small amount of the color. Making Colors Darker (Shades) There are three ways to make colors darker. The first way is to mix the color with black. This is a quick method to make dark colors; however, black pigment is strong so if it s not done carefully, your artwork may become dull or ashy looking. The second way is to add brown. This is also a quick and easy method. Since brown is a neutral color, it will blend nicely without creating muddy colors. However, it will give your artwork a warm, vintage/sepia tone, so make sure that s what you want. Luna Park Arts Foundation 5

7 Making Colors Darker (Tones) Making tones is the 3rd way to make colors darker. Tones are made by mixing a color with it s opposite (complementary) color on the color wheel. As these tones are mixed they will create grays and browns while keeping some of the original color s properties. Red+Green Orange+Blue Yellow+Purple Luna Park Arts Foundation 6

8 Mixing Techniques Hatching : Alternate strokes of colors. The eye will mix them together. Cross Hatching : Use one color in one direction, and the other color in the opposite direction. Shading: Make wide lines using the side of chalk with your first color. Then make wide lines on top with your second color. Blending : Lightly lay down and area of colors, using cross hatching or shading. Then, using your finger or blending pad, rub the chalk into the pavement. Clean your fingers between colors or use a different part of your blending pad. Gradient: Lay down and area of color 1, then color 2. Blend color 1. While blending, work color 1 into color2. Then, with a clean finger or pad, bring color 2 into color 1. Repeat over the top as needed until you achieve your desired result. Scumbling: Make random motion in a controlled manner with one color. Over the top, add the second color in a random, controlled motion. Stippling: Dots or short strokes alternating colors. Luna Park Arts Foundation 7

9 Preparing Your Artwork If you feel like doodling or feeling abstract, just go for it! If you are aiming to create something a little more life-like or detailed, then this process will help break things down into simpler steps. As you practice and play, you will discover what works best for you. 1. Select your drawing or photo (sometimes it s useful to have a couple copies) 2. Draw a grid on your drawing a. If you know the size of your chalk space, make your grid the same proportions. (Example: If you re chalk square is 4 x4 you can draw a 4x4 grid on your image) b. Otherwise, draw a grid on your drawing, then draw a larger grid of equal proportions on the ground. (For example, if your picture is 5 x7, you could divide the picture into 1 boxes, giving you 5 rows and 7 columns. Then, on the ground, you could draw a grid with 1 boxes, giving you a chalk space of 5 x7. c. Label the rows and columns. This will help you keep track of where you're working in your piece. d. If you are creating a drawing specific to an event, and you know the space size ahead of time, you could pre-draw your grid and sketch inside of it. 3. Draw the larger grid on the ground on your chalk space and label the rows and columns to match your artwork. 4. Focusing square by square draw some layout guidelines on the ground. Use reference points as necessary 5. Continue on to paint your drawing. Luna Park Arts Foundation 8

10 The Process 1. Find out what size space you re chalking in. 2. Prepare your drawing or picture (see preparing your artwork). 3. Gather supplies. 4. Sweep your chalk space. 5. Draw your layout grid and outlines on the ground (or use a pounce pattern) Use a neutral color like grey, tan or brown instead of white. These colors will blend/disappear into your piece better. 6. Paint your drawing: There are a few ways to start your project depending on what you re drawing, and how much space you have to move around. Work on difficult areas or you focal point first, like eyes. If you run out of time, these key details will give your piece a finished appearance. Save pure white and pure black areas for the end to avoid muddy or dull colors. Use shades or tones instead. Block in larger areas of color from dark to light. Add details, texture, and shading Finish by adding sparkle or highlights Sign your artwork! Some additional tips: Step back from your project every once and awhile. It s good to see the bigger picture every now and then! Look at it with a camera, you ll see it in a different perspective. Stretch your back often, stretch, and drink plenty of water. Take pictures along the way, since your artwork is only temporary. Be nice to your neighbors. Don t blow your chalk dust onto another artist s project. Luna Park Arts Foundation 9

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