Year of the Spark. Painting Big. August Lesson 15. with Carla. Thinking Small

Transcription

1 Year of the Spark August 2015 Lesson 15 Painting Big Thinking Small with Carla

2 Painting Big; Thinking Small Supplies Needed: - A large surface to paint on. I m demonstrating with a 22 x30 piece of hot press watercolor paper; can also be done with canvas or wood panel. - Regular acrylic paints - A selection of brushes - vine charcoal - a childhood photo or drawing - rag

3 Thinking Small In July Lynn and I (along with Diane Culhane) were happy to teach an online class for kids (and kids-at-heart!). The artwork by kids was really amazing, and I ve been thinking a lot about what it is that makes it special. Every child is different, of course, and some are freer than others but there is a quality to kids drawings and design decisions that are just really special the line work is often sensitive and fragile, the proportions might be off in the most charming ways, or a child will decide to color the legs of a bird rainbow-striped! One reason I like Modern artists so much (including Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Joan Miro,

4 and Jean Debuffet) is that they all had an interest and respect for children s art: Klee referred to his own childhood drawings as inspiration for later works; Picasso and Miro both were very interested in their own children s artwork and tried to find that child-feeling in their work; and Kandinsky had an extensive collection of children s art. Inspired by the kids art last week, I wanted to make this lesson about trying to tap in to that child part of us. But... we are adults now! So it is impossible, I think, to truly create from the point of view of a child, since we are no longer children. But even if we can t go back completely, there are a few things we can do to capture moments here and there. Let s get started! Warmup This month s warmup is a reading assignment. Find a book or an article (either online or in a library) about one of the following artists: Matisse Picasso Klee Calder Debuffet Read for about minutes about one of the above artists, who were so good at trying to achieve a childlike feeling to their paintings. Here are a few links to get you started: php?storyid=

5 Painting Big 1. Start your painting with a layer of gesso (I used white, but you can use any color), using a stiff and/or battered brush for more texture. Let dry. 2. Next, you will get out your photo or art reference and do several drawings using vine charcoal in the following way: a. Do two blind contours on top of one another. Rub away (the lines will remain, but just not be as dark). b. Turn the paper over and do one eyes-closed drawing of your reference image (by now you will know it pretty well and can remember). c. Decide if you like any of the three versions and orientate your paper that way; darken the lines. Make changes

6 if desired for your main subject (in my case, the girl on the pony). d. Use your non-dominant hand to add lines, squares, curved lines to the background... don t worry too much at this point, but just try and fill the background with shapes. 3. Get out your paint and, using a large-ish brush, fill in the shapes you ve made. You can make choices as you go, but basically you are thinking like a kid with a coloring book and coloring in all the shapes! 4. Now add a second layer of color to each block, using a dry brush so that you can see the brush strokes; also, leave some of the bottom color showing through on the edges. This layer should be a little more thoughtful. Things to think about: a. values (lights and darks) b. how the colors look next to each other c. balancing colors around the painting d. try working the background colors first, and then the main subject s colors to complement (or vice versa) e. keep it loose!

7 5. Once you have the big areas in, you can switch to a smaller brush and add details (in my case the eyes, mane an tail, some outlining, facial features and arms and legs of the girl, the fence...) 6. Done! Have fun, and I can t wait to see what you do with this! Carla P.S. On the following pages are several finished pieces of various sizes using these same steps.

8 These two were done in my sketchbook, about 7 x 10. My sister Kelly and I had a pony, Rebel, for two years when I was aged and I crocheted the rainbow poncho when about 9 or 10 years old with the help of my stepmother (I couldn t find the photo to show). Her side was neat and even, and my side was NOT. Still, I was proud of it!

9 Bye!