The Landscape challenge
Hi guys…I was reading Tara Leaver….AGAIN!… when she talked about making more consistent art. She challenged us to an exercise to help us deal with the inconsistency problem, in a manageable way that also sets you on the path to developing a series, to prove that you can do one. This was the challenge:
“Seven days to create art with a single focus. Got something you’ve been wanting to explore a bit more deeply? This is the perfect opportunity.
The challenge is open to all visual artists – you can paint, draw, knit, sculpt, sew, make jewellery, or whatever you like. I recommend keeping the concept and process fairly small so you don’t overwhelm yourself or make it impossible to keep going.”
The project I took was to paint small landscapes for 93 days. It was fairly simple and I decided to let it be very loose and almost abstract. I painted however I was feeling at that point. So these were my steps.
STEP #1 - PREPARE YOUR PAPER
STEP #1
So I started by finding a small watercolour painting book. Mine is 9x12 but you can get something smaller like 10x10. Tape all the edges with maskin tape to allow the piece to have a border as this gives it a better look when you’ve finished, plus it allows for framing.
STEP #2 - PULL OUT YOUR TOOLS
Once you’ve taped the edges, then pull out the watercolours or watercolour pencils, your brushes (choose only 2), have your water close by, you can also have a bottle with white or black paint and finally decide on the colours you’re going to use. I picked viridian green, lavender and light green.
Have all your tools ready and prepared.
Above is my watercolour palette, brushes and watercolour pencils.
STEP #3 - START PAINTING
Don’t think about what you’re going to do just MOVE! Take up a brush, let your senses guide you, dip into the first colour and paint however you feel, then take the second colour and do the same. I felt like doing a simple wash of each colour one above the other.
I felt for a simple wash with one colour on top of the other.And I let it run.
This is what it looks like so far. I’ll continue tomorrow and post the next steps, but see below some of the other miniature landscapes I did days before, one per day.
Green Field
Blue Mountains
Watercolour Palms
I’ll show some of the others when I post my next steps for the landscape done above.
The End Product
The completed piece in an Exhibition in Southern Trinidad.
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Hi everyone. This is phase 3 and 4 of my process from my last post about How I create a Piece.
PHASE 3
Just to recap. You would have drawn the pattern, painted the canvas in the colour you wanted, then outlined the edge of the different shapes in black or a dark colour. Dont let the outline get too wide. If it gets wide then make sure it gets lighter in colour as you move away from the edge. This creates a shadow effect at the edge of the shapes.
PHASE 4
Now you can chose a colour that contrasts with your piece. Check your colour wheel if you're unsure. Now choose 3-4 parts of different sections of the different shapes and paint it that contrasting colour. You can try the clean water splattering on these contrasting sections or try splattering paint on these sections. Clean up any areas where splatter may have spread as you only want those areas with the contrasting colour to be splatteted. On the edges of the shapes you can pass the dark paint again if the edges look faded. So...thats it.....You've basically completed your piece. YEA!!!!!!WELL DONE!!! See my End Result below.
If you try this, send me pics of how yours looks. Email me at gfrancistt@gmail.com or contact me through my old site....www.triniartstudio.net, until I get my new domain..... I Would love to see them. Good luck and most of all enjoy yourself. Remember...."There are no mistakes, only creative touches."
Finally, I have to decide which view is most captivating? Placing it vertically or horizontally? Thats the thing with abstracts. You paint it in one position but it can look even better upside down or sideways....lol.....love that....but when I've decided only then can I sign my piece.
SO...Later guys, love you all and check you next week. Check me on instagram at _gafra_ (formerly gfran_triniartstudio) I will be posting a few more new pieces SOON...I'm returning to my Watercolours soon!
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A book with my watercolour pieces and their story.
How Do I Create A Piece?
A bit about how i paint and how i start.
Hi everyone. Yes....you'll realise that I am posting a few blogs all in one day, because I have Rebranded and as a result I've developed this new website, so I am sharing a few of my blogs from my old website. So let me talk about what's happening with me. I have 2 Group Exhibitions to prepare for. One I already have pieces for, but for the second, although I have possible pieces I decided to paint 2 additional pieces and then I will make my choice. So here goes...
TO BEGIN
I usually have an idea in my mind of what colours I want to use and what patterns I see on the canvas. I dont know what it will look like in the end but I have an idea of how I would like it to look. If its a geometric piece then I draw out the shapes in pencil and with a ruler or whatever I have that will give me a circle or the shape I want. Then I paint the canvas with the colours chosen.
PHASE ONE
Start painting but make sure that the colours are not opposites on the colour wheel or it will turn muddy. Paint the entire canvas with swiping strokes, up and down strokes and x strokes dipping your brush from one colour to the next. Even if brush strokes sbiw that's OK because its an abstract and that will be civered later and will add to the 3D effect. You can even sprinkle clean drops of water on the canvas while it is still wet. Then take a paper towel and mop up the water droplets. Pat it dry dont drag the paper towel, simply lay it over the canvas then pat the top gently. Remove the paper towel and behold. The paper towel removes the paint but leaves really nice patterns. Or place bubble wrap on the canvas, press lightly while the paint is still damp. It leaves the bubble imprint. Let it dry.
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PHASE TWO
Now its time to outline the edges of the different shapes in whatever dark colour you have. I use burnt umber or a watery black. This is what mine looks like at this point:
Continue outlining the shapes then the next phase is adding some more colour to the piece. When I have completed that part I will show you, but for now I am off to continue or finish off this piece.
So guys that's all for now. I will share pics of phase 3 as soon as I complete it and then phase 4 which is the "touch up" phase. Check you soon and have a great week.