An EPIC Kimberley Painting, Part One: So this has been an interesting week. I catch myself listening out for sirens. I think! they’ll be coming to get me shortly. Why? I’ve been breaking all the rules. Oh yeah,! that’s right, I’m a maverick. But seriously, I’ve been experimenting in the studio with! some methods that are a little unorthodox, and a little against the grain for me, and I! must say I am pleased with the results. Here’s a flashback: In wanted to re-capture the grandeur of this scene above. What isn’t translated in this photograph of a painting I did 3 years ago, is its scale. It was a big picture, and has a presence to it. I like it. Here’s another flashback to the left, and this one I have spoken about already this year, but it bears repeating. Also of King George Falls, this is a view taken from atop the right hand falls in the above painting. Both of these paintings do something that I need to find again. They have a sense of scale and perspective, despite the fact they are large works. In each of these paintings I was following a methodology of design synthesis. I would start with a rough concept in the sketchbook, then produce a colour study finally working my way up to the finished article you see in the above two examples. Well, this week things followed a different trajectory. I started with a digital drawing, still of my own creation, just using a computer and a Wacom Tablet instead of a pencil in a cartridge paper sketchbook. I produced this: I was happy with this initially. So how did I break my own rules? Especially the one about meticulous planning??? Well I went straight from this drawing to the final… with no colour study. I just wanted to play, and some interesting things came out of it. Namely, it was fun, lots of fun! And now I have three tips for you that came out this process: Tip One: Transferring your drawing There are many systems for getting your compositional drawing from the paper or screen to the canvas. I drew this picture to scale. This is very important. You want your drawing to match the final painting as close as possible. Well…so I thought. Before I get into the creative accident that transpired let me give you a little tip. By connecting the corners, and the centerlines, and then dividing the image further, I come up with a grid of sorts. I then can transfer this same pattern to the canvas. By connecting the corners with tape I can get a taut straight line. Also, this is easily removed and I don’t have any excess paint lines to blur or obscure in my block out. Then, by following my drawing carefully, I can choose one shape at a time and translate the information I see in the drawing. It’s not exact, but I am not concerned with exactness at the moment. The image should hold together as I draw it up one piece at a time. Then, once I’m done, I peel it off: Tip Two: The Right Brushes for the Job! With such a monumental canvas, speed actually helps me. I need to get thing covered quickly so I can see if the image is working. This means the right consistency of paint, but also, the right brushes. I am using 000 fine bristle riggers as you see to the left... just kidding. No seriously. I say riggers because again, we tend to have the temptation to reach for a small brush, because as realist painters, we want to get things right…right? So we equate a smaller brush to accuracy, and whilst this may be the case, there is a time and place for fine detail. This, however, is not the time! By increasing the size of my brush, it encourages me to use more paint. The surface of the canvas takes on a different feeling and has a painterly texture. I cover ground in wide strokes and get this thing blocked-in quickly. It takes me most of the day: Tip Three: Making adjustments It’s okay to change your mind. Look, I had to tell myself that this whole week. As the image went up on the canvas something started to become really obvious: the drawing works, but the painting doesn’t! I mean, it looks fine I guess, but the shapes don’t seem to carry the same character and drama. So, I decide to make some adjustments. Drawing live on the canvas, forced me to reconnect with my WHY. It’s perhaps the single most important factor behind the painting: “WHY are you doing this???” Now, I knew I loved King George Falls. Cmon, who wouldn’t? It’s epic and grand! It’s the Kimberley at it’s best! But what I had lost in the design phase is my question that was driving the painting: how did I want my viewer to feel? Why was I making this image, and what impact did I want it to have on firstly, myself, and secondly the viewer? I wanted more drama, more presence and more excitement. My adjustments were made. I could see how this view would come about, simply by moving closer to the central precipice. It gets bigger and the central rock spire gets taller, whilst the perspective becomes a little more extreme. I think this new view will help the viewer feel part of the scene. Hero Review: Thomas Moran When I think of the Hudson River School, I think of epic paintings depicting the grandeur of nature. There were many artists from this era who were taken with notions of Humanity and it’s relationship to nature, portrayed as a manifestation of the divine. None captured this better in my opinion than Thomas Moran: CLICK HERE TO VISIT PAINTING REFRENCES I love Moran’s work. Not only is it technically very well done, but some of these landscapes are huge, and Moran keeps it together. One of the challenges of big work is not having it get away from you. Sometimes a huge piece can be overwhelming, Moran inspires me with his control of big canvasses. I love his use of selective light and shade and how shapes can come alive due to their juxtaposition with one another. CLICK HERE TO VISIT PAINTING REFRENCES I think with big works such as these, the drawing is key. Moran’s skill with yielding the brush is clear. But’s it’s not all about detail. He knows when to hold back. What I love about this waterfall painting above is that there are restful areas for the eye to relax. I think I may employ a little of this in my painting of King George Falls, cheers Moran! Art Coach: Destructive Criticism This week, one of my readers emailed me and asked me to write about negative influences in your practice. In particular negative people, who can be hurtful in their criticism of your work. We wear our hearts on our sleeves. That goes with being an artist. As such, when we hear something we don’t want to, from someone we don’t want to, it hurts. Dealing with harsh criticism goes with the territory. Sorry. I am not talking constructive criticism here, I am talking about destructive criticism. This is when people cut your work down, and leave you with nothing to move on with. There are always those sorts of people who want to tell you all about it. They will give you their opinion whether you want to hear it or not. I have heard it all. Sometimes the odd comment will make it through and get to you. So rather than argue your case or go head to head with these negative nasties, let's get creative shall we. We are artists after all! So how can we change the way we feel about, or react to harsh criticism? We can ask questions. That's what artist's do best! Questions can empower us, if we ask the right ones. Upon hearing something negative, or overly-harsh-destructive-criticism, I shut it down. I tell myself “that ain’t me, that’s them”. Then, I ask the question: “I wonder what’s going on with them that makes them treat people this way?” or “What qualifies them to make such a comment?” In thinking about the answer I change my focus, and change my state of mind. I love asking questions because it shifts the focus away from you, and back onto something else, in this case, them. That way, you stop taking it personally, and instead of having hurt and anger for it, you have pity for them. Ahh, poor bastards. Stay tuned, next week I will have another installment on this epic King George Falls! painting! If you enjoyed this week’s edition, and have gained a trick or two from the! past Workshop Weekly issues, then could you do me a favor? Would you forward! this to a friend? I just love to share with others. It’s a big chunk of my life. Help me! share the love. Thanks guys! See you next week! Andrew AndrewTischlerArtist Tischler Website Give Feedback Painting Heroes Instagram
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