UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #64

What a lovely surprise!  This week I ws informed by LinkedIn – a professional social networking site – that I was one of the top 10% most viewed profiles for 2012.  This is very gratifying because it means that my blog, Understanding Abstract Art is reaching a large number of people globally.

For those who are new to my blog, I write and post my blog weekly.  I  take one of my paintings and discuss what it is about and what artistic techniques I use to achieve the finished piece.  I feel this education of the public on abstract art is important because I have heard all too often the words “even a child could do better” said of some of the world’s most renowned artworks.

On the same day I post my blog, I put a short comment and my link onto LinkedIn and also Facebook. 

Thank you LinkedIn for advising me of this.  To know that I reach an audience of global proportions is very encouraging.  Painting is a very insular activity if, like I do, the artist paints alone.  

“Portrait - Oliver” 

(Watercolour) 

Size: 25x25cm

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

Now to the painting I am discussing this week: - I have chosen a portrait of my grandson Oliver.

It is my intention to paint portraits of all my grandchildren and those daughters who have not had children.  Although I can achieve a likeness, I find portraits too restrictive for my creative temperament to do them on a regular basis – so those which I do are a “labour of love”. 

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

I have chosen watercolour for this portrait because it is a “soft looking” medium and ideal for expressing the innocence of a child.  However watercolour does not give one the freedom to paint over, so I initially gridded up the page so as to get the features in the right place.  I used 300g watercolour paper because the heavier paper does not buckle as much.  I wet the paper but don’t stretch it because I like to be able to manipulate the runny watercolour from time to time by moving the paper to a different angle to achieve happy accidents.

As you have probably guessed, the painting was taken from a photo.  This is mainly for convenience because a small child is hardly going to stand still for long.  Painting from a photo is acceptable, as is also projecting.  I do not have a projector nor do I foresee a time when I will get one.

My watercolour palette for this portrait is as follows:-

Aureo. Yellow

Rose Madder

French Ultra Blue

Cad. Red

Windsor Blue (or Phthalo Blue)

Indian Red

Aliz. Crimson

Veridian

Cobalt Blue

Light Red

Windsor Green (or Phthalo Green)

                 -o0o-

Background:               1^st Glaze –  AY

                                    2^nd Glaze – RM

                                    3^rd Glaze -   RM

Shirt:                            FU

Shadow on shirt           FU + AC

Neck and Face:            Glaze AY

Shadows on Face:        RM

                                      V

                                      CB

Shadows on Neck:        AY+V

Hair                               (AY+ CR) + V

                                      (AY +AC) + V

It’s good to keep note of the colours used so that you can accurately mix the colours at a future time if you need to do so.  I often do this with both watercolour painting and acrylics and this practice has proved very useful.   

Why don’t you have a go at portraits?  It is in the doing and not the reading about that one learns how to paint.  Then on another occasion try something abstract – try to capture a feeling. 

http://www.buderimartstudio.com