ACRYLIC CLASS – Glass and Metal
There are similarities between glass and metal that will be apparent when you really look at the two, glass has the added element of being transparent for the most part, in both cases it is good to know where you are going with them and that requires a good road map.
You will hear me almost every time talking about drawing skills, my hope is to get a few of you to take it to heart. Like anything else you have to learn, the more practice you get the better you will become and if you concentrate on creating shapes rather than the thing you are drawing you will see improvement. Shapes are important in creating a road map for your glass or metal.
First, draw the basic shape of the glass or metal you want to paint. The outline and some basic "road signs" like a label or a corner is all you need to start. When that is done now look at your object and look for all the shapes that are reflected that are reflected. Don't worry about what is causing the reflection it is truly unimportant even if it is you that is reflected, just draw what you see. If it is glass you may see the shapes of things behind the glass such as the table and that will have its own shape. You may even see shapes within shapes, depending on how detailed you are going to make your drawing/painting will determine what you put in. Remember you do need to suggest enough of what you see to tell your viewer that it is glass or metal, beyond that is up to you as an artist.
If your subject is burnished metal or glass that is not as transparent you still to look at your subject carefully. Whether it is a tarnished copper pot or a ruby glass vase, it you look close, you will see that the things around them do reflect into them, maybe not as strong as something highly polished or transparent, but it is there and you need to be able to see it.
Once you have your "road map" – it could be a simple as a few basic shapes to note the most prominent things you see or it can be highly detailed, your choice – now you have to fill in the map. It doesn't matter where you start just hold off on your highlights until the very end. Even light shapes in a very reflective object aren't pure white so you will want to gray them down with a bit of mud from your palette or a touch of blue and sienna – teeny tiny touches – you just want to take the white down a bit.
If you are painting clear glass, really look at your glass. There is very little actual white, in the thickest parts it could be green or blue or gray and the overall color will be a very thin glaze of that color so start off with that color and keep it handy you will need it. Save the whites for the very last.
If you are painting a highly polished metal object, remember to soften the edges between your shapes with your finger or lightly with a clean sable brush. If you have a very soft small blender (an old blush brush works great) that is perfect, if not a sable brush or your finger will not leave brush marks.
Because these are suppose to be tests or "thumbnails" if you need to test a color before you add it, go right ahead and place a bit next to where you want to put it to see if it is what you want. Have your object where you can see it and check your color against what you see in the glass or metal. Don't be afraid to make mistakes because this is why we are doing thumbnails so we can work out our problem areas. There are times when what seems like a "mistake" turns out to be more what we want than what we had planned so don't be afraid to play or experiment with these practice paintings, that's what they were meant for.
If you are doing a highly reflective metal or transparent glass, after you have finished adding all the shapes you see in them to finish them off you can add some final glazes to add some overall color and to add some shadows or brightness before you add your final highlights. If you are working on silver or polished steel a light glaze of white will give it a sheen. Remember to follow the shape of your object, if it is round, your brush strokes should be either "U" shapes that go around the object or curvy lines that follow the vertical shape of the object. If you are painting brass add a touch of yellow to your glaze, if it is copper add a touch or red or orange or sienna the exact color may be a combination depending on how much patina it has.
Only when you are satisfied that the thing is as done as you would like it to be is when you will look for your final highlights. For that you can use pure white or white with a touch or yellow or orange if you are working on a colored metal. Look at your subject and look for the sparkles, that is where you will add your final touches. If you need to get out a smaller brush, now is the time.
We are going to put these objects all together this week and create a simple still life so you will need a fresh canvas (don't paint out the test canvas just yet, have it for reference) and bring in your glass and metal along with one other thing for your set-up. It can be a piece of fruit real or not, a silk flower but keep it simple, your glasses if you don't need them to paint, a book…What ever you think would go with the other two objects that isn't a project in itself. I want it simple for your sakes, this third item will help you compose your painting easier than with just two but it should be something you are familiar with painting-wise.
No comments:
Post a Comment