The mini demo for last class was about painting fabric but it could also be applied to any irregular surface like a crumpled piece of paper or a plowed field with rows the best instruction I can give you – which is what I always give you – is to be observant. It also helps to have some reference photos, even a paper towel can be a visual aid while you are learning to paint fabric.
When you are looking at your reference, be it photo, paper towel or the real thing, pay close attention to the lights and shadows these are a lot more subtle on undulating surfaces than they are on flat surfaces. Yes you will have light, dark and middle areas but you can also have in between values as well. The more you can see these changes in value and apply them to your painting the more realistic your fabric or field will become.
As always, when you are painting in acrylic it is best to start with a middle value, this gives you some place to go with your values and it is almost better to start out too dark than too light because most of you get scared when you have to go darker when you start out too light so it is usually easier for you to go lighter, it doesn't seem to have the same fear factor as going darker.
I do need to point out that the middle values for light colors are different than the middle values for darker colors. For instance: The middle values for white may be almost as light as the highlights for navy blue so the color of your subject will influence how you start painting it.
I started by painting a burgundy color for my red curtains with red and a touch of blue. For the shirt, I used ultra marine blue and a touch of purple for my under painting. Both were fairly dark but not my darkest dark.
The next step can be done a couple ways: you can put in the darkest shadows or you can mix a slightly lighter value than you just used and find your folds. Sometimes you can just use the color straight like using the red or the blue (my examples) by itself to find the folds just remember to not cover everything you just did because that becomes another value that you need. Look for the darkest folds and paint those in. Your darkest color will have blue and purple because they are your natural shadow colors plus what ever color your fabric is such as red or green. When you are painting lighter colors like yellow or orange, add sienna to the shadow color as well and remember that the dark shadows won't be as dark. If it is white, the blue/purple will only be slightly darker than what you started with. Very seldom will you see really dark shadows in a light/white object.
Always, ALWAYS soften the edges of your values when working on material. Even things like satin will have soft blends of values and color so either use a dry brush technique when adding your values or remember to soften with your finger but soften them.
When it comes to highlights, usually you can add white to lighten a color and it will work fine, red is a different animal. Adding white to red give you pink. Even a little white can change the red enough that what you wanted as red now looks like some variation of pink. Rather than adding white, instead use orange to lighten your red. For your very lightest highlights you will need to use white but that will be okay for the highlights to be a bit pink.
This lighter value is near the top of your folds it may also be the highlight for some of the smaller folds or these that may be in the shadows of others, look at your reference to see where you might use this color. Fabric has a lot of subtle changes the more of these you see the better. Using dry brush to add touches of color here and there can add another value without having to mix one, just use your brush very lightly and let a lot of the previous value show through.
I cannot stress enough to all of you that you need to take the time to learn to use your brushes so you can see how they work. Pressing hard will put more paint on your canvas, lessening the pressure will leave less paint and give you a softer blend. This is a common problem I see in class: Students struggling because they are stuck in one mode with their brush and it is usually being heavy handed. They get too much paint when trying to do dry brush because they are pressing too hard even if they have wiped out their brush of most paint. So practice barely touching to surface of your canvas it will help in may situations.
The final highlights are right along the tops of folds but please notice that they may not run the whole length of the fold. The folds on fabric start and stop. Some are higher some are lower, just pay attention and you should do okay.
The coming class will be the last for the semester. Be sure to bring in something for critique, either something you really like or something you need help with or both. Bring in several if you want. Critique is a good learning experience and you will be surprised to find that other people will have a better opinion of your work than you do. We are usually our own worst critic so it is always good to get a second opinion where art is concerned. See you in class.
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