Spring 2011 Acrylic Class

ACRYLIC CLASS DEMO Week 2 – FantaSea

The start of this painting is something totally different for me but it turned out to be a very fun start to our first project, I hope everyone else had fun as well. It is always good to try new things you may find different ways to paint that are more to your liking.

--- The way we started this painting out is pure abstract. We were basically pouring and throwing paint on our canvases. While there isn't a lot of structure to something like this, I can tell you my thinking behind what I was doing, it may be helpful to you as you splatter and pour.

--- Since I have done this in watercolor on a white background, I thought it might be fun to try this on a black background so I painted my canvas with black gesso but you can paint yours any color you want or none at all.

--- Through experimenting at home I found that against a dark background most colors needed a bit of gesso with them to show up so if you are painting on a dark background you might need to add a bit of gesso so your color will show up. I also found it was easier to mix in a small cup and add enough water so you can pour it on your canvas, you can also splatter and be sure to tilt and spirtz with water occasionally to get more action from your paints. Anything goes so long as you quit before you start mixing mud or it gets too busy.

----- That is the technique but there was method in my madness as I applied the different colors. While I didn't have a drawing on my canvas, I did have a mental image of where my boat was going to be. If it is helpful to you use your chalk or your charcoal and just put a couple lines to suggest the placement of the boat and the horizon that is as much drawing as you will need for now. The reason for this is I wanted the warmer, brighter colors behind the sail area of my boat and the cooler colors in the water area. I did repeat some of the cooler colors up in my sky area and there were some places where the warmer colors got down into my water area, but that is okay, I may add more of those colors as I go along to represent reflections in the water.

---- This type of painting isn't for everyone but it can give you a different way to approach a subject. Don't be afraid to try new things it can give your art the needed break you need to get some freshness into your art and you learn so much along the way. Yes, you might fail but you will fail in a spectacular way and be the better for it.

--- We will be painting the boat next class, please try to get your drawing on your canvases remember to use proportions and I do highly recommend "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards to improve your drawing skills. If the drawing classes are going to close, you are going to have to make the effort on your own, I will help where I can but as I have said before, it you want your paintings to improve your drawing skills need to improve. Good luck, I'll see you in class.