Fall 2017 Acrylic Class

 Acrylic Class Project: An Autumn Proposal Week 1

This week we worked on getting the background fabric in our painting. In acrylic we can paint right over areas that have previously painted so it is best to work from background to foreground, we don't necessarily have to finish the background but we do need to get it in so we can paint the foreground in and it won't look cut and pasted when we are done.

I only used 3 colors for the background fabric: Alizarin crimson, napthol red (cad red light would also work, just remember it is on the orange side) and ultramarine blue. I wanted to work fast to get the background in using the wet into wet technique to blend my colors on the canvas instead of mixing on the palette, so I needed to use my #10 flat bristle brush. I am working on and 18 x 24" canvas that I painted black with black gesso and let it dry.

Because I am painting on a black canvas I need to use enough paint to show up against the black. If you are taking one little dab of paint and trying to spread it across the entire surface of your painting, you will not have much luck, so put out paint and replenish your brush often and you shouldn't have a problem.

Starting in the upper left corner that is black in the photo, I wanted to create the suggestion of fabric going into shadow so I was only using the alizarin and the ultramarine blue, working quickly, thinking about the flow of the fabric (always follow the direction of the thing you are painting). When I got to the first fold, that is when I started using the napthol for the lighter top of the folds that might be catching a bit more light.

Please look at fabric and pay attention to how fabric drapes and how folds don't just start and stop but fade in and out, flatten or get smaller. Use the blue when you want to create shadow, the alizarin for the middle tones and the napthol for the brighter parts and work quickly blending as you go.

The folds and creases will change direction when they go across the flat surface the bouquet is sitting on, so make your brush strokes do the same.

This is only the under painting for the background we may or may not do more to it later as we develop our painting but once you get your background complete, let it dry completely then with your chalk or charcoal, sketch in the design for next class.

We can always make adjustments to any part of our painting at any time so just do the best you can. We haven't done too much of the wet into wet and it does take a bit of trial and error, but once you get the hang of it, it is a really lovely way to paint and for those of you who want to work looser, this is the technique for you.

Try to get your painting to this point with the sketch on we will be doing the under painting for the bouquet and bottle next time. 

Keep painting and I will see you in class.