Peggi Habets Studio

Faces & Features: New Book by Walter Foster Publishing

2019-02-28T09:31:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, I authored a book of watercolor portraits. This year the publisher, Walter Foster, created a new how-to book comprised of the artwork of ten artists and including five watercolor projects taken from my first book. It was so nice to see four of my portraits on the front and back covers. The book is available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers.

Here's a little peak into the book:

One of the step-by-step projects to follow along:

Wrapping Up 2018

2018-11-12T10:35:00.000-05:00

STUDIO NEWS

Every year, right around this time, I do a year-in-review and I compare it with a list of goals that I wrote at the beginning of the year, contemplating what worked and what didn't. Since it is easy to forget all the little successes, I keep a list of celebrations that I read over. These are a few highlights from my notes:

Celebrations:

5-day workshop with the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society. Great group of artists. Beautiful accommodations and lots of positive energy. Would definitely teach there again.
Sold paintings in both exhibitions at Nemacolin.
Open studio in May - met lots of new people, added new subscribers to my mailing list, sold a painting.
Resident Artist for 2018 at the Mansion on Fifth Hotel. Met so many great people at Performance Thursdays and the bi-monthly Art Tours.
Tango Night! Amazed to see people braving the terrible weather to come out. Unbelievable musical performances by Tom Robbins and Alejandro Pinzon and dancers Yulia and David. Completed a Tango painting.
Fun two-week portrait class at MAL. Nice to see new and former students.

I am seriously amazed that I am able to do this work year after year and to have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful, supportive people.

NEW ARTWORK

Liar, watercolor, 30 x 22 in before framing

After painting so many cityscapes, I was just itching to paint a human. With Liar, my goal was to leave enough ambiguity to allow the viewer to bring their own life experiences to the work.

Is the woman in the painting the liar? Is she accusing someone else of lying? Maybe this person represents all of us at different times in our lives and is a call to self-awareness and correction. Or maybe it is a sign of our political landscape.

Refuge, watercolor, 20 x 30 in before framing

What is it about roofs that are so captivating? I love trying to capture the city expanding into the distance with suggestive, obscurred strokes of color.

For me, each of those roofs represent a microcosm of one larger society. Seeing the parts and the whole at the same time reminds me that we are just a fraction of one bigger human community, despite our many differences.

Last Dance, watercolor, 28 x 21 in framed

I started this painting at a "Tango Night" event at the Mansion on Fifth Hotel. What a night! Amazing musicians and dancers treated the audience to a Tango performance. Artist Claire Hardy and I painted along with the music.

I titled this painting, "Last Dance", because I pictured a couple at the end of a party, oblivious to the fact that everyone else had gone home.

New Cityscape Paintings

2018-09-26T12:16:00.001-04:00

Each day, on my walk to my studio, I pass quirky side streets, historic buildings, and people walking or biking to school and work. Everywhere I look, I see life and energy in the people and places in my hometown of Pittsburgh.

My new series of paintings celebrate the unlikely beauty of the back streets and rooftops of this steel city. Whether painting a sun-drenched alleyway or a view of rooftops at night, each painting strives to find the beauty and drama in the ordinary.

Here are just a few from the series:

Dounton Way, watercolor, 30 x 24 in

Puzzle Pieces, watercolor, 15.5 x 29 in

After Midnight, watercolor, 17 x 30 in

Resident Artist at the Mansions on Fifth

2018-08-30T15:13:00.000-04:00

I was excited to have been selected as one of two Resident Artists at the Mansions on Fifth Hotel. I will be exhibiting my art, along with Claire Hardy, in rotating exhibitions through the end of the year. Below is our exhibition schedule.

On Thursday, September 13th, Claire and I will be given a painting demo at the Mansions on Fifth during Performance Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30. There will be music by performer Meredith Holliday, complimentary cheese and charcuterie, and cocktail specials. I hope you can join us!

Let's Explore

2018-08-14T12:04:00.000-04:00

Since my move to the city three years ago, I have been captivated by the hidden alleyways, towering fire escapes, quirky cobblestone roads, and steep (and I mean STEEP) hills. I am constantly snapping photos on my bike rides, walks to the studio and drives around town. And now, I'm putting these images into a series of paintings that I will be introducing at my October Open Studio. Here are a few:

This is the view I enjoy nightly from the rooftop of my house.

Climb Up With Me, watercolor, 21 x 26 in

I pass this weird, little alleyway every time I ride my bike to the Strip District. I love all the telephone wires and the beautiful, rusty beams overhanging the street.

Morning Walk, watercolor, 21 x 17 in

I was sitting at the hair salon chair, when I looked out the window and saw this amazing scene of light and shadow.

Dounton Way, watercolor, 13.5 x 12 in

If you would like a sneak peak of this series, or dibs on one of the paintings, let me know. Studio visits are by appointment. I would love to give you a personal tour.

What Is A Watercolor Workshop Like?

2018-07-19T11:25:00.000-04:00

This past May, I spent a week with an inspirational group of artists in Buffalo, NY, teaching a portrait and figurative workshop.

It's amazing how much I learn when I teach. I learn more about my process by answering questions and demonstrating, about new tools and gadgets that my students love, and I learn how to be a better teacher. It's not an easy gig, but it is incredibly rewarding when you have the right mix of motivated students.

The week builds from simple exercises to more complicated design and color work.

We start with face-only portraits and end with a full-sized, fine art painting.

The mornings start with a demo of a lesson or exercise and a review of the day before, following by student painting time. The students are given instruction in several ways: 1) I rotate through the students as they work, giving one-on-one instruction, 2) I demonstrate for the group and have answer questions, 3) I present a power point presentation with the concepts introduced, and 4) we have critiques of the work at the end of the week.

Here is some of the wonderful art that was created. Unfortunately, I don't have all the artists' names for each painting, so there's no credit with the images. You can find these artists and more at the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/niagarafrontierwatercolorsociety/

Want To Attend A Workshop?
Next year I will be teaching two back-to-back workshops at Riverside Art Workshops in Hudson Valley, NY. The first one is filled, so we added another. I'm really excited about these workshops because of the subject matter (portraits and cityscapes), the gorgeous location, and the intimate class size (only 12 students per class).

This is a great opportunity for motivated artists who want more one-on-one instruction than a traditional workshop and are serious about improving their skills.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.peggihabets.com/events-workshops.html

No Sour Grapes Here

2018-05-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

Nemacolin Woodlands Retreat has a beautiful art gallery where I've been exhibiting for over a year. The artwork just glows in this location and I always look forward to creating new paintings specifically for this space.

Recently, the gallerist proposed showcasing food and wine-related paintings to pair (no pun intended!) with their annual Wine Weekend event.

I took this as an opportunity to try something new and started playing around with painting grapes. I wanted the grapes to look alive, moving and blowing on the vine. The result is a series of paintings that are flowing and abstract with just a few realistic details.

To create this look, I wet the paper with plain water, leaving dry areas where I wanted the white of the paper.

I drop in rich, heavy color and let it mingle and mix on the page. After it dries, I start to suggest the shape of grapes. I researched different grapes to find out how they hang on the vine and each individual shape.

I ended up creating a series of these because they were so fun to paint. Here are a few:

Cabernet II, 13 x 11 in, watercolor

Zinfandel II, 18 x 2 in, watercolor

New Paintings to Whet Your Appetite

2018-02-09T16:06:00.000-05:00

"An Appetite for Art" is a new exhibition at Nemacolin Woodlands Retreat in Farmington, Pa. It features the work of three artists (Me, Joyce Werewie Perry, and Maura Light) and differing views on food and wine. The exhibition runs through April 22, 2018.

February Artist Meet and Greets: Saturday, February 10 and 17 from 5 to 7 pm

Wine Weekend Meet and Greet and Artist Demo: Friday, April 20, 5 to 7 pm

Here are a few photos of the exhibition:

Finishing Touch in the cozy, sitting area
in the gallery

Pressure Cook and The Chefs in the
beautiful gallery hallway

A visitor checking out one of Joyce's
paintings.

Cabernet
14 x 12 in, watercolor

Zinfandel
26 x 18 in, watercolor

Zinfandel 2
12 x 13 in, watercolor

Vintage
16 x 12 in, watercolor

What's Cooking? Paintings of Food, Chefs, and Fine Dining

2018-01-21T00:05:00.000-05:00

Food is full of texture, color, and shape. Cooking in a restaurant involves steam, fire, people, and shiny chrome. Putting them together in a series of paintings has been fun and oh so challenging.

The paintings below can be viewed at Nemacolin Woodlands Retreat Art Gallery in a new exhibition called "An Appetite for Art". Three artists interpret the art of cooking.

For several paintings, I worked from photos that I took inside the 5-star Lautrec restaurant at Nemacolin. The kitchen is beautiful with copper pots, reflective surfaces, fresh herbs, and brightly-colored peppers. It was great to be a fly on the wall and to observe the behind-the-scenes activity that happens before the restaurant opens.

The exhibition runs through April 22. I hope you can stop by Nemacolin for one of the artist Meet and Greets in February and April. I would love to see you there. Details: http://www.nemacolin.com/events-calendar#Event_910

Finishing Touch, watercolor, 29 x 27 in

Pressure Cook, watercolor, 18 x 22 in

The Chefs, watercolor, 22 x 26 in

Watercolor Artist Magazine

2017-10-29T19:18:00.002-04:00

Very cool. My artwork is featured in the December 2017 issue of Watercolor Artist magazine. It was such an honor and, even more so, when I found out my painting, Lumiere, found it's way onto the cover. The article was written by writer/artist Louise Hafesh. She did such a nice job of taking my incoherent notes and create a compelling story that even surprised me, haha.

Here are inages of the article, but you can also find the issue here.

My painting, What Plagues Us, was selected for a special section of the magazine called "Picture This", which highlights one artist's painting with a full descriptive narrative. This last page was actually a surprise; I didn't find out until I received the magazine!

For a close-up and information about What Plagues Us?, click HERE. To view a collection of available artworks, click ARTWORKS.

Summer Exhibition

2017-07-10T14:43:00.000-04:00

Just finished hanging artwork at the beautiful Nemacolin Woodlands Resort for the summer exhibition featuring myself and two other artists, James Kennedy of NYC and Christy Branson, from Seattle.The exhibition runs through September 5, 2017.

Below are my paintings in the show. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to photograph the other artists' work before my phone died but you can see their work here: James Kennedy and Christy Branson.

Watercolor Essentials: Part 4, Paper

2017-06-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

And here we are at the #1 watercolor essential. After teaching students year after year, I've concluded that the most important supply to have, the one that will make or break a painting, is...quality paper!

You can get away with student-grade paints, brushes, and palettes for the first few classes but not paper. A poor-quality paper will not absorb paint; it will blotch and puddle making it incredibly frustrating for students and instructor alike. Cheaper papers also tend to be a lighter weight; anything less than 140# will buckle and bow, creating a difficult painting surface that pools the paint. Scrubbing will usually disintegrate the surface.

I use a cold press paper, either 300# or 260# in Arches, Waterford, and Killimanjaro. Lately, I've been experimenting with the new, high-end Canson L'Aquarelle, a beautiful paper that feels like velvet. I don't stretch or tape my paper down and I paint all the way to the edge. If my paper is a little bowed when I'm finished painting, I simply wet the back of the painting with clean water and lay the painting between two pieces of cardboard and under a stack of books. By morning, it is flat and ready to frame.

Students starting out should try as many brands and surfaces as they can to see what feels right for them. There's rough, cold press (semi-rough), and hot press (smooth). There's bristol board with a variety of textures and the quirkiest paper of all, Yupo, which isn't a natural paper but a synthetic polypropylene. It pools and resists the paint, but that's part if it's charm, once you know how to use it.

Once a student finds a paper that works for their purposes, it's a good idea to use that same brand over and over to learn the properties of the paper, such as, how quickly the paint absorbs, how or if the paint lifts, and how much scrubbing can it handle.

I hope this series has helped make your supply selections a little easier. Have fun!

Watercolor Essentials: Part 3, Paint

2017-06-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

Paint! If I had to rate the importance of watercolor supplies, paint would be at the top of the list as the second most important. (What's number one? We'll talk about that next week.)

Despite my pleas, at almost every workshop I teach, a student will arrive with a palette of paint turds. You might know what I mean--those hard, pea-sized blobs of paint that look like they were squeezed out a century ago. The problem with dried out blobs of paint is that it is incredibly hard to load up your brush with pigment, making your painting a likely candidate for the wimpy pile.

I always recommend that students buy tubes of paint instead of pans for the same reason.

For beginners who are trying watercolor for the first time, student grade is acceptable. Eventually, you will want to upgrade to a professional grade for the color fastness properties. It would be a shame to paint your first masterpiece, only to see it fade a few years from now.

Currently, my brand of choice is M. Graham, although I also use Qor, Stephen Quiller, and Daler Rowney. All good stuff. You can't really go wrong with any of the professional grades; I believe it's a matter of personal preference.

I arrange my colors on my palette from opaque/semi opaque/granulating (left side) to transparent and staining:

From bottom, right: Cadmium Red Light, Titanium White, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow Light, Sepia, Cobalt Teal, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Neutral Tint, Burnt Sienna, Cobalt Violet (also use Mineral and Dioxazine Purple), Ultramarine Pink, Viridian Green, Permanent Green Light, Golden Green, Transparent Yellow, Raw Sienna, Gamboge, Maroon Perylene, Pyrrole Red Light, Quinacridone Rose, Permanent Rose, Quinacridone Violet, Phthalo Blue.

Yipes! It's scary to squirt a $7 tube of paint into your paint wells. The best way to ease into it is to top off your paints with a squirt of fresh paint each time and mix it with the old.

Watercolor Essentials: Part 2, Palette

2017-05-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sure, I know. It's not one of the sexier watercolor supplies, but having a good palette really is essential. Here are some things I look for in a palette:

SIZE
For me, the most important aspect of a good palette is a nice, big mixing area in the center that accommodates large brushes.

PAINT WELLS
I also like having paint wells that are large enough that I can load up my brushes with paint. I also like the paint wells to have an opening to the center so that I can drag my brushes from the paint to the center easily.

STORAGE
It's helpful to have a lid to help keep your paint fresh. The lid on my palette has three additional mixing areas on the top so I can mix up a large batch of color at a time.

I use two palettes. One is a Frank Webb design, sold at most art supply stores, and the other is so old I have no idea what it is. I use the Frank Webb for my daily painting and the other one to store mixed paints that I use over and over, like my blacks and several skin tone mixtures.

Watercolor Essentials: Part 1, Brushes

2017-05-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Students are often at a loss when buying watercolor supplies for the first time. I hear you. I have a studio filled with supplies that I bought when I first started painting that I never use anymore. Why am I still hanging on to them? Good question and probably an answer for a therapist, not a blog.

I thought it might be helpful if I take the next several weeks to write about the materials that I do use and why.

Let's start with brushes.

I always tell students not to run out and buy the most expensive brushes because, frankly, brushes wear out and you will find yourself replacing them after a year or two. That's when you can upgrade the brushes you find yourself using most.

Here are some tips:

Start with a variety of sizes and shapes, including flats and rounds. You will especially want a 1" or 2" flat brush for large areas
Skip the fan brush; I don't know anyone who uses one.
Try synthetic and natural hair. I have all my brushes in both. I use the sturdy synthetic brushes for scrubbing and the more delicate, natural hairs for the painting.
I like Rosemary brushes for their quality. The natural-hair brushes are supposedly humanely sourced (according to Rosemary herself).
I like Pro-Arte synthetic brushes because they are a good value--well made but not ridiculously priced.

Here are some of the brushes I can't live without.

BRUSHES

From left: 2” Flat (ProArte Prolene)

1 ½” Flat (ProArte Prolene)

1” Cat’s Tongue (Grumbacher)

18 Round (Rosemary Kolinsky 33)

18 Round (Rosemary Synthetic 301)

12 Round (Rosemary Kolinsky 33)

12 Round (Rosemary Synthetic 301)

8 Round (Rosemary Kolinsky 33)

8 Round (Rosemary Synthetic 301)

4 Round (Rosemary Kolinsky 33)

2 Round (Rosemary Kolinsky 33)

1 Round (Rosemary Kolinsky 33)

16 Extended Point (Rosemary 46)*

1/2 Silver Scrubber Angled

1/2 Silver Scrubber Round

1/4 Silver Scrubber Stencil

*Good for painting very fine lines

like wispy hair

If this has been helpful to you, please consider sharing on your favorite social media site.

Watercolor Master Class: Expressive Portraits and Figures

2017-05-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

Creation by Peggi Habets, watercolor

Learn to paint expressive and creative portraits and figures in watercolor

small-class environment (18 students max.)
all levels
follow instructor-led exercises or work on your own paintings
one-on-one guidance and development
pre-workshop goal-setting
brand-new 1500 sf studio space

This is not your everyday watercolor workshop! This is a retreat, vacation, and master class all in one, housed at the world-renowned Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. The 2000 acre resort features a multi-million dollar art collection, a luxury spa, a Forbes 5-star restaurant and two world-class golf courses and many other exciting amenities.

Melanie Werner, Art Collection Curator and Director of Nemacolin Gallery will host a welcome reception on Sunday followed by a guided tour of the multi-million dollar Hardy Family Collection.

Sign up with an artist friend and share a room, or bring a spouse, family, or non-painting friend to enjoy the many amenities of Nemacolin and make it a getaway retreat for all of you.

COST OF MASTER CLASS: $125/day, $375 for three days per student. (Limited to 18 students).

Master Class Information, contact: Melanie Werner melanie.werner@nwlr.com 724-329-6315

Class & Room reservations, contact: Andres Gutierrez andres.gutierrez@nwlr.com 724 329-6430

Reference: Watercolor Master Class

DAY RATE FOR DROP- IN STUDENTS: $185

Painting kits for drop-in students available for $75 per kit.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: NEMACOLIN.COM/ACTIVITIES/ART CLASSES

Class information is available at http://www.peggihabets.com/events-workshops.html. For questions, students can contact Peggi at: peggihabets@gmail.com or Melanie Werner, Curator at, melanie.werner@nwlr.com 724-329-6315.

LOCATION: 1001 Lafayette Drive Farmington, PA 15437 nemacolin.comp

New! One-Day Figure Workshop

2017-05-08T05:00:00.000-04:00

Last November, I taught a one-day portrait workshop at the New Kensington Art Center. We had such a great time, we are doing it again. Only this time our focus will be the figure. There are a few spaces available. If you live in the Pittsburgh area and want to join in the fun, you can register here. Syllabus and supply list available on my website.

Here are some photos from the last workshop:

American Watercolor Society 150th International Exhibition

2017-05-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

I had the good fortune to be able to attend the AWS awards dinner this past weekend at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. I was a bit of a fan girl as I recognized so many artists whose watercolors have influenced me over the years. Talking to them and seeing their work in person was the best part of the evening. I was also thrilled to receive an award for my painting, "What Plagues Us?" Here are a few pics from the evening.

Tony Bennett receiving an honorary membership
award for his contribution to the arts.

Receiving my award from AWS prez, Antonio Masi

Before leaving NY, we stopped by the new Q

Station to see the amazing Chuck Close
tile portraits.

4-Day Watercolor Workshop

2017-04-24T06:00:00.001-04:00

I spent 4 days in Charlotte, NC teaching a wonderful bunch of artists at Nancy Couick's Studio. The students were enthusiastic and so willing to try new, challenging concepts.

Day One
I demonstrated painting features, skin tones and a head-only portrait.

The students then painted their own versions.

Student portraits

Day Two and Three
Students finished their head-only portraits and started planning larger, personal works of art using value sketches and color studies. We discussed color harmony, values, and most important, the "why" (not what) of our painting.

Day Four
Students worked on their larger paintings by following their color studies and value sketches. Students learned to self-critique and we ended the workshop with a group critique of everyone's work.

I learned something too. A student told me about a nifty, new tool from Rosemary Brushes called an eradicator (which I bought) that removes paint from a painting without damaging the paper. It works great!

Thanks to all the students who attended and helped to make the workshop a great success!

3rd Annual Cabin Retreat

2017-04-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

This winter, I snuck away on my "Third Annual Painting Retreat" which was, basically,

me alone in the woods with my paints...and a few select amenities.

The weather was beautiful and completely uncharacteristic for February in Pennsylvania, so I was able to spend some time painting outside.

Here is a sneak peak of some works in progress. I look forward to sharing the finished
paintings with you later this year at my open studio and upcoming exhibition.

Step Seven: Framing

2017-04-17T12:54:00.000-04:00

This is the last step of "7 Steps of A Painting". Here are steps One: Inspiration, Two: Computer Design, Three: Value Sketch, Four: Color Studies, Five: Drawing and Six: Painting.

Framing is an artform in itself and the right framing can make your painting look even better. However, talk about overwhelming! There is a dizzying array of choices of mat style and color, framing, and choice of glass or acrylic. Taking the time to find an excellent framer is so worth the effort. The framer will help you make a decision by narrowing your choices to fit your preferences.

Disquiet was purchased and then framed by the collector. The choice of frame was based on the style of the client's home, personal taste, and the desire to match the frame to one of my previously-purchased paintings. They selected a beautiful wooden frame, archival mats and backing, and museum-quality glass to reduce glare from the windows.

In comparison, the paintings that I exhibit in juried shows or galleries are framed with simple, wooden frames and neutral mats. Galleries display the work of many different artists so the neutral framing is preferred to make the collection of art feel cohesive.

This is one of my favorite ways to frame my art.

A light wooden frame, neutral mat and "floating" artwork. Floating means the art is attached to the top of a mat, instead of under, showing off the edge of the watercolor paper. Since I ship my paintings regularly, I use acrylic instead of glass. The top-of-the-line acrylic is Optium Museum Acrylic, which shows no glare and is more scratch resistant than standard acrylic. It also costs a fortune! I'm hoping the price will come down over time so I can use it every time I frame a painting.

I hope you enjoyed this series. Stay tuned for more and thanks for reading!

Step Six: Painting

2017-04-10T10:40:00.000-04:00

This is Step Six of "7 Steps of A Painting". Here are steps One: Inspiration, Two: Computer Design, Three: Value Sketch, Four: Color Studies, and Five: Drawing.

People often ask me how long it takes me to paint a portrait. They are surprised to find out that the planning and design take about twice as long as the actual painting. Having my value sketch and color study to guide me takes the guesswork out of which colors to choose or how light or dark areas should be, allowing me to paint freely and confidently. It also eliminates the question I hear in every single workshop, "what should I paint in my background?".

For this painting, I started with the figures, putting my lightest lights and darkest darks in early. As the painting progressed, I continually adjusted the values of the background so that the busy stained-glass window did not overshadow the figures.You can see that the "lights" of the window are darker than the lights on the figure. I also lowered the intensity of the colors in the window by applying washes of the the complement of each color. For instance, I applied a watery wash of green (the complement of red) over the reds to make them less intense.

Here is the finished painting, before framing.

Disconnected, watercolor, 29 x 22"

Step Five: Drawing

2017-03-27T14:59:00.000-04:00

This is Step Five of "7 Steps of A Painting". Here are steps One: Inspiration, Two: Computer Design, Three: Value Sketch and Four: Color Studies.

Now that you have excellent reference material, a design and composition plan, and a color scheme, you are ready to start your drawing. There are two ways that I use to draw my image onto the watercolor paper: freehand drawing and trace/freehand combo.

Drawing Freehand

When I paint from life, I have no choice but to draw freehand. This means I am looking at my model and drawing what I see without the aid of a grid or other tools. Strong drawing skills can only be acquired with practice. I also draw simple figures and cityscapes freehand.

Trace/Freehand Combo

For my large, complicated designs, I do a combo of tracing and freehand drawing. Watercolor paper can only withstand so much erasing without damaging the paper. To avoid that, I first print out my figures the exact size I want for the painting. I cut them out and arrange them on my paper. I trace an outline of the figures and then draw in the details. This saves considerable time and erasing because I know I at least have my figures in the right place before I finish the drawing.

I draw my images onto 260 or 300 pound Arches cold press paper. I use the rougher side of the 260, and the smoother side of the 300. I use an HB or 2B pencil and a kneaded eraser.

Below is a new painting I have drawn up, ready to go!

Step Four: Color Studies

2017-03-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

This is Step Four of "7 Steps of A Painting". Here are Steps One: Inspiration, Two: Computer Design: and Three: Value Sketches.

My students like color studies much more than the value sketches of Step Three. The color studies are small, 5x7" paintings that are fun to play around with because it allows you to try out several of different color schemes, especially a color combination you wouldn't normally use.

Here is my value sketch from Step 3.

Because I wanted to keep the original colors of the stain-glass window, I decide to paint with an analogous color scheme of blue, blue-violet, violet, red-violet, and red, and a complement of yellow. I can see how the painting will look and feel before starting on the larger painting. I like it, so the next step is the drawing--stay tuned for next week's post.

Step Three: Value Study

2017-03-06T22:38:00.000-05:00

Here we are at Step Three of a seven-part series on creating a painting from conception to framing. Step One discussed inspiration and Step Two covered computer design.

Step Three is the probably most hated step among my workshop students. Beginner students find it difficult to understand how a small, black and white rough sketch can improve their paintings. It takes time and lots of practice to see the benefit of arranging your painting into simple black and white value shapes. The arrangement and adjustments of the value shapes can make or break a painting.

In Step Two, I showed you the initial computer design for my painting, Disconnected.

I took the image of the mother and child and combined it in Photoshop with the image of the stained-glass window and a brick wall. If you squint your eyes at the design, you can see that there is not a good mix of light and dark values. The stained-glass window, the upper left shadow, and the figures are almost the same value and there is no impact. The shapes all blend together. I can adjust those values with a little sketch.

In the value sketch, I adjusted the lights and darks so that the highest contrast on the mother, keeping her the focal point despite the busy stained-glass window behind her. The window is mid to dark values with the darker shapes leading from the upper, right corner to the figures. The figures are framed by the vertical and horizontal lines.

Next week: Color studies.