OrbisPlanis

View from the Back Porch

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:48:00 +0000

View from the Back Porch
Oil on Canvas Panel
8 x 8 in/20.3 x 20.3 cm
Copyright 2013

Today's image is a small oil painting I completed last week. As I mentioned a few blogs back, I recently decided to return to oil paint after several years.

I'm still painting in acrylic as well, but have put my watercolors away for the time being.

Anyway, I painted this painting from a reference photo taken one summer day on a visit to the Potomac River in the state of Virginia, USA.

It was a beautiful, if somewhat warm, day, and I would have liked to have painted en plein air. However, I'm pretty sure the National Parks Service would not have allowed me or any other painter to set up an easel on the back porch of Mount Vernon.

So I had to make do with my reference photo. Not bad, I think.

Acrylic & Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:21:00 +0000

Nectarines
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
8 x 8 in/20.3 x 20.3 cm
Copyright 2013

I am painting in both acrylic and oil--not in the same painting, of course. Do many painters do that? I don't know.

This week I painted two paintings, one in each.

This acrylic, Nectarines, is today's image.

I am comparing my experience in both to determine if one comes out ahead. I don't know yet.

Of course, the difficult part is not necessarily the medium but in actually rendering the painting.

I don't expect miracles, but I will continue to paint in both and see how I'm progressing.

As a Painter, Never Say Never

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 31 May 2013 16:59:00 +0000

Ocean Blvd.
Oil on Canvas Panel
7 x 9 in/18 x 23 cm
Copyright 2013

If you're wondering what today's post is about from the headline, I'll tell you.

It's about being open and flexible and receptive and...whatever. Not a bad way to live life, especially a painter's life.

I say that because several years ago, I had "sworn off" painting in oil, although I rarely swear.

Painting in oil is messy. It is also smelly, even using OMS. It's also time-consuming; all that time to clean up your brushes and palette, not to mention how long it takes for the paint to dry.

That's what I told myself when I packed up my oil paints in their little black plastic container and pushed them way back in one of my art drawers where I put things I'm not using. I forgot about them.

Then a painter friend of mine mentioned the name of a painter with whom I was not familiar and had never heard of.

That would be Qiang-Huang.

I googled his name and saw his beautiful work on his blog and website. He paints almost daily and posts his paintings, most of which are relatively small, up for bid. Much of his work is still lifes that have beautiful effects of lighting.I hope you have time to look at his work. There's no argument that oil renders beautiful, time-tested results.

Anyway, it inspired me to take out my oil paints again and paint today's image.

Never say never.

Paint Out of Your Comfort Zone

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:12:00 +0000

Rose and Bowl
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
9 x 12 in/23 x 30.5 cm
Copyright 2013

Whatever your comfort zone is, it's time to paint out of it.

That is, I'm pretty sure it's time to give your predictable painting repertoire a break, not only for your sake but also for those who like to view and collect your paintings.

Take your creative neurons on a thrill ride and paint whatever it is that you never, or almost never, ever paint.

If you paint seascapes, paint a flower or a bouquet.

If you paint portraits, paint a landscape.

If you paint city streets, paint an animal or a herd.

That goes for painting abstract versus representational and vice versa, too.

You get the picture.

It's one thing to paint the same thing(s) over and over until you achieve near perfection and call yourself a master or past master.

It's quite another to keep painting the same thing until your creative juices for painting anything else dry up and blow away. Don't let that happen. Do what I did.

I rarely paint still lifes. Ever. But I did this week. In fact, I painted two of them, one of which is today's image. I'm glad I did. I needed a break from my landscapes that I have been painting for months and months in both watercolor and acrylic.

It's refreshing and some of those skills that have been hibernating inside you will be glad you gave them a stretch.

Get Real, But Not Too Real

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:34:00 +0000

Many people like abstract paintings. Many people don't. It seems most either love them or they don't like them very much, if at all.

From the Pier
Acrylic on Canvas Board
7 x 9 in/18 x 23 cm
Copyright 2013

I am one of those painters who like some abstract paintings--primarily those in which my mind can take the shapes and colors and put them into some type of order that allows me to make sense of the image before me. The other ones, no, thank you.

That's why I have not been in a rush to visit the Picasso Black and White exhibit now on display at the MFAH but ending soon. I may not make it, but I don't think that makes me a bad art person. More power to Picasso; he has plenty of fans already.

I do like representational paintings more than abstract. I like the painting to tell a story or at least have the ability for the viewer to make up a story.

However, liking the representational style doesn't mean I like all those baroque, neo-classical, and/or romantic paintings that were so prevalent up until the 19th century. I don't. They're either too dark or have too much theology or are just not very interesting (although well painted). Also, photo-realism is a bit much for me.

You may know I do like the loose, realistic paintings of the Impressionists, although at the time they were criticized for being everything but that. I like John Singer Sargent. I like Winslow Homer. I like Georgia O'Keeffe--her landscapes not her flowers. I also like Edward Hopper, although, except for his watercolors, he didn't paint very loose. I can take or leave Gauguin, Matisse, and Picasso as I've already said.

I do like several current painters who paint in the representational style of contemporary realism, such as Frank Serrano, Kevin MacPherson, Qiang-Huang, Joseph Zbukvic, and John Hammond to name a few who paint in oil, watercolor, and acrylic, respectively.

If you also like representational paintings, you may want to check out their work.

10 Things I've Learned About Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:59:00 +0000

Shoreline
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
7 x 9 in/18 x 23 cm
Copyright 2012

As a current painter in acrylic, I am attempting to take my work to a higher level by putting into practice some of the techniques I have read about in my many books on painting.

I respect acrylic for what it is and what it does and how you use it. That is, I try to accept acrylic on its own terms with both its advantages and disadvantages.

I have gleaned several things that will help me with my acrylics, and I believe many are applicable to other painting mediums as well:

A good composition can make or break a painting, so choose it well.

Simplify.

Use the most limited palette you can.

Underpaint using a wash of similar color to the overall color(s) of your painting to cut the whiteness.

Loosely draw in the main elements using your paintbrush.

Block in your darkest darks and lightest lights first.

Painting a smaller painting may be a better choice as you gain experience rather than a large canvas.

Paint with the largest brush you possibly can.

Paint fast, keep it loose, and leave out the details.

Paint like no one else and learn to appreciate, if not love, your own particular style.

Painting En Plein Air

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:33:00 +0000

A Beautiful Day for Painting
En Plein Air
photo copyright 2008

Maybe it's the nice spring weather we're having here in the northern hemisphere.

Maybe it's the feeling of being on the inside looking out.

Maybe it's the art books about en plein air painting I've been reading.

Maybe it's the DVD trailers of all those oil and watercolor painters who love to paint outdoors.

Maybe it's wanderlust.

Whatever it is, it's making me want to paint en plein air, which I have never done. OK, I did go out in the backyard once, but that really doesn't count.

All those en plein air painters look so happy and fulfilled in the meadows, by the riverside, in the park, or at the seashore. The weather is usually pretty fine, even if a little overcast, and sometimes there's even a refreshing breeze. How nice!

What purposeful painters they are, painting from life as it should be. Painting light and air and atmosphere just like the Impressionists in the Forest of Fontainebleau.

I take stock of my supplies. Can they be adapted for a painting trip en plein air? Why, yes, I think they can be. I don't really need a pochade box. I have a tri-pod that can be converted into a portable easel of sorts. I have light-weight plastic containers to hold what few brushes and paints I'll need. Sunscreen--check; waterbottles--check.

I'm all set.

But wait. It will soon be mid-May. There will be heat. There will be humidity. There will be mosquitos and critters. There will be sweat. What am I thinking? Painting en plein air in this climate? Am I nuts?

No, just envious of all those en plein air painters on the Pacific coast of the US, in the South of France, and along the Mediterranean Sea, that's all.

But, I will be enjoying the A/C in my studio all summer long.

Paint a Pochade

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:35:00 +0000

My Pochade
7 x 9 in/17.8 x 22.9 cm
Copyright 2013

OK. What, you may ask, is a pochade?

First. Let's get the pronunciation right. It's poh-SHOD with the accent on SHOD. It's French.

Actually it's French for the word poche or pocket, according to Wikipedia. I suppose that's pocket, as in a painting small enough to fit in your pocket or almost anyway. It is a small sketch-like painting that "captures the color and atmosphere of a scene."

You may also be familiar with the term pochade box, which is a type of portable easel popular for en plein air painting. It's like a Swiss-army-knife for painters, in that in addition to being an adjustable easel, it's also a stand and a paintbox with partitions that folds up and can be carried under one arm. But I'm not talking about that pochade box.

I'm talking a pochade as in a small painting.Why paint a pochade?

A pochade makes a great study for a bigger painting either en plein air or in the studio.

A pochade allows you to paint only the main elements, due to its small size.

A pochade or more accurately the support on which you paint a pochade can be paper, wood, canvas (or other) and is relatively inexpensive, again due to its small size.

A pochade can be and maybe should be painted rather quickly.

A pochade makes a great small painting and a statement all by itself, especially framed.

Painting a pochade is fun.

Painting is Personal

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:47:00 +0000

A Personal Painting

I'm not 100 percent sure if it was Bob Ross, the late, great TV artist, who said that painting is personal. If not, then some other well-known painter has surely said it before. I agree, and here's why.

You almost always perform it solo.

It's just you, your eyes, your brain, and your hand. You are in control of the whole operation.

It's your preference. You make all the decisions. You decide the medium as well as what to paint and how to paint and when to paint.

It's your prerogative. You decide what brand of paint, what type of brush (or palette knife), and what to paint on.

It's all in your domain. There aren't too many things in life about which you can say that.

If you don't take it personally, then you're doing it all wrong. Think about it--have you ever met a painter who didn't care about his or her paintings?

After all, it is an extension of your mind--the physical manifestation of your creative self.

What could be more personal than that?

An Easy Way to Compare Paint Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:50:00 +0000

A few years ago I did a blog about the technical side of paint colors.

Today I thought I'd give a refresher. Recently I wanted to compare a couple of yellows so that I could use the one I already had.

The painting exercise called for a palette using aureolin yellow, which I didn't have. What I did have was cadmium yellow medium, and I wondered if I could substitute. Of course, in actuality I knew I could use any yellow I wanted, but would cad yellow medium be close enough to the desired palette color?

I remembered that technical information about the paint pigment is listed on the label of the paint tube or jar usually in very small type. There will be a pigment number listed if the paint is professional grade or even a better student grade; however, some student grade paint doesn't give a pigment number, just the name of the color (e.g. azo yellow light).

The pigment number is the one that starts with a P (for pigment, duh). That's followed by either a Y, R, B, Bk, Br, W, G, O, or V (for Yellow, Red, Blue, Black, Brown, White, Green, Orange, or Violet). That is followed by a number corresponding to a particular hue on the Color Index, which was assigned by the Society of Dyers and Colourists and the Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.

Anyway, back to my problem.

I looked up the pigment number for aureolin yellow, which is PY40. Then I looked at the pigment number in very small type on my little tube of cad yellow medium. It was PY35.

Close enough for me and my paint budget. High Five!

Overcome Your Painting Inertia

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 22:43:00 +0000

This has been one of those weeks when I had the best intentions to be productive and creative and to have something to show for it by now, that is, late on a Friday afternoon.

I think someone said something like, "a good intention without action is failure." Or something like that; don't quote me.

The point is, painting can be a hard thing to get going on, if you know what I mean.

You have your studio or workstation all set up to be productive. You have a plan for your next painting. You may even have the drawing or underpainting already done.

And yet.

You can't make yourself begin to paint. You make excuses or even busy-work for yourself. You run errands or putter around (or write an art blog)--anything to keep you from standing at that easel and actually painting.

Why is painting so hard to get started?

I think it's lack of confidence, oh, let's call it what it is: f-e-a-r. Fear of ruining a drawing, ruining a canvas, ruining a painting. I do know it was F.D. Roosevelt who said, "the only thing to fear is fear itself." And it's kind of like that in painting.

You, or I, will never succeed at painting if we cannot overcome our fear. Do not remain inert. Overcome it. Pick up that brush right now.

You Shouldn't Try to Paint Like Anyone Else

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:41:00 +0000

Who Paints Like This?

Here's the thing. I know you like to paint. You like to paint because you saw a painting you liked in a museum or a gallery or a book.

And you wanted to paint a painting that looked like the painting you liked. So you looked up the artist who painted the painting. You researched the works of the artist, and you searched on the internet, and you bought books about the artist's work and his or her technique. You watched YouTube videos about that artist or videos by other artitsts about that artist. You bought DVDs by the artist and watched him or her paint.

You bought the same tools as the artist: the same palette, the same brushes (especially if he or she endorsed them), the same paper or canvas or hardboard. You bought not only the same brand of paint the artist used but also all the same colors in his or her color palette.

Someone is making money on this.

A known contemporary painter, who shall remain nameless, uses a color palette that is similar to one of the many you have tried. Of course, they're all pretty similar when you get right down to it--variations of reds, yellows, and blues plus a few secondary greens or violets along with an umber or sienna or two.

Anyway, you try out this color palette. It includes pthalo blue. You have never used pthalo blue, but you try it once, twice, three times all with the same miserable result. You and pthalo blue are not meant to be.

This doesn't mean you're not a good artist and painter because you can't paint with someone else's color palette, which most certainly evolved over their career.

It does mean you have a unique background and knowledge you bring to your work that no one else has. You have experience mixing colors and putting down brushstrokes that no one else has.

Here's the thing. You cannot paint like anyone else nor should you try.

Seven Sins of Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:41:00 +0000

Oregon Coast
Watercolor on Art Board
Copyright 2013

Today's blog is about overcoming bad habits. I have at least one of these habits now and have had all of them at one time or another. I blog about this to help me remember not to do these things. Or at least to work on not doing them so much.

Otherwise, I find myself going back to my old habits. What are those habits?

I like to call them the seven sins of painting:

- Over-reliance on photos, which is a crutch for actually seeing

- Not using your artist's license--you do have the right to make any changes you please

- Putting too much detail in the initial sketch or underdrawing, which sets you off on the wrong path

- Not seeing the lights and darks or worse--not painting them as major elements

- Beginning by painting one thing or area in detail rather than first blocking-in the whole thing

- Holding your brush like a pencil and painting tightly all scrunched up

- Finally, over-working or over-painting or whatever you may call it--it's when you don't know when to stop, so you just keep changing and painting and adding details that ultimately ruin your work

The goal I have for my work is to paint freely and boldly so viewers will be drawn into my paintings. If this is your goal, too, then we both need to stop it!

Experiment With Color

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:47:00 +0000

The Bright Unsaturated Palette
Copyright 2013

One exercise suggested to me was to learn how different color palettes affect your painting. We were to paint the same motif in watercolor using different primaries: reds, blues, yellows.

It's always educational to try color palettes you normally don't use.

In this exercise we had a choice of six color palettes of which we were to choose four. The painting was a single rose stem laid on an open book with strong shadows.

The six palettes were: Intense (Winsor yellow, red, blue); Opaque (yellow ochre, Indian red, cerulean blue); Bright Unsaturated (raw sienna, brown madder, indigo); Standard (cadmium yellow, cadmium red, French ultramarine blue); Delicate (aureolin, rose madder, cobalt blue); and Old Masters ( yellow ochre, burnt sienna, Payne's gray).

I decided to use Bright Unsaturated, Opaque, Delicate, and Old Masters mainly because I already had all those colors except for aureolin--maybe I can substitute a similar yellow.

What I learned, not surprisingly, is the color palette choice makes a difference although not as big a difference as I was expecting. The main difference was in the clearness and intensity of color and the way it affects the mood of the painting.

The Bright Unsaturated palette looked the most realistic and true to life to me. The Opaque was just what you would expect-- not at all transparent, and something was not quite right. The Old Masters looked as if you were looking at an old sepia tint photo with muted colors, which I guess is OK if that's what you want.

As it turned out I didn't find a substitute for aureolin, so I didn't do a Delicate palette. But I have used the Delicate palette before, and I will tell you the result is a relatively pale outcome since none of its colors are intense.

The other thing I noticed, again not surprisingly, was how very difficult it is to mix a green for the leaf on the rose stem. Without the proper blues and yellows it is almost impossible to get a pleasing green.

Anyway, if you have the time, experiment with color and learn something about your paints.

Put the Fun Back in Your Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:26:00 +0000

Boardwalk, Acrylic on Canvas
Copyright 2008
(When Painting Was Fun)

As "they" say, what goes around comes around. That is true for painting, at least in my case.

After a while I tend to get bored or tired or something with whichever medium I am currently working in.

Well, it's happened again. Watercolor has lost interest in me, and I with it. Not sure why.

Maybe it's because I'm on another art plateau, which I have previously blogged about, click here to read.

Maybe I really need a break-through, which has not been forthcoming.

Or maybe I want to have some fun again.Yes, that's it, I want to have fun again!

When painting becomes drudgery, it's time for a change.

I found myself dreading the start of another watercolor. What would I paint? How big? What paper? Of the techniques I know, which one for my next painting--realism, impressionism, loose,big brush, etc., etc?

Frankly, my dear, I didn't give a damn.

What to do? Don't panic.

Then I remembered fondly the days of yore and not all that long ago, either, of painting in acrylic and the energy and potential I felt when I put paintbrush in hand. That's what I was looking for again.

So, I picked up and packed up all my watercolor paints, brushes, paper and put them away. I'm not throwing them away, you see, only putting them away--for now.

I'm sure I'll be back when I need a change.

Tales from the Palette: Mixing the Color Beige/Tan

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Is It Beige or Tan?
Acrylic on Canvas
Copyright 2008

You may be able to tell from the title of today's blog why it's a challenge to mix this color since most painters can't even agree on what to call it. Is it beige or tan or buff or sand or what?

You know, it's that color that you use all the time in landscapes (roads) and seascapes (sand) and for the sides of buildings and on walls and floors and tabletops in still lifes. I suppose it doesn't matter what you call it as long as you are able to reproduce it the way you need it to look in your paintings.

Why is mixing beige/tan, etc. so challenging?

It's just a mixture of the three primary colors, which sounds relatively simple. But, as you undoubtedly already know, it's not that easy. No.

What is so tricky is to achieve the correct tone and value you need anywhere from a warm, creamy yellow to a shadowy violet--and to make it appear natural.

Depending on the proportion you use of each color, you will have a broad spectrum of colors, tints, and shades. In addition, the particular combination you use, for example, Naples yellow/Cad red/Cerulean blue versus Lemon yellow/Ultramarine/Alizarin, will multiply your outcome almost exponentially.

Just to keep it interesting, did I also mention you mix beige/tan differently using watercolor than oil and acrylic? In watercolor the paper acts as white so you have to know how much or little color to mix. With oil and acrylic you also have to know the right amount of white to add as well.

It's no wonder people don't know what to call it when they can't even figure out how to mix it.

Who said beige was boring?

What to Paint?

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:42:00 +0000

Passing By
Acrylic on Paper
Copyright 2013

A simple question. Not a simple answer sometimes.

Like the blank canvas or sheet of paper, the question pushes the artist or painter to select a subject or motif to fill up the empty space.

But what?

Maybe you're a portrait painter, so no question what you'll be painting, just who. If you're painting a series of anything, then you already have chosen a path to follow, at least for that series.

If you are in a good place, and as a painter I mean that figuratively--you've already contemplated this and decided what you'll paint, at least in the near future (hours, days, weeks?), then congratulations. That's half the battle.

But what if you are not in a good place? How can you or will select your next subject to paint?

As I have said before in this blog, simple things are usually the best. Don't over-think it.

As you go about your day let your creative eye act as a viewfinder and look for those great compositions in life that could make a good, if not great, painting. When you see what could be a great composition, take a photo of it.

At the end of the week, you will have more than enough material to chose from, so much so that you won't know which one to paint first.

Today's image is my painting of an unremarkable intersection near here that nonetheless had good composition.

So, to the question, "What to paint?," the answer is--anything!

The Impressionists on YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:16:00 +0000

I have just finished watching the final episode of a three-part television mini-series, The Impressionists: Painting and Revolution, produced by the BBC in 2006. However, being a period piece, the content never ages, of course.

I actually watched each one-hour episode on YouTube over several days. Click here for an accurate summary of the series on Wikipedia. Although, if you're a fan of Impressionism like I am, you will probably want to watch it no matter what any reviewers say.

It's especially interesting, I think, to those of us who have read or studied the lives and times of the Impressionists as it brings to life on-screen the trials and tribulations of these now-famous painters in a way that cannot be captured in a book. Of course, if all you want to do is look at their paintings, then a good coffee-table book on Impressionism is the way to go.

Anyway, I hope you can find the time to watch this program. The easiest way to find it is to go to Google>YouTube and in the query box simply type in The Impressionists Part 1.

How did we manage before YouTube?

Living & Painting With the Color Red

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Tomorrow being Valentine's Day, here's an encore to last year's blog on the color red:

Red is the color of Valentine’s Day.

Red is also the strongest color in your color palette, in case you hadn’t noticed, no matter in what medium you render your artistic masterpieces.

In pastel, colored pencil, oil, acrylic, and certainly watercolor, red grabs the attention of your viewer quicker than any other element you employ, and it just won’t let go. As my friend, the painter, says, “Red will eat you up.”

An old story in painting goes something like this:

“If you want your painting noticed, paint it big. If you can’t paint it big, paint it red. But if you really want your painting noticed, paint it big AND red.”

I don’t know that I agree with that strategy, but it is certainly true. Scientifically, the colors we see as red are the longest wavelengths in light, according to Wikipedia, but who cares about that?

What is important is how it looks and feels.

When planning your painting (if you are one of those painters who do that) keep in mind that your viewer will be forced to look at the reds, wherever you paint them in your painting. That is, if you paint something red, and it wasn’t your focal point, well, now it is. Just wanted to make sure you knew that.

I’m sure you’ve had this experience when mixing red: you’re using it to make orange by adding it to yellow, or perhaps you’re adding it to green to make a dark. “I’ll add just one more drop,” you say, and the whole thing turns red instantly! Dang.

Yes, there are cool reds, such as alizarin, and there are warm reds, such as cadmium red light, but remember, they are all still red and will act and react accordingly.

There’s no doubt, red evokes a mood, if not a response. When we see red (and I don’t mean the expression for anger in English) we usually feel something along the lines of intensity, vibrancy, action, heat, and WoW!

That’s the power of red. You can understand its connection with Valentine’s Day.

"I Want to Paint Not Draw"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:55:00 +0000

Is it cheating to use a projector? I have thought about this a lot.

I have tried all the methods of which I'm aware to apply a drawing to my paper (or canvas or board, etc.).

This includes:

- draw freehand

- make a grid and transpose the image line by line, section by section

- trace from an enlarged reference photo on tracing paper using a light box/table, then apply graphite on the reverse side, then flip over and transfer by re-tracing

AND, the subject of today's blog--

- trace an enlarged image of a reference photo using some type of projector onto paper (etc.) taped to a wall or, if you have a really good set-up, the projector may be hanging over your paper, making it easier to trace

Is this cheating, that is, using a projector?

I think not, well, not any more than using a grid or light box/table is cheating. Why?

Well, there are probably as many opinions as there are painters, and you know what opinions are like, right?

A professional painter I know said,"I want to paint not draw." And that's what I want to do, too.

That doesn't mean there isn't a place for top-notch draftsmanship in rendering drawings, and I do applaud and admire all those painters who can do that and who, it seems, also studied architectural design.

But c'mon, what about the rest of us? Please, just let me get my drawing onto the paper the best (and easiest) way I know how so that I can get to the main course, which is painting.

Make It A Hake!

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:53:00 +0000

My Hake Brush

Some painters, such as Ron Ranson, swear by them. Other painters have never heard of them.

Of what do I speak?

The hake brush--that paint brush with the unusual-sounding name.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, Wikipedia provides this quick description: an Asian style of brush with a large broad wooden handle and an extremely fine soft hair used in counterpoint to traditional Sumi brushes for covering large areas. Often made of goat hair.

Now Wikipedia didn't mention this, but the hake is, more often than not, associated with watercolor. Maybe you saw one, and didn't know what it was called, or maybe you had heard of it, but had never seen one, so you didn't know what you were looking at.

Whatever the case, when you finally figure it out, you may be asking why would I want to use one anyway?

As the above description says, it's used for covering large areas. That's very true because they come in widths up to 8 in. (20.3 cm.), and I have never seen one smaller than 1 in. (2.5 cm.). They usually have tapering wooden handles, like mine in today's image, but there are some where the handle is several short sticks of bamboo glued together

They are good for juicy washes and, in my opinion, painting all kinds of skies and clouds. I also think they are great for painting in the loose style (very loose) with little detail work--with such a broad, soft brush, how could you paint otherwise?

Anyway, they take a little getting used to, but for quick, painterly watercolors, I think they're just what JMW Turner would have ordered.

By the way, there doesn't seem to be one definitive way to pronounce "hake" either. It can be hay-kay, or it can be hock-ey, or it can be hey-k (rhymes with bake). It doesn't seem to care what you call it, but you should try one out.

Painting Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:18:00 +0000

As you can see, the title of today's blog is Painting Eggs.

What does painting eggs have to do with anything? Well, if you read my last blog, you may recall that I was trying to get my painting groove back after the holiday hiatus.

I wasn't having much luck either. But, as in life, simple things are usually the best. And that was true in this case.

In a weekly critique class we were given a quick assignment to reinforce and improve our painting skills. The assignment was to paint three eggs (watercolor) on a white surface with one light source in addition to the ambient light.

The skills we were trying to improve were: understanding light source and shading, and creating volume. Simple.

Seems to have worked. Above is my little effort, and I now feel more confident, if not inspired, to begin painting again with renewed vigor and anticipation.

If you've recently lost your painting groove, go out and find it, by all means.

Get Your Painting Groove Back

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:27:00 +0000

Somewhere after the holiday and New Year celebrations I lost my painting groove, and I am attempting to get it back.

As I said in a December blog, maybe it's the light this time of year, or actually the lack of light. I'm not ready to put a light bulb behind my knees--just yet.

Maybe it's the natural ebb and flow of interest and enthusiasm (for painting) followed by disinterest and ennui. Maybe.

I have tried several things to jump-start the process, such as:

- going through my paints and culling out all the ones that I will never ever use on my palette, such as pthalo green (and Prussian blue)

- then re-arranging all my remaining paints into just two containers--one for cool colors and one for warm colors (someone said this is how you should paint)

- putting all my watercolor paper out in one pile on one table, including single full sheets down to 6-in. x 6-in. pads and everything in between, just so I could see exactly what I had and if painting smaller or larger would help (no)

- going through all my reference photos yet again to see if by chance I have overlooked one that jumps out as 'the next ONE' (not really)

- going to my local art supply store to see if I could gin up some interest (no, I did pick up a couple of Harmony Squirrel Quills though)

So you know, I am trying to get in the groove by actually painting, but so far, I have not been satisfied with any of my attempts.

So at this juncture, I am now blogging about the whole issue. Maybe that, and watching the NFL play-offs and the Australian Open, will help. We'll see.

Learn Art History Online

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:52:00 +0000

Many people, including artists and painters, use January as a time for improvement and renewal. Of course, for some people not so much, but for me this is a good time to learn something new. Why not go online and take a course or two on art history?

We're well into the 21st century, so embrace technology and use it to further your knowledge on art history. Online learning via your laptop, tablet, or smartphone is about as easy as it gets. You can take a course or learn something whenever and wherever it's most convenient for you.

There are all kinds of courses/lectures available--on art history, on art movements and eras, as well as on individual artists, painters, and even particular paintings.

They are available FREE and online at such sites as:

http://www.khanacademy.org

http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses

http://oyc.yale.edu/

Don't forget about the Art Babble site either, http://www.artbabble.org/ .

When you need to take a break from your actual painting, use that time to become better educated about your avocation and how it evolved.

Start the New Year with a Visit to Your Local Art Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 23:56:00 +0000

What better way for artists and painters to start the new year than with a visit to their local art museums? None that I can think of.

It will help you re-charge your creative juices and, if nothing else, keep you warm and dry on a dreary winter's day (in the northern hemisphere).

January is a great time to get re-acquainted with your local art museum. Maybe you're already an active member and volunteer, but if you're like most, you only visit ocasionally when there's a big brand-name exhibit or worse, not at all.

However, your local curator probably wants you to enjoy all the exhibits your museum has to offer, I'm sure of that. If it's been a while since your last visit, you probably will be pleasantly surprised.

I'm a member of our local MFAH, and even though I receive updates and literature on current and upcoming exhibits and lectures ("Gallery Talks"), I don't go as often as I should to take full advantage of all there is to see, do, and learn.

So, one resolution for 2013--visit the art museum more often, especially in January...