Part 5 – Research Point – Abstract expressionists

 

Find out what you can about the Abstract Expressionists and, in particular, the type of painting called Tachism or ‘Action Painting’.

 

Abstract expressionism was the term applied to new forms of abstract art – developed by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning during the 1940s and 1950s. The aim of these abstract expressionists  (mostly based in New York) was to make art expressive or emotional in effect ; they were inspired by the surrealist idea that art should come from the unconscious mind.

 

Within abstract expressionism were two broad groupings: the so-called action painters, who attacked their canvases with expressive brush strokes; and the colour field painters who filled their canvases with large areas of a single colour.

 

Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning led one group working spontaneously with large brushes,  make sweeping, gestural marks. The second group –  including Mark Rothko – were deeply interested in religion and myth; creating simple compositions of large areas of colour with the aim of producing a contemplative or meditational responses in the viewer.

 

Action Painting (Tachism)

 

This process involved splashing, using gestural brushstrokes and dripping paint onto canvas rather than carefully applying it. The idea was that the artist would physically act out his inner impulses, and that something of his emotion or state of mind would be read by the viewer in the resulting paint marks.

 

Look at the work of Jackson Pollock, Hans Hartung and Franz Kline among others.

 

Jackson Pollock

 

Jackson Pollock’s drip technique was something that took him years to perfect, from experimentation in the late 1930’s to his mastery of it toward the end of the following decade: he finally arrived at a new mode of working which consisted of flinging and dripping thinned enamel paint onto an unstretched canvas, laid on the floor. This direct action admitted gravity, velocity, and improvisation into his artistic process, allowing line and colour to stand alone, functioning entirely independently of form, known as ‘drip paintings’.

pollock
pollock

 

 

Hans Hartung

 

 

During the late 1930’s, Hartung attempted to combine chance and control effectively, mixing graphic representations with patches of black and colour suggesting spontaneity. Hartung was a major figure in the Tachism scene but after the war his paintings contained a calligraphic quality and  moved through a series of phases, becoming less spontaneous and more aggressive where he applied large areas of colour to the canvas on which he painted a combination of bold black brushstrokes and thinner frenzied linear strokes.

 

Hartung

Hartung

 

 

 

Franz Kline

 

Best known for large black and white paintings (1950’s onward), the works of abstract expressionist – Franz Kline – contain confidently placed, abstract shapes. Initially, Kline was a realistic painter but after moving to New York he began to perfect his gestural abstract approach which have been likened to cityscapes and calligraphy.The motifs in his paintings were seen as powerful, translating into an palpable presence that the viewer could experience however, Kline was reluctant to give ‘meanings’ to his works.

 

Kline

Kline

 

 

References

 

Tate. (2018). Abstract expressionism – Art Term | Tate. [online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/abstract-expressionism [Accessed 27 Aug. 2018].

 

Pinnington, M. (2015). Jackson Pollock: Separating Man from Myth. [online] Tate.org.uk. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/articles/jackson-pollock-man-myth [Accessed 27 Aug. 2018].

 

Moma.org. (2018). Jackson Pollock | MoMA. [online] Available at: https://www.moma.org/artists/4675 [Accessed 27 Aug. 2018].

 

Artnet.com. (2018). Reclining woman by JacksonPollock. [online] Available at: http://www.artnet.com/artists/jackson-pollock/reclining-woman-LzqKNJ9qazagouEM0rWiiQ2 [Accessed 27 Aug. 2018].

 

Artnet.com. (2018). Number 16 by JacksonPollock. [online] Available at: http://www.artnet.com/artists/jackson-pollock/number-16-vG7U8l72fYW7PzKF4QB8qg2 [Accessed 27 Aug. 2018].

 

Guggenheim.org. (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/Hans-Hartung [Accessed 27 Aug. 2018].

 

Artnet.com. (2018). T1964-H47 by Hans Hartung on artnet. [online] Available at: http://www.artnet.com/artists/hans-hartung/t1964-h47-a-QSOnGkGSrs6mDywpgg3NTA2 [Accessed 31 Aug. 2018].

 

The Art Story. (2018). Franz Kline Overview and Analysis. [online] Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/artist-kline-franz.htm [Accessed 31 Aug. 2018].

 

Artnet.com. (2018). Untitled by FranzKline. [online] Available at: http://www.artnet.com/artists/franz-kline/untitled-2oCqizhYZSpdTwfg0aZFag2 [Accessed 31 Aug. 2018].

Part 5 – Exercise: Preparing a textured ground

For this exercise, I had to prepare some grounds using a number of different materials on which to create a picture.

It took me a while to decide how to proceed with this exercise. I didn’t want anything too large because of time restraints, however I did want to create a picture where including a number of different textures or layers would enhance the piece (rather than overload it) on the theme of Sunset.

I found a website where images are free to use; the photo I have used as my starting point has colours that are varied with defined layers.

Scenic View of Mountains Against Sky at Sunset

Because I would be using layers of paint and  PVA, I chose a thick piece of A4 card which I primed with 3 layers of Gesso. I started painting the sky and noticed there was something strange about the way the red and yellow paints were combining. When I checked, I had foolishly use an acrylic and retarder with an oil (they were both the same makes). Rather than abandon it, I decided to see what would happen.

sunset top

The truth is that nothing remarkable occurred, however I was pleased with the effect of the sky, the sunset and distant mountains. I used my fingertips to blend the mountain colour and to vary the paint effect. From then on, I commenced layering with varied textures.

sunset and mountains

I had a large number of wide, material waxing strips doing nothing so I used them to create the darker mountains and then some torn crafting paper to create the grass horizon.e51bfd49-a977-4b30-9ecf-3334528e270a.jpeg

The grassy hillocks were created using paint on the craft paper as well as tissue paper with PVA and acrylic applied with a palette knife. The small trees and bushes were composed of dried, pressed leaves that I had in stock. The foreground was gloss gel, which I painted with acrylic once set.

0399E66F-4D1E-4FED-8D33-7C973EF0A774

I attached some more dried flowers and grasses to the left foreground with PVA and then painted them with acrylic too.

Finally, I used a white drawing pencil to accentuate the white ‘glow’ between the mountain layers.

sunset final

The final outcome is interesting. I believe I’ve used

 

Links

https://pixabay.com/en/sunset-trees-landscape-mountains-1113547/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/scenic-view-of-mountains-against-sky-at-sunset-255463

Part 5 – Exercise: Mixing materials into paint

For this exercise, I had to mix materials from the landscape to build texture into my painting.

My first page of experiments included neat acrylic paint applied with a brush and palette knife; acrylic paint combined with increasing levels of gloss gel – applied flat or in forms.

51912C98-0119-481E-AC4E-3072019E2D07

I also used corrugated card to practise pattern formation.

ee16a267-f1ee-4c3d-b018-5effe74db8a9.jpeg

I created a sheet of examples of Gesso , PVA and acrylic gel in various patterns painted  with acrylic when dry. They are all efficient ways of adding texture but the gloss gel is the easiest to shape.

b094f210-21bd-4d2c-8f71-038521ea1a9c.jpeg

This next sheet has tissue paper – flat and wrinkled – laid on different mediums and painted when dry.

The eggshells and plant materials on the next sheet have been attached with PVA and then had different mediums layered on top.

4ab226c4-838f-4a1a-aa7f-ac31eba0c52e.jpeg

Followed by effects on craft paper.

aeb8cd71-c0c6-4ac6-a6f0-f22aeb3caec3.jpeg

With my assignment in mind, I experimented with mediums and sand as well as flower pods.

0ba5f28b-8105-4c0e-9012-5e6f011fb8a7.jpeg

3ddae741-35e5-4b62-972c-3cb99cfe30a7.jpeg

Part 5 – Exercise: Abstraction from study of natural forms

For this exercise, I had to abstract by looking very closely at a familiar natural form and expand on what I could see in an arrangement of lines, shapes and colours.

I had been drying the seed head from an Imperial Fratillery flower for a number months and now was the chance to use it. I made a number of line studies (using oiled charcoal on assorted papers) from various aspects in order to decide which would be the most ‘abstract’.

After much inner debate, I went with a single form and used some crayon to give an idea of how the colour would sit:

IMG_0985

This large rendition reminded me of one of those enormous carnivorous plants often depicted in horror films that suddenly come to life and try to eat the star or that spouts thousands of poisonous seeds into the air to destroy the human race!

I wasn’t sure how to ‘paint’ something that made me recall such a thing. Also, I felt that the nature of this project needed me to think in a less ordered way. I

IMG_0986

The background I achieved with  diluted colours (wet in wet) that I used in a previous project. I then chose a completely different tool – a shaped, flat sponge head – in an attempt to present this as an  abstract. It looks rather fearsome but it still has  a seed head likeness.

I had another attempt. This time, I went back to the brush and included less definite marks on a background that was slightly more dramatic.

IMG_0987

I’m quite impressed by this work however I still don’t think it’s abstract enough to be abstract. In hindsight, I should have used a more awkward angled sketch to work from that would be less reminiscent of the original form.

Part 5 – Exercise: Abstract painting from man – made form

For this exercise I had to repeat the previous exercise only this time I had to focus on a man-made object.

I found this much easier to decide upon what to choose – my metallic pencil sharpener.

I made a few sketches:

Considering the emphasis on texture in this part of the course, I experimented with some left over paint:

IMG_0992

This would have been much better if I’d used impasto but again I didn’t think of it at the time, however I did want to show the markings on the sharpener so I used some gloss gel to define these before painting them with  silver acrylic.

IMG_0993

The photo doesn’t do it justice – I think it looks effective. I’ve used acrylic throughout with shadows of the previous colour making it less orthodox. Now I’m looking at it again, I’m wondering if this has Surrealist undertones – Dali’s melting clocks??

Part 5 – Personal Development – Assignment 5 – A series of paintings on a theme

The subjects I find most interesting to paint are trees and the beach. I’ve often portrayed trees but not so much the beach – purely because it’s less accessible. During  recent holidays on the coast, I was able to take photos and make small sketches and watercolours of beach scenes. Consequently, I have decided on this as a theme however I’m not quite sure of its actual title.

Initially, my first thought was to move from small to large, each containing an element of collage.

 

Incoming tide

The smallest piece was originally going to include a group of shells as a still life, in reference to the first parts of the course so I made a number of sketches:

Then a number of ‘poses’ at different levels:

IMG_0997IMG_0998IMG_1001

I had a piece of thick card on which I applied three layers of gesso to protect the card. My intention was to create a small 2D beach scene of shells with acrylic paint on tissue and to use pva, sand and gloss gel for the surrounding area. Once I started however, it became something quite different:

624D46A6-3B73-4881-A021-C44367B07A95

My creation became 3D with the oyster shells being collaged from multiple layers of tissue paper with pva and layers of torn crafting paper with pva. The two limpet shells (of which I’m particularly proud) were created differently: the shell on the right was a limpet shell covered in cling film which then had gloss gel applied over the top and ridges styled manually. The shell on the left was multiple thin strips of waxing fabric layered across the shell with pva. When it had all thoroughly dried, I painted it with acrylic and glued it all in place and started adding the beach area.

570CFCAE-5665-47CE-A386-6DD9639C7144

Having decided which way the tide was going to come up the beach, I added multiples of pva and sand to give a further layering effect:

DBE46CC9-C577-403A-8E73-727D9A70697B

I added some blue – green acrylic with eggshell to the bottom left hand corner and then (in another experiment) applied the clear gloss gel attempting to recreate the foam of the tide. As this dried, I pricked a few holes in the gel to make it more realistic, applying white acrylic in varying layers to accentuate the depth of the foam and movement on the sand.

 

This is the first of my final pieces of which I’m incredibly proud and will start my trio off well.

IMG_1063

Incoming Tide

 

 

Fresh Fish

For my second piece in A3, I decided to create a piece that referred back to one of the previous sections where an example was shown of a painting of some mackerel on a plate. I wanted to include some ‘wet’ fish – not on a plate but in newspaper as it would have been wrapped if you bought fish straight from the boat.

I crumpled up some sheets of newspaper and made some charcoal sketches of them.

97F2B5B6-AA29-4F96-A384-62ED0A051D2D366E0E13-8701-4978-B632-5E58D40C2643

I wanted this second piece to be more painting than collage so I laid down a layer of a brown acrylic (planning to have an old table surface as the base) and then painted the entire shape of the crumpled paper in a blue-grey. Using the highlighted areas of my sketch, I adhered pieces of newspaper to these areas that would later form the crumples and folds. Then I added some black lines to help me remember where different shapes were.

D87BCC28-F8F4-4A61-937E-E3E7978CA64E

With the palette knife, I continued adding blue-black acrylic for the shadows and lighter shades of blue-grey for the lighter areas followed by some yellows for greater emphasis.

2E3BE6FB-1B56-4DD3-9734-1E4B03841BA2

e8d1a14c-1e5f-4096-861f-f13a22f09b06.jpeg

All I need now is the fish! The trouble I had with that! There weren’t any to be found when I wanted them so I had to rely on internet images. I made a quick sketch and honed in on the colours and patterns in the photos:

 

Once I’d added the outline to the background with white crayon, I used a tight sponge with diluted acrylic to dab on the main skin tones.

IMG_1074 (1)

The softness of the pattern on the fish has made a great contrast to the jagged crumpled paper surrounding them.

06DD1CC7-E3CA-4A70-AD07-4DAA7DC5D693

I then progressed to adding the patterns: a variety of blues and blue-greys for the bodies while the faces have a wonderful mix of yellow, oranges and reds.

99C7E994-77FF-46CA-AC2F-029D7899C5A9

Fresh Fish

I’m not yet sure if this is what I had in mind for the finish however the contrast between the paper and fish does work.

 

By the Sea

For my third and final piece I  chose an A2 landscape on which I wanted to include a variety of methods of collage in one part, reducing as it worked across.

I was working from some photos and sketches I’d taken whilst on holiday at the coast.

Before I started sketching or taking any photos, I referred back to some research I’d completed in Part 4 regarding the ‘Rule of Thirds’ while deciding when to place my main focal point.

Having made my decision I made a larger sketch with a few notes as to what, where and how I’d like it to take shape:

C95AD40C-7E80-4CA0-B513-6EA68798586F

Once I’d made this sketch, I researched three different artists and how they achieved fabulous artworks through use of paper and application of colour; I was determined to include elements in this picture that reflected my learning as well as the excitement and pleasure that it had given me.

John Piper, was an English painter who  created some wonderful coastal scenes through collage with printed paper and paint. I think I’m drawn to them because he is described as an ‘abstract’ artist, however they are incredibly ‘real’ to me and evoke the place they depict:

 

17008746-FB49-4118-AB01-4916400F8553

Piper J, 1933-34, Beach with Starfish

He created a number of these styles of collages which I find inspiring:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The second artist is Amy Genser who creates a different type of texture with paper:

reef-1

Genser A, Ocean Reef comprised of rolled paper

The movement she gets from positioning, colour and varied heights of the rolls is quite amazing.

The third artist that I  researched is Karl Schmidt-Rottluff who had a wonderful eye for using complementary colours successfully, enhancing quite simply styled pictures into beautiful, warm paintings:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

I found the colour combinations the artist used in these three paintings really warm and inviting. Before I could proceed, I made some practise sketches using these schemes before deciding how to move on:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

My colour preference was for the orange fishing boat colour scheme.

Not quite sure how I was going to create this painting, I started with a normal blue sky, adding some collaged areas to the main focus (to the left middle area where research suggested the eyes are automatically drawn when looking at paintings).304E06CD-5C3D-44E4-9FF3-A354DA2E0B65736FA798-9A37-46CE-933D-E1CA6F7ACB4C

Then, I decided to add the colour by starting with a yellow to cover the whole of the sky and then an orange so I could add sgraffito to give the sky an effect:

CD9F6172-9C18-40E4-9198-FEC712EDE794

765FB62C-B7C3-4ABC-BCCA-6015FA8E5A13

I built up the rocky areas to the left and the groynes to the right with craft paper and newspaper while the boat had strips of material layered on to add body and grooves to the boat. From then on I added, layers, textures and paint using colours in a similar way to Schmidt-Rottluff:

5CB7B4CD-8D0C-4B61-91EE-C00C601811F469736E3D-6379-4C19-AA11-E4B1E1FA0BB7

I thought that the sea needed some more obvious movement, even though the base colours were applied in a wave motion. The middle area needed breaking up so I applied some sand in acrylic while the foreground had a coat of gesso with crushed egg shell. Throughout, I tried to mirror shapes, positions and colour to give a balanced result.

 

My completed final piece:

E317AD4C-A5A5-4A33-AA6D-3B3F641ED800

By the Sea

If I compare all the parts of this course, I have been most inspired by the final two parts which have allowed me to work outside and to utilise the skills practised in the first two parts. This final part has been the icing on my cake: I’ve loved every minute of it and I feel I have truly discovered what it is that I find exciting and really interesting – colour and texture. During parts three and some of four I was struggling: I think because I felt restricted – I was working on Drawing 1 at the same time where both the research and exercise elements in both parts were very similar and found that drawing was much more fulfilling than painting. Latterly and certainly in part 5, I have been invigorated and am now confirmed to carry on the Painting pathway.

Self Assessment

Assessment criteria points

  • Demonstration of technical and visual skills – materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills.(35%)

I am so pleased with these three pieces! In my opinion, the proportion, perspective and composition in all three work well. I have worked in varying sizes with different aims in mind. As my first attempt at producing more than one piece with a running theme,  I think that I have really worked in new ways and with different materials to produce these pictures: in 2D and 3D, with new textures and collage techniques that reflect my observational skills; I’ve also been impressed with my own imagination in all three, which are all quite different. The research that I carried out as required was very interesting and led me on to follow it up myself, which has resulted in something quite different to what I had originally envisaged when I first read the brief.

Demonstration of creativity – imagination, experimentation, invention, development of a personal voice. (25%)

I feel I have tackled:

Imagination – probably more so in the first piece by making it 3D, although a small part of me is wondering if it’s collage now or more assemblage. Regardless of that, I taught myself to create it all and am proud of myself for the incredibly detailed result. In piece two I used my imagination to work out how to create a 3D look  in a 2D style and in the final piece how to turn an ordinary beach scene into something so colourful and interesting.

Experimentation – each piece was an experiment: every time I added something I wasn’t convinced it would work – even though I’d experimented in my exercises and sketchbook previously. However, the support I used on the large work (acrylic paper) has struggled to cope with the multiple layers of glue and paint applied and shows signs of buckling in places.

Invention – through necessity here. In my head I could see where I wanted to go and what I wanted to achieve but in many instances it was difficult to ‘draw’ it beforehand: the flatter shells for example were created from tissue and pva, craft paper and pva while the limpet shells were from making my own mould of the shells – one with gloss gel and the other with material strips and pva.

Development of personal voice – in the majority of exercises in this section, I’ve discovered a way of working with paint and  colours that I hadn’t encountered before but that have improved my work. For  uncertain areas, I have sought out solutions through research and experimentation. This part of the course has been the most interesting and has made me realise how much more the use of collage and texture can add to my work – making this one the area I’ve truly enjoyed more than anything – reaffirming my commitment to carrying on the Painting pathway.

I’ve used knowledge gained in my research for exercises and beyond  to enhance the quality of the work and used colour to evoke interest.  I  understand much more how acrylics work with other mediums and supports. I feel that all the pictures work well as a theme – focusing on three different nautical aspects. I’m incredibly impressed with the finished pieces and only wish these exercises had come earlier however as research was such a strong element within these pieces they probably wouldn’t have been quite as effective.

 

Context reflection – research, critical thinking (learning logs and at second and third level, critical reviews and essays)(20%).

  • In the last part, I learned about the Rule of Thirds, which was very important when it came to planning my final piece. I found all the research I did extremely interesting and enjoyed reading further into some of those I’d discovered as well as finding some others not named in the exercises; certainly, for my largest piece, I was able to use influences from their works to help me with mine. I was equally pleased to find other students reading my research and making positive comments.
  • I discovered how truly effective complementary colours can be; how different tools can be so effective in the right setting and how working outside my ‘norm’ can give incredibly interesting and exciting results.
  • The use of the exercises, sketchbooks and research has been incredibly supportive and important when creating my work in this section.

 

 

Image references

Tate. (n.d.). ‘Beach with Starfish’, John Piper, c.1933-4 | Tate. [online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/piper-beach-with-starfish-t05030 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

Tate. (n.d.). ‘Littlestone-on-Sea’, John Piper, 1936 | Tate. [online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/piper-littlestone-on-sea-t00646 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

Tate. (2018). John Piper – Exhibition at Tate Liverpool | Tate. [online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/exhibition/john-piper [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

Tate. (2017). Members Curator Talk: John Piper – Tour at Tate Liverpool | Tate. [online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/exhibition/john-piper/members-curator-talk-john-piper [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

Towner Art Gallery. (2011). John Piper in Kent & Sussex | Towner Art Gallery. [online] Available at: http://www.townereastbourne.org.uk/exhibition/john-piper-in-kent-sussex/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

Fischler, S., Fischler, S. and profile, V. (n.d.). Textural Paper Art from Amy Genser. [online] Eclectitude.com. Available at: http://www.eclectitude.com/2012/03/textural-paper-art-from-amy-genser.html?m=1 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

Masmoulin, artiste passionné et sa “bible” de l’Aquarelle, explore aussi l’art moderne et l’art contemporain. (2011). Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. [online] Available at: http://masmoulin.blog.lemonde.fr/2011/12/05/comment-peindre-la-mer-%E2%80%93-partie-11-les-peintres-modernes-et-contemporains-p-a-z/karl-schmidt-rottluff/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

Kettererkunst.com. (2013). Ketterer Kunst, Art auctions, Book auctions Munich, Hamburg & Berlin. [online] Available at: http://www.kettererkunst.com/details-e.php?obnr=411300498&anummer=406&detail=1 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

art.com. (n.d.). Fischerbucht, 1937 Art Print by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff | Art.com. [online] Available at: https://www.art.com/products/p10382184-sa-i798796/karl-schmidt-rottluff-fischerbucht-1937.htm [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

Yaoota.com. (n.d.). Mackerel Fish /kg. [online] Available at: https://yaoota.com/en-sa/product/mackerel-fish-kg-price-from-danube-saudi-arabia [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

POP 1 – Part 4 -Exercise: View from a window or doorway

For this exercise, I had to choose a view into the world and decide how much of the interior to include and where the main focus of the picture would be.

Having never attempted painting with oil paints, I decided to give it a go. I had a read about under-painting and thought it would be wise to do a tonal picture.

Using the view from my upstairs bedroom window, I made three small sketches on an A3 sheet at different elevations:

Having decided on which sketch to go with, I primed my A4 support with Gesso and chose Burnt Sienna for the piece.  I diluted the paint with varying amounts of spirit to complete the picture with a view to it being the ‘undercoat’.  However, once I’d completed it I thought that the tonal arrangement and interesting through flow between indoors and outdoors.

IMG_0536

 

I made sure that I had good ventilation where I was working but even then I found the fumes from the spirit made me feel quite unwell; I not sure if it’s because it’s my first time using it or whether it might not agree with me, I’ll have to see what happens with the next oil painting.

POP 1 – Part 4 – Exercise: Hard or soft landscape

For this painting, I chose to use a sketch I’d made during my holiday in Northumberland of a view from the beach; not out to sea but along the beach and coast road encompassing beach and buildings.

Initially, I made a quick sketch in my A5 notebook with green gel pen (I’ve used it alot this time – I like the way the ink flows):

IMG_0537

As it was a lovely day, I continued to make an A4 watercolour study:

IMG_0540

The paper wasn’t stretched – hence the buckling – and the sky was quite dark at times even though the sun was shining.

Later, I decided to use it as a basis for an acrylic painting; this exercise was for soft ot hard landscape but I quite liked the idea of putting both in one picture. I enlarged it -free hand-  onto A3 acrylic paper:

IMG_0541

I am really pleased with the outcome; the houses look higgledy piggledy but this is how they are. Using a retarder medium, I enjoyed painting the sky and to give the grasses at the forefront more interest, I used the end of my brush to include ‘grooves’ in the paint adding some texture to the paint.

POP 1 – Part 4 – Exercise: Linear perspective

For this exercise, the use of line was more important that that of colour and tonal contrast.

I decided to work from a  small A5 sketch that I’d made on the first day of my holiday whilst visiting Richmond to show linear perspective in this exercise:

IMG_0542

It was mid-day so the shadows weren’t very deep. After my holiday, I used this sketch to create an A3 watercolour by first painting the outline in a very diluted  lemony-green:

IMG_0530

As colour wasn’t the priority here, I chose a muted palette as I’d already completed a tonal exercise in this part and this reflected the colours of the buildings quite accurately. There is a high horizon line and whilst this can give a claustrophobic effect, I went with it because the hill leading into Richmond square is lined with listed buildings ( and I mean this in every sense of the word) which gives quite a dark and closed in feel as well as the look:

IMG_0532

In reviewing my work, I feel it works well in that the curve shows depth and the buildings at the top recede well. In addition, the buildings going up the hill are well presented and this adds to the ‘quirky’ appeal of the painting.

IMG_0543

All things considered, I feel it works  well however I do feel it’s improved by greater blending in of the central dark area in the road and by shortening the picture.

POP 1 – Part 4 – Exercise: Aerial perspective

For this exercise, I had to paint a simple landscape exploiting the devices of aerial perspective.

I chose a view from one of the rear bedrooms in my house where I first completed a small A5 sketch with gel pen:

IMG_0544

I then enlarged this into an A3  sketch to check proportions and make sure it would work as a larger piece:

IMG_0545

I worked on a support primed with Gesso and attempted to use the known devices to give an illusion of distance and receding space:

IMG_0517

Initially, I blocked in the various areas with acrylic paint mixed with retarder – rather like an oil under-painting. Having researched the ‘rule of thirds’, I chose to concentrate the foreground in the bottom third – left hand of the picture with the vertical garage line at the edge of the left hand third of the painting. (This photo suggests that the left hand side is wonky – it’s just my poor photography skill).

IMG_0546

I’ve used quite warm colours with clarity in the bottom left hand corner, progressing to less detail in the mid-area moving to a controlled loss of focus and colour saturation  at the right side of the picture.