the demo project

I picked up four pine boards for a demo project. I would have rathered birch, but it wasn't immediately available, and for what this project is, the pine will do. I also picked up regular gesso. I want to work with mixing my own, but since I haven't purchased the supplies for that and I have to do this NOW, I'll wait on the other.
I've got two coats on gesso on one side, one on the other and tonight I'll do a third. I see a lot of brush strokes so I expect I'll be sanding as well tonight.
Originally I was thinking I could use a doll as a model, but since this is a time crunch project and yes I actually sketched a couple of the dolls, I decided I'd be better off attempting something like a sphere or fruit for this.
Tonight the schedule is to finish the gesso, do an underpainting color - probably grey- and then the under painting of my subject, whatever it turns out to be on all of the panels. Tomorrow will be doing the underpainting of light and darks, assuming everything dryes fast enough, on three of the panels.
Next night will be the colors on two panels and lastly one panel will have full details.

I just hope it will dry fast enough in 24 hours that I can proceed. I want to display these at a demo this Saturday. I'm betting though, that I will have one, maybe two stages done. Sigh, what I get for not being inspired prior to this.

On another note, I did try out the graphite pencils and they were lovely to work with. I want to work with those pencils whereas the others were just not there for me.

Re-Inspired

I’ve been avoiding doing this work that I know is very important. I’ve even been researching and planning other projects other than these things.

This past weekend I think was one to help me get back on track. I went to an event near Houston. I spent a lovely day in the company other scribes, helping with overdue painting. Then I arranged to go to the museum of fine arts in Houston the next day with one of the other ladies. We had a nice lunch at a Greek place nearby before first going to an art store. That alone would have been inspiring with all the easels, supplies, tools and books on various arts that I love to indulge in. I browsed the books, looking over several books on my recommended list at Amazon, was able to determine not to buy some, put others on the definite list, and even bought a couple. I bought a set of graphite pencils that have a wonder feel to them. I can’t wait to try them out. I also picked up a couple of new brushes, a bristle, a sable and another I can’t remember the type, probably a sable, or mixed sable and synthetic. I also found some carving wax for the pewter doll project.

Then we went to the museum. I spent a lot of time just getting up close to the paintings, looking for hints of brush strokes, thickness of paint and so on. I was exhausted, but inspired. Waiting now for the day’s work to be over so I can sketch and get ready to paint…

The next step

After reviewing the book "Painting like the masters" I've decided I should do a practice painting, doing the one of Hazel over again, trying to use the under layer techniques that I read about. I have a canvas that I had originally intended to use for this painting before I found out about panels being more appropriate for my style.
So I'm going to prime over the painting I did start and work with the outline and the lights and darks under layers. I will try to remember to take pictures as I go and post.

I have to also admit to not starting my sketching exercises yet. I think I'm afraid of them, and I keep making that promise that I have to start and then I'll be okay, but I'm still holding back on that. I don't know what to do, because when I have the urge and desire to sketch, it's not the right time (that pesky day job)and it doesn't happen...

will have to work on that...

Distractions

I've been busy the last two weeks, doing sewing for friends so other than glancing over the new books I haven't been able to do anything with the drawing or painting.

I also realized something just the other morning as I glanced at my new sketch book, that I haven't started the sketches though I have all the materials to get started. I think when I procrastinate, and I am definitely procrastinated at this point, I am afraid to start, afraid that what I do won't be good enough and all that.

So, enough though my night is planned for lots of sewing for a friend's gulf war wardrobe, I am going to spend five - ten minutes sketching. I want to do at least that much every day, especially when it is a non-painting day, and I expect I'll have more of the non-painting days than other days.

Something I did do paint related this past week or so was a series of heraldic banners of 14 German cities. The work was all done in acrylic paints, but I think I learned a lot about fine lines and such. I don't think the process hurt at all. After the sewing is done, I'll try to get pictures of the banners up, just to show, I have been working in paint, I have!!!

They are Here!!!

I found my box of books waiting for me last night. So far I'm impressed with most of the lot. The Artist inspiration one I think is going back. It's not at all what I was looking for or wanted.

Painting like the masters, was exactly what I was looking for, with the first artist that is demonstrated was Durer. The artist and their materials also looks to be good too. and of course, the embroidery book looks good too, but something I will be tackling later.

I'll be reading a lot in the next few days

My master artist

One of the things that was recommended to me was to chose a master artist and learn his style. I should match his palette, his style and technique. Doing this means I'm not all over the place, trying to merge differing styles and techniques before I have the basics down.

My first thought was of Durer, as he is one of my all time favorite artists. The only drawback to that choice is that I was planning a series of portraits that would be later than his era, more 1570's than 1490/1500. I was looking at my inspiration piece, a painting by Nicholas Hilliard, also a favorite. I thought perhaps he would be a better choice.

The problem becomes that Nicholas Hilliard, is far more well known for his miniature work, and the little research I did last week indicates that only about two of his oil paintings are known. I have located some sources that will give me more information about the man and his work, but I suspect that it will be all about his miniatures, which is a different technique all together. I already have his treatise on the "art of liming" so I want to review that. Once of the things I though of interest about Hilliard is that he uses Durer as one of his inspirations, and recommends taking one of Durer's woodcuts, and reproducing it with pen or brush, as an exercise of learning hatching, for work in the miniatures.

I am also interested in the miniature work, but for this project I think I am better off sticking with Durer. I think once I have mastered his style or as nearly as I think I can, I will then move on to Hilliard.

It doesn't hurt that there's a lot of information out there on Durer, and I already have a fair number of books on his work.

Eagerly awating books to arrive!!!

I order some more books last week, that should be here any day now. Most are related to my painting though I slipped in the embroidery book. I have been wanting to do this style of embroidery for a while and this book looks like a good place to start. Having the embroidery as a secondary project gives me a project I can work on while the paint is drying. I know that I'm not a patient person for these things, so I'm trying to balance multiple projects at once.
I also visited Half price books this past weekend. I picked up a series on art appreciation, and another on portraits. All bring an interesting perspective to what the finish project should be and well worth reviewing I think.

“The Artist's Mentor: Inspiration from the World's Most Creative Minds" Ian Jackman

"The Painter's Methods and Materials"A. P. Laurie; Paperback

"How to Paint Like the Old Masters: Watson-Guptill 25th Anniversary Edition" Joseph Sheppard

"Drawings of Durer (Master Draughtsman)" Albrecht Durer

"Beginner's Guide to Silk Shading (Beginner's Guide to)"Clare Hanham

The beginning

For the better part of the last three years I have been studying 16th century dolls and how to make the dolls. I love to do the research, and I really love to apply the research so I was testing construction methods of the dolls. Well, being the butterfly of arts that I am, I was struggling as I was wrapping up the doll project. I was trying to stay on track but I needed some more variety. That's why I turned to how the dolls were recorded in art during the 16th century. That lead to trying my hand at woodcuts and oil painting.

I really enjoyed the oil painting, something I was a little surprised at, since I have always worked with acrylic and goauches. I'd heard that oil painting was so difficult so I only planned to try a painting or two, just to help me get over this hump. I loved it. It wasn't difficult to go back to after the paint had dried, something I feared since I prefer to finish as much of a project RIGHT NOW as I can. It was a joy. I wanted to do more and I wanted to do it right.

I displayed the painting along with my other stuff at an SCA event, called Steppes Artisan. There wasn't a lot of response to the painting. I also had the painting at another event, Laurel's prize a month later. I got about the same response, but I suspect that with everything else going on at those event I thought that it just got lost in the shuffle or there wasn't any one there that felt they had something to offer.

So I took it to another event a few weeks ago and entered it into another SCA competition.
I met another artisan, an art teacher in real life who gave a lot of good advice, check the portions, the lights and shadows, things like that. Things I could work with. The judging was not as helpful, there was a concern with the lights and shadows, and that was about it. I went ahead and brought it to our Kingdom Arts and Science event. I had hoped for more advice but it was heartbreaking. The advice I had gotten was that I should be mixing my own pigments and the painting was only half done, ready for detail work and I should withdraw it. Go take mundane painting lessons.
There was further advice from someone who wasn't a judge but did help. He talked more about portions and he recommended finding a master artist to follow. It made a lot of sense and something I want to do. While I had been aiming for later 16th century techniques, the first artist that popped into my mind was Durer. I especially admire his work because he didn't do just one thing, painting, but also his woodcuts and engravings... He's my kind of artist. I've ordered some books with his drawings and other artwork. I've also ordered some other books on this style of painting.

So what do I do now? Mundane art lessons are a little out of my league. Along with the cost, the time commitment is just too much. My plan at this point is to start with photos of elements, faces, jewelry, fabric that I want to include in a later painting. I'll do prints in black and white as well as color shots, and put them into a sketch book. I want to do practice sketches of these elements, first in pencil, then ink. In the meantime I'll be purchasing the material to make my own gesso. I'll also be picking up a sheet of birch plywood, to be cut into 6 or 8 inch squares. those will all be gessoed and later become a series of paintings of these elements that I've photographed. Will I be mixing my own pigments right away? No, I'll use the paints I've already purchased. I will eventually try the pigments, but I don't want to waste the paints I already have.

So I have my new sketchbook, pencils and easer in hand. I will be doing my photos tomorrow, or at least the first batch. I have some other books on drawing so I will be review thing as well.

that's what I am off to do tonight