Yesterday I posted my sketches; some fun ideas we are exploring in “Abstracting the Image” on Thursdays. Each week we’re taking a masterwork and exploring it with approaches inspired by contemporary abstract painters. The purpose of this exercise is to be able to lean on, and learn from the composition of the masterwork, while exploring a variety of ways to wonder within it, and make new marks. This is a way to get us off of the impulse to copy a “perfect” image (whether it’s a masterwork or our own photograph), while still benefiting from the structure. It gives us a place to start, and a direction to start walking.
Here are some fabulous studies by some people at the League:
Above: Pontormo’s composition by Lendy Hensley, in the style of Elaine de Kooning (below)
Above: Pontormo’s composition by Hannah DeBerg, in the style of Kandinsky (below)
Above: Pontormo’s composition by Marina Vogman, in the style of Carmen Herrera (below)Above: Pontormo’s composition by Chris Harvey, in the style of Donald Judd (below)
This is a new online glossary of painting terms. More to come! Alkyd (“Call me Al, kid”) Oil Painting Alkyds are synthetic resin replacements for slow drying natural oils. When added to oil paint they speed up the drying time. Examples: Liquin, Galkyd, and many more. Some paints like Quick Dry White, Gamblin FastMatte, and W&N Griffin Paints …
Among his monotype and pastel works, Degas did a series featuring a young model bathing in private interior scenes, many with the light coming in from a window. The model appears to be caught midway into a movement, making triangles with her body. While the bathing models make a variety of shapes in various …
I’m working on a new series of posts about Alberto Giacometti’s drawings and paintings. Giacometti is the guy who made the big tall skinny guy sculptures. They look like this: For my post, I searched for Giacometti’s early works and found artworks from 1910. Alberto was born in 1901, so in 1910, he would have …
This collection is from an Artsy editorial by Casey Lesser from June 10th, 2016, originally titled “These 20 Female Artists are Pushing Figurative Art Forward.” Casey’s full writing is below. Personally, I’m less interested in continuing the very legitimate fight to acknowledge female artists, and more engaged by the subject matter, with respect to the artist’s life, …
Pontormo, Student Sketches
Yesterday I posted my sketches; some fun ideas we are exploring in “Abstracting the Image” on Thursdays. Each week we’re taking a masterwork and exploring it with approaches inspired by contemporary abstract painters. The purpose of this exercise is to be able to lean on, and learn from the composition of the masterwork, while exploring a variety of ways to wonder within it, and make new marks. This is a way to get us off of the impulse to copy a “perfect” image (whether it’s a masterwork or our own photograph), while still benefiting from the structure. It gives us a place to start, and a direction to start walking.
Here are some fabulous studies by some people at the League:
We’ve posted an invitation to jump into the Thursday class with us. This 6 week session starts next week. If you register early today, you could even attend today’s session for free! Day or evening classes available.
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Glossary of Painting Terms
This is a new online glossary of painting terms. More to come! Alkyd (“Call me Al, kid”) Oil Painting Alkyds are synthetic resin replacements for slow drying natural oils. When added to oil paint they speed up the drying time. Examples: Liquin, Galkyd, and many more. Some paints like Quick Dry White, Gamblin FastMatte, and W&N Griffin Paints …
Hopper’s Influences in Printmaking
Among his monotype and pastel works, Degas did a series featuring a young model bathing in private interior scenes, many with the light coming in from a window. The model appears to be caught midway into a movement, making triangles with her body. While the bathing models make a variety of shapes in various …
Alberto Giacometti’s drawings, age 9
I’m working on a new series of posts about Alberto Giacometti’s drawings and paintings. Giacometti is the guy who made the big tall skinny guy sculptures. They look like this: For my post, I searched for Giacometti’s early works and found artworks from 1910. Alberto was born in 1901, so in 1910, he would have …
Contemporary figurative artworks that push me out of my comfort zone
This collection is from an Artsy editorial by Casey Lesser from June 10th, 2016, originally titled “These 20 Female Artists are Pushing Figurative Art Forward.” Casey’s full writing is below. Personally, I’m less interested in continuing the very legitimate fight to acknowledge female artists, and more engaged by the subject matter, with respect to the artist’s life, …