In the last post called Yogurt Holds the Blueberry, I talked about thinking of everything in a composition as an active shape, painting the spaces between things, instead of painting an object floating on nothing.
If we are painting the space between things, we start to see the “background” as an active shape on the page. Instead of an object on a background, it is one shape pushing up against another shape, like two friends sitting shoulder to shoulder. In real life, a house would fall over if it was pressing against still air, but a painting is color on paper. How would you paint still air as it presses into a building, to hold it in place?
In this way, instead of negative space, you can imagine that everything in your painting holds every other thing in place. This doesn’t work automatically, and not all shapes push back equally. They require some attention from the artist to activate each shape and make it work. When activated, a “blank” shape can push into a painted shape, and hold it there. Do you see it?
Take a look at these watercolors by Morandi, and see what you think about the idea we’re calling “yogurt holds the blueberry.”
Yesterday I talked about trace monotypes: “Trace monotypes are made by laying paper down on an inked piece of plexiglass, then drawing a design on the back of the paper. The drawing tool presses the paper against the ink, making a dark line on the front of the paper.” – Ruthie V, circa yesterday Today …
These are some paintings in which my favorite part is the wall. Enjoy. Do not paint a white thing white. A white thing is everything other than white. The video below illuminates some of the colors actually present in an image of a white horse, and a white flower. Because colors change according to what they’re next to, they still …
[image_with_animation image_url=”9160″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Siobhán Wilder, Indian Alley, oil on panel, 10×8″ League painter Siobhán Wilder was chosen for an online critique through Clara Lieu’s Art Prof site, which now offers critiques for artists. Clara Lieu is an adjunct professor at RISD and the critique was given by Lieu’s associate Lauryn Welch, painter and performance …
Morandi’s Watercolors
In the last post called Yogurt Holds the Blueberry, I talked about thinking of everything in a composition as an active shape, painting the spaces between things, instead of painting an object floating on nothing.
If we are painting the space between things, we start to see the “background” as an active shape on the page. Instead of an object on a background, it is one shape pushing up against another shape, like two friends sitting shoulder to shoulder. In real life, a house would fall over if it was pressing against still air, but a painting is color on paper. How would you paint still air as it presses into a building, to hold it in place?
In this way, instead of negative space, you can imagine that everything in your painting holds every other thing in place. This doesn’t work automatically, and not all shapes push back equally. They require some attention from the artist to activate each shape and make it work. When activated, a “blank” shape can push into a painted shape, and hold it there. Do you see it?
Take a look at these watercolors by Morandi, and see what you think about the idea we’re calling “yogurt holds the blueberry.”
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Monotype, positive/negative
Yesterday I talked about trace monotypes: “Trace monotypes are made by laying paper down on an inked piece of plexiglass, then drawing a design on the back of the paper. The drawing tool presses the paper against the ink, making a dark line on the front of the paper.” – Ruthie V, circa yesterday Today …
Drawing A Day, Day 17
7
Portraits of Blank Walls
These are some paintings in which my favorite part is the wall. Enjoy. Do not paint a white thing white. A white thing is everything other than white. The video below illuminates some of the colors actually present in an image of a white horse, and a white flower. Because colors change according to what they’re next to, they still …
Siobhán Wilder’s Critique
[image_with_animation image_url=”9160″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Siobhán Wilder, Indian Alley, oil on panel, 10×8″ League painter Siobhán Wilder was chosen for an online critique through Clara Lieu’s Art Prof site, which now offers critiques for artists. Clara Lieu is an adjunct professor at RISD and the critique was given by Lieu’s associate Lauryn Welch, painter and performance …