painting mediums??
po...@earthlink.net
so far all of my artwork (landscapes) has been accomplished with the aid
of
a camera. although, i do like getting out with my camera. i've been
seriously
thinking of learning to paint, either by a mentor or by teaching thy
self using
books. comments?? i'm a little confused on which medium to pursue,
though;
water color, oil or acrylic. could someone please explain to me the
charateristics, controlability, workability, asthetics and why of each
medium.
also, if i do decide to be mentored. should i find one that is
experianced
in landscapes (they're experianced in outdoor lighting and painting
water) or
will any good mentor do?? can one be self taught, using books???
any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.
mark
zi...@interport.net
One of theproblems with all of this is that technically, once you are
past basic issues of focus, development time and such, the technique
of representation in photography is simple. That is not to say that
taking a fine photograph is simple.
But it does mean that people who are adjudged fine photographers, and
who can find beautiful light effects and compositions which please
many, even including judges of competitions or dealers, may actually
not have learned much about art long the way.
Painting is an inescapable part of the history of art. It is
laborious, except to the virtuoso, to get likenesses. It also is not a
generous medium. All of your flaws in compositional, metaphoric and
representational ability will be instantly revelaed, not only to
others, but first to yourself.
So, how can you teach yourself? The only books I have ever had
students use were used as an adjunct to hands on instruction while
they painted and also before and after the fact. They all learned
something. They were all vey motivated. They were students in art
schools who believed that their futures depended on their hands and
their heads for art. This was true of my professional art schol
students for about 12 of my teaching years. Some of them were
amazingly gifted. But most have becomeadvetising artists, designers,
illustrators. Few have become painters or art photographers or
sculptors or printmakers [other media were not an option where I was
teaching].
So, I would reccommend a class, and also reading. If you tell me
where you live, I may be able to give you some of my opinions about
what is available there which you can throw into your pot..
Gabriel Laderman
a.bucsay
First of all, you have come to the right place. This is a great newsgroup.
The comments and responses are very informative. There are many
experienced and successful artists, dealers, collectors here. Having these
folks critique your work will give you the useful insights that will help
you grow. Caring family and friends will usually offer valuable
encouragement.
You can learn a surprising amount from books. Any good painter could help
with the basics, as they are universal. Having a mentor is a great idea
too, especially one (or several in different areas) who produces the kind
of work you want to produce. It would be a good idea to visit some good
galleries and even the museum to see what kind of art (style, medium)
excites you, for it would be rewarding to paint what you like. You may
also want to paint some of your camera shots. Some basic drawing should
probably come before painting. You can use pencils, markers, pastels etc.
The most important thing is putting in your time ... doing your work every
day.
Watercolor painting is fast, delicate and light. It would be important to
use good heavy acid free paper, in case you paint something you want to
keep or sell. These can dry overnight.
Oil paints are rich, timeless and are forgiving in that you have time to go
back and make adjustments to your work. Remember there are fumes, but new
microencapsulated oil in water formulas could address this issue, although
they probably dry faster.
Acrylics allow you to add texture as with oils, and dry quickly, almost
like watercolors, for this is a water based medium. The colors are bolder
and less sophisticated than oils. They are diverse in that you can paint
on many different supports.
Always use the best brushes you can afford, even if you can only afford a
few. Use professional materials, if you want to show to a gallery or
dealer. [I remember an artist who actually gave me canvases with paint
drips on them which were not part of the composition. She wondered why
anyone would be so picky as to notice, imagine! She used talented, but
used inferior materials. She did not know any better. After some
coaching, I sold seven of her pieces within a couple of weeks.]
~~~~~~~~~~
Anita Bucsay
a.bu...@ix.netcom.com
1st Water Fine Art
The Original MICROGALLERY TO GO
http://www.netcom.com/~a.bucsay/1stWaterFineArt.html
~~~~~~~~~~
Charles Eicher
> so far all of my artwork (landscapes) has been accomplished with the aid
> of
> a camera. although, i do like getting out with my camera.
I started as a photographer, and I think its good preparation for painting.
If you really learn the essential issues of photography, you probably know
its is all about "seeing".. Once you learn to see a scene as light and
shadow, you begin to know how to represent it in an image. This is crucial
knowledge for painters..
i've been
> seriously
> thinking of learning to paint, either by a mentor or by teaching thy
> self using
> books. comments?? i'm a little confused on which medium to pursue,
> though;
> water color, oil or acrylic. could someone please explain to me the
> charateristics, controlability, workability, asthetics and why of each
> medium.
Well, I can't comment on acrylics, I hate em, mostly because I hate to
clean up the plasticky residue from my brushes, and also because the colors
tend to dry quickly and can't be reworked. The only person I knew who was
good at acrylics, was a master printmaker, and she tended to lay down her
paintings in quick, preplanned layers of a single color, like the layers of
a print. I don't really think that this is painting.
I highly recommend working in both water medium and oils. Water medium is
good for playing around, and working out small ideas. I like to have 2 or 3
small (like 5x7) notebooks of high-quality watercolor paper to work on. You
can find suitable watercolor notebooks at better art stores, you have to
buy really stiff, high quality watercolor paper, or the pages just buckle
and pucker too much. You should have several of these books around, so you
can work on a new image while another dries.. I've been known to be in a
bit of a hurry, and torn out pages and put them in my toaster to dry! It
didn't work too well, one of the sheets caught on fire..
Well, anyway, water media really comprises several different media, all of
them have different properties. Watercolors tend to be transparent, and are
worked against the white background as an important element. Gouache is
more opaque, and you can cover up colors more easily. I like to use gouache
thinly, like watercolors, and mix watercolor and gouache. Also, there are
inks, like thick Sumi ink, which is pretty darn opaque, but when thinned,
it does nice things. Also, other media like tempra can yield interesting
effects. Fortunately, almost all these water media are cheap, and
experimentation is the best way to learn.
Oil, on the other hand, is a more complex media. You can master the basics
very simply, but it will take quite a bit of practice to get the best
properties of the medium to reveal themselves. One of the things I like
best about oil is that you can rework sections by scraping down the canvas,
and applying an rag with turpentine, and you can start over. Nothing is
permanent (unless you wait TOO long between painting sessions, and it dries
permanently) so you have many chances to rework and improve your painting.
Unfortunately, this can lead to a bit of loss of control at first, until
you get this whole idea under control. Also, oils can work both opaquely
and transparently, so you really need to get the whole repertoire working.
This takes a while, but with experimentation and practice, you will get the
hang of it.
> also, if i do decide to be mentored. should i find one that is
> experianced
> in landscapes (they're experianced in outdoor lighting and painting
> water) or
> will any good mentor do?? can one be self taught, using books???
I really doubt that a good mentor will do you much good at first.. I talked
about this at length, with a good friend who teaches beginning painting, as
well as experienced grad students. Basically, everyone has the same
problems in their first painting sessions, getting control of their
pallettes, working the colors on the canvas, etc. Everyone pretty much
sucks at first, a good mentor can't help much, until you get some of the
basics under control. A mentor can give a few simple tips, but usually it
doesn't "take" until you work it out for yourself. The only way to do that,
is by practicing until you figure a few things out on your own. THEN, it
will do a great deal of good, to find other painters to discuss the issues
involved in reaching a higher level of work.
Books are always important. Also, looking at paintings is of primary
importance. The best way to produce good art is to look at great art, and a
wide variety of it..
| Charles Eicher |
| -=- |
| cei...@inav.net |
Tim G Gerlitz
Mark said:
i'm a little confused on which medium to pursue,>though;>water color, oil or
acrylic. could someone please explain to me the >charateristics,
decide to be mentored. should i find one that is>experianced >in landscapes
mentor do?? can one be self taught, using books???
All mediums are wonderful for different projects. Oil...pushing the color
around for days... Acrylic...defined, exacting. Watercolor...pulling your
set out of your backpack and sketching with color without notice... Your
photography work has likely given you an understanding of composition,
depth, color, etc. To step into the world of painting, you might benefit
first from drawing classes at your local college. Since you are interested
in landscape, if you can draw, then you can paint... Much energy sent your
way.
tg
*** NEW CANVAS CHAT *****
Hi Mark! Saw your message. We have a painter that is a member in our
chat rooms. Mr. Don Jusko. He specialized in the questions you are
asking.
Check out our site at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~theconceptco/NCC.html
And Don's At:
http://www.mauigateway.com/~donjusko/art4.htm
Good Luck
Koko
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
po...@earthlink.net wrote:
>
> so far all of my artwork (landscapes) has been accomplished with the aid
> of
> a camera. although, i do like getting out with my camera. i've been
> seriously
> thinking of learning to paint, either by a mentor or by teaching thy
> self using
> books. comments?? i'm a little confused on which medium to pursue,
> though;
> water color, oil or acrylic. could someone please explain to me the
> charateristics, controlability, workability, asthetics and why of each
> medium.
> also, if i do decide to be mentored. should i find one that is
> experianced
> in landscapes (they're experianced in outdoor lighting and painting
> water) or
> will any good mentor do?? can one be self taught, using books???
>
Jerry
po...@earthlink.net wrote:
>
> so far all of my artwork (landscapes) has been accomplished with the aid
> of
> a camera. although, i do like getting out with my camera. i've been
> seriously
> thinking of learning to paint, either by a mentor or by teaching thy
> self using
> books. comments??
Depending on where you live there are art centers and art leagues that
offer classes. Some of these instructors are quite good and I know
people who have studied with one or more persons for years.
If you see someones work that you really like you might ask that person
if they would give you lessons.
I taught art for more than thirty years and the one suggestion I would
make is to become familiar with whatever media you work with. I have
found that it was easier to teach people about a particular media when
you are not trying to create a specific image.
Mixing colors is one area that several good books have been written
about. One that I like is called
Color Manuel
Stephen Sidelinger
Prentice Hall
Working with color can be very complicated and one of the first things
you need to get away from is to think about color subjectively. Blue
sky, green grass and the like. Also the idea that there is only one way
to make a particular color. The color brown seems to baffle most people
because it looks nothing like the colors you start with.
Hope this helps
Jerry
Sharon Barcone
po...@earthlink.net wrote in message <34D16F...@earthlink.net>...
>so far all of my artwork (landscapes) has been accomplished with the aid
>of
>a camera. although, i do like getting out with my camera. i've been
>seriously
>thinking of learning to paint, either by a mentor or by teaching thy
>self using
>books. comments?? i'm a little confused on which medium to pursue,
>though;
>water color, oil or acrylic. could someone please explain to me the
>charateristics, controlability, workability, asthetics and why of each
>medium.
>also, if i do decide to be mentored. should i find one that is
>experianced
>in landscapes (they're experianced in outdoor lighting and painting
>water) or
>will any good mentor do?? can one be self taught, using books???
>
>any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.
>mark
Mark,
Giving you a break down on mediums and their attributes could take several
books however here are some things to keep in mind. I find watercolor to be
the easiest medium to get in and out of, i.e. quick set up time and shut
down, quick drying, light weight for field work but I find water color takes
a knack for using thin washes of color. Pastels are excellent for the
effects of light but are not easily mixed and most pastel artists have
hundreds of pastel sticks for their palette. (Not so great for hiking to
locations.) Acrylic is fast drying and with acrylic mediums (the ones you
mix with the paint) act very much like oil. This is what you want for the
most versatility in mixing and applying color. Oil is my own preferred
medium but I work with it mostly in warmer weather when I can take it
outdoors or open all my windows. The fumes are
toxic and are some paint ingredients. Also oils are very slow drying. Alkyds
are very much like oils but are less toxic. These are newer products and I
don't have any experience with them.
I believe it is possible to learn much on your own. There are lots of great
books with a wealth of info on both how to and why to. The most important
teacher of all is experience. Practice, practice practice...much of what I
have read I already learned through trial and error and error etc.
Why not start with your camera, take pictures of a shot that interests you,
make notes on colors, light effects and try some sketches in watercolor or
color pencil.
See if your creative desires are fulfilled with this type of expression.
Local art
societies are a great place to start looking for a teacher. Hope this gives
you a place to get started. Good Luck
Sharon...@msn.com
MICHELLE MARIE HANKINS
: po...@earthlink.net wrote in message <34D16F...@earthlink.net>...
: >so far all of my artwork (landscapes) has been accomplished with the aid
: >of
: >a camera. although, i do like getting out with my camera. i've been
: >seriously
: >thinking of learning to paint, either by a mentor or by teaching thy
: >self using
: >books. comments?? i'm a little confused on which medium to pursue,
: >though;
: >water color, oil or acrylic. could someone please explain to me the
Hi. (I'm new to the ng, but not new to art.) I do photography and oil
painting. Since I am sans-darkroom, I paint more often & jumped from
b&w photo to color. I also hike *a lot*. It's great you want to forage
into painting. My first suggestion to you is to learn to draw, actually.
I belong to the camp of people who think you need to render in 2-D
reasonably well before jumping into paint, where you end up dealing
with color, which is a 3-D issue, IMHO.
I take my watercolors & my camera up in the mountains & on long camping
trips to Utah. When I do watercolor, I tend to do close-up stuff,
and the camera for overall landscape. Oil is *WAY* too complex to go
anywhere with, IMHO. My palette takes up an old kitchen table...but then
I work big, too. With oil, you are lugging turpentine, often aselection
of mediums like liquin or linseed oil, maybe stand...the palette..and in
oils, I seem to have 3 times the number of pigments because I think
chemically speaking, oil mixing is more complex than acrylics and
water color (to some degree).
The color mixing you do in watercolor is done by layering color on your
paper usually...not on your palette. That makes the palette more compact.
Unlike oil or acrylic, where you tend to mix more complex colors on the
palette first.
Another consideration is toxicity. If you like to hike often, I'm sure
it makes you angry, too, when you go up in the woods & find beer cans
& sloppy campfires, etc. Oils are extremely toxic to the ecosystem.
Water colors are next in toxicty (but *far* easier to pack up & prevent
spilling...just bring a sealable water container & saran wrap to cover
the palette), acrylics are non-toxic, but not exactly biodegradable.
Play with drawing in pastel first, or conte' crayon. The drawing will
inform your painting...and unless you're a quick painter, the light
outdoors changes so dramatically & quickly, the painting you started will
end up being a different color than the painting you'll finish with.
Do some sketching first, then maybe try coming home to the studio to
mock it up. Best of luck.
--
Michelle Hankins,
realemail: michelle...@polk.com
playemail: mmha...@ouray.cudenver.edu
Trephination procedures should be a corporate benefit.