My latest series of paintings focuses on animals. I’ve added a new page to my Website just for animal paintings. Most of my inspiration comes from pets of mine and some of my friends.
Lucy is a friend’s golden retriever. She is an older dog, but still quite energetic and loves to sit out on the porch of their beach house and check out the comings and goings of the neighborhood.
You should be mindful of the Seven Components when you undertake a painting. The drawing and composition, in my opinion, are the most important elements. Within each component is a checklist of things to watch for and to be aware of.
Drawing
It is so important to have a strong drawing, and a well thought out layout. If the drawing is weak, you will struggle with the paint in an effort to make it work.
1. Upside down - Check the painting upside down for errors in the drawing
2. Negative space
3. Proportion midpoint, relative, foreshortening
4. Anatomy
5. Perspective sighting, people, buildings, interiors, aerial
6. Gesture
7. Seeing vs. knowing
Tone Values
1. Shape of dark and light
2. Five tone values
3. Non-reflective light
4. Reflective light
5. Value dominance
6. Local value/home value
Found/lost Line
1. Contour drawing basic/one-line
2. Hard/soft edges
Rhythm of Application
1. Strokes
2. Paint quality
3. Sliced-bread theory
4. Slow strokes
5. Fast strokes
6. Long strokes
7. Short strokes
Composition
1. Imitate/emulate: studying old/new master paintings
2. Golden mean
3. Focal area
4. Twelve-shape design
5. Tie shapes together
Design of light
1. Color/ value dominance
2. Tangents
3. Balancing extremes
4. Cropping format
5. Working from photos
6. Setting up still life
7. One scene, four versions
Color
1. Tone value in color
2. Colorist vs. tonalist
3. Limited palette: one color, two colors, three colors, four colors
4. Bracketing your colors
5. Color and complement
6. Color dominance
7. Color temperature
Motivation or Concept: Why are you doing this piece?
1. Relaxation
2. Stress management
3. Nurturing your creativity
4. For a gift
5. Learn or improve certain skills
6. Impress friends
7. Rite of passage
8. Fun
Ollie 6x8 Oil on Canvas over Panel
This is my boxer, Ollie. He is so regal looking in this painting. This is one in a series of dog paintings that I will be doing in the next few months.
Albert Handell said it over and over, and Richard agreed that you have to stop trying to think in terms of making money from art and just practice your art. Keep working on something (one thing) until you get good at it. For example, in my critique, he noticed that I like to do red brick buildings, so he told me to paint twenty paintings of red brick buildings. That’s quite a task, but maybe it’s a good idea. I haven’t done it yet, but I do like to paint street scenes so I may concentrate on that. There are lots of old brick buildings in my area that would make good subjects.
I also think that drawing more would be a good idea. I just don’t do this enough and I need to get back into doing it on a daily basis. I do keep a Moleskin notebook in my purse at all times, but I've got to use it more. I have lots of sketch pads too, so there’s no excuse. I did do some sketching at a recent state women's club conference. I drew head poses of several women there. It was fun and I was able to pass the time while the speakers took their turns at the podium.
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