Week 5 of the indoor painting challenge...
Hope you're all doing well and able to make your art. Your paintings are looking GREAT so keep them coming!
This weeks challenge might seem like a bit of a task... but it also can be fun. Thumbnails: Small (2") drawings to keep you exploring the best composition. Many a time I've been so excited to paint a subject that I dive right in, and halfway through the painting I wish I'd turned my canvas vertically or refigured the horizon line on my canvas. Working these things out beforehand with thumbnails sets you up for a happier outcome —and a stronger painting.
The goal is to put your idea or concept on paper quickly (no longer than 2 minutes per thumbnail). Keep things simple. Explore and take risks with alternate angles of your subject. Look for the large shapes, don't focus on the details.
Think also about values and shade them in: Is it light? make it white. Is it dark? make it black. Add a couple of mid range grays. Look at an object and ask what value it is first (not what color it is).
You may find you don't need (or want) to include everything you see in your scene or subject. Thumbnails will help you see where you might want to edit.
Make sure to maintain a similar overall aspect ratio of the thumbnail so it reflects the size of the page in your sketchbook/canvas.
If you choose to take this weeks art challenge, hope your thumbnails set you up for a happy painting experience for your interior (or exterior).
Janet and Susan
Virginia Naughton took the 'thumbnail challenge' and developed this compelling watercolor, titled: 'View From Back'. It really draws you in! In her workds: " I had decided to try to paint the view from the back of my house. So much to look at...Yikes. Sketching thumbnails not only helped me put my composition together it also helped me focus on what I was interested in. I left some things out; I thought about how I wanted to emphasize what was left. If I paint the same view again, I might zero into the composition even more."
Riki Braunstein's watercolor bird and owl are painted with imagination and light!
Plein air oil painter Sarah Tanzer created these vibrant water color studies based on thumbnails. She says: "It was a great way for me to explore doing a larger oil painting and pushing through my fear of watercolor!"
Looking good!!
Hope you're all doing well and able to make your art. Your paintings are looking GREAT so keep them coming!
This weeks challenge might seem like a bit of a task... but it also can be fun. Thumbnails: Small (2") drawings to keep you exploring the best composition. Many a time I've been so excited to paint a subject that I dive right in, and halfway through the painting I wish I'd turned my canvas vertically or refigured the horizon line on my canvas. Working these things out beforehand with thumbnails sets you up for a happier outcome —and a stronger painting.
The goal is to put your idea or concept on paper quickly (no longer than 2 minutes per thumbnail). Keep things simple. Explore and take risks with alternate angles of your subject. Look for the large shapes, don't focus on the details.
Think also about values and shade them in: Is it light? make it white. Is it dark? make it black. Add a couple of mid range grays. Look at an object and ask what value it is first (not what color it is).
You may find you don't need (or want) to include everything you see in your scene or subject. Thumbnails will help you see where you might want to edit.
Make sure to maintain a similar overall aspect ratio of the thumbnail so it reflects the size of the page in your sketchbook/canvas.
If you choose to take this weeks art challenge, hope your thumbnails set you up for a happy painting experience for your interior (or exterior).
Janet and Susan
Riki Braunstein's watercolor bird and owl are painted with imagination and light!
Plein air oil painter Sarah Tanzer created these vibrant water color studies based on thumbnails. She says: "It was a great way for me to explore doing a larger oil painting and pushing through my fear of watercolor!"
Looking good!!
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