Night Star, your words make so much sense. I'm always in awe of accomplishments of others, I'll try and appreciate what skills I have more
even though I've a long way to go yet, but your very much right. Every little tip I'm getting is really helpful feedback for me. I've got a very
small group of people in my life, parents and my kids and a really good mate. All they do is say good things. Which is very lovely, but I'm making
lots of basic blunders - most of which I'm having trouble seeing being untrained. I'm loving every bodies suggestions so much on how I can improve.
I'd love to one day be able to be happy with a painting I've done, perhaps I need to discover the emotional side on why I'm having trouble with that.
I thought it was lack of skill set, but your words are making me think outside the canvas. Thank you so much
Gordi, song doesn't work for me either, but boy oh boy is you and your friend right. Especially when I'm doing clouds, which you kind of have
to feel floaty with them as the paint builds up. You imagine the feel of the wind in the grass. Also I find myself wishing to be in the places I'm
trying to create, especially since I'm very limited on where I can go due to being wheelchair bound. It lets me travel, hiking in my mind. I can's
wait until the song works!
Nugget! You are so spot on. You gave me that a-ha moment! You get what I was trying to create, but to do it I was thinking of the sun more as
a spotlight and didn't quite realise it should be lighting the yellow in the leaves way more wider, as an entire scene. I'm heading to the library to
grab some books, going to look into lighting scenes especially. I don't have a paynes grey! My acrylic simply says 'grey' and its grey! So, yeah, It
was supposed to be water, like the side of a stream and I'm in a boat enjoying the sun coming through the trees.
BUT, that was the after thought. I started just being in the field and the stream was a much later thought process, so the colours I'd mixed before
hand when doing the grass and tree's was all used up. So, I made an attempt to sort of match the colours to put into the water. It didn't quite
work... Damn! So I think I could have helped that process by trying to sketch on the board before I put paint on. I have trouble fully imagining the
place in my mind.. It sort of just comes together as I'm doing it.
When you paint, have you fully realised the image in your head first? Or do you make things up as you go? Very interested in the mindset of artist
now. The whole process is rather fascinating when you think about it!
I'm washing my brushes in two ways. I caught an art show on tv once and the artist said they washed up by putting the brushes in hot water with
washing powder in it! She just let them sit overnight then rinsed the next day. I've used that method a few times, especially after a long session
when I've used lots of brushes. Because I keep painting to the stage when I'm in physical agony (spinal condition problem) because I'm so 'into it'
and haven't left enough energy for clean up.
But the other times I clean up by working the brush under warm running water, and have a block of ordinary soap which I work the brushes over into a
lather. Then work it out with fingers. I find this method is nicer on my hands than the washing powder method (get red agitated hands) but is a
greater time-taker-upper! Better outcome I think, the brushes feel much softer after and seem to dry nicer. This way I probably take 5-10 minutes
per brush.
(using water based acrylics)
I'm loving art lately!
It's a way bigger gift than I had in mind before I began painting with so much hidden complexity and joy, so many aspects I
had not envisaged as a beginner!
(edit- sorry for wall of text!)
edit on 13-3-2014 by Qumulys because: (no reason given)