Tagged: art

July 10, 2013

Famous Abstract Artists

kandinsky.comp-8 — **Composition VIII Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York**

1. Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
Russian-born artist, Wassily Kandinsky, is acutely sensitive to the world around him and often felt overpowered by the sensations and emotions he experienced in response to it. Relaxation did not come easily to Kandinsky and he has inability to switch off from the world. During a performance of Wagner’s opera Loenghrin, he experienced the mighty sound of the symphony orchestra in a whole range of vivid colours that evoked scenes of Moscow. He knew immediately that he wanted to paint them. It is likely that Kandinsky had the condition known as “synaesthesia” which allowed him to hear colour and see music. Luckily for us, through painting, he found the means to use this unusual ability to make a remarkable contribution to the world of modern art.

2. Robert Delaunay (1885-1941)
Robert Delaunay was known for his bold use of color and geometric shapes. His paintings showed contrasts and harmonies of color produce in the eye simultaneous movements and correspond to movement in nature. His work using coloured ‘simultaneous discs’ was influenced by the research of the 19th century chemist Eugene Chevreul who concluded that “Two adjacent colours, when seen by the eye, will appear as dissimilar as possible”. Delaunay’s work encourages us to see the world with fresh eyes, to notice the shape and colour of the world around us. It fills us with feelings of light and optimism. It calls us to embrace the world and our sense of place in it.

3. Mark Rothko (1903-1970)
Mark Rothko’s work matured from representation and mythological subjects into rectangular fields of color and light. The most important aspect of painting for Mark Rothko was the creation of space within it. For him, artists were seekers of truth and adventure. He sought to communicate his understanding of the world, not through colour, but through a sense of space within the work. His paintings are powerfully meditative and draw us in, enveloping us and taking us to a quiet, reflective and emotional place.

**Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist), 1950, oil, enamel and aluminum on canvas by Jackson Pollock**

4. Jackson Pollock (1921-1956)
Jackson Pollock paintings are some of the most recognisable and thrilling images produced in the 20th century. Pollock was dubbed ‘Jack the Dripper’ by Time magazine due to the unusual way he liked to drip and splatter paint onto his canvas. Some of the inspiration for his paintings came from the Native American sand art he saw as a child and his own method of working resembled a form of ritualised dance around the canvas which was laid out flat on the floor.

abstract5 — **Louisiana Lottery Co. by Frank Stella**

5. Frank Stella (1936 to present)
Known for his work in the areas of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction, Frank Stella is the man who most famously said “what you see is what you see” does not deal with mystery in art. His artwork is resolutely and confidently abstract, formal and somehow definite with its hard edges and flat, sometimes exuberant color. Stella has been a phenomenally successful artist from very early in his career when he caught the attention of the art world with his series of ‘Black Paintings’.

Image source: Art.com

July 9, 2013

Abstract Art: A Visual Expression of Emotions

Abstract art started in the year 1911 by the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944). It became a trend in the twentieth century and became famous because it breaks away from traditional representation of physical objects. Either it’s in the form of a canvas painting or a sculpture of different medium, abstract art is a visual language of forms, lines, colors and different shapes to interpret a concept, without necessarily providing a recognizable visual reference point for the viewers. Abstraction later manifested more formal terms, such as color, simple geometric designs and freedom from objective context.

Robert Delaunay - Premier Disque — Robert Delaunay – Premier Disque

The important connection is that abstract art engages and challenges the intellect but it also engages and challenges the emotions. To fully appreciate it, the viewer has to let go of a need to understand what the artist is trying to say and instead tune into their own interpretation and response to the piece.

As an abstract artist, you express yourself in a way that allows your audience to find his own personal response to the work. Many artists, who call their work abstract, actually do have a subject in mind when they paint. You can take a figure or landscape and simplify it, exaggerate it, or stylize it in some way. You can also use nature as a starting point but express it in different forms and shapes. Color, line, and form are more important than the details of the actual subject matter. The idea is you want to give a sense or feel for the subject rather than an exact replication.

Sonia Delaunay - Prisms Electriques (This painting is made extra special by the reference to great swiss/french poet Blaise Cendrars!) — Sonia Delaunay – Prisms Electriques
(This painting is made extra special by the reference to great swiss/french poet Blaise Cendrars!)

Abstraction indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in art. May it be partial or complete, abstraction is departure of the image to its representation. Artwork which takes liberties altering for instance, the color and form in ways, are conspicuous and with a sense of continuum, can be said to be partially abstract. Total abstraction bears no trace of any reference to anything recognizable.

In summary, the simplified meaning of abstract art is an art that relies on the emotions and mood of the artist and the elements of design rather than exact representation of a subject. This broad definition allows you as an artist to almost unlimited freedom of ideas and expressions. You can create compositions that have no pattern in nature or any subject. You can also work from nature and then interpret your subjects in a non-objective manner.

Image source: http://www.holidayclubrecordings.co.uk

July 9, 2013

How to Use Gesso on a Canvas

Gesso? What is it?

Most beginners in painting may be unfamiliar with the word “gesso.” It’s a highfaluting term that could leave a novice dumbfounded. But, don’t fret. In this post, I’ll try to shed light on this and hopefully, we can understand what gesso is all about.

Encyclopaedia Britannica defines gesso (pronounced ‘jesso’) as:

“a fluid white coating, composed of plaster of paris, chalk, gypsum, or other whiting mixed with glue, applied to smooth surfaces such as wood panels, plaster, stone, or canvas to provide the ground for tempera and oil painting or for gilding and painting carved furniture and picture frames.”

Basically, gesso is a substance used to prepare or prime a canvas before you can use it in painting. It was traditionally used by oil painters so the oil paints would adhere to the canvas. Gesso is used to protect the canvas fibers, smoothen the surface, and give flexibility to the canvas.

Is there a difference between an oil gesso and an acrylic gesso? Yes, their ingredients. Traditional oil gesso, also called glue gesso, contains an animal glue binder (usually rabbit-skin glue), chalk, and white pigment. Acrylic gesso is made of an acrylic polymer medium (binder), Calcium carbonate (chalk), a pigment (Titanium white), and chemicals for flexibility and longer life.

Acrylic gesso doesn’t contain glue since acrylic paints is not corrosive, unlike oils. The glue in the glue gesso is absorbed by the fibers of the canvas which protects it from the corrosive nature of oil paints. Many artists use acrylic gesso because of its versatility, quick drying time, convenience, flexibility, and ease of use. Some artists claim that it can be used as ground when painting in oil but some argue that the flexibility of the acrylic gesso will cause the oil paint to crack over time.

An acrylic painter could choose not to use acrylic gesso if he wants the staining effect of acrylic paints on canvas. For beginners, it’s better to prime the canvas first, or use a pre-primed canvas since you are still practicing your painting skills. CanvasLot offers pre-primed canvas in various sizes so you won’t go into the trouble of priming your canvas.

If you are a beginner in oil painting, you can use acrylic gesso but just make sure that the canvas has been properly sized. If you are creating a portrait, or planning to create a masterpiece or something like an heirloom to your family, it’s better to use the oil gesso since the oil paint will stick better to it than to an acrylic.

You can buy acrylic gesso in most art supplies shops and it is available in artist quality and student quality. As with other art supplies, the artist quality acrylic gesso is more expensive and has higher quality than the student gesso. For priming a canvas, use the artist quality gesso.

Image source: www.wikipedia.org

July 6, 2013

Tips for the Maintenance and Handling of Oil Painting

maintenance_Evans — Maintenance by David Larson Evans, 2012.

Oil paintings, whether you created yourself, acquired from an auction or an heirloom, have much value. You have to take care of its maintenance, handling, and storage. Paintings last a long time and to lengthen its beauty and life, proper care must be given to them. Museums and art galleries spend a lot and they go at great lengths just to keep and safeguard their paintings. As a painter or as an art collector, you must know some information on the maintenance and correct handling of your pieces. Here are some tips:

1. Handle the oil painting by the frame. Don’t touch the painting surface to avoid leaving natural oils from your skin.

2. An oil painting canvas is pliable, so don’t put an object at the front and behind the painting which could press the painting and leave a dent, or worse, cause a tear. If there is damage in the painting, you could do your own repair but if the piece is an heirloom or has much value, it’s better to ask a professional art restorer to do the repair.

3. When transporting an oil painting, place cardboard or thin plywood on both sides of the painting and put bubble wrap around it to secure the painting. Don’t stack paintings on top of the other.

4. When you are permanently storing a painting, put it in a custom-sized plywood container and brace the painting to avoid movements. Don’t store the painting in your attic or basement since the environment in these rooms are not favorable for paintings.

5. Don’t expose your painting under direct or extreme sunlight, cold, or humidity. These conditions will cause the paint to fall off, weaken the canvas in time, and ultimately damage your painting.

6. The best place to “store” a painting is by displaying it on a wall. Paintings are created to be viewed and admired, not to be hidden under the basement. Hang it in a place without extreme temperatures. Don’t hang it near or across a window, fireplace, or any room with much humidity.

7. Don’t hang paintings in hallways or any room where there are lots of movements and where it can be knocked or scratched. The best room for a painting would be a room where people are comfortable, a room where the temperature is controlled, not much heat or cold. Keep your paintings away from fireplaces, heaters and radiators.

8. Use two hooks when hanging a painting to provide enough support and balance. The painting should be high for people to see but not too high to put a strain on the viewer’s neck. If you are hanging a painting in your living room, the best spot is above the sofa, above head height of anyone sitting.

9. Use a soft-bristled brush to dust the surface of the painting to prevent dust from accumulating.

Image source: http://www.dailypainters.com

July 5, 2013

How to Repair a Damaged Canvas

You’ve finally finished your masterpiece. After hours and days laboring on your painting, carefully putting your inspiration on canvas, you’re excited to display it. Unfortunately, you or someone else accidentally ripped a small area on your painting. What do you do?

Don’t panic. There are two ways to repair a torn, ripped, punctured, or damaged canvas: patching or lining. Before fixing your canvas, you have to consider some factors that would affect the end result of your repair. If the damage is small, patching would be a good remedy. Patching is a quick and easy solution to tiny punctures, L-shaped tears, and small tears. For damages affecting a large area or if the small tears are located in several areas, lining is the best way to fix the canvas. For old oil paintings, professional art restorers prefer to do lining since most aged canvas are brittle, fragile, and more susceptible to damage when not reinforced.

Patching
Here are the steps for patching a canvas:

1. Smooth out the area where the tear is located. Clean up any fibers that may have unraveled.

2. Cut a piece of canvas with at least an inch wider than the tear. If you have a lighter weight canvas than the one you’re repairing is best to use.

3. Glue the patch at the back of the tear. Use acrylic-gesso or an acid-free glue in patching. Apply a thin layer of glue to the patch. If you use too much glue, it will only squeeze out of the patch and get on the front of the canvas which will leave an unnecessary stain.

4. While the glue is still wet, check the tear at the front of the canvas. Use a pair of tweezers to put back loose threads in place. Carefully arrange the threads to fill the damage.

5. Inpaint the patched area, if needed. If it’s your own work, it would be easier to repaint the repaired area.

Tips:

Work with patience and care.
Hire a professional art conservator or restorer for fixing valuable and antique paintings. They can do a more refined repair of an old painting.
Patching done in a busy area of the painting is less noticeable than a patch in a solid area.
Just because the patch is located behind the canvas, doesn’t mean you will do a sloppy repair. Make the patch neat and professional-looking so if someone sees the repair, they won’t be dismayed with the whole painting.

Image source: http://painting.about.com

July 3, 2013

Top 10 Art Exhibits in the United States for 2013

For artists and art enthusiasts, finding great new inspirations from artworks from various artists is a must. For 2013, here’s a list of the best exhibits that made admiring art into new dimentions.

1. Angles, Demons, and Savages: Pollock, Ossorio, Dubuffet
An exhibition of work by American artists Jackson Pollock and Alfonso Ossorio, as well as French painter Jean Dubuffet held in Phillips Collection, Washington, DC last February 9- May 12, 2013. The exhibit displayed around 53 paintings and drawings that show a visual friendship enjoyed by all three artists.

exhibit1 — IMAGE: Enamel and oil on canvas
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

2. William H. Johnson: An American Modern

An exhibition of the work of modern American artist William Henry Johnson, the self-described “primitive and cultural painter” held in Georgia Museum of Art last February 16- May 12, 2013. The exhibit included some of the artist’s famous artworks such as Twenty landscapes, still-lifes and portraits including the iconic “Blind Singer” and “Aunt Alice.”

3. Chagall: Beyond Color
A look at the paintings, sculpture, ceramics and collage of the Russian-French artist, Marc Chagall held in Dallas Museum of Art last February 17th – May 26th, 2013. The exhibit also includes a display of costumes made by Chagall in 1942 for the production of the ballet “Aleko,” choreographed by Léonide Massine with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

exhibit3 — IMAGE:
Marc Chagall, Double Portrait with Wine Glass (Double Portrait au Verre de Vin)1917-1918
Oil on canvas

4. Kehinde Wiley: The Memling Series
Displays a new series of paintings by the New York artist Kehinde Wiley, who is known for his knack for re-envisioning classical styles of portraiture held in Phoenix Art Museum, N. Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ last February 20th – June 23rd, 2013. The exhibit includes eight paintings based on the work of Hans Memling, the Flemish master painter of the Northern Renaissance.

5. Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity
The exhibit displays survey of the fashion trends that appeared in the works of the Impressionists and their contemporaries held in The Metropolitan Museum of Art last February 26th – May 27th, 2013. Around eighty major figure paintings seen in conjunction with period costumes, accessories, fashion plates, photographs, and popular prints that also show the relationship between fashion and art at this time.

6. Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Masterpieces of Modern Mexico
An exhibition of works collected by Jacque and Natasha Gelman, Eastern European ex-pats who became Mexican citizens in 1942 and subsequently acquired art by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Rufino Tamayo, David Alfaro and more. The exhibit is now being held in Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art started last May 25 all the way through August 18, 2013. There are more than 100 paintings, sculptures, photographs, and drawing in the exhibit.

7. Fernand Leger and the Modern City
Using Fernand Léger’s 1919 work, “The City,” as a jumping off point, the exhibit showcases the French artist’s array of paintings, all of which incorporate forms of cultural production central to modern cities, like graphic and advertising design, theater, film, and architecture. To be held in Philadelphia Museum of Art on October 2013 – January 2014. The exhibit will display over one hundred Leger works from collectors and institutions across Europe and the US.

8. Wayne Hollowell’s “Drama Queen”
This exhibit features a dazzling display of pop culture portraits just in time for NYC Pride held in Michael Mut Gallery, New York last June 26-30, 2013.

9. Enrico David
An exhibition of Italian-born artist, Enrico David, known for his figurative multimedia works that reveals a dark underworld of surreal, craft-informed creatures held in Hammer Museum last January 12th – May 5th, 2013. The collection included paper mummies, hand-crafted tapestries and cavernous paintings.

10. The Artist and the Poet
Planned to coincide with the institute’s “Picasso and Chicago” exhibition, the array of prints and drawings reveal the collaborative relationship between artists like Pablo Picasso, Robert Motherwell and David Hockney and poets such as Max Jacob, Rafael Alberti and Wallace Steves, respectively. Held in The Art Institute Chicago last February 1st – June 2nd, 2013. The collection includes “Skin with O’Hara Poem” (1963–65), a print by Jasper Johns that was inspired by the poet Frank O’Hara.

Source:Huffpost Arts & Culture http://www.huffingtonpost.com

July 2, 2013

Where To Find Art Buyers?

Selling your art is no different from selling other items. All you need to do is to find the right people who want to buy them and the right places to display your art and make it look good, where art buyers tend to congregate, and places where you know the client can afford your asking prices. Here are some of the best places where you can find your buyers.

Galleries
Still, the best place to find a buyer for your artwork is in an art gallery. You can look around to find an art gallery exhibition and display your work. Find a good art gallery to represent you, and who can arrange an art show for you. Art buyers often show up at the opening just to see if there is anything that they like. There are always potential buyers who come to these exhibitions looking for good paintings.

Social Media and Art Websites
There are many social networks, online galleries, and other websites online to market art. There are by far too many to mention here, but the major ones are Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and many online gallery websites. Sign up and start advertising online. If you manage to sell many, you are not only making money, but are receiving free advertising! People will be talking about your art, or share it through the mail. Many will see your artworks, who would not have been able to before.

Art competions, Auction sale and Art Expos
Try to join as frequent as possible in competitions and art events. Even if you do not win, you and your artwork will get exposure. Whoever is on the judging panel will see it, be it gallery owners or curators. The more they have to judge your artworks the more they will be familiar with you and know how serious you are about your art career. Its usually best to show alongside other artists who work in the same style as you. That way, the art buyers that often buy from them, may purchase artworks from you.

Neighbors, Family and Friends
Of course, the first people who have to see your artwork are the ones who are nearest to you. Show them what you are creating. Show them to your family members, friends and you neighbours. . Even if they do not buy artwork from you, they may tell others about your creations.

It’s best to never pressure someone into buying though. If they like it, or can afford it, they will most likely purchase from you without any convincing. Observe how art is sold in as many different circumstances as possible. Watch how people sell at all types of galleries, art shows, art fairs and other venues where art is for sale. See what sales techniques work to different kinds of buyers and take note which one doesn’t. Research on what sells best and why and learn everything you can from gallery owners and fellow artists about how they present, market, and sell art to clients.

Image source: www.forbes.com

July 1, 2013

The Beauty and Popularity of Photorealism

American author and art dealer Louis K. Meisel coined the term “photorealism” in 1969. It refers to a genre of painting based on using photographs as basis for a realistic and photographic art work. This movement started in the late 1960s and early 1970s. During that time, artists captured images of their subjects to gather visual information and used these photos in their paintings.

To give a definite definition for an artist to be considered as a photorealist, Meisel released these 5 points:

The Photo-Realist uses the camera and photograph to gather information.
The Photo-Realist uses a mechanical or semimechanical means to transfer the information to the canvas.
The Photo-Realist must have the technical ability to make the finished work appear photographic.
The artist must have exhibited work as a Photo-Realist by 1972 to be considered one of the central Photo-Realists.
The artist must have devoted at least five years to the development and exhibition of Photo-Realist work.

crayola_flack — Crayola by Audrey Flack, 1972-73.

The cool thing about photorealism is that you can mistaken a photorealistic painting as the actual photo. You’ll be surprised how a painting can look fantastically as the real thing. Many artists who are called photorealists have experimented and became popular in this painting style such as Charles Bell, Audrey Flack, Tom Blackwell, and Raplpf Goings. They use ordinary, mundane objects as their subjects such as food, flowers, beaches, diners, etc.

Before creating a photorealistic painting, artists create several studies of the subject to learn its composition, colors, shadows, form, and perspective, much like a mock-ups. From these studies, they can try to tell which element or area could become a problem when painted in large-scale and they try to find a solution. These artists gave attention to the minutest details of the subject and they try to portray subjects as accurately as possible, a total opposite of the Abstract Expressionist movement.

Between_Two_Places-Zener — Between Two Places by Eric Zener

You may ask, why create a photorealistic painting that take days or even months to finish when you can just take the subject’s picture? The answer: technical virtuosity and enigma. It’s fascinating to look at these paintings because you’ll think they’re “real” but they’re not, because they’re paintings.

Many contemporary photorealists have created art works using water (swimming pools, bathrooms, water splashes), reflections (mirrors, glasses, bottles), food from freshly cooked to packaged ones as subjects. The colors are vibrant, vivid, and intense, it looks like you can almost touch the subject of the painting. Amazing, right?

Image sources:
http://www.audreyflack.com
http://www.escapeintolife.com

June 30, 2013

Learn the Oil Painting Technique: Wet into Wet

Also known as Alla Prima (Italian for first attempt), wet-on-wet means you simply paint over wet paint. The goal in this technique is to finish the whole painting before the first paint dries therefore working fast is the key. Here are some things that you need to know about wet-on-wet painting.

• You start the wet-on-wet technique using thinned oil paint for drawing. Then you place spots of colors all over the painting to fill it in because the sketch usually dissolved or over-painted as the painting progresses. The painting can be adjusted slightly with glazes and highlights after it dries.

• Blending colors is easy with wet on wet technique. You can directly place one color onto your canvas, and then add other colors and blend with brush or knife to you desired shade. But you have to make sure that you mix colors rapidly and with clear understanding of color theory and keeping in mind the form that you’re trying paint. Expertise with brushwork is very important to do the trick.

• The beauty of wet-on-wet technique is that it sustains the fresh and spontaneous inspiration that come as you paint. For me it is the most intuitive way to paint. Creating a portrait with the technique will require expertise in mixing colors to match your subject.

• It may require few layers of paint to complete the painting, in which case it is easy to overfix the paints, which can look labored and weak. This is the stage where many beginners give up, but if you press on, you can master wet-on-wet technique and create works with the amazing freshness and spontaneity that only wet on wet can provide.

• When working wet-on-wet pull the brush along its length with the handle close to the surface. You get two strokes with a flat bristle brush, one side then the other, look at the brush for any paint it picked up and wipe it. Think of the brush hairs as if they were the fingers on your hand stroking the surface. This method allows wet paint to go over another (wet) color with clean results.

Using this technique have its advantages. One is you don’t need fine drawing skills. Blending is also quite easy in this technique so you don’t need extensive blending of colors. Lastly, your paintings can be completed quickly (about 2 hours to 2 days only) because you have to make sure that you’re working on wet paint.

This technique is quite advanced and requires a bit of painting experience. Using the Wet-on-Wet method, a dedicated practice and experimentation are all that is necessary to achieve masterpieces that you never imagined you can possibly do.

Paintings by Morris Hinson http://www.thumbartsguild.com/artist/mhinson.html

June 29, 2013

Learn the Oil Painting Technique: Blending

Color blending is a technique wherein two colors are combined to create another color. Each color has a separate blend factor that determines how much of each color is combined into the final product. There are different ways to blend colors and different ways with different medium. Today, I will share some techniques in color blending using oil paints.

How to start?
Once you’ve decided what colors you want to blend to create an effect, you might want to blend small amounts of each and check if it’s the color you’re looking for then you can make necessary adjustments. Move the brush in a way from one color into the other and back or in a zigzag motion. Wipe off any paint from your brush before you start blending or better yet, start with a clean, dry brush so you won’t add any extra paint that is not part of your color scheme.

Indigo sunset original oil painting, seascape by Gina De Gorna — Indigo sunset original oil painting, seascape
by Gina De Gorna
Image source: http://sunsetartonline.com

How to blend on canvas?
You don’t want the colors mix equally so stroking your brush sideways at least initially or else you’ll have strips of concentrated colors in your blended color. Remember to keep your strokes short and picking different percentages of blending. Keep repeating until it blends. As your tip gets thinner you get a smoother result, and once is smooth enough you can use blur or smudge tool to finish the job in case you want perfect gradients. If you think your blended color is not blending well or it’s too concentrated on canvas, all you need to do is to pick up a little fresh paint in the color that’s at risk of being lost then work from the outside or the darker shade until its blended. You can take your time blending with oil paints because they dry slowly unlike with acrylic paints.

What type of brush and brushstroke is best to use in blending?
Create a transition between the first two shades using a crosshatch stroke. Flat brushes tend to work best for blending. Smooth the blend by using parallel strokes along the transition you just created. The parallel strokes should be perpendicular to the lighter shades. Use a clean brush to blend the next shade, and repeat the technique using first crosshatched strokes followed by parallel stokes. A clean brush should always be used when working with a new shade, even if the actual color is the same.