The New Palette Magazine #81

NEW PALETTE THE

M A G A Z I N E

Issue #81

2022

Sterling Edwards, TWSA, CSPWC, WPA, NWS - Bold and Bonsai - Watercolor, 22" x 30"

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Stylize It

By Sterling Edwards, TWSA, CSPWC, WPA, NWS

Are you tired of painting the same way as everyone else?

Are you ready for a challenge? Do you feel a little adventuresome?

If so, read on Like many of you, I have spent years learning the a “good” piece of art. The problem that I eventually basics of drawing and painting. I have worked in just faced was one that a lot of experienced artists face. about every medium that you can think of, and I can Once you know how to do something well, you honestly say that some of them were much more apbegin to miss the thrill of discovery. That feeling of pealing to me than others. I have been painting since I “wow, I can actually do this” that you get when you was twelve. That is when I began taking art lessons at have practiced and worked hard to learn something a gallery in Kanand suddenly sas City, Misit works. Now souri. I decided what? at an early age It’s okay to that I wanted pat yourself on to be an artist. the back because It just seemed you earned it. like the natural But after a while choice because many artists I was always begin to look either drawing beyond copyor reading about ing what they art. I guess that see and want you can say that to experiment it was in my with creating blood. more interpreLike most tive works of art. artists, I was They begin to Bold and Bonsai - Watercolor, 22" x 30" convinced that find creative ways the more I could to infuse their own draw something that looks exactly like the photopersonality and thoughts into their work. It’s a natugraph that I was using as a reference, the better an ral evolution for many artists. I should point out that artist I was becoming. I know without even asking I am not just telling what I personally experienced, that a lot of you have been down the same path. It but what a lot of my students have told me that they was time well spent because it taught me a great experienced as well. I had to make a conscious decideal about dimension, perspective, form, shading, sion to change the way that I was painting. and a host of other skills that are necessary to create I started reading about some of the early abstract

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the New Palette #81 expressionist artists that began the abstract movement exaggerate them with expressive brushwork to sugin New York in the 1940’s. At first, like many people, gest movement and rhythm. It took a while to break I did not understand abstract. It seemed to break a lot free of my more traditional style, but I eventually of the traditional “rules” that I had spent years learnmade the transition. Another thing that needed to be ing. But one thing made an impression on my way of conquered was the concept that everything needs to looking at many of the abstract paintings. It was the be painted in its natural, local color. For example, an freshness and spontaneity of the brushwork in many apple must be painted red. But what if you paint the of the pieces. Even though they were mostly non-rep- apple black? resentational, I would often find things in them that If the shape suggests an apple, the viewer will see I seriously doubt the artist put there intentionally. Inan apple regardless of the color. In other words, the stead, they presented me with visual energy and let me shapes will tell the story much more than the colors. use my own judgement and imagination as to what it This new way of thinking opened a wide doorway into was or what they were saying in their paintings. They using expressive colors if I wanted to; and relying on allowed me the opportunity to fill in the blanks howthe shapes of the individual elements in the painting ever I chose. This was something that I never really to guide the viewer to a conclusion. This also gives knew that an the artist artist could permission do. After all, I to embellish had spent so the elements many years to whatever learning to degree the tell the viewer artist wishexactly what es, because to see and after all, the think about viewer is in my represeeing what sentational the artist enpaintings. I visions, not was essentialjust what the ly showing artist sees. them someHow rething that freshing and, they already in my case, knew and Lake Living 15" x 22" watercolor revolutioncould easily reary. Paintings late to. They were attractive paintings, but they didn’t executed in this manner are generally referred to as challenge the viewer to interpret or become mentally “Stylized”. I personally refer to them as “Representaengaged with the painting. That was the point where tional Abstracts” because there is enough traditional I decided to allow myself to evolve as an artist and do design to make a correct judgement about the subjects my own thing. After all, people want to know how the of the painting, but it is also a borderline abstract work artist sees the world, not just what they can readily see of art. You would never see anything quite like it in themselves. real life.

So, I begin to intentionally distort the shapes in The painting, “Lake Living”, (center) was inmy paintings to make them unique but still interpre- spired by a group of homes clustered on the shore tive. To achieve this, it was often necessary to look of a lake. There was nothing exciting to see here but for the individual characteristics of shapes and then I decided to paint the scene using my newfound

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stylized way of painting. It goes without saying that all my years learning about perspective were tossed aside when I began making the shapes of the buildings. I intentionally painted them out of perspective to add an element of abstraction. By overlapping the shapes, I was able to suggest depth and dimension.

The values range from areas of white unpainted watercolor paper to very rich dark blues and even black.

The strong contrasts in value give the painting drama and dynamics that are designed to pull the viewer into the painting. You’ll note that there is also a dominance of negative shapes that make interpretive shapes such as the docks on the water. I was particularly attentive to having a balance of warm and cool colors throughout the painting.

The painting, “Vibrations”, is unquestionably a stylized interpretation. The inspiration for this painting was a tree of Tulip Poplar blossoms just outside of my studio. I painted this piece relying heavily on negative overlapping shapes and a mix of warm and cool colors. Using large flat brushes, I was able to create a feeling of vibration in the background with sweeping brushstrokes of color on wet paper, adding to the abstraction. There are areas of white unpainted watercolor paper and the richest dark values in the center of interest. My main objective with this painting was to offer the viewer something different and dynamic. If they can identify what kind of flower this is, wonderful. If they can’t, does it really matter?

“Vibrations” 22" x 30" Watercolor

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The painting, “Windward II”, was inspired by an ancient tree that was nestled in a rock out-cropping in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. What attracted me the most about this tree was the beautiful movement of the trunk and branches. The sweeping motion of the tree was balanced by the more rigid and somewhat geometric shapes and edges of the rock outcropping.

As I typically do, I relied heavily upon negative shapes for the lower part of “Windward II” 22" x 30" Watercolor the tree where the exposed roots of the tree are anchored in the boulders. Leaving the viewer to make a proper interpretation. As always, areas of white unpainted watercolor paper in my center I looked for opportunities to overlap shapes and use of interest and placing rich dark values and colors next rich contrasts of value with my colors. Even though to the white areas created a dramatic statement. Every- the table setting is somewhat typical, the angle of the thing else in the painting was a combination of hard table allowed me to create some strong diagonal lines and soft edges, and an exaggerated variety of colors. that contrasted well with the more rounded shapes in The painting, the painting. The “Laid Back”, is a background was still life that depicts a wide-open area a familiar setting that was easily of wine bottles, dissected into glasses, and fruit. various geometric It was a fun piece abstracted shapes. to paint because I This further addwas able to intened to the overall tionally distort the abstraction of the elements in the painting. painting as much as I wanted while still leaving enough for

“Laid Back” 22” x 30” Watercolor

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Floral Demonstration The following demonstration takes you through the process of analyzing a subject and breaking it down into a stylized and interpretive painting.

As you can see, there is a lot of information in this photograph. Most photographs contain way too much information in my opinion.

As artists, we can make choices of what to include or delete to make our painting stronger and more dynamic.

That is what I have done in this demonstration. The main reason I took the photograph was to capture the beautiful and exotic tropical flowers and rich colors.

Photo of red tropical flower

I began this painting using a #2 pencil to draw a quick sketch of the main flower and some of the stems and leaves on a full size sheet (22” x 30”) piece of Fabriano Artistico 300 lb. cold pressed watercolor paper that was secured to a mounting board with 1” masking tape.

My sketch only took about five minutes because if I do too much sketching, I will be tempted to get the small brushes out and start painting within my pencil lines. My center of interest will be the larger flower.

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Sketch on 300lb cold pressed watercolor paper.

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Photo of Wet into Wet Painting To start the actual painting process, I wet the entire surface of the paper thoroughly and began using wet washes of colors applied with a 2” wide stiff, flat brush. The colors that I applied are Quinacridone

On dry paper I introduced more of the colors that I had used in my initial wash but, since the paper was dry, I was able to focus more on introducing hard edges where I wanted them. By introducing some rich, dark values and incorporating some additional negative shapes to suggest leaves and movement in the shapes of the flowers, I was able to see just how much more was necessary to finish this painting. I was very careful to leave a lot of the soft edges from my initial wet on wet block-in.

Scarlet, Permanent Violet, Prussian Blue, Permanent Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, and Hooker’s Green. I used the large 2” brush as long as I could to block in my initial shapes and colors then I switched to a 1” flat, nylon brush with a sharp edge to introduce some more controlled edges. I was very careful to stay away from areas of the painting where I wanted to leave white unpainted paper for highlights. At times, I used a barely damp 1” flat, bristle brush to soften edges as I painted. I kept introducing shapes and colors until I noticed that I was getting some dry brush textures which meant that the surface of the paper was getting dry. At that point I stopped and thoroughly dried the paper.

My initial “block-in” was complete. When working on wet paper it is often necessary to work quickly so that you can get most of the initial shapes and colors blocked-in before the paper dries.

Photo of working Wet on Dry

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“It Grows in a Jungle” 22” x 30” watercolor To complete this painting, I used a #6 Rigger brush to add a few calligraphic lines in some of the stems and pedals. I also used a #12 round nylon brush and a mix of Hooker’s Green and Permanent Violet to add a few more of the darker values in my center of interest just to make it more dramatic. Lastly, I added a tiny bit of dark splatter applied with my #6 Rigger brush and a signature, and it was finished.

The last thing that I did on this piece was to erase a few of my pencil lines specifically on the white areas where they were the most noticeable. I don’t even know what kind of flower it is. I took the photograph

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years ago while teaching a watercolor workshop near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Quite honestly, it doesn’t matter what kind of flower it is. It’s a colorful and stylized piece of art.

Hopefully this has opened your eyes to some new possibilities that we have at our disposal when we paint.

These techniques and concepts work with all mediums.

All that you need is the inspiration and commitment to go outside of your comfort zone. Try stylizing a few paintings and see just how far you can go. You never know, this might be right down your alley. 

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Paint What You Love

By Lynn Slade I have a very large collection of one-of-a-kind, has one bird that represents my environment and a handmade animals that I have been collecting for fruit or vegetable that I love: blueberries, figs, peppers, over 50 years. Most are carved of wood and then capers, lemons, apricots, oranges, cherries . . . beautifully paintEach animal ed, but there are combination is some made of stone, surrounded by color clay, or cloth over and texture. I begin a wooden base as by experimenting well as some paper with color combinamache pieces. Each tions using the colors one is displayed in in the actual animal its special place in as a starting point. I my house. Every day want the colors and they make me smile. textures that surI had just comround the animal to pleted a painting bring out or accentuseries based on ate their personality nature and wanted to and express how I head out in another feel about them. direction. A series Once I’ve made that requires a subject decision, I start prePhoto of papers painted for the Cat and Cow piece that you can see and paring the papers. I I always start by making an assortment of textured papers in the colors I want experience often and am using watercolor to use for each piece. That way, when I start working on the painting, I don’t on acid free tissue easily. I am passionhave to stop and make more before I can continue. In the photo you can see to make the colors ate about my collecdifferent textures and pieces that are stenciled or stamped a second time with tion and thought; and patterns I need an additional color which helps to blend the colors together.

“Why not paint what for each painting.

I love?”

Needless to say, no My paintings are not still lifes, but arranged at matter how many papers and textures I make, there random as I am working. I pick out an animal that I is always another one I need! want to focus on and do several drawings of it from I start with solid colors and then move into padifferent angles on tracing paper. Then I select the an- pers that I have already textured with black or white imal that I feel should accompany the first and do the gesso or gloss medium. After they are dry, I pull out same thing. The animal’s actual size makes no differmy stamps, stencils, and piles of texturing materials. ence. I enlarge or reduce my drawings and move the The stencils are purchased and the stamps I design two drawings on tracing paper around, and over each and cut myself. I also utilize a multitude of found other, until I’m happy with how they interact. In addi- objects and things raided from the kitchen or my tion to the main animals, every painting in the series husband’s shop: old fishing line, bottle tops, bubble

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the New Palette #81 wrap, tin foil, sandpaper, sticks, a broken japanese lantern, extra earbud tips mounted on a piece of foamcore, cheesecloth, cement scrapers – the list is endless. I use these items to add an additional texture over the papers I’ve already painted; whether they are texturized or not. It’s a way to add more dimension to the paper and to combine color patterns. I also

try to recreate textures or patterns that I find in my home or studio. Adding those papers to a painting is a way for me to share my environment.

I use acrylic matte medium to adhere the papers to 300 lb. watercolor paper. Once all the papers are down and dry, I paint into the image, adding details, blending areas, and adjusting values.

Curiosity The title seems perfect for this grouping which includes two of my oldest pieces and one new, th e bird. The facial expressions tell the whole story.

Companions The repetition of white dots moves from the left to right, through the turtle’s detail, and then to the background behind the frog. Each is made with a different stencil or stamp. I placed other patterns and lines to keep the eye moving back and forth, ending up with the rustic, handcarved turtle against his orange square.

Sisters These deer are very roughly carved and held together with small pegs. I chose green for the background and the limes seem to fit the mood of their silly expressions.

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Fishing The bear and fish combination is a natural. The pattern on the left was made using a pile of old fishing line pressed into black gesso and then stamped on archival tissue.

Scaredy Cat Out of the 20 or more cats in my collection, this is one of my favorites. Made of wire and paper mache, he is very fragile. The face in the background is actually a ceramic pot I made about 50 years ago. Both items are soft white, cream, and tan so I wanted to have that color scheme in the piece reflecting their mood. The gray pattern at the top leads into the main solid square behind the cat so that the subjects are one unit. The other pattern of interest is the paper with random white circles in it. That is actually made by a stamp I fashioned from left over earbud covers!

Cat and Cow Thinking about yoga, I put these two together. The small bit of red/orange pattern at the top leads into the orange square and then to the cherries below. I like the fact that both animals have yellow parts which helps them tell their story together.

The Secret Both of these animals “live” together on my coffee table. I put them together in the painting and didn’t realize that the horse was actually whispering to the moose until I was finished.

I added the squares on the right as stand-ins for windows.

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Quack This was the first piece in the series. The combination of blue, purple, and orange, as well as, the textures laid over one another excited my imagination which lead to the creation of the whole series.

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Stylin’ A sheep with high top tennis shoes and a few blueberries! I couldn’t resist painting it. There’s lots of textures in red with multiple layers stamped or stenciled over one another. This not only helps to incorporate the colors but also adds personality to the characters and their surroundings.

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the

sketch

BOOK The Editors

S

ome painters like to wing it: just grab a brush, dip into some paint, start covering the paper, and see what appears. Because the results of an improvised approach can be creative and exciting or, more likely thoughtless and chaotic, most painters like to do at least a little looking, thinking, and planning before they leap. And the sketchbook is where most painters organize and visualize their thoughts. It’s an essential item in almost every painter’s kit.

Not every painter uses his sketchbook in the same way or for the same purpose. Some artists sketch out a few lines prior to painting to determine basic proportions and divisions of space. Other artists go further, shading in one or two value steps in their drawing to organize the essential lights or darks (see Fairfield Porter’s sketch to the right). This casual kind of sketch is not intended to stand on its own; it is merely a guide to help the painter in the beginning stages of the painting process.

Landscape painters who travel to painting sites often like to make detailed sketches of subject matter, particularly if they don’t have time to paint on location or don’t intend to return to the spot. These sketches can serve not only as a source of painting material but as a diary. The artist might add a few written notes to help him recall the mood or character of the place.

Rather than planning a complete painting, artists often use their sketchbook for anecdotal notes—an intersting or colorful character, the detail of a building—information for elements that can later be inserted into the design of their painting.

Most artists prefer a small sketchbook, usually not larger than 8” x 11,” one they can stick in their pocket, carry in a handbag or backpack. Being relatively inconspicuous when sketching in public places pays off.

Let’s look at some artists who use their sketchbook in different and effective ways.

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Sketching in a book

Before undertaking a large or complicated painting, most artists in the past made some kind of preparatory sketch. Obviously, Michaelangelo was not about to start on the Sistine Chapel ceiling without knowing where stuff was going and how big it was going to be. These preparatory sketches were smaller and less complicated than the intended work and were usually done on whatever scrap of paper was available around the studio. Few of these sketches have survived.

It wasn’t until the late 18th and the 19th century when artists began to venture out into the landscape to paint; that the paper for these sketches was bound into book form with hard covers. The artist could carry these small sketchbooks into the countryside to record and organize possible subjects. To the right are the sketchbooks of two great 19th century landscape painters: John Constable (above right) and Jean-Baptist Camille Corot (below right).

Survived

Because the drawings in 19th century landscape artist’s sketchbook, were often intended as a reference for a painting done later in the studio, they have survived and offer us an insight into the artist’s creative process. J.M.W. Turner left over 19,000 drawings and watercolors to the British Museum.

A vague idea

Artist, teacher, and co-editor, Skip Lawrence, doesn’t spend much time working out designs in his sketchbook. As Picasso said, the sketches “give him an idea of what the painting will look like, but it is a very vague idea.”

Note how remarkably the finished painting, “Learning” (right), has varied from his original sketch (above).

Lawrence has maintained the position of the three figures and the dog (can you find the dog?), but completely changes the value pattern and division of negative space. He says, “I feel a painting has a life of it’s own and should develop and grow as you work on it. The sketch just gets me started in that process.”

In order to more easily transfer it onto the large canvas, he graphed his sketch.

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Just line

Renowned New Mexico artist, Fran Larsen, captured ideas and organizes her highly imaginative paintings by using a sketchbook. Larsen says, ”I carry a small sketch/note pad in my purse. When I'm sitting, thinking, waiting for something, absorbing what's around me, I often pull it out and draw. The interior series started when I was waiting at a friend's house one night. Soon, I began to notice that I was watching myself look at what was around me, and I started to add parts of myself in those interiors.

I draw because the act of drawing interests me, offering me new ways to look at shapes and space, new ways to play with form. I'm not looking for objective accuracy, but rather the feelings and ideas that places invoke in me.

“When I paint, I never do ”value studies”, don't plan for “the center of interest”, have no “color scheme”, follow no rules of design, but trust my eye and my inner sense to guide me, just like I do when I am sitting and waiting...and finding a few interesting shapes to play with.”

A few simple shapes Teacher and painter (and co-editor of The Palette Magazine), Christopher Schink says, “Usually I don’t bother with a sketch or sketchbook. I often start by drawing my design directly onto my paper, especially if the subject is fairly simple or familiar. And if I’m not satisfied with shapes or divisions of space, I simply erase and correct my drawing.

If the viewpoint, shape, or pose is challenging, I’ll do a simple linear sketch (such as the one on the right) in my sketchbook. If I don’t like the sketch, I’ll make changes or, it just doesn’t seem to be working at all, I’ll do another sketch. I rarely shade in values in these sketches or even consider where my darks and lights will go. I’ve found that when I work out a careful value plan, I reduce the possibilities for exploration and innovation. I end up simply reproducing a larger version of my sketch and the painting becomes an exercise in craft rather than creativity.

I can see the look of disappointment whenver a fellow artist or student thumbs through my sketchbook. All they find are a few casual sketches, some scribbly shapes and lines, and the name of a book or movie someone recommended to me. My sketchbook is not where my art starts.

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The painted sketch

The late American painter, Barse Miller, was head of military art in the South Pacific during WWII. He was never without his sketchbook and preferred to make his sketches with a brush and black ink. Note how closely the finished painting (right) adheres to his original sketch (above).

The late American painter, Edward Betts, spent his summers in Ogonquit, Maine, and the academic year at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. So both his camera and his sketchbook were important tools for acquiring reference material for paintings done in his Illinois studio.

Because his paintings depended on the intermingling of paint and the forceful gesture, Betts would do his sketches using pens, brushes, drawing sticks, and India ink. By doing several versions, he would develop an abstract design that would be the rough basis for his large painting.

Note how in his painting (left) he has changed and embellished his original sketch (below).

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Don Andrews’ sketchbook

Popular teacher and prize-winning artist, Don Andrews, is one of those artists who can not only draw well but loves to draw; to fill his sketchbook with scenes observed and remembered, figures and visual notes and complex and whimsical doodles. His sketchbooks offer an insight into what he sees, what he likes, and how he sees and imagines it—drawn images that evolve naturally into large, colorful paintings.

Andrews continues a tradition of sketching that prevailed in West Coast school of watercolor of the 50s, 60s, and 70s with artists such as Rex Brandt, Phil Dike, George Post, and Robert E. Woods. Their rapid, skillful, drawings were often fully-realized works that could stand by themselves.

Don explains his approach to sketching

I find sketching from memory more useful than sketching from photographs because I tend to mentally weed out the unnecessary elements found in a subject and retain only the vital character of what I saw.

On a recent flight home from a workshop in Italy, I had plenty of time and fresh memories of my trip there. This sketch of an Italian landscape with laundry (above) doesn’t depict a specific place so much as my impressions of the unique character of the cities I visited.

I often see glimpses of images that capture the essence of a scene. The challenge back in the studio is to bring these images together in a cohesive way that will translate into a painting.

I sketched these laundry ladies (right) several times, rearranging their placements and postures around the fountain until a pleasing grouping was discovered.

Once this organizational information was established, I felt more comfortable beginning the painting.

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Sketching offers it’s rewards

Sketching offers many rewards beyond sharpening our drawing skills. When sketching a subject we learn to really see how a thing is made, how it looks or works.

Sketching stretches our imagination by inviting the artist to organize, arrange, and adjust the subject and value patterns to a more workable conclusion.

I don’t think of my sketches (such as the village church above) as art so much as a preparation for the art that follows.

Free models are everywhere and my sketchbooks are filled with them. However, when I sketch people I remind myself that they didn’t get dressed that morning concerned with how the color, values and patterns of their clothing will look in my paintinging.

Once the gesture of the flower ladies was captured, I concerned myself with altering the patterns and values of their blouses and skirts, so they would read well together.

A variety of choices

If you haven’t used a sketchbook before or if you’re not happy with the approach you’re taking, you have a lot of possibilities to choose from— size, type, and weight of paper, drawing, sketching or painting tool— and, of course, the kind of sketch you are going to make.

Fran Larsen delineates all the shapes in her design with a pencil but doesn’t shade them or work out any value pattern. Christopher Schink makes a very rough sketch of basic shapes and divisions of space and avoids adding values to his pencil drawings. Skip Lawrence draws the shapes of basic elements, sometimes adds a few values, and then ignores his plan in the painting process.

Barse Miller adds values to his sketch using brush and ink to give his drawing a painterly quality. Don Andrews uses a marker pen to add a carefully designed value pattern to his drawing and includes details and embellishments. Edward Betts uses ink and a variety of drawing tools to establish the abstract movements of his design. Which of these approaches to the sketchbook would work best for you? n

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VALUE judgement

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You’ll improve your design and save valuable time, if you make a value sketch.

by Don Andrews

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fter I had just finished my rough draft of an article entitled “The Value of a Value Plan” for submission to the Chief Editor and the Editor-in-Chief of Water media Focus that suggested the practice of doing a preliminary value sketch was perhaps unnecessary and certainly overrated, I felt that I was certainly missing something.

Mother warned me I would fall in with heathens when I left Alabama!

However, before you throw away your sketchbooks, consider my experience. After painting the figure almost exclusively for twenty years, I felt the need to re-introduce myself to landscape painting. I assumed this would be a simple extension of my figure-painting experience. I’d often heard how much more challenging figure painting was than landscape painting, so I expected my mastery of the landscape to be complete in a week to ten days—two weeks tops. Unfortunately, my calculations were a bit off.

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the New Palette #81 Something was missing

From the very start I sensed something was wrong with my landscapes. Something was missing. I could paint a tree that looked like a tree and I could make my clouds beautifully cloudy. In short, the elements in my painting were articulated convincingly, and yet something wasn’t right. What was missing was a sense of unity. My paintings were filled with identifiable objects, but the overall design lacked organization.

I retreated to my bookshelves, where (in the various landscape books I studied) I began to see a recurring theme banged out like a drumbeat over and over:* the necessity and logic of doing pre-painting value sketches. You know, it’s that chapter in the front of the book that we all skip over to get to the six-step color demonstrations. Most of the painters and teachers, past and present, stressed the need for preliminary value sketching— John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Millard Sheets, Andrew Wyeth, Rex Brandt; the list is endless.

This concept isn’t revolutionary; in fact, you and I have heard it from the start of our painting experience. Before you start painting, make a value sketch!

The benefits are many, and yet I had overlooked its importance. I had wanted my paintings to be color-oriented. Color was my focus and content; but

What was missing was a sense of unity.

I found that color, no matter how exciting, wasn’t enough to carry my paintings to a successful conclusion. My pursuit of color as content was valid but incomplete—like driving from Alabama to New Hampshire following the instructions “Go North.”

Going North is accurate but incomplete, as you’ll realize about the time you see a sign saying “Welcome to Toledo.”

*Editors’ note Don gets a little dramatic here, but you have to remember that he is Southern and easily excitable.

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the New Palette #81 The concerns of paintings

We have multiple concerns in our struggle with painting—color, texture, quality of edge, light, composition, etc. I heard someone once say that while they were wrestling with A, B, and C, they suddenly realized D had gone to hell. The value sketch can prevent that. It keeps us on an overall visual course while we concentrate on other painting concerns.

These days I do most of my painting in the comfort of my studio, utilizing photographs in the beginning phase or as source material. Photographs offer much useful information and I believe most artists use them to some extent. However, the danger of utilizing photographs as a source in painting is a preoccupation with the wealth of information

the camera provides. When I start painting directly from a photograph, I soon catch myself mindlessly placing objects, values and colors in my painting just because they were there— repeating nature’s disorganization. If you were to say that I should know better, my quick reply would be “I do,” but my focus was on some other aspect or concern in the painting (I was wrestling with A,B, and C).

...if there is a lack of organization in the pattern of lighter and darker values, the painting will fracture ...

No matter how well the color, texture, edge quality, or description of the subject are painted, if there is a lack of organization in the pattern of light and dark values, the painting will fracture into many disparate parts and pieces. It would be like choir boys with beautiful voices all singing from different pages of a hymnal.

The value sketch keeps us on an overall visual course while we concentrate on other painting concerns.

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the New Palette #81 Some excuses and a quiz

Okay, I admit it; perhaps I thought I’d outgrown the need for a preliminary value sketch. When it comes right down to it, what I was saying was that I’d outgrown the need for the organizational phase of painting. However, since I didn’t know where the lights would go or what their shapes, sizes, and relationship to each other would be, I ended up sprinkling a little light, a little shape, and a little excitement everywhere. I had chaos rather than order.

Okay, okay. I’ll be even more honest; perhaps I’d just gotten lazy. I didn’t want to spend the time.

What I now realize is that the value study doesn’t take time; it saves time. In a few minutes I can elimi-

nate the possibilities that would have been disasters and move on to a more logical and satisfactory start.

My first sketch is often predictable—my usual answer. Only after two or three exploratory drawings do I come upon a fresh viewpoint. And how much time are we really talking about anyway? Before you answer, give yourself this three-part quiz: 1. How long does it take to do two or three preliminary sketches?

2. How long does it take to give Skip Lawrence or Joe Miller a haircut?

3. How long does it take to list Toph Schink’s favorite country and western music stars?

The correct answer to all three questions is: Not very long.

About Don Andrews Don Andrews is a prize-winning painter and a well-known teacher.

He is an elected member of the American Watercolor Society. He has many DVD’s, color sets and a book “Interpreting the Landscape in Watercolor” available at: https://bit.ly/3tpTcR2 or write him at: Don Andrews 203 Waipahoehoe Dr Bastrop, TX 78602

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the New Palette #81 Some kind of sketch

In the studio when time isn’t a concern, my value sketches are often elaborate and done to the scale of the painting. However, in the field or in a workshop I usually do just a thumbnail “shorthand” in my sketchbook. These are not impressive in themselves, but they do their job by keeping me on track.

It is important here to say that I don’t allow myself to get locked into a pre-set value plan. I give myself the freedom to watch the page for better alternatives. In fact, I expect to change or alter the value plan to some degree in the painting process, as unexpected opportunities present themselves.

Indeed, the purpose of a value plan is to get us actively involved in the creative painting process. It is there to anchor us when we get in trouble.

How often have you and I gotten all juiced up about a subject, thrown together our painting gear, opened the palette, grabbed a brush, lifted it to the paper, and then stood frozen with the realization that with all the

I don’t allow myself to get locked into a pre-set value plan. energy and inspiration of the moment, we still weren’t sure what to do or where to start. By spending a few minutes to pull our thoughts together with some organizational value planning, we bypass the uncertainty of a guess and we overcome the ambiguity of a vague urge.

The value sketch gives life to our insights and clarity to our i m p u l s e s . It bridges the gap in the painting process between intuitive perceptions and a confident execut i o n . *

*Another note from the Editors When Don delivers this stirring passage in a workshop, he is usually accompanied by four singers softly humming “America The Beautiful.” But he does make his point.

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the New Palette #81 on

v a l u e tips

sketching

Always draw a box around your value sketch in the proportions of the paper you are going to paint on; or, tape your paper off to fit the proportions of your sketch. And remember, you don’t always have to use a half-sheet or full-sheet format; a long,thin format or square format might make a more interesting design.

The number, shape, proportion, and placement of your lightest values are important considerations when planning a painting. To help make design decisions more easily, try using a medium-gray marker pen to shade all but the lightest areas in your sketch.

Toph often “pulls” his light areas out of the sketch to check their shape and distribution throughout his design.

When painting on location, keep your value sketches small and simple. You don’t need to record a lot of information and detail, if your subject is right in front of you.

You can explore design possibilities in a value sketch.

For example, try reversing values to create new design possibilities. In the sketches above, Skip reverses the order of the middle and dark values on his figure to create different effects.

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the New Palette #81

the right

D

gesture

by Christopher Schink

rawing and painting people should be easy. After all, there’s nothing we’re more familiar with than the human form. If we have no trouble drawing and painting flowers and trees and barns, then we should find painting people easier still. But we don’t.

We may not know a lot about trees (unless, of course, you happen to be a botanist), but we do know exactly what people look like. And that may be our problem. For example, because we know that everyones walks upright and has a neck (if you exclude professional football players and wrestlers), we want to always draw everyone with their backs straight and their necks in clear view. Even if they’re sitting down or bending over.

Some useful tips to help you in drawing and painting the figure When painting figures, we often draw not what we see, but what we think we see—our general impression of what a person ought to look like. We fail to capture the distinguishing gesture, attitude, or expression that would give our figure character.

Here are some tips that will help you to convey the right gesture. Before you draw a generalized figure or fill in all the interior details, you should look for three important guidelines (as illustrated below): A the angle of the back (or spine) of your subject, B the position of the chin to shoulders, and C the angle of the eyebrow line. If you carefully note and describe each of these, you can convey a convincing and expressive gesture. Here are some tips that should help you to capture the right gesture when drawing and painting the figure.

25

the New Palette #81 The angle of the back

There is a reason why we have such difficulty getting the angle of the back right in our figure drawings and paintings. We have an unconscious urge to make people stand upright; it’s called the “righting instinct.” No matter how bent the figure may be, how far it is leaning over, we try to straighten it up in our drawing.

More often than not, we don’t notice our error until we attempt to add the arms to the figure.

Either they are too short or the result looks suspiciously like an adult orangutan or maybe something from another planet.

To overcome this unconscious urge, you must learn to carefully observe and record the angle of the back or spine. Hold your pencil or brush up vertically to the figure and note the angle of the back ( or, if the model is facing you, the spine).The angle may be far greater than you thought, but you must draw it as accurately as possible. The whole gesture and all subsequent additions depend on your getting this angle right. When you get it wrong, everything goes out of whack.

When viewing the model from the front or when the model is wearing loose clothing, you may find it difficult to see the angle of his back or centerline. For example, in the painting above I chose a high, frontal viewpoint that makes the exact angle of the model’s gesture hard to see. In the sketch to the left I took a side and eye-level viewpoint that reveals how far forward the model is actually leaning.

26

the New Palette #81 The position of the chin to the shoulder line

Everyone has a neck; we need one so that we can look both ways before crossing the street. But not everyone’s neck is the same length or shape.

And, although we know everyone has a neck, we can’t always see it when they are leaning forward or slumping or have dropped their head. So, everytime you draw a head, you can’t simply add a standard, one-sizefits-all neck. In order to capture the right gesture and the character of your subject, before drawing the neck, you must accurately note and record the position of the chin in relationship to the shoulder line.

Getting this relationship right is just as important as getting the angle of the back right. The method is just as simple: line your pencil (or brush) up horizontally at the bottom of the model’s chin and note where it hits the shoulder line. Is it above or below the shoulder line? How much neck do you actually see? Be observant.

A Common Problem One of the most common problems in figure painting is to approach the head as a “separate project” to be undertaken after the rest of the figure has been completed. We’re tempted to ignore the pose in front of us and instead fasten a standard head and neck unto the body we’ve drawn.

In the near left sketch I have carefully noted the position of the chin to the shoulders. In the far left sketch I simply added a generic head and neck.

The result feels awkward and unnatural.

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the New Palette #81

The angle of the eybrow line

Most of us tip our heads—forward or backward or to the left or to the right—unless we’re having our photo taken for our driver’s license.

We often express our emotions by tipping or turning or nodding our heads. It’s part of our body language. By capturing these subtle angles, you can add greatly to the expressive quality of your painting; and again, it’s simply a matter of getting the angle right. You can easily do this by lining your pencil up with the eyebrow line of your model and noting the angle. This is particularly important in a profile view where the tip of the head is less discernible.

Note in the painting on the right how the tip of the head adds to the expressive quality of the painting. In the illustration below I have sketched three heads tipped at three different angles (shown with a red line). You’ll find it easier to get the tip of the head right, if you start by drawing this line before you begin filling in the features.

try this.....

Don’t be embarrassed to be seen holding your pencil up to measure the angles and position of the features of your model. Unless you’re wearing a smock and beret, nobody will think you’re a phony artist. If you’re working from a photograph, you can draw directly on the photograph (or on tracing paper) to determine the correct angle. Getting these angles right will help you get the right gesture.

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A note Accurately drawing and painting the position and gesture of your subject is important, but it doesn’t by itself make a work of art. Creating a strong, imaginative design or conveying a meaningful pose or convincing situation are more important considerations in figure painting. But getting the right gesture certainly helps.

&

ROUND

W

the New Palette #81

flat

Learn how to effectively treat the forms in your painting.

by Skip Lawrence and Toph Schink

e wanted to make everything look round when we were first learning to paint; it was one of our big tricks. We’d been taught how to make things look three-dimensional by shading them, and we could hardly wait to put shadows on the lighthouse tower, the rocks, the tree trunks, the boats, and all the buildings in view. We checked the direction of our light source and then made sure every object in our painting was consistently modeled—no exceptions allowed. And if the sun wasn’t shining, we couldn’t paint. We never thought about painting things flat. It didn’t seem to be a choice.

Whether to make things look round or flat ( or a combination of those two approaches) is a decision contemporary artists have to make at the outset of every painting. Their choice is based on what they want to say in their painting. If the form of your

subject (for example, a massive mountain or an old locomotive) is what appeals to you, then modeling it with strong value changes is an effective approach. If you are interested in conveying effects of atmosphere or weather (as, for example, Monet and Turner were), you would reduce contrasts in value to flatten forms and, instead, emphasize contrasts in intensity or hue.

If you are interested in conveying your emotional response to your subject (as, for example, Van Gogh was), you would reduce or eliminate descriptive modeling of the form with value change and, instead, employ subjective color. In short, making things appear three-dimensional in your painting is not a rule; the choice is yours.

Here are some possiblities—with paintings from our new video—that illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of modeling or flattening the forms in your painting.

We make an object appear round by shifting values on its surface (color change plays only a minor part in this illusion). The wider the range of value contrast between lighted and shaded areas of an object, the rounder (or more three-dimensional) the object will appear. Skip modeled the apple on the left in a wide range of values (from off-white to almost black) to make it ap-

pear round. In the apple on the right he used contrasting colors of the same value throughout its interior to make it appear flatter.

Here we identify this apple by its silhouette, not its form. In short, to make an object look round, you should emphasize shadow patterns and value contrasts; To make it look flat you should reduce or eliminate shadows and value contrast.

29

the New Palette #81 From round to flat

Toph took this head from a Van Gogh painting of a young man. In the painting on the right, he used a full value range (from white to deep darks) to model the form. This is the most effective way (short of using a camera) to tell the viewer what our subject looks like. In the hands of a master, such as Vermeer, Rembrandt, or Thomas Eakins, this traditional approach can give us insights into the subject’s character.

The treatment of form is very different in his replica of Van Gogh’s painting (below left). By replacing contrasts of value with contrasts of intense, subjective color, the artist creates a form that appears flatter and more two-dimensional. This approach tells the viewer how the artist felt about his subject.

In Toph’s third version ( below right), he took a Matisse-like approach, eliminating all value change on the forms and using more subjective shapes. You can flatten a shape, as Toph has done here, by surrounding it with a dark (or white) line. Here again, we sense the artist’s response to his subject rather than his accurate description of its observed form.

30

the New Palette #81 In his painting on the left, Skip has emphasized the value contrast between the lighted and shaded areas of his subject to depict its form. In order to better integrate the building with its background, he has “lost”some of the edges of its silhouette.

In his treatment below, he sees each object as a flat silhouette with little or no interior value change.

Instead of modeling, he uses interior color change to make the shapes interesting.

The first painting tells us the accurate dimensions and form of the lighthouse. The second painting conveys Skip’s response to the scene.

try this.....

If you’re a painter who consistently models every element in your painting, you might want to try a flatter approach.

Take one of your finished paintings in which you have used light and shadow to describe form and draw it again on a new sheet of paper. This time just draw the silhouette of the simple forms—ignore shadows and interior details.

This is a good time to assess how effectively you divided the space in your composition and how well you have designed your primary shapes.

When you start your painting with a simple contour drawing, you can’t hide a bad shape or a monotonous design under a lot of splashy shadows.

Now, forget about describing the form of your subject matter. Try breaking up the interior of each shape with color (not value) change, pattern, or designed interior shapes. See “Inside Shapes”

in Issue #10 for possible approaches. You’ll find it is not easy to give up the habit of modeling every form, but if you try it you may find a whole new direction for your painting. ■

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THE NEW PALETTE MAGAZINE is possible because of...

Christopher Schink and Skip Lawrence, Palette Magazine founders and contributing editors, and the many amazing artist contributors.

Editor and Layout: Terry Henry With special thanks to our many subscribers.

We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the New Palette Magazine. Our goal is to continue adding new articles, lessons, product reviews, interviews with many inspiring artists, and re-purpose some of the great articles that appeared in the former Watermedia Focus Magazine. Our desire is to be your go-to magazine for inspiration, education, and much more.

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