kcp – Artblog

In this article (Coloured ground article) shows how I prepared an opaque, neutral grey coloured ground for a Still Life, and in my last article (Painting tips for Beginners) I wrote that coloured grounds are traditionally done in earth colours such as Sepia or yellow Ochre – It doesn’t have to be that way; As shown in my last article, I used a turquoise ground colour for this painting combined with dry brush technique – But again, who says that coloured grounds have to be uniform in colour? And why not have a little fun playing with transparencies? In the following examples I applied multi-coloured grounds, waited for it to dry and then applied a second semi-transparent ground on top.

For the first multi-coloured ground, I carelessly placed different colours with a hog bristle, using more solvent than I normally do, to allow colours to drip by tilting the canvas vertically and let gravity do its work. :) I also used a cloth to randomly sponge-out some of the colour mixture, letting canvas spots show through – Once dry, I added a beige ground which, I wiped-off with a dry cloth – I could have added more layers like this but for the needs of this painting I decided not to.

In this second example (below), I applied the multi-coloured ground with horizontal brush strokes and wiped-off with a cloth, also in a horizontal stroke – Once dry, I added the 2nd ground using the same beige as in the first example, only wiped it off unevenly and combining horizontal and diagonal strokes.

Although these could make great abstract works, I’m planning to paint realistic subjects (a clay pot on one and an old vine roots on the other) that will blend into the “abstract” background; I hope to achieve this unfinished painting look.

As you may have read in a previous article, I started to give painting lessons at a near-by community centre. These painting classes are meant for each participant to share and explore their creative potential. My job there is to assist each of them individually in the creation of an artistic painting.

Fleurs et Fruits by Henri Fantin-Latour (1865)

It is the first time that painting classes are held at that community centre and it is the first time that I’m giving painting lessons – so I’m learning along the way, too – and it turns-out that I’ve got this small class made-of complete beginners. It doesn’t make my task very easy but it’s fun nonetheless.

Painting consists of exploration and careful planning. I’ve observed that beginners seem to lack holistic, or “big picture” thinking, so to speak. In other words, they are painting in the now without foreseeing what they are going to do next. Of course, it’s difficult to do so when one doesn’t have any idea of what can be done with oil paint and what different approaches can be used – I’ve got to give them something to work with – so that prompted me to get started on new painting projects, which I’m going to use as examples for my students.

There are many approaches that one can use, the most obvious one being “Alla prima”  or direct painting which hence the name, consists of directly applying the paint onto the canvas without much planning. More spontaneous and intuitive, this method works well when first learning to paint but the more approaches one knows, the more equipped he is to get the results he hopes for and be satisfied with his creation.

Dry brush technique on coloured ground:
I thought my students the use of coloured grounds already but what good is that without examples of what it can be used for? Henri Fantin-Latour, one of my favourite impressionist painters often used coloured grounds as a background for his still life paintings. Traditionally, burnt umber, yellow ochre or otherwise “earth” colours were often used for ground colours but other colours can be used.

In this example I first applied a turquoise ground colour. Once the ground was dry, I transferred my sketch onto it and then I applied with a hog bristle brush some dark brownish kaki I made, using the dry brush technique. This method consists of brushing a small amount of paint onto the canvas. The rough texture of the canvas lets some of the ground colour show through. Where you want darker values, simply go over adding more paint as many times as needed to achieve the desired value.

So far this painting has only two colours (turquoise and dark brown-kaki) and already the painting makes sense and serve as a good starting point. That way, I know more where I’m going.

And now the fun begins :)After transferring the sketch on canvas (pic.1) on which I previously applied a greyish ground colour (see: Ground Colour article) I’m very roughly placing the colours. (pic.2) – This is a very thin layer, diluted in solvent and wipe-off the excess with a cloth – This is just an approximation; it is no big deal if the colours are not exactly what they should be, I’ll rework them along the way anyway.

On a second sitting, I have set the darker values at the far right (pic.3). I’m focussing on the ambiance and where the cream and sugar pot recede in the background to the point of almost vanishing. Again, this will be reworked later. I’m planning to work on small areas alternatively and re-adjusting the colours as I go – I’m barely mixing the colours on the palette which consists of Titan white, Cadmiun  yellow, Permanent red, Ultramarine blue and Sepia.

On a third sitting, I’ve set the lighter values at the far left (pic.4). I’ve also re-defined the ambiance at the far right to give it a little more of a blue hue, given that the ambient light is warm, cool shadows give a more realistic effect. Finally, on a fourth sitting I’ve refined the details on the silverware and glass (pic.5) off the spoon-holding sugar pot.

This marks the end of my Making of a Still Life series of articles but I’ll keep posting pictures and details on the progress of that painting and other still lives that I’m working on and experimenting with ground colours. I have been quite busy lately with the painting classes I began teaching and am also getting ready for an exhibit. I’ll be writing more about that in the next week or so.

The making of a Still Life:

• Introduction
• The set-up
• Ground colour 
• The sketch
•  Painting begins

The next step is rather simple; it consist sketching the subject, full size on the 15” X 30” with 3 inches square grid I previously drafted (see: The set-up) – Then darken the other side of the   paper using a soft charcoal to act as carbon paper. Tape the sketch onto the canvas and go over the lines.

Sounds simple and it is, however I should stress the importance of good drawing habits. While any trick is good to help reproduce an image accurately, such as using a grid like I did here; there are no excuses for negligence – For instance, drawing the bottom of an object first to “seat” the object and establish a sense of space and dimension – Don’t do that and you may very well end-up with object that look like they are floating around – Pay careful attention to the size and distance of the bottom of objects in relation to the line of horizon (which is not necessarily the edge of the table!!) and in relation to each other. Taking the time to draw what’s behind objects, what you don’t see even though you’ll erase it later (or not, it’s up to you really) might seem tedious but it’s a good habit to adopt to help make a coherent drawing – Otherwise it can seem like the line starts or is going nowhere and lose some important indications of the shape of the object, its placement and the space it occupies –Always keep in mind of what it is you are drawing in terms of shape and direction. What is that shape? Where is it going? Drawing simple shapes to get started is a good habit but keep in mind that an apple is not a circle; it’s a sphere. A glass isn’t a rectangle; it’s a cylinder.

Drawing skills are very much like reading skills. When we first begin to learn how to read, we read letter-by-letter, syllable-by-syllable. Gradually we become able to visually recognize small words. Three letter words; four letter words and so on. To the point where as experienced readers we no longer read letter-by-letter, syllable-by-syllable because we instantly recognize the words visually. But say you encounter a new or complicated word for the first time; you will find yourself automatically shifting back to the letter-by-letter, syllable-by-syllable reading mode – Drawing is the same in the sense that if you can’t visualize it, by all means, draw it. There are things that I skip sometimes. That’s because I can visualize it. But as soon as something more complicated or more difficult comes along, I always revert back to the basics. Yet, there are things that should never be neglected when drawing or sketching and those are perspective, proportions, relations and a great dose of observation.

The making of a Still Life:

• Introduction
• The set-up
• Ground colour 
• The sketch
•  Painting begins

Because I lack the studio space and tools to stretch and prime my own canvases, I pretty much have no other choices but to use commercial canvasses. Unfortunately commercial canvasses can be too absorbent, sucking the oil out of the paint, which in turns renders this undesirable matt and dull aspect to the paint – I find that giving a good oil rich first coat to the canvas helps solve this problem – Secondly, the glaring white of the gesso-ed canvas can make it difficult to gauge values; making the darks seeming darker by contrast.

Ground colours can also be used for other purposes such as to enliven certain colours or for aesthetic reason. They can be applied in transparency (Imprematura) or opaque. In this instance I’m applying an opaque ground colour; a neutral grey made of Titanium White, Lamp Black and a tad of Ultramarine Blue, to remove the white gesso’s glare.

Pretty much, I use 2 part paint + 1 part linseed oil + 1 part thinner, mix it all up in a glass jar and apply the mixture evenly on the canvas using a large hog bristle brush – Note that I’m using Eco-House thinner – No, I’m not paid by those guys but I really like that thinner. It works just as good as any other thinner, plus it’s a low-toxicity natural chemistry product and it doesn’t have that nasty smell (it smells like oranges). An excellent alternative for small studios, check them out: www.eco-house.com 

Back to the ground colour: if it were a semi-transparent ground, I’d use a cloth to wipe the excess but in this case I’ve left it as is – Below is the finished ground colour.

While waiting for it to dry I’m going to make a full-scale sketch of the still life on journal paper to be later transferred onto the canvas. That’ll be the subject of my next article.

The making of a Still Life:

• Introduction
• The set-up
• Ground colour
• The sketch
•  Painting begins