Color Study

                                               

12 x 9 inches oil study

I have fallen in love with a new color:)   When resupplying some of my oil paints, I picked a new color,  Rose- Violet by Holbein.  Often when I have a few new colors I will work up color charts.
Using a color, I will make a chart of the color mixed with white, and mixed with the complement, and a mix with black, to see the values and tones I can get.  Having just picked one color the chart seemed boring to do.  So, I took my new color Rose violet, some white oil paint, and a sheet of  Arches oil paper, and did a study.
    I did the study with a video going on my pc from Bright Light Fine Art .   The video was excellent, but long, so painting while watching and listening, helped.  Double the learning, information from the a wonderful artist;  David A. Leffel, and getting to know a new color.  Nice way to spend 90 minutes.

Mary
Schiros_Art

Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches

                                                                               Click here to buy

One of the advantages to oil and acrylic paint is how layering can be used.  Thought I would share this painting, where it started to how it was finished.   I started with a textured grey tone gesso, a slightly rough patchy texture, when it was dry sketched in my idea with vine charcoal, and white pastel.  The first layer is a colorless, using only the light and darks as my guide. 

layer one, shades of grey

With second layer I decided on my color scheme and added my first layer of colors in a light painting of oil color.  The finish at this point is fairly easy, building up the colors, redefining my lights and darks.

First layer of color

    It is amazing how colorful a painting can be created form just a grey tone under painting.

Mary

An Artist’s Ramblings

Acrylic on watercolor paper, 20 x 16 inches

 I just made a mistake, one I have made before, but not often.  I read a book about how to be an artist and sell art.  I do love reading a books about art; the process, methods, and biographies about artist.  But, books on selling art tend to leave be just plain pissed off.   Two things are most always mentioned, age and connections.  The first book I read, the main theory said; if you are over twenty five and have not devoted your life to being an artist you have already failed.  I read that first book when I was in my thirties, raising my son, working full time at a hospital and painting when I could.  Needless to say I spending twenty dollars just to be pissed off.  The second book I just read, had the main theory wrapped around having rich connections to market your art.  I have no rich friends or connections.  So, here I sit typing about how pissed I am, that I spent money (this time bought second hand for less than ten dollars) on a book like that again.
    What does it take to be an artist?  Being an artist takes time, skill, and determination.  What does it take to be a rich and famous artist?  It takes time, skill, determination, ambition, location, and connections.  I do not look down on the rich and famous artist out there, envy them a bit, yes.  I live between two main cities; Detroit and Flint Michigan, and in this economic environment, not exactly hot spots for the arts, so thank God for the internet.  A little about me; I am an artist, I am not young or rolling in money.   I will say though I am rich in the fact I have a skill that I truly enjoy.
     To wrap up my little rant, what did I learn fro this latest reading?  I learned that being an artist has more than one definition.  My definition is my own, love what you do, continue to grow and learn more, and most important share your joy of art, and just be thankful when you make an income from your skill.  So in short, I may not be rich, or famous, but I am still an artist and plan to be one as long as I live, and will not be looking for another definition of being an artist any time soon.  
    Noticed that latest paintings I did in-between  reading,have portraits, think there may have been some introspective thought processes going one, maybe.

Mary
Schiros_Art