Color Please

I love doing this style of abstract painting; it is like putting a puzzle together.

This can be done in watercolor or acrylic.  If you use acrylic, fluid acrylics work the best.

The trick is to let the colors flow and blend on the paper or board (I am using Aqua boards in the examples. Blowing on the colors will help direct drips and runs.  But the key to making it work is to really plan your color choices first and then stick to them.  The main colors; magenta, crimson red, viridian green, Quinacridone gold, (golden fluid acrylics) teal and Indian red ink.  The first time you do this try using just 3 colors.  Limiting the colors will help prevent ending up with a puzzle in shade of mud.  Wet your paper or board in random areas, then drop colors in not letting them touch until you tilt and move the paper.  When you get some interesting colors and drips set it aside and let it dry.  There should be distinct colors, blended colors, and plenty of white spots in random shapes with a far amount of drips. I also just use one large flat brush and a disposable pipette, because at this point I want the picture to paint it’s self in the water.

   After it is dry, start painting in colors, mixing some neutral colors from the ones you started with adding white or black to create light and dark neutrals.  Let that dry completely.

     The last step is to add some detail, I use paint markers.  Also, Working on more than one at a time, help pass the time as each one is drying.

my tools that start the painting.

randomly wet areas

the first drops of colors, I usually start with just 2 colors.

one more color and some more swirling.

My colors choices, for the 3 boards I will work up.

drops and swirls

more drops

more drips

Starting to add more color

the three mid way thru

 

 

 

One done 2 more to go.

An example in watercolor and ink

Slide shows

Found a site,  TripAdvisor TripWow, that you can down load photos to to create a slide show.  It is a fun way to show of art work even though it was set up for travel photos.  Just another way to use the digital shots that are saved on the home PC.  You can check mine out at the link below:  

Original Paintings Michigan Artist Www.mbschiros.artspan.com Slideshow

Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.


  May have to do one of my garden next time.

From one to five....

You just start somewhere and keep going….

Do you need some more ways to get your paint brush moving?

     Ok here you go.  Find an interesting photo with a lot of subjects in it and good gray scale ranges.  Then make yourself a view finder, by either cutting a square or rectangle in the middle of a paper, or find an old slide that you don’t care for the photo in it and take it out.  I like to paint my view finder light gray so it does not distract from the image. 

    Now move your view finder over the photo and find a section that looks interesting, and work up a sketch or painting of it.  Next; take that painting or sketch and do four more, correcting or changing characteristics.  At some point the idea will continue to grow and you will have some unique works of art.

1. The reference photo from a magazine...

 2. The section I picked...

 3.  First try...

 4. A little color...

 5.  Another try...

 6. Starting to get a life of its own....

 7.  Where it ended up

Original Paintings Michigan Artist Www.mbschiros.artspan.com Slideshow

Original Paintings Michigan Artist Www.mbschiros.artspan.com Slideshow: "TEST TripAdvisor™ TripWow ★ Original Paintings Michigan Artist Www.mbschiros.artspan.com Slideshow ★ to Flint. Stunning free travel slideshows on TripAdvisor"

Finishing Touch

One of the hard points about being a painter is putting down the brush.

Once you get into the swing of painting, and the momentum is rolling, putting the breaks on is very difficult.

One way to stop is when you reach that point where there is hesitation to where the next brush mark should be …. Just put the brush down and walk away. Clean up and leave the painting where it is in plain view to observe.

     I did this with the Pear painting, and noticed the areas that needed correcting. Each time I stopped to look at the painting I ask myself a few questions.

1. Do I like the structure?

2. Is the perspective correct?

3. What is the focal point?

I had the answers before I started painting on it again.

What was changed is slight, color and contrast where the pear and the glass meet. And there is a correction to the base of the glass. But sometimes little changes make a big difference in the over picture. Just thought I would share some finishing touches with you.


First stopping point.




Corrections for perspective and focal point.




Addressing highlights




Finished painting.






 













Thinking on paper

Thinking on paper......

Having a composition in mind is only one step towards painting a picture.
I know what I want to paint, and have an idea of the lay out. That is a good start.
Now I need to decide the mood. To visualize the possible moods, I think out loud, on paper. In this case looking at the subject in positive, a negative and neutral version.
The practice is done on gold toned watercolor paper with black and white for the positive and negative, with neutral colors for the other.
What I decided is …there are 3 paintings to do. Yep I like all three.
Next decision will be what actual colors will work. Sounds like I have more time to play with practice paintings before hitting the canvas.
How long does it take to paint a picture? Not long.
How much time does one spend thinking about painting that picture? A very long time.

That is ok, if you think with a paint brush.