.com...the link between you, the visual artist, and the manufacturer of art materials.
Established 1990
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.com ...the link between you, the visual artist, and the manufacturer of art materials. Established 1990
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Drawing Working with CharcoalCharcoal has a long and distinguished legacy as a drawing medium used extensively by professional and student artists alike. Since it is so versatile and offers a diversity of line and tone, it remains a basic and indispensable tool for drawing and sketching. Charcoal is composed of graphite, a crystallized form of carbon. Traditionally, burnt grapevine sticks were used as a form of natural charcoal called vine charcoal. This type of charcoal is made by slowly baking segmented grapevines or willow dowels (or other types of wood) until they are reduced to almost pure carbon. Vine charcoal is a fine-quality charcoal because it has the ability to produce lines and tones of infinite subtlety as well as robust painterly effects. It is also valuable for the ease with which marks can be corrected by being dusted, or even blown, from the surface. Other types of charcoal are made by wetting graphite, blending it with ground clay, and then baking it into dried sticks, where the more clay added, the softer the stick. With this process, a useful variety of hardnesses and textures can be produced. Compressed charcoal is made by combining powder-ground charcoal and a binding agent in a process that results in shorter, break-resistant sticks. These are also available in pencil form, and both types of manufactured charcoal are available in various shapes, sizes, and hardnesses. The pencil form of compressed charcoal has an outer wrapping of wood or rolled paper for cleaner handling. These can be sharpened to a very fine point, which makes them well suited for meticulous detail. This type of charcoal produces very dense blacks that are convenient to handle but not easily erased. With charcoal, preliminary outlines can be laid down and then either removed or later painted over. Precise marks can be produced by using the tip of a stick, while larger tonal areas come from using a broad side stroke. Additional tonal effects can be created by crosshatching or smudging with a stump, a kneaded eraser (putty rubber), or a brush dipped in clean water. A kneaded eraser is also effective for lifting out highlights. Much like pencils, charcoal is also produced in a range of grades, and the different hardnesses can be utilized for creating a variety of tones. Willow charcoal (among the most popular) can be obtained in three or four grades: extra soft, soft, medium, and hard. Each type is available in two lengths: 75mm (3 in.) and 150mm (6 in.). They are also produced in a variety of diameters (of either round or rectangular sticks) with the thickest being about 12mm (1/2 in.). Vine charcoal is most commonly sold in 150mm lengths only. Charcoal will produce a mark on most drawing surfaces, but best results come from using a paper with a heavy tooth. Here, the crumbling consistency can be best exploited by picking up the grain of the surface and producing a textured quality to a drawing. The paper must also be able to withstand rubbing, blending, and erasing without loosing its "bite." Since there are so many different types of paper with different types of tooth, choose the kind that will best represent the effect that you want to achieve. Direct application of charcoal on paper will produce very soft, black lines. When applied lightly, it will pick up the surface texture of almost any paper. Large shaded areas can be covered by gently rubbing the charcoal and then further blending by using a cottonwood (absorbent cotton) pad, a kneadable eraser, or your finger. To produce lighter highlight areas, try using a kneadable eraser to lift out the grains of color or add lighter values with white chalk. A tortillon can also be used to blend the charcoal particles. A tortillon is shaped like a pencil but is constructed of compressed, absorbent fibers. To blend with this tool, lay down an area of charcoal and then work it precisely with a tortillon, using a motion much like a pencil. Or (in a separate area) shave off some charcoal dust and use the tortillon to pick up the minute particles, and then spread them around in either broad strokes or detailed spots or line. A paper stump, which has points on both ends, can also be used for smoothing and blending large areas of charcoal. The fragility of charcoal does have disadvantages, however. Mistakes can be easily removed but so can intentional marks, so it is essential to fix a drawing immediately upon completion by using a thin coat of a spray varnish called a fixative. Spray fixatives are used to protect drawings against smudging and abrasion. The aerosol deposits a fine transparent film of lacquer on the drawing surface to hold any loose particles of charcoal in place. Some fixatives can also be used to protect dry transfer products against scratches. When using these aerosols, always hold the drawing upright and spray lightly and evenly. Coating too heavily will spot or stain the work and can also over-darken the tonal quality. Do not inhale the mist and always work in a well-ventilated room. Drawings from subtle tonal line and shades to those of great starkness and contrast can be created by using charcoal on paper of various surface grains and color. For those who sketch before they paint, charcoal is invaluable for roughing out the initial image on canvas. Whatever the individual need or choice, charcoal remains an indispensable drawing tool that still faithfully serves many artistic applications. Charcoal SiteArtists with access to a computer may wish to check out "The Charcoal Page" online at http://www.interrouse.com/charcoal_page/foyer.htm, appropriately in black and white. This site has a Tips & Tricks section, Q and A Board, three Galleries, provides links to other pages of interest, and more. The annual convention of the National Art Materials Trade Association was held in Las Vegas recently. Many new products for artists and crafters were presented to the trade, including some of the following. Visit your local retailer to see what's new!
"The Air Experience with Richard Sturdevant" video features a renowned artist and educator, is wonderfully entertaining and vitally informative, and contains the finest production quality seen in instructional videos today. Though this course is for the beginner, intermediate and advanced airbrush artists will benefit greatly from the innovative techniques used throughout. Included among the insightful information are materials recommendations, practice exercises, and new techniques which make this 40-minute video an enjoyable learning airbrush experience. See a complete Medea-Iwata catalog online at http://www.arttalk.com/iwata/index.htm. In the Spotlight:Airbrush-By-Numbers Kits from Aztek Artists will discover how exciting airbrush can be when they learn from Airbrush-By-Numbers kits from Aztek. Designed by airbrush artist and educator Ray Shlemon, the kits come in three skill levels, so they're perfect for both novices and experienced artists looking to perfect their skills. Each kit comes complete with a pattern, coordinating paints and an Aztek Airbrush, which is easy to clean and features a patented nozzle system that eliminates bent needles forever. Also included is an easy-to-follow video, which teaches how to operate an airbrush, work with masking film and a stencil knife, and the basics of color theory, shading, and much more. Aztek Airbrush-By-Numbers kits are a great way to build interest in airbrushing, and they're the ideal starter package for beginners. The kits provide customers with everything they need to get started and all the skills they'll need to build a life-long hobby; and they also make fantastic gifts. Starter sets are available in three different designs; and a total of 12 Design Films are available individually. Visit Aztek online at http://www.arttalk.com; and then click onto Aztek.
Color TheoryChoice of color is a critical consideration when painting, and next to subject matter, it is the element which will have the greatest visual impact on your work. Often, a painting may have good compositional structure only to be diminished by poor color selection. Knowing which colors to use and why is one of the most important concepts that a visual artist understand. All that we see is the result of projected or reflected light waves. When an object appears white, what we are actually witnessing is all of the visible light waves being reflected from its surface. Inversely, when an object appears black, most of the visible light waves are being absorbed into its surface. Individual colors result from specific light waves being reflected from a surface, while all others are absorbed. It is also important to remember that reflected light is not only affected by the light-absorbing properties of a surface, but also by the quality and characteristics of the light source itself. This is a vital consideration because it means that you not only have to choose your palette of colors, but also the light that you are working in. Your selection of light source will affect how you perceive color in your workspace just as much as the light source in the viewing area will affect how your work appears to others. As you apply pigment to a surface, you are essentially subtracting light, since the pigment absorbs all but a particular wavelength(s) of color, which it reflects. This is called subtractive synthesis, and when dissimilar pigment colors are blended together, the result is a different (but also a darker) color as two subtractions result in even less reflected light. All pigments have their origins in the following three primary colors: cyan blue, yellow, and magenta. When these pigments are mixed, they create the following secondary pigment colors: red (from magenta and yellow), green (from cyan blue and yellow), and blue (from cyan blue and magenta). Going one step further, the primary pigments can be mixed with the resultant secondary pigments to form the following tertiary colors: emerald green (from cyan blue and green), violet (from magenta and blue), ultramarine blue (from cyan blue and blue), crimson (from magenta and red), light green (from yellow and green), and orange (from yellow and red). By mixing the above colors, in varying amounts (along with black and white), an endless spectrum of colors can be created. Contrast is an important factor in color theory that can be achieved by comparing multiple tones or multiple colors that are noticeably different from each other. The degree of difference can range from subtle to intense, depending upon how soft or sharp the contrast appears. Tonal contrast is characterized by differences in light and dark values within a limited range of pigment. This type of contrast is often displayed in pencil, charcoal, or ink drawings. Other tonal works include monochromatic illustrations that contain a very limited range of similar colors. Here again, the focus is on value differences and not the range of colors used. Color contrast is defined by the comparison of, and differences between, certain colors. Some of the most effective color contrasts are achieved by juxtaposing primary and/or secondary colors or by using a selected range of color. The use of white and/or black pigment can also be introduced to enhance color contrast. Compositional strength and harmony can be effectively added to an illustration by using a selected range of color(s). For example, an illustration that contains a range of cool colors (such as blue, green, etc.) can be impressively enhanced by adding a touch of warm color in a key area(s). Complementary colors are those that aesthetically contrast when used in close proximity. This is a key color theory concept that is universally practiced by most knowledgeable painters. True complementary colors are those that are located opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, cyan blue is the complement of red, magenta for green, and yellow for dark blue. Complementary colors become most effective when they produce maximum color contrast. You need only compare bright yellow next to dark blue to observe how the two colors seem to visually vibrate as you gaze at it. This phenomenon is called simultaneous contrast, meaning that when we see a particular color, we also need to simultaneously see its complementary color. This effect can be used to either visually enhance or reduce the saturation of adjacent colors. Another important aspect of complementary colors is how they affect foreground objects. This is most apparent when you place a light-colored foreground object within a yellow background. Since the eye has a tendency to see contrasting complementary colors, the light-colored object will appear to have a bluish tint. The same would occur in a dark magenta background, except that a complementary greenish hue will tint the lightly colored foreground object. All visual artists should know these principles of light and color and understand how to use them to their best advantage. Just as sound waves are the musician's medium, so are light waves the domain of the visual artist. If this is a topic that you haven't explored in depth, learning color theory is a worthwhile investment of time that will increase your understanding and directly benefit your works with the most effective expression of color.
--Print Club of Albany 20th National Print Exhibition at the Schenectady Museum. Open to all artists working in printmaking media; no monoprints or photo-offset prints. Juror: Robert Kipniss. Prospectus: Send SASE to Print Club of Albany, P.O. Box 6578, Albany, NY 12206-0578. Slide Deadline: July 1. Oil/Acrylic --National Oil and Acrylic Painter's Society 8th Annual Juried Exhibit. Main exhibit Columbia College, traveling to prestigious locations. Open to all artists, all styles. Juror: M. Stephen Doherty. Prospectus: Send #10 SASE to NOAPS, Dept. M, P.O. Box 676, Osage Beach, MO 65065. Slide Deadline: July 1. Watercolor --Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 19th National Juried Exhibition at Bucknell U. Watermedia on paper. Jurors: Mary Whyte/Frank Nofer. Prospectus: Send #10 SASE to Nancy Greenawalt, 379 Sandhill Rd., Hershey, PA 17033. Slide Deadline: June 5. Pastel --Pastel Society of America 26th Annual Open Exhibition, National Arts Club. Soft pastel only. Prospectus: Rae Smith, Exhibition Chairman, Pastel Society of America, 15 Gramercy Park South, NY, NY 10003. Slide Deadline: July 10.
A Little Art History: Alexander Calder (1898-1976)When Abstract Expressionism was changing the perception of art in the 1940's, Alexander Calder emerged to create a fresh and vital direction in American sculpture by challenging and introducing new concepts in three-dimensional art. His unique works gained him an international reputation as an innovator, as his creations influenced a new generation of artists. Alexander Calder was born in Lawton, Pennsylvania, in 1898 to parents who were both academically trained artists. (Both his father and his grandfather were professional sculptors.) Early on, Alexander displayed a unique talent for building things in a sculptural fashion. To support his interest, his parents provided him with a workplace and tools. By the age of 11, Calder created his first sculpture as a gift for his father's birthday. This object was a small duck that was formed from a sheet of brass that was craftily cut and folded with eyes that were neatly punctured. Sitting upright, the duck had its round belly counterbalanced by the ballast of its tail. This piece would later be displayed at his first exhibition. Originally, Calder decided to earn a degree in mechanical engineering from the Stevens Institute in Hoboken, N. J. After he graduated in 1919, he spent three years studying painting at the Art Students League in New York City. With arts and sciences under his belt, Calder began to explore his life's work. Calder's first major creation was prompted by a fascination that he held with the circus. It inspired him to create a miniature big top with ingeniously-mechanized figurines of weight lifters, trapeze artists, knife throwers, and animals. Using scraps of wire, wood, fabric, and cork, he built his legendary Cirque Calder. This piece is important in that it telegraphs the artist's proclivity toward motion, suspension, and clever abbreviation of form. Calder used this piece to stage private quasi-puppet shows first in Paris (in 1927) and then in New York. This presentational piece became an instant hit with many avant-garde luminaries that included artist Marcel Duchamp, who would be the first to apply the term "mobile" to Calder's subsequent works. The Cirque Calder was considered so conceptually original that it is regarded as one of the first examples of kinetic or performance art. The only element that was missing from Calder's work was abstraction. This changed, however, in part from a 1930 visit to Piet Mondrian's Paris studio. Mondrian's square and geometric patterns of color instantly affected Calder, who imagined that the squares would be far more effective if they moved back and forth in space. Calder also became inspired by the paintings of Joan Mirą whose works are renowned for their bright colors and sparse, scattered forms.
Calder soon put his engineering skills to use by creating increasingly airborne compositions that had gracefully weighted and balanced shapes. Once he discovered the types of works he wanted to construct, he spent the rest of his life exploring and building them. Calder's goal in sculpture, it would seem, was to be both a modernist and an entertainer. Consequently, the sculptures that he went on to create explored the use of motion, weightlessness, balance, clarity of structure, and bold colors. This he achieved mostly from mobiles and with free-standing stabiles (a term suggested by Hans Arp for pieces that did not move), both of often enormous weights and sizes. One of his largest and most famous mobiles is currently displayed in the main lobby of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Many of Calder's original mobiles were motorized, but in 1934 he abandoned this concept as being limited and over-complicated. He instead started making levitated constructions which apparently moved of their own volition, responding to the slightest gust of air. He described these new works as "four-dimensional drawings," and a large part of their attraction was not so much that they moved, but in the way that they occupied space while displaying minimal weight or bulk. At first, Calder's works were limited in size and scope, much like his Constellation piece (1950, standing mobile - 64" high). These crystalline structures became known as "constellations" that were delineated with nothing more than lengths of wire connected by bits of hand-carved painted wood. In the years following WWII, Calder began to work on an increasingly larger scale. Enlarged, his mobiles had an effect similar to his smaller works. By contrast, his stabiles of painted and riveted metal sheets acquired an imposing presence when they became very large (some as high as 60 feet tall). These works also provided prototypes for some of the large steel sculptures that were produced by younger American artists in the 1960's. One of his more famous stabiles is The Crab (1962, painted steel - 10'X20'X10'). This piece is more along human scale, whereas his La Grand Vitesse (1969, painted steel--currently located at the Vanenburg Plaza, Mich.) is a massive public art structure about the size of a house. Many of these large works still adorn famous public locations throughout the world, and a wide variety of Calder's stabiles are permanently displayed at the Storm King Art Center near the Hudson River in Mountainville, NY. Calder's works are significant in that they introduced new concepts of mobility, metamorphosis, spatial relationships, and scale to the art world. Add to that the unique styles and colors that these works were created in and it becomes obvious that Calder was truly a giant of his age and will always remain an American treasure. Sculpture Exhibitions--At the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., through July 12: "Alexander Calder: 1898-1976." More than 250 pieces, including works on paper, paintings, jewelry, kinetic, and stabile sculptures, are spotlighted in this retrospective which marks the 100th anniversary of the artist's birth. Free admission. Travels to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art beginning Sept. 4. (202) 737-4215; online at www.nga.gov. Also see works by Calder at the new permanent collection galleries of the Whitney Museum of American Art in NYC. --Dia Center for the Arts, NYC, through June 14: "Richard Serra: Torqued Ellipses," with three on view. Open Thurs. through Sun. Admission. (212) 989-5912. --Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, through May 24: "Augustin Pajou, Royal Sculptor" features 120 works including marble statues, terracotta models, drawings, and elegant portrait busts.
Airbrush Winners AnnouncedAirbrush Action magazine has announced the winners of the 1998 Vargas Awards: H. R. Giger, Barry Jackson, Scott Jacobs, Drew Sturzan, and Wyland. The awards presentation will take place at the thirteenth anniversary dinner on June 5. For info, call 1-800-232-8998 by May 18. ArtPourri --Art Glass Suppliers Convene--Source '98, the annual convention for art glass products, supplies, equipment, services in Houston, TX, from July 8-12. In addition to seminars, workshops, and trade show, a professional glass cutting competition will be sponsored by The Fletcher-Terry Company and Cutters Video Productions. 740-452-4541. --Atlanta Exhibits--"Walker Evans: Simple Secrets" includes 90 vintage prints, including abstractions and work for the Farm Security Administration at the High Museum of Art through June 14. (404) 733-4400. --Director Appointed--The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has filled the position of director after being without one for six months. Appointed was David A. Ross, who stepped down as director of the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan. --Director Resigns--Richard Koshalek, Director of The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, has resigned, and a search begins for his replacement. Koshalek will stay on for five years in the capacity of consultant. --Fellows Chosen--Recipients of the 1998 Guggenheim Fellows award number 168--from over 3,000 applicants in the U.S. and Canada. The award aids artists and scholars in the creation of arts and research, and totaled $5,376,000 this year. --Records Set--Manhattan's annual week of major photography auctions has seen record sales and record prices for several artists. World records were set for works by Imogene Cunningham, Lee Miller, Edward Weston, and Thomas Eakins, among others. --Philadelphia Exhibits--"Recognizing Van Eyck" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art until May 31 includes two mysterious images of St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata--paintings that have not been seen together in five centuries. Tickets: 215-235SHOW. --Chair Nominated--President Clinton has nominated Bill Ivey as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Ivey is director of the Country Music Foundation, a research and educational organization. --Society Celebrates--The Sixth Annual International Exhibition of the Colored Pencil Society of America will be held in Washington, D.C. from July 20 - August 17. The society is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to the promotion of colored pencil art and artists. (248) 540-8614. --Outsider Art Exhibited--"Henry Darger: The Unreality of Being" runs until May 31 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Included are watercolors, pencil drawings and works from private collections. (312) 744-6630.
Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 8 No. 7 -- May 1998 |
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