Mishap to Masterpiece

The challenge of working in watercolor can be exciting. The thrill of learning new application techniques, the feel of success when you attempt a risky new look and succeed, and even the momentary disappointment of a mishap all help add to the exhilaration of the process.

Setbacks can be blessings in disguise for a number of reasons. One thing an "oops!" gives us is the chance to do it again--an end run, if you will, and knowledge of what not to do next time. Secondly, many artists discover new styles or augmentations to their techniques during accidents or mistakes. Many professionals welcome mistakes and work through them with a sense of discovery and experimentation.

One way to "salvage" a mistake or accident is to transform it. Whether a small sketch or a large work, whether it incorporates the entire image or only parts of it, the conversion from a less than perfect artwork to a "masterpiece" can be most enjoyable. But, beware! This style of mixed media work can become very habit forming. The freedom and energy one can create with two or more art materials often combine to a work stronger and more interesting than either of the materials alone would ever yield.

Materials that work very well when applied over thoroughly dry watercolor paintings include acrylic paints, permanent markers, pastel, oil pastels and oil sticks, inks, metallic leaf, prisma pencils, and graphite pencils and sticks. Virtually any media can be worked over a watercolor, which should open a bevy of new creative doors.

As an example, let us assume that you have completed a large, loose wet-on-wet wash in several colors. All areas of the work are pleasing but for one area that became "muddy" in the process of color blending. You could always crop the image or mat over the bad area, but consider an alternative. Why not embellish the area that is less than perfect with a bit of pastel, colored pencil, acrylic brushwork or other material? Allow the shapes and designs in the wash to suggest images. You should be able to create a most striking artwork. Lines can be added to other areas of the watercolor as well, and in doing so, you tie the entire work together. If only part of the work is less than you wish, consider cutting only that section from the body of the watercolor. Trim the edge of the larger work to even the perimeter and then mat it separate from the smaller work. Rework the smaller section and voila! You have created two works from a single mishap.

Additionally, you can follow the lead of many professional collage artists. To create expressive, textured areas in their work, they love to cut or tear the original artwork into sections. You can do that, too, treating each section as a separate artwork, adding different embellishments to each section. That way a single watercolor can become several different distinctive originals. For extra flair, consider matting the finished art pieces to match. Add a few lines of color to the face of the mat, using the same material (ink, marker, pastel) on the mat that you use on the art. The resulting combination can be very appealing and very salable. For competition purposes, these works fall into a mixed media category and join other styles and methods that often command awards and recognition for their originality.

Take this one step further, and you might begin to create special washes and underpainting for the specific purpose of surface embellishment. With a bit of practice, placement of tones and shapes becomes simple.

Favorite materials used by artists for surface embellishment over a base watercolor painting are pastels and acrylic paints. Pastels offer a variety of texturing possibilities, and acrylic paints offer extreme opacity. Both are highly useful and can even be combined, when desired.

Lastly, the use of metal leaf over watercolor is one way to add richness and brightness. Imagine resurrecting a failed area into a masterful use of metallic sheen. Composition leaf is inexpensive (around $8 for 25 leaves in 5" x 5". Colors: gold, silver, copper and variegated). The leaf can be adhered to the watercolor surface with a number of materials. Special water-based adhesives for leafing are available and do a grand job. The advantage of their use is a long window of working time. If working fast is your style, you can also adhere metallic leaf with acrylic painting medium or gel. Note that any texture imparted by the adhesive brush will show through the leaf. If a really smooth surface is desired, choose a camelhair brush or other fine-haired brush to apply the adhesive of choice. Use a fine textured sponge to apply adhesive with a very fine tooth.

Special attention should be given to watercolors that have been embellished with pastels. The very nature of pastels, their soft, spontaneous look is created by the powdery surface they leave behind on the watercolor. It is advisable that such additions be set to the watercolor with a sizing of some sort. A fixative - permanent or workable - will hold the particles in place and help prevent smudging.

So, get into your studio and rummage through the watercolors you now consider imperfect. Add embellishments, cut-tear-reconfigure, be cavalier. Let go and you'll have fun giving rejects a new life.

The Third Annual Pastel 100 sponsored by The Pastel Journal is open to artists over the age of 18. All works must be at least 80% soft pastel, original, and completed within the last two years. Categories include Landscape, Still Life/Floral, Portraits/Figures, Animal/Wildlife, and Abstract (non-representational); no oil pastel. A Grand Prize of $2,500 with feature in the Journal will be awarded, in addition to other prizes. Deadline: Nov. 1. For additional information, see a copy of the Journal or go to www.pasteljournal.com.

The Cincinnati Art Club's 33rd Annual Viewpoint 2001 national exhibition will be held Nov. 9-25 with $4,000 cash and merchandise awards. All media except jewelry, craft, photography and computer art. Juror: C. W. Mundy. For prospectus, send #10 SASE to: Wynne Bittlinger, 1233 Upland Ave., Ft. Wright, KY 41011. Deadline: Sept. 24.

Graphic Chemical & Ink Co. Printmaking, etching, blockprinting litho supplies. Silkscreen Trade Names: Perfection, Easy Wipe, Graphic, Sureset, Universal, Graphinx.

Wild, Wonderful Colors!

What art material might this be? It comes in convenient stick form, eliminating any mixing or stirring, brushes or other tools. There are lots of intense, opaque colors from which to choose. It is easy to use and can be applied to any type of art paper, illustration board, poster board, watercolor paper, or even plaster, canvas or wood. It applies smoothly and is easily blendable so you can create a personal palette by combining tones. It is neat and dustless and the sticks resist breaking. The colors last and do not fade.

If you guessed oil pastel you are right. This is a great material for young artists who like to use lots of color. Student oil pastels, often referred to as one brand name - Cray-Pas, are made of high quality waxes and oils, are especially formulated for very smooth drawing, and offer a wide range of effects. Rich, thick applications can be blended as you work, or you can create soft and subtle looks with light applications, finger blending to a smooth, shaded tone. Sticks are packaged in both round and square shapes and most have paper sleeves for neater and more controlled application. Sets of colors, 12 to 50, are available, and some colors can be purchased individually. Some sets come in "chubby" sizes for smaller hands to grip or for more expressive applications of color.

Following is an exercise to help you experience oil pastel more fully: Remove part of the paper wrapper on a stick of oil pastel. Choose a light color, as it will be used as a base for colors applied in layers. Rub the oil pastel over paper or illustration board to form an even light coating. Rub this layer down into the surface with your fingertip. In a small area (4" to 5" square) on the large base color, apply any color to the surface - working from light to dark. Apply light strokes; then gradually increase pressure to a medium and then to a heavy stroke. Smooth the application with a fingertip. The result will be a gradual change from light to dark. Repeat with other colors.

After you have mastered this gradation technique, begin blending colors. Use a color wheel to explore the combinations that will yield colors you like. They blend easily because of the soft surface and the smooth consistency of the material. Outlining with darker tones will bring the objects you are painting out and will make the work more bold and contemporary. Using similar tones throughout the work will create a soft, Old World look. Use of metallic oil sticks will give your work a glow and iridescence.

Explore the fun, creativity and spontaneity of this expressive and inexpensive medium.

Art Adventures

Eye Spy: Adventures in Art, at the Columbus (OH) Museum of Art through 2001, is an interactive exhibition for children and families that features important objects from the museum's collections displayed in architectural settings that relate to the time and place they were made. The center includes four areas where, through a variety of games, puzzles, computer stations and "make and take" art projects, visitors take a behind-the-scenes look at museums, learn about Dutch paintings of the 1600's, the carvings of Elijah Pierce, and ancient treasures from Mexico.

New from Jacquard

Jacquard has introduced Paper Anew Kits from Francis Family Toys--Deluxe Paper Anew and Paper Anew for Kids. The kits contain all the necessary supplies and instructions, including goodies such as dried flowers and glitter, to make unique art paper. The Deluxe Kit also contains a sun mold for hand casting paper, while the Kids Kit has a frame project and a fun box. Both kits, for children six years and up, have earned the Parents Choice Award. (Jacquard also received the Best Package Award from the National Art Materials Trade Association for their new Metallic Nail Art Kits.)

Neysa McMein (1888-1949)

While most recognized commercial artists of her time were male, Neysa McMein excelled as one of the leading and most influential artists. Her professional illustrator's career started with the sale of her first drawing to the Boston Star in 1914, after her attendance at the Art Institute of Chicago and a brief soiree into the field of acting. In 1915 another cover was sold, this time to the Saturday Evening Post. During the lean years, she subsidized her income by doing pastel portraits. They were popular and brought her many commissions.

As her career flourished, Neysa Mc Mein was commissioned to create covers for McClure's, Liberty, Woman's Home Companion, Collier's, and Photoplay and did all covers for McCall's magazine between 1923 and 1937. She also did ad art for various companies such as Palmolive soap and Lucky Strike cigarettes. McMein is responsible for "inventing" the image of Betty Crocker, that vision of a fictional housewife that ended up portraying the wholesome likeness of American women. Few other images have done more to nurture strong middle-class, moral domestic values.

Mc Mein was a member of the Algonquin Round Table, a group begun in 1919. It included some of the most talented writers, journalists and artists in New York City. The Round Table then included: Edna Ferber, Irving Berlin, Dorothy Parker, Alexander Woollcott, Harpo Marks, Jascha Heifetz and others. They met daily for lunch at a large round table in the Algonquin Hotel, thus the name, and were recognized during the 1920's for their spirit and urbane sophistication. Mc Mein's own studio, at the time located on West 57th Street, was also a meeting place for these same artisans. The Round Table survived until 1943.

Always of an unorthodox style, Neysa started out life as Margery Edna McMein but changed her name to Neysa Mc Mein and credited the change with her rapid success. At 35, she decided to reject single life and married. It was a most unusual arrangement in which neither party was held to the usual formalities and restrictions. Her husband was a mining engineer and author and traveled extensively, while she continued her illustrating career in New York City.

McMein's personal artistic ambitions always remained in the field of portraiture. As the popularity of her style of illustration declined in the late 1930's, she turned more fervently to portrait work. Subjects of her portraits included Presidents Warren Harding and Herbert Hoover, actress Helen Hayes, actor Charlie Chaplin, the famous Count Ferdinand Zeppelin, who had allowed Mc Mein to be one of the first women to fly in his dirigible, and many more.

As an illustrator and artist, Neysa Mc Mein will always be remembered for her originality and chic style. She enjoyed a long and successful career, spending nearly her entire life in New York City, where she died in 1949.

GAGNE has announced the introduction of an all-new Table Stand for the Projector. This enables the use of their most popular opaque projector on a vertical plane. The table is ideal for use in drawing, cake decorating, and other applications where the destination media is horizontal. To view Gagne's line of projectors and light boxes/tables, go to www.gagneinc.com.

JACQUARD has published a colorful new 2001 Product Catalog that includes their extensive line of paints, dyes, pigments, craft kits, accessories, and books for artists and crafters. Professional works of art by 13 artists are showcased, as well.

See your retailer for Jacquard's new Wood n' Reed Dyes, which are designed for dyeing a whole range of dry natural materials, including straw, grasses, raffia, leaves, potpourri, shell, bone, dried flowers, bamboo, and even acrylic. When diluted, the dye makes an excellent stain for brushing or rubbing onto bare wood. Available in 16 colors. To view Jacquard's product line, go to www.jacquardproducts.com.

AMERICAN ART CLAY COMPANY has announced the availability of Extruded Ceramics, a new book by Diana Pancioli. This 144-page book is a colorful and complete guide to discovering the possibilities that a clay extruder can add to classroom or studio projects. With step-by-step instructions and hundreds of how-to photographs, teachers and studio artists can learn how to successfully use this ceramic tool. Ten projects teach the basics, while an extensive photo gallery of some of the best extruded work provides inspiration.

American Art Clay has also introduced a larger Excel Kiln, Model EX-1850 SF. The new kiln has exterior dimensions of 52" wide by 36-3/4" deep by 33" high. The firing chamber is 46" wide by 30-3/4" deep by 27" high. Firing speeds are controlled by Select Fire Computer Control, and the kiln has 12 element wire coils. Weighing 480 lb., the kiln is available in 208V AC and 240V AC, 3-phase. For further information on AMACO kilns and additional products, go to www.amaco.com.

SPOTLIGHT ON: CREATEX PURE PIGMENT COLORS

Simply choose the medium and quantity of your choice and add liquid Pure Pigment Color by the drop. No set amount of color is needed; the artist chooses color intensity. Mix with other pigments to create unique color blends and mix and match mediums to adjust sheen, thickness, transparency, etc.

Soft Gel Medium--Add Pure Pigments to create a mid- to heavy-body acrylic or add to existing acrylic colors to adjust transparency and thickness. Use as a glue to attach materials to collage work.

Impasto Gel Medium--Add Pure Pigment to create a thick impasto acrylic; or add to Multi-Surface Acrylic Colors to increase thickness. This is useful for creating paint that retains brush strokes and palette knife marks and will add some transparency to colors.

Opaque Medium -- This is useful for creating paints that will level easily and cover well in thin applications and for creating paints similar to gouache.

Gloss Medium--Add Pure Pigment Color to make a medium viscosity gloss acrylic color; add Gloss Medium to other mediums or acrylic colors to increase gloss.

Matte Medium--Mix with Pure Pigment Color to create a medium viscosity matte acrylic paint or mix with acrylic colors to create paints with less surface gloss or more transparent matte colors. This is useful for quick-drying glazing applications. Also use Matte Medium as a clear gesso to prepare surfaces for paint applications. Tint Opaque Medium with Pure Pigment Color for colored gesso.

Glazing Medium--Economically make slow drying, fluid acrylic glaze colors. Simply add Pure Pigment Colors and mix thoroughly. Glazing Medium is useful for creating thin, vibrant transparent glazes for applications over underpaintings. Add Glazing Medium to existing acrylic colors for "wet-in-wet" painting techniqu4s directly on the surface. Mix with Pure Pigments or acrylic colors to increase "open time." Mix with acrylic colors to create more transparent semi-gloss acrylic colors and to allow colors to brush and blend together more easily.

Airbrush Medium--Add Pure Pigment Color to create sprayable acrylic airbrush colors for use on surfaces such as fabric, leather, wood, paper, ceramics, and canvas. Add Airbrush Medium to other mediums for thinning or to create fluid acrylics for color wash effects.

Textile Medium--Create acrylic colors for painting on textiles. This clear medium allows color to penetrate fabric for a soft "hand." Add drops of Pure Pigment to the Textile Medium and apply by brush or screen print onto all-natural fibers such as cotton or leather.

Lyntex Paper Medium--Economically create acrylic colors ready to silkscreen or paint directly on paper with minimal paper distortion. Control color strength by moderating the amount of Pure Pigment color mixed into the Lyntex Paper Medium.

Createx Liquid Pure Pigment Colors are available in 21 vibrant colors plus black and white. Visit www.createxcolors.com to view the extensive Createx line of products for artists and crafters.

Caricatures

The history of caricatures can be linked directly to the history of cartoons. Political and social satirical cartoons developed slowly through the 16th and 17th centuries. It is believed that most of them were based, whether consciously or not, on the art of Bosch and Bruegel, but most specifically were created to protest against the Renaissance beliefs of order, symmetry and stylized beauty of the European family. The strong characteristics of these drawings were said to have been a reaction against the many hierarchies. It was like one class viewing another and from those visions came the early cartoon/caricature.

Images of this time included double likenesses of faces and landscapes or human figures built of books, fish, or pots and pans. This first type of early caricature was a conscious satire by professional printmakers of the period, and grotesque and comedic elements were strong in the cartoon/caricature work. They were often created by means of hastily made woodcuts or etchings and issued like a newspaper extra might be issued today. These were the ancestors of the billboard/poster caricatures used to promote various events/personalities centuries later.

About 1740, the English printmaker Arthur Pond published 25 caricatures based on original drawings by a number of artists. This collection is recognized as being instrumental in spreading the idea of such drawings. One of the artists included in this collection, Ghezzi, was probably the first professional caricaturist, and he actually made his living from the caricatures of Romans and visitors to Rome. He was said to have had an excellent eye for odd clothing, obvious facial features, lanky legs and other aspects that were captured in his work. In the late 1700's, caricatures were treated more like handbills and were enjoyed by the masses of England.

Caricature, by very nature, deals with the individual and with what makes him individual. Also, by definition, caricatures from the very beginning were created by knowledgeable artists - cartoons by a somewhat lesser level of designer. This has been substantiated by famous artists like Durer and Bruegel, two expert caricaturists who helped the different classes see one another in a completely new, if not sympathetic, way. Each class was intimately tied to the history of the time, and in caricatures, they were melded into one level.

As the cartoon spread in use and popularity, so did the caricature. But in the 18th century, they began a recognizable separation. From that time they became separate elements even though each was used to convey satire, humor, criticism or support. Today the caricature is perhaps the most unique drawing method. It is both loved and despised at the same time, and often by the same person - the subject of the drawing.

Materials used to create caricatures can be as varied as the styles and subjects portrayed. You can use almost any type of paper and drawing instrument to create virtually any size or shape of caricature. These can be very refined or simple sketches, a completed painting or a simple profile-style line drawing.

The one constant in caricatures is their exaggerated portrayal of some unique quality of the subject. Everyone has seen caricatures of famous people. Drawings of Richard Nixon, for instance, almost always show his bulldog-type jaw and, for comedy, usually show him flashing double peace signs. Jack Nicholson is almost always shown with a wide, sparkling smile - as sinister, or mischievous as the characters he plays. What makes the individual unique is the important element of the caricature.

Learning to capture the essence of the individual is the real goal. Exaggeration of features is not difficult once you have some grasp of basic portrait drawing. Quick sketch techniques are those most often practiced, and these skills can be practiced with almost any subject. But, the real goal is to capture some part of the anatomy of the subject, exaggerate that element and create a likeness around that exaggeration. One place to start is to study the actual features of any human face. There are some things that will remain somewhat constant from subject to subject; but it is that one element, that special feature that will help you be successful with your drawing.

Begin by studying the general shape of the face - looking for any "stand out" feature that might be a strong element in your sketch. One expert suggests a small, quick thumbnail sketch of the face in its "realistic" form. This will help the artist establish a basis from which to build, add, or embellish. Then with more bold lines, and in a larger size, create a rough sketch of the subject, including the embellishment. This could be a simple profile drawing or a frontal view of the face alone. Each artist develops, over time, his/her own approach and style. But for start-up caricaturists, profile drawings are suggested. Profiles of subjects will automatically present some opportunity for exaggeration and offer the new caricaturist a higher degree of success.

Single color works are favorites of the working professional caricaturist. Outlines can be filled with color, or very intricate and detailed works can be done. Note that caricaturists are often paid to create their art at special events, restaurants, etc., so if you need incentive to begin caricature work, maybe you now have it. Make a profit and have fun doing it!

Street Furniture Available--Suite Home Chicago is an exhibition on the sidewalks, parkways and plazas of downtown Chicago through October. Fiberglass forms of suites of furniture have been decorated by local artists and sponsored by a business, organization or individual. A charity auction will be held at the end of the event.

Record Set--A record price was paid at Sotheby's-London recently for a work in Monet's "Haystack" series. "Haystacks, Last Rays of the Sun" sold for $14.2 million.

Art Expo Scheduled--The fourth annual San Francisco International Art Exposition will be held Sept. 21-24 at Fort Mason Center. Featured will be more than 100 international galleries, which represent 12 countries and more than 2,000 artists. The collection of modern and contemporary artworks includes paintings, drawings, photography, printmaking, sculpture, video, installation and mixed media.

Estate Available--The oceanfront estate of late Pop artist Andy Warhol in Montauk, N.Y., has been put on the market. If the asking price of $50 million were met, a record would be set for the real estate market in that area.

Cave Paintings Discovered--Hundreds of prehistoric engravings have been found in the Cussac cave in western France. This major discovery, depicting animals and human figures, is believed to predate (28,000 B.C.) those in the Lascaux caves.

Search for Chair--A search by the Bush administration is on for a new chairperson for the National Endowment for the Arts. William Ivey will leave the post at the end of September.

Exhibitions:

Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA -- Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood 2001 -- Featured are 43 works by 34 sculptors from 10 states. Fabricated in steel, fiberglass, slate, glass, clay, stone, bronze, aluminum, wood and other assorted media, the sculptures exhibit a variety of contemporary styles and fabricating techniques. Through October 9.

Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio -- An Added Dimension: Sculptors as Printmakers -- Focusing on work done in the last half of the 20th century, the exhibition features over 50 prints that represent the work of artists traditionally known for sculpture--Marino Marini, Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt and Mark di Suvero. -- Through Sept. 23.

New York Public Library, NYC -- Celebrity Caricature in America -- Organized by the National Portrait Gallery, this exhibition features more than 200 works of witty images by artists such as Peggy Bacon, Will Cotton, and Al Hirschfeld. -- Through Aug. 31.

Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE -- Painter/Etcher: The American Painter-Etcher Movement -- Featured are approximately 40 works by Whistler, the Morans, and Turner, among others. This exhibition documents the origins and zenith of the movement, whose members sought to elevate the status of engraving by creating moody, atmospheric images to rival great landscape paintings. -- Through Sept. 30.

American Craft Museum, NYC -- Light Screens: The Leaded Glass of Frank Lloyd Wright -- Included are 50 pieces that explore how the legendary architect came to see the design of window spaces as a way to bring the outside in and to unite visually landscape and interior. -- Origamic Architecture includes more than 100 works by Japanese artists and others, from diminutive to large-scale in size, that range from world-famous architectural flowers and animals to recreations of important monuments such as the Guggenheim Museum, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. -- Through Sept. 2.

Portland Art Museum, OR -- Clement Greenberg: A Critic's Collection -- All 155 paintings, sculptures and works on paper from the museum's newly acquired collection are on view for the first time ever and include works by Jules Olitski, Hans Hofmann, Helen Frankenthaler, and more. Through Sept. 16.

High Museum, Atlanta, GA -- Michelangelo: Drawings and Other Treasures from the Casa Buonarroti, Florence -- This exhibition contains many works by Michelangelo that have never before been displayed in this country alongside works by other artists and memorabilia from the artist's family home. Included are two dozen sketches and preparatory studies for such important works as the Sistine Chapel and the Medici Tombs. -- Through Sept. 2, then travels to Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio.

Brandywine River Museum, Chadds Ford, PA -- One Nation: Patriots and Pirates Portrayed by N. C. Wyeth and James Wyeth -- Featured are approximately 80 drawings and paintings that challenge viewers' definitions of "patriot" and "pirate," primarily in the political arena. The paintings and drawings chronicle the changing attitude of the nation regarding "patriotism" from the beginning of the century to the present. -- Through Sept. 2.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA -- Winslow Homer and the Critics: Forging a National Art in the 1870's -- This exhibition brings together a group of paintings Homer exhibited during the 1870's, the decade in which he emerged as the most promising artist in the country. -- Through Sept. 9.

August Birthdays:
  8    Andy Warhol
10    William Hartnett
19    Gustave Caillebotte
22    Jacques Lipchitz
24    George Stubbs

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 11 No. 10 -- August 2001