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DrawingDrawing in Black and WhiteFor striking contrast, superb detail and dramatic visual appeal, black and white drawings are hard to beat. There is something elemental and perfect about sharp detail and contrast in such a drawing. When the artist selects this basis for creativity, he or she is being courageous. The skill level becomes very apparent when the materials are so simple, since there is little an artist can do to camouflage poor skills. One of the best black and white material choices is that of pencil. Manufacturers have created a full range of hard to soft lead compositions to assist the artist in the quest for perfect values. (See www.generalpencil.com.) Hard to moderate ranges in pencil lead hardness are best for sketching and rough layout work. Soft pencils create heavy, rich dark tones. Hard pencils make very light stroke tones, but require pressure that dents the paper and may not blend with dark tones applied in later applications. Many pencil artists use very hard pencils with light pressure to do preliminary sketch layouts that are embellished with softer leads. This is an excellent way to utilize a wide range of pencil lead densities. If you want to make bold swatches of dark tone, woodless pencils and graphite sticks make wonderful tools. They can make wide strokes and cover large areas quickly. Dramatic looks can be achieved with ease when the tool you are using is wide and soft. Many artists also use graphite sticks to do sketching on canvases prior to painting. Some of the lines can weep through the paint and become part of the tonal quality of the work. The lines can also be used to define specific areas for dark application. Charcoal is much softer in appearance than graphite, even when graphite sticks are used. Charcoal comes in a number of forms, including powder form for brushing onto the surface of paper to give an overall gray tone. This practice is very popular with charcoal artists because you can use a stump or eraser to cut back to clean paper color. In doing so, you create bright lights or at least substantially lighter areas. Use of soft washes adds yet another element to your drawings. Vine and stick charcoal are great for line drawings and detail work and come in a variety of hardness grades. Chunks of charcoal can be used over heavy patterns and designs to create interesting textures. Select from a variety of interesting paper textures for charcoal work. Some of the most striking results can be obtained with sanded paper or velvet (suede) paper. The tooth of the page will add depth and drama to the work that a smoother or more even textured page could never duplicate.
Vine and stick charcoal are also great preliminary tools when you are sketching on canvas. The charcoal lines actually meld into the paint, the result of which is usually undetectable. When heavy charcoal is used on a canvas and some removal is desired, you can easily take it away with a soft cloth and a splash of turpentine or by using a chamois. Avoid overuse of a kneaded eraser because it leaves a slight residue that might affect the adhesion of the pigments you will paint on later. With the surge in scrapbook work have come a myriad of materials that can be of great aid to the graphic artist. Multitudes of ink pens with points of every width imaginable—in tones of black, gray or sepia, from brush tips to broad markers—make selection of tools for ink drawing a most interesting experience. Most of the materials available at art material dealers can be used to create drawings of all levels. Quick sketches to formal, intensely detailed works can be accomplished with many of the self-inked writing instruments sold today. No longer are you limited to the tips and staff or handle of days past. Just waltz down the aisle and explore the possibilities. Ink drawings can be created in waterproof pigments for later color embellishment, or you might prefer inks that you can blur with fluid to create a wide assortment of gray tones along with the jet blacks and white paper tones. This quick survey of black and white wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the use of black and white paints to create the varied tones of a scene. As simple as it sounds, to recreate a scene using only black and white paints is a challenge. But it teaches the student to notice the varying shades of dark and the crispness of bright light tones. One exercise that has always fascinated beginning painters is that of a value study in black and white and a color painting of the same subject. Comparison of the two will prove interesting and helpful in understanding the relationships between darks and lights and the way light enhances what it touches. In recap, delving into the world of black and white art can be as simple as picking up a pencil and doodling on a scrap of paper. It can involve the use of any one from a huge selection of materials and papers. Black and white can involve dry or wet media. It is possible to create works as intense or simple as is desired. Pencil, graphite stick, charcoal, ink or paint—they await your experimentation. Don’t think of them as simple, but simply amazing!
The Artist’s MarketplaceNew Iwata Kustom Airbrush SeriesThe new Kustom Airbrush Series from Iwata includes five models that sport large cups and provide outstanding performance in atomizing solvent-based paints. Designed for automotive enthusiasts, the brushes are distinguished by PTFE packing, large cups, pre-set handles and taller triggers.
See your retailer and visit www.iwata-medea.com. New Artool ULTRA MASK
Artist ProfileHenri Rousseau 1844-1910Henri Rousseau was born into a very modest life, the son of a French tinsmith. He is perhaps the only self-taught painter to achieve the magnitude of acclaim that was garnered him. His work is regarded as the best of the “modern primitives” or naïve painters. Always primitive and imaginative, the subjects in his paintings included portraits, figure studies, landscapes, still lifes and jungle scenes. Nicknamed Le Douanier Rousseau, he led an uneventful life, serving in the army, and then taking a post in the Paris Customs Office. (Douanier means “custom officer” in French.) Rousseau had a uniquely ingenuous personality and that caused him a great deal of ridicule. He often interpreted sarcasm as compliment, making him a most unusual person. He also suffered extreme poverty and used the faith he had in his own abilities to continue his quest for popularity as a painter. He attempted to paint in the traditionalist style, but his innocent and naïve style won the attention of the avant-garde. Picasso gave a dinner in honor of Rousseau, but even that was staged half serious and half burlesque. Rousseau is best known for his lush jungle scenes, stemming from his life as a child in Mexico; or from his service in the military in Mexico. He actually never served in Mexico, but met soldiers that had served there. From the stories he heard from these soldiers, Rousseau fabricated the story of his service in the jungles. So pick the story you like best because Rousseau told both at different times. But the jungle did leave its mark on him, regardless of when it occurred. Although by no means exact duplications of anything that actually existed, his works were quite like the tales he spun but were nonetheless engaging and colorful. Wild vegetation and roaming fierce animals abound. In his mind the scenes he painted were of a fanciful and happy place. Le Douanier Rousseau is considered to have possessed great imaginative powers and an ability to create fresh visionary works. This is true of even his large-scale works in which he displayed an extreme attention to detail. While these works were again told to be from his Mexican experiences, truth was later disclosed that the images came from book illustrations and visits to the zoo and botanical gardens in Paris. But, this being said, the works displayed his usual charm and attraction.
Rousseau’s surrealistic positioning of subjects, such as the scene in the “Sleeping Gypsy,” is just one of those examples. He depicts a gorgeous Gypsy sleeping in a nighttime desert, and while she sleeps a lion stands closely by, watching her. All the while the desert night is filled with flowers and green leafy plants that give the impression of a garden rather than what is usually thought of as the desert. Simple and straightforward, the scene is very alluring. And because of its juxtaposed subjects, it seems to draw in and hold the viewer. Sprightly humor and subtle beauty were other qualities used to describe Rousseau’s work, yet little acclaim came his way during his life. The lavishness of his jungle scenes gave the public the misconception that he had much knowledge of that environment, which was not the case. And it was not until very soon after his death that his greatness became more widely accepted. History tells us that Rousseau was released from the army when his father died and he was forced to support his mother. It was at that time that he settled in Paris (1898). It was also at that time that his painting gained importance in his life. He had attempted to do the expected thing – be employed in a worthwhile trade - but did not feel comfortable. His personality being such that unusual was normal, his quest for painting greatness is not surprising. Never faltering in belief in his own ability and talent, his attempts to gain popularity did not materialize in time for him to glean any profit from them. In most of the things he tried, he failed. Yet today he is hailed as a great painter of the naïve style—and perhaps the greatest. How sad, considering that when he died he was in debt and was buried in a pauper’s grave. How many times has this history been repeated with great painters? Imagine the dedication it took to continue when even his peers were somewhat cynical and unappreciative of his talents. Critics reviewed his works with disgust and harshness. Yet, in times of personal struggle, Rousseau seemed to flourish and created works with more proliferation. He remained single his entire life, devoting his imagination and thoughts to the works he painted. His imagination and visions were far ahead of his time. Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris opens July 16 at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., through October 15. This impressive selection of jungle paintings is the first major American retrospective of the artist’s work in over 20 years. In addition to 60 paintings will be works in other genres, including landscapes, allegorical paintings and portraits. Visit www.nga.gov/exhibitions.
Art Events & ActivitiesNOTE: Schedules sometimes change, so confirm events in advance. 125 Days of Festivities Special exhibitions, birthday cakes, picnics in the courtyard and a 25-hour-long day are all part of the museum’s 125 days of festivities as it turns 125 years old. Most are free and all are open to the public through September 30. Visit www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org. Film Program Dia:Beacon houses a major and impressive collection of contemporary art, dating from the 1960s to the present. A film program, “Lives of Performers: Art, Film, Performance Around 1970” is curated by Douglas Crimp and will screen films every Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 4 (Labor Day). Free with museum admission. 845-440-0100. For the complete schedule, visit http://www.diacenter.org/prg/films/lives/index.html. World Tour of Art During July and August a different experience is offered every Thursday, Friday and Sunday with World Tours for families. Enjoy hands-on activities at Creation Station, Sketching in the Galleries and Storytime Tours, all focusing on a variety of countries, regions and cultures. Call 713-639-7589 or email families@mfah.org. 40th Annual Central Pennsylvania This festival takes place in downtown State College as well as on the campus of Penn State Univ. Featured are a nationally recognized Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, two juried gallery shows, Images and Crafts National, Children and Youth Day, Sovereign Sand Sculpture and much more. Visit www.arts-festival.com or call 814-237-3682. Kids Rock the Garden Sculpt! Stretch! Shorts! Use a mixture of natural and supplied materials to construct your own sculpture garden in Walker on Wheels. Then take a movement tour with a yoga instructor, who will have you stretching and posing like the sculptures and animals you find in the Garden. Keep your cool with a series of short films in the Cinema. At 1 p.m. listen to the next generation of music stars as four bands featuring kids ages 10-13 cover classic hits and play their own medleys. Free. 612-375-7600; email info@walkerart.org. 49th Gold Coast River North Art Fair This annual art fair attracts 400 juried artists and 600,000 visitors from around the world. The festival is free and is set along city streets and sidewalks in the gallery-filled River North neighborhood. See a live glass-blowing demonstration and help paint a car! 847-444-9600; email info@amdurproductions.com.
ScrapbookingCruising and ClippingFor those who love to do scrapbooking and compilation of memorabilia for family history and to record an event, there’s a great opportunity awaiting you. Imagine combining a great vacation with a learning opportunity extraordinaire. Cruises are a popular way to spend your vacation and include activities of every type. And now that list even includes scrapbook classes. Is it time to consider a snip and clip cruise? You can learn about new products and techniques, receive new products for trial plus meet people who also love to make unique scrapbook pages. Imagine yourself settling in for a luxurious experience. After you have investigated the various decks, the view from fore to aft, starboard and port, you might be in the mood to have a different type of fun. Most cruise lines now offer some sort of scrapbooking experience that is taught by teams of qualified instructors. With advance registration, all you have to do is bring supplies and join in. So, while everyone else is otherwise entertained, you can join with a group of fellow slicers and snippers and learn, experiment and create with fresh ideas and dynamic results. When you investigate such packages, consider some reasons why it is such a neat idea. You will be learning the very newest techniques and seeing the most recent products. You will not be rushed by the chores of daily routine so you can experience a mellow and productive time without worry. During the research for this article, several things became apparent. There are many reasons why scrapbook enthusiasts who are planning a cruise will get multiple rewards. You don’t work, cook or clean the entire trip so you have lots of relaxation time. Why not use some of that time involved with a great pastime? It is the newest and most exciting addition to the roster of events on cruises. You would be a trend-setter! Most workshops include neat prizes, giveaways and more freebie stuff! Don’t worry about the youngsters. There are supervised activities all over the ship designed to keep them enthralled and energized while you enjoy some personal creative time. Contact any travel agent and inquire about the possibilities, rewards and fun you will have. You will visit exotic destinations, shop in duty-free shops, see Broadway and Vegas style shows, listen to music, dance the night away and now—attend scrapbook classes and workshops. For the creative-minded person, it is total paradise. Soon you could have not only a luxurious cruise, but a great fun experience at the same time. Call a travel agent today or go online to investigate this opportunity.
Art MaterialsMasking Fluid — What, Why, When and HowMasking fluid is a rubbery liquid that is easily applied to paper for the purpose of preventing subsequent paint layers from coloring the white of the page. There are several manufacturers of this material and they offer a variety of colors in their masking liquids. Regardless of color, they all function in the same way. Since the whitest white a watercolorist might expect is the color of the paper upon which the art is created, preserving this white area is extremely important for highlights and very bright areas. Masking fluids are applied to clean paper to protect areas so that over-painting will not color the fibers of the sheet. As work progresses, the mask can be removed to reveal bright white areas that can then be painted or left as is. Some simple ideas should be taken into account when the artist considers using masking fluid. The material itself should be applied with a brush, usually small and inexpensive, rather than artists’ quality. If the mask is allowed to dry in the bristles, the brush is ruined. Cleanup should be done immediately after use in order to keep the brush in working condition, so wash the brush with soap and water. Some artists have developed methods of application that make brush saving much easier. One way is to keep a small container of water into which a drop or two of dish soap has been added. Dip the brush into the soapy solution and then blot. Once blotted, the brush is ready to dip into the masking fluid. Rinse with warm water after application and re-soap the bristles. Rinse, blot and store upright for future use. Another caution is that of overuse of masking fluid. Excessive areas of white will be confusing in most designs and are laborious. Painting around an area will be a far more effective way to retain whites. But sometimes there is need to work around an area repeatedly and masking fluid will be of great assistance. The edges of masked areas remain rather rigid and hard. Keep this in mind when you plan your design. Once the fluid is rubbed away, the sharp edges may be too severe and will not coordinate with the rest of your piece. But some softening is possible with studied and experienced tonal application. To remove masking material there are at least two things of importance to bear in mind. Excessive rubbing on the surface might disturb the painted areas adjacent to the masked areas. Care should be exercised in loosening, lifting and removing the masking. Some artists use a soft rubber cement removal “eraser” to pick up the mask. This is a very expedient way to remove it, but might disturb the painting if done in a reckless manner. More precise removal can start with gentle lifting with a tool such as a stencil knife or other sharp tool. If this is your choice, be careful with the surface of the paper beneath the mask.
To learn more about the character of masking fluid there are a number of exercises you might consider. One is that of watercolor batik. While this is a rather extreme use of fluid mask, it is a great way to learn about application amounts, the sharpness of the edges, and brush-on and cleanup. Fluid mask is painted onto the sheet of watercolor paper to outline and define the areas that will be colored individually. The completed masked areas will resemble a brushwork drawing. When dry, the defined areas are ready to be filled in with pigment. Final detail and added work can be done after the initial watercolor is dry. When all wet work is completed, allow the piece to dry. Remove the masked line work to reveal a crisp, clean and vivid batik-like image. There are many ways to use such images: greeting cards when small designs are completed, images that are suited to scanning for computer enhancement, tiny originals, etc. Fine brushwork is sometimes possible with masking fluid application. Remember that the brush will most likely be dedicated to that use from then on, but script and lining brushes will afford you neat linear masking. Practice painting the mask lines and removal methods. There is more difficulty in removal of thin, weak lines than those created with thicker brushes. And there is some danger in permanent adhesion of the masked lines when thinly painted. Double painting may be necessary, as lining brushes do not hold as much masking fluid as other types of brushes. Allow each layer of mask to dry prior to double coating. If you work in watercolor, masking fluid can be of great help in retaining pristine white areas. Masking can save lots of work and speed your finished work to market once you have mastered the ins and outs of application. If you have yet to try masking fluid, you are in for a treat. If it has been a while since you did work utilizing masking fluid, it may be time to try it again. Explore new ways to employ this versatile and helpful art material.
AirbrushAir Quick TipsAirbrush Paints—Fluids used in the airbrush must be of a thin enough consistency to be sprayed. Airbrush paints are manufactured specifically for this purpose, but they also can be used with a paintbrush. The common traits of airbrush paints, sometimes called “colors,” are that they are water-soluble and pre-reduced for airbrushing. These are available in jars and are designed for use on paper surfaces such as illustration board, acetate, and photographs. They are not good for work on gessoed surfaces or fabric. There are several manufacturers of airbrush paints, which are available both transparent and opaque. Some brands are more waterproof than others, they may have different colorfastness and some may require thinning with a bit of water. To get a feel for the great array of colors available, visit ARTtalk.com’s “Airbrush World” at www.medea-artool.com. Cloth as Masking Material—Some airbrush artists use cloth as a stenciling material to develop different effects and textures. For example, if you spray through a piece of lace, you will get the exact image of the lace. Artists experiment with burlap, cheesecloth, fabric softener sheets, ripped or cut cloth, etc., in the development of paintings, illustrations or retouched photographs. Fabric used as a stencil can be coated with replaceable spray adhesive to give it tight adhesion to the work surface. You can also spray through some cloths without using adhesive, allowing them to flutter with airflow and resulting in a softer edge. Experiment with a variety of fabrics to see where you can utilize the effects in your artwork. Magnetized Airbrushing Surface—By using a sheet of steel as your work surface/drawing table, you can work with non-self-adhering stencils cut from acetate, paper or other materials and hold them in place with magnets. In this way you never cut directly on the work surface as you do with self-adhering frisket film; nor do you leave adhesive residue on the work surface. Put a sheet of paper or illustration board that could be from 1- to 3-ply thickness on the metal. (The thicker the paper, the stronger the magnets required.) On the paper put the non-self-adhering stencil and magnets, which can be of varying shapes and sizes, to hold the stencil in place. This system is really handy when you wish to go back and rework artwork several times. Airbrush WorkshopsAirbrush workshops recently held in the Washington, D.C., area at the Learning & Product Expo—ART! show were well received. With a selection of ten different airbrush workshops (out of 200 total workshops offered) in four days, students were able to take a full curriculum in airbrushing from basic to intermediate to advanced applications. Classes were 3, 6, or 12 hours long and were taught by a faculty of experienced professionals. The Learning & Product Expo show will return to Burbank, CA, from October 6-8. Visit www.learningproductexpo.com to see the airbrush class schedule as well as many classes taught by professionals in other art disciplines.
ArtPourriWinners Announced—The winners of the Decorative Arts Collection Awards Competition were announced at the Society of Decorative Painters annual meeting recently. This international juried competition is open to all artists and provides cash purchase awards. The Joan Johnson Award of Excellence went to Eriko Nakamura of Koyoto, Japan; First Prize was awarded to Eldrid Arntzen of Watertown, CT; Second to June Varey of Australia; and Third to Nobuku Fukukawa of Japan. See www.decorativeartscollection.org. Auction News—Sotheby’s made auction history when a masterpiece by famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold for $5.6 million, setting a new record for a Latin American work of art at auction and for the artist at auction. “Roots” (1943), oil on metal, had never before appeared on the public market. Works to be offered by Sotheby’s at auction include those by Gerhard Richter and Hans Holbein the Younger. Regarded one of the finest and most personal paintings by Richter ever to come to the market, “Tante Marianne” was executed in the artist’s signature photorealist style that portrays the artist as a four-month-old baby on the knees of his 14-year-old aunt. Holbein’s “Portrait of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger” is a recently re-discovered work and the only currently known surviving portrait from the artist’s English period remaining in private hands. At Christie’s, “The Blue Rigi: Lake of Lucerne, Sunrise” by J. M. W. Turner sold for $10.9 million. The watercolor broke the world record for a British watercolor and for any British work on paper. Schedule Announced—“Met Holiday Mondays” for the one-year period beginning Memorial Day 2006 have been announced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Museum will be open to the public on the following dates: July 3, Sept. 4, Oct. 9, Jan. 15, 2007, Feb. 19, 2007 and May 28, 2007. Cultural Exchange Planned—Louvre Atlanta will bring hundreds of works of art from the Louvre’s collections to the High Museum in Atlanta. From Oct. through 2009, the museum will present a series of long-term special exhibitions of art from the Louvre built around specific themes and periods. The collaboration will also include the exchange of cultural expertise as well as educational programs, publications, symposia and films exploring the exhibitions. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on August 15. Summer Hours Scheduled—The Art Institute of Chicago Museum is open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays through Labor Day and from 5-9pm admission is free. Join a quick tour of the collection, meander on your own with the audio guide or a themed self-guide or find your own personal favorites. Chairman Elected—The Dia Art Foundation has announced the election of Nathalie de Gunzburg as Chairman of its Board of Trustees. A philanthropist and collector who joined the Board in 2004, she succeeds Leonard Riggio. Milestone—Commercial and Pinup artist Joyce Ballantyne Brand has died at the age of 88. She painted one of the most famous advertising images ever, the little pig-tailed girl with her puppy that appeared on bottles of Coppertone sunscreen. Exhibitions: Chicago, IL – The Art Institute of Chicago – Drawings in Dialogue: Old Master through Modern celebrates a major gift, which comprises 240 drawings promised or already given to the museum by Dorothy Braude Edinburg. The exhibition highlights 166 of the works, including important examples by Renaissance and Baroque masters, fine drawings by 18th and early 19th century European and American artists, a stellar display of 19th century French works and a superb representation of early 20th century art. Through July 30. Santa Fe, NM – Museum of Fine Arts – Mexican Modern: Masters of the 20th Century presents vibrant colors, evocative imagery and bold socio-political commentary in important works by Rivera, Kahlo, Orozco, Siquieros and more. Through Sept. 3. New York, NY – Whitney Museum of American Art – Full House: The Whitney’s Collection at 75 celebrates the museum’s 75th anniversary. The exhibition, drawn from the permanent collection, is organized around transformative moments in American art and proposes a series of dynamic dialogues between works of art across all media, spanning the 20th century to the present. Through Sept. 3.
Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 16 No. 9 -- July 2006 |
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