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Painting ToolsPalette Knife PerfectionPainters have used paint brushes or a similar sort of tool since the origin of painting. Although some of the earliest brushes were bunched supple fibers used to apply minerals and berry juices, they were the foundation of what we now know as artists’ brushes. Brushes and similar tools were the only instruments of choice for artwork creation until the advent of the palette knife as an artists’ tool. In 1899 Charles Hawthorne, a New England artist and teacher, established an outdoor painting school, The Cape Cod School of Art, in Provincetown, Massachusetts. By 1916, this small fishing village had become the largest art colony in the world. Hawthorne's main concern was that of color, rather than drawing, and he used several means to convey this relationship to his students. Plein air painting was his strong interest along with the development of new perceptions and methods to achieve results. Hawthorne invented a system of study that involved the use of a putty knife to apply the paint instead of the traditional brush and canvas. His first love, that of the figure, allowed him to teach his students "to see and feel their subjects" by painting the color masses or large simple areas of color. The putty knife proved to be the perfect means of application for large areas of color with little regard to fine detail. Thus, the "palette knife" was forever a part of the paint box options available to artists. Today’s palette knife choices are extraordinary in scope. There are dozens of blade shapes and handle configurations available. Three simple divisions seem a practical way to divide the myriad of knives manufactured: wide blades, medium blades and small, detail blades. While a medium, general use blade can be used for almost any application method, dedicated palette knife artisans prefer to use a specific blade shape and size for a specific task, not unlike the use of different brushes used to complete a brushed artwork. Palette knives are used for many different paint applications, not only by the knife purist but also the artist who does color blending on his or her palettes. Used primarily for oil, alkyd and acrylic paints, palette knives are indispensable. The superb blending capability offered by even a general purpose palette knife is considered by many artists as a "brush saver." Rather than abuse a fine quality brush, the knife never wears out, is flexible and speedy in its dispatch of paints and is very easily cleaned. These three qualities alone make it perfect for the task. In the category of wide blades, there are several shapes that make application of large, smooth painted areas more easily accomplished. Practice with different blade shapes will yield different application preferences. Large, rounded "trowel" shapes hold lots of pigment and are capable of thicker, even-layer applications with few breaks or open areas. If you select an angular-edged knife, you can use that sharp edge to create hard edges in your application. Pointed or rounded tips give options for pick-up or delivery in specific patterns. But, overall, the largest blade shapes are best used for large-scale paint application, perhaps with future augmentation in mind or for larger scale subject matter.
Medium-sized blades are often divided into two main categories: very flexible blade tips and more rigid blades. The blades with more flexibility are very good to "set" color into a wet field. They can set a point of color into a thick layer of paint without spot blending and make some detail work speedy and accurate. The more rigid medium blades are perfect for palette blending and general application to smaller areas. They usually have slender blades and can handle small amounts of paint very well. The tiny blades of small palette knife tips make them perfect for scratching through thicker layers of paint, for removal of or correction within a painted field and to delineate detail. The blades are usually pointed and therefore make small applications of paint easy. Fine detail such as grasses, tiny twigs, highlights and spot embellishments are easily done with the smallest palette knife tips. If the points are too sharp, some gentle removal of the point can yield a more rounded point that distributes a bit more paint. Relieve the tip of the point with a pass or two of a fine file. Many artists use basic shapes and sizes of palette knife blades to create their own specific-use tools. They change the curve, the point or the paint application edge to suit their personal painting needs, thereby creating an original tool. Although not generally considered a tool for use by watercolorists, palette knives can help watercolor painters in at least three ways. Knife tips and edges can be used to scribe within wet or damp areas to create linear designs and detail. Care should be exhibited to prevent actual cutting of the paper substrate, since some knives are thin enough and sharp enough to actually cut the paper. Knives can also be used to do palette blending for large quantities of watercolor paint. If you use acrylic paint or gouache to recreate white areas, knife tips can help you place opaque whites in specific areas. Even a painter who uses only brushes can put a palette knife to use and save his or her pricey brushes. For those looking to explore a wonderful world of texture, color and captivating visual appeal, painting with knives is a great experience.
Art Events2nd Annual Learning & Product Expo—ART! Immerse yourself in a unique experience for artists where you can visit an exhibit hall packed with art material manufacturers, see free demonstrations and choose from a program of 200 art classes. For more information or to register online, visit http://www.learningproductexpo.com. Sugarloaf Craft Festival Approximately 350 talented fine art and craft designers will display a variety of works from blown glass and sculpture to fine art and designer clothing. Included are craft demos, entertainment, puppet theatre for the children and more. Visit www.sugarloafcrafts.com. "Louvre Atlanta" Get your tickets now! Through a three-year partnership with the Musée du Louvre, the High will present a series of long-term, thematic exhibitions featuring masterworks from the Louvre’s collections. Kings as Collectors, opening October 14 through Sept. 2, 2007, will feature 32 works assembled during the reigns of Kings Louis XIV and Louis XVI, including two very special masterpieces—Raphael’s "Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione" and Nicolas Poussin’s "Et in Arcadia Ego." Concurrently on view through Jan. 28, 2007, will be The King’s Drawings, which brings together approximately 60 works from the Louvre’s extensive holdings. Tickets are on sale now. All tickets are timed and advance reservations are suggested. Tickets are also available for the Opening Fête, Opening Day Celebration and Lecture by Henri Loyrette, President and Director of the Louvre. Get your tickets at http://www.high.org/experience/louvre/visit.aspx
Art & The LawCopyright Laws for ArtistsUnited States copyrights are managed by the U.S. Copyright Office. They have many basic laws that are easy to understand and to apply to creative work. If there are questions or concerns, please consult a copyright lawyer for the most up-to-date and thorough legal advice. The following notes are generalizations and are intended as help for the novice artist who might be wondering about copyright of his/her works. What is a copyright? It is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to afford artists the right to determine how their works are used and/or reproduced. The copyright has two purposes. One is to protect the artist’s rights against piracy; and second is the economic incentive for artists to be creative. Copyright provides additional income for artists from reproduction and distribution of their artwork. When does a copyright take effect? Copyright arises automatically once an original effort has been started and some aspect of it has been fixed in a tangible medium (including those for use with computers). One need not even have notice on published copies. Registration is required only if legal action is warranted. The protection covers unauthorized copying and distribution. Artists thereby have the right to determine the way their work is used and by whom. The copyright remains in effect for the lifetime of the artist and for an additional 70 years after the death of that artist. Such an immediate and long-term protection provides that the artist or his/her representative must be contacted for copyright clearance and should be paid royalties for that use. The Artists Rights Society is a recognized copyright organization for visual artists in the U.S. It was founded in 1986 and represents the intellectual property rights of over 30,000 visual artists. Painters, sculptors, photographers, architects and such visual artists from around the world use the services of ARS. See more at www.arsny.com. Overview information is provided in the following: "Circular 1: Copyright Basics" by the United States Copyright Office, "10 Big Myths About Copyright Explained" by Brad Templeton, and "Copyright in Visual Arts" by Thomas G. Field Jr. Just as important as what is copyright applicable are the items which are not covered. There are many things which fall into the category of uncopyrightable. Forms, ideas, methods, systems, measuring and computing devices often are not applicable. The U. S. Copyright Office will send info to help you in that area. Self-help books that might come in handy for those curious about copyright law and what constitutes piracy include: "How to Register Your Own Copyright: With Forms – 3rd Edition," by Mark Warda; "The Copyright Book: A Practical Guide – 5th Edition," by William S. Strong; and "101 Questions About Copyright Law" by Andrew Alpern. There are many more available through book retailers or at any library. If you are a visual artist who feels that research of copyright is not a great concern, you might want to reconsider. It might seem like lost time, but knowing what copyright laws can do to help you in the area of income and potential income is very important. Don’t let a lack of understanding cause you to lose financial gain. Know that once you have recorded on any tangible surface an image that is original, it is instantly copyrighted. Ownership of a painting that was not created by the owner does not give the owner any rights to reproduction or publication. This law protects the artist from loss of income and is most definitely cause for legal action. What is the "public domain"? A work that is no longer copyright protected is considered available for use by the public. Some restrictions apply when photographs are involved, so it is very important to contact a copyright legal expert before using a public domain image. This includes the use of images by collage artists and others who use found images in their works. Payment of royalties can vary in value depending on many factors. Should you feel an original image created by you has been used incorrectly, do not hesitate to consult a copyright lawyer. He/she is the best judge of the severity and extent of piracy and will advise you accordingly.
The Artist’s MarketplaceNew Products from Color Wheel Co.
The Color Wheel CD-ROM is interactive software that includes all of the tools of the color wheel and more. It demonstrates color mixing; color relationships; tints, tones and shades; saves colors for your projects; and includes a color theory guide. The software program Paint by Numbers allows you to create wonderful works of art using your favorite photos or images in just three easy steps; and no drawing skills are required! Simply select and crop your image and the program creates the outlines, identifies the colors and you print the "drawing" as well a list of supplies required. How easy is that!
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Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. has announced the winners of its seventh annual Mohawk Show. Five Best of Shows were selected--including the traditional top four winners plus this year’s special identity Excellence award--and 20 finalists, or Awards of Excellence, were also named from among over 1,500 entries. The design firms for the five winning pieces are Design Army (Washington, DC), Pentagram (NY, NY), Davidson Design (Richmond, Victoria, Australia), and Kate Spade New York (2-time winner).
The Mohawk Show is a celebration of higher thinking in graphic design developed for unique individuals who aspire to create communications that combine brilliant design, intelligent paper selection and superior production. The Best of Show winners won a four-night prize package to the 2007 Sundance Film Festival (or $3,000 cash).
The story of the Da Vinci Paint Company began over 70 years ago in Padova, Italy. Marcello Dworzak, an Italian chemist and amateur artist, began formulating his own artists’ oil colors while working in a paint factory. With an understanding of the composition of colors and an entrepreneurial spirit, he left Italy in 1936 for Lima, Peru. After being hired to analyze and formulate paints, he was invited to join a reputable paint manufacturer. He then opened an art store featuring his own artists’ oil colors, opaque watercolors (tempera), varnishes and mediums. Marcello would occasionally provide paint samples to local artists, who quickly recognized the quality of the paints and enjoyed the low prices in the store. Thus began Da Vinci’s reputation for providing high quality products at a very reasonable cost.
After purchasing the paint manufacturing plant that had hired him upon his arrival in Peru, Marcello focused on the research and development of high quality paint formulations, a practice that continues today. All Da Vinci colors are permanent--either lightfastness I or II--which means that they have the highest resistance to fading.
Upon Marcello’s passing in 1968, his son Rodolfo Dworzak took over the business and later moved his family to California in 1975. Here he founded the Da Vinci Paint Company, named after the renowned artist and scientist for whom Marcello and Rodolfo shared a profound admiration. Rodolfo combined his father’s philosophy with new technology and drove the company to be a leader in permanent artists’ colors. Da Vinci achieved milestones such as being the first manufacturer to formulate a permanent Alizarin Crimson.
Da Vinci is currently the only manufacturer formulating its entire collection of colors exclusively using ASTM International approved pigments for artists’ quality, which helps to ensure the high quality of its colors. The company is now managed by Marcello Dworzak, Rodolfo’s son and Marcello’s grandson, and is dedicated to building upon the family tradition started by the late Marcello Dworzak.
DaVinci Paint Company remains committed to producing and distributing high quality artists’ products at very low prices. Its product portfolio includes artists’ oils, oil/ alkyds, watercolors, gouache, acrylics, fabric paints, mediums and varnishes as well as brushes and palette knives. See your retailer for these fine DaVinci products and visit www.davincipaints.com.
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The Creative Capital/Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant is a three-year pilot program designed to support critical writing on contemporary visual art through project-based grants issued directly to individual authors. Awards will be given for books, articles and work in new and alternate media. Approximately 20 grants will be awarded per annual cycle, ranging from $3,000-$50,000. Art historians, artists, critics, curators, journalists and practitioners from other fields that engage contemporary visual art and culture are welcome to apply. The deadline for grant applications is Sept. 18. For more information, visit www.artswriters.org/.
The Allied Artists of America 93rd Annual Exhibition 2006 will be held from Nov. 17 to Dec. 5 at the National Arts Club, New York, NY. Eligible works include paintings in oil, watermedia, pastel and graphics and sculpture in the round or relief. No crafts, photographs or class work is allowed. All subjects and styles are eligible. Deadline: Sept. 18. For more information or to download a prospectus, visit www.alliedartistsofamerica.org.
The City of Laguna Beach (CA) 2007 Banner Competition is a project of the Arts Commission. Entries will be accepted only from residents of Orange County, CA, 18 years or older, and proof will be required. Artists with winning designs are provided with banner material on which to paint original artwork with acrylics or oils. Completed banners are displayed on lampposts throughout the city during the summer months. An honorarium of $500 will be given for all completed banners selected. Deadline: March 23, 2007. For more information, visit www.lagunabeachcity.net/arts/public/competitions/banners.htm or call (949) 407-0722.
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Toile de Jouy is a term that has survived time, history and fashion and has come to have a far broader meaning that it did in its origin. Once, the term was applied only to those fabrics that were created in the Jouy-en-Josas factory in France. These fabrics were intricately designed with mythological figures, flowers and fruits and birds, etc. (usually one color on a solid light background). Other images crept into the factories over time, and these included pastoral country scenes done in red, blue, purple or black monochrome and were labeled "toile de Jouy." It came to mean a style of print and not just the factory town where it was originated.
Toile de Jouy may also be the only style of textile production that was suppressed by a king (Louis XIV). In 1686 he banned all import and production of these detailed, finely designed fabrics. This action was to protect the French fabric and silk factories from the impact of foreign imports and the undermining of the French textile industry. This ban lasted over a century. During that time, knowledge of the process all but disappeared from France.
However, by 1805 the ban had been lifted and foreigners with the know-how and inclination to continue this fabric printing technique flooded into France. These newcomers revitalized the interest in and knowledge of toile production. So, in spite of Louis XIV’s ruling, it was foreign textile producers who recreated what was thought to be a totally French product.
Printing techniques used to create the images included woodblock, where raised designs were inked and then stamped onto fabrics. The designs were repeated over the entire length of the material. Copper rollers invented in 1783 by Englishman Thomas Bell made the process 30 times faster to create and with astonishing clarity and detail. There were no breaks in the print, no misalignments and fewer errors in the location of the designs. Prior to the invention of this copper roller technique, more open spaces were part of the design. This mechanized method allowed for closer designs and more control. Space between the scenes could also be filled with geometrics such as stripes, diamonds, etc.
In 1977 The Toile de Jouy Museum was created to preserve over 30,000 original toile de Jouy designs that now exist. Five thousand items utilizing some of these designs are displayed at the chateau where the museum is housed. The museum also collects contemporary patterns and fabrics that show a Jouy-en-Josas inspiration for the old factory days of the early 1600’s. Also housed at the museum are several works of reference on textiles and toiles, although they are not accessible by the general public.
Wallpaper designs, stencil images, fabrics in all weights and colors, plus accessories with toile designs are in hot demand today and all have their origin in the factories of France where the methods and techniques were first developed. The intricate scenes, rich colors and textures are just what today’s interior designers are selecting, and so can you. Visit any fabric retailer to see dozens of samples for your decorating.
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Airbrushing in the Round—Frisket film is used for stenciling on a flat surface, but when working on a three-dimensional surface, a different type of material must be used—and STRETCHmask from Artool fits the bill. Because it stretches, it’s ideal when airbrushing on curved surfaces such as motorcycle tanks, sculpture, helmets, ceramics, models, etc. This flexible and repositionable masking film is clear so that you can see through it, it cuts easily with a stencil knife or razor blade and can be reapplied after removal. STRETCHmask has a medium tack and won’t lift paint when removed; it is solvent-proof and can be used with either water- or oil-based paints; it doesn’t wrinkle; paint does not bleed underneath; and it will not flutter from airbrush spray. This material is excellent for use by the auto graphics painter, sign painter, fine artist, ceramicist, hobbyist, modeler, sculptor and more. STRETCHmask is available in rolls 18" wide and 10 or 25 yards long. See www.artoolproducts.com.
Diaphragm Compressor—This is a small and inexpensive compressor of a moderate noise level that is used in airbrush technique. Unlike a piston-operated compressor, this produces air in a pulsating manner that can be interpreted in the airbrush spray. This can, however, be alleviated by attaching the compressor to a storage tank. Normally the highest pressure available is around 35 pounds per square inch (psi). A diaphragm compressor is not especially suited for spraying high viscosity materials such as artist acrylics, but it works really well when spraying inks, dyes, watercolors and airbrush paints. It is designed to propel one airbrush at a time and is not compatible with larger spray guns. However, because of the cost factor, diaphragm compressors are well suited for beginners, students and hobbyists. See www.silentaire.com.
Coloring Books for Practice—Many beginning airbrushers fret over their inability to draw, which is one reason why templates are so popular. An easy way to develop interesting exercises is to utilize a coloring book for your line drawing. It’s a natural, although you will have to trace the drawing onto paper appropriate for airbrushing, e.g. Strathmore 300 Series Drawing Paper or Borden & Riley #300 Airbrush Paper. You can do this with carbon paper or simply copy the image through a printer. The airbrush artist requires a line drawing for reference only, since everything else is accomplished with spray—shadows, highlights, color, etc. The line drawings in a coloring book can provide a limitless selection of images to paint.
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Mission Accomplished--The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation was created in the immediate aftermath of September 11th as a transitional agency to help in recovery and coordinate rebuilding. The LMDC will now transition its responsibilities to appropriate partners in the rebuilding effort, part of an overall plan to sunset the agency in the fall of this year. The City will administer the grants to over 60 downtown cultural initiatives and remaining earmarked funds.
Museum Grant Recipients Announced—The Institute of Museum and Library Services has announced the 2006 "Museums for America" recipients, the nation’s largest federal funding program for museums. Of 448 museums (urban and rural, large and small, from art to zoo) nationwide that applied, 177 will share over $16.9 million. For a list of recipients by state, visit http://www.imls.gov/news/2006/071806_list.shtm.
Stamp News—The U. S. Postal service has commemorated four of the greatest baseball sluggers of the twentieth century on spectacular new stamps recently released: Mickey Mantle, Roy Campanella, Hank Greenberg and Mel Ott. Artist Lonnie Busch of Franklin, NC, based his designs on historic photographs and then simplified and adapted the portraits to resemble old-fashioned baseball cards. "Baseball Sluggers" stamps are available in sheets of 20 or stamped postal cards in booklet sets of 20.
NEA News—The National Endowment for the Arts recently announced the recipients of the 2006 National Heritage Fellowships, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Among the ten chosen are Charles M. Carrillo, santero (carver and painter of sacred figures), Santa Fe, NM; Delores E. Churchill, Haida (Native Alaskan) weaver, Ketchikan, AK; and Diomedes Matos, cuatro (10-string Puerto Rican guitar) maker, Deltona, FL. The 2006 Bess Lomax Hawes Award went to advocate, scholar, presenter and preservationist Nancy Sweezy of Westwood, MA.
—Research Note #90, Artist Employment in 2005, has been posted at http://www.arts.gov/pub/Notes/90.pdf. It concludes that in 2005 the labor market improved for the civilian work force and for most workers in artist occupations.
Museum Receives Grant—The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has been awarded a $1 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate the impact of its pioneering arts education program "Learning Through Art" (LTA) on students’ problem-solving skills. The Guggenheim recently announced results of another Dept. of Ed.-funded three-year study which showed that LTA had a demonstrable impact on elementary students’ literacy and critical thinking.
Auction News--Picasso’s magnificent Blue Period portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto, 1903, will be offered at Christie’s New York evening sale of Impressionist and Modern Art on Nov. 8. Estimated to bring $40-60M, the painting is arguably one of the most important of this period in the artist’s oeuvre. Christie's has also been selected to advise the heirs of Ferdinand and Adele Bloch-Bauer on the sale of four of the five legendary Gustav Klimt paintings recently restituted to the family and currently on view at The Neue Galerie, New York City, until Sept. 18.
Top Dollar for Folk Art—A copper weathervane of a locomotive that topped a train station in Woonsocket, RI, from 1882 until 1971 has sold at auction for $1.2 million. This is believed to be a record price for an American weathervane. (See ARTtalk Vol. 16 No. 6, April 2006, or go to http://www.arttalk.com/archives/vol-16/artv1606.htm#FOLK).
Milestone—Cartoonist Bob Thaves has died in California at the age of 81. Best known for his syndicated comic strip Frank & Ernest, he had transitioned into semi-retirement in recent years. His son Tom, who had collaborated on the strip since 1997, will continue to lead a team effort to continue production of Frank & Ernest.
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Exhibitions
New York, NY – Guggenheim Museum – No Limits, Just Edges: Jackson Pollock Paintings on Paper is the first retrospective devoted exclusively to Pollock’s works on paper in 25 years and includes approximately 65 works drawn from private and public collections. Organized on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his death, it specifically considers Pollock’s draftsmanship as an essential component in his transformation of the traditional figurative line into nonfigurative allover abstraction. Through Sept. 29.
New York, NY - Metropolitan Museum of Art – Rembrandt Drawings and Prints, A Selection in Honor of the Artist’s 400th Birthday includes a selection of 58 drawings and prints from the museum’s extensive collection of works by the great 17th century Dutch master and artists of his school. Forty-four works are by Rembrandt himself. If you can’t visit by Oct. 15, view the exhibition online at www.metmuseum.org.
Washington, D.C. – Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum – Frederic Church, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Moran: Tourism and the American Landscape explores the promotion of scenic tourism in 19th century America through the museum’s extraordinary collections of oil paintings, drawings and watercolors by these artists. This is the premiere showing of many Homer oil paintings. Through Oct. 22.
Shelburne, VT – Shelburne Museum – Simple Beauty: Paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe features some 25 works that provide an overview of this admired artist’s work and highlights connections to American landscape painting. Through Oct. 31.
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The Art Institute Online is looking for graphic designers interested in learning additional skills, or in getting their bachelor's or associate's degree in graphic design. Make yourself more marketable in the graphic design industry |
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| • ARTtalk's Manufacturer Art Materials/Product Info. Center • |
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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 16 No. 11 -- September 2006
The Color Wheel CD-ROM,
Paint by Numbers and the Gardener’s Color Wheel are now available
from the Color Wheel Co. 
The Gardener’s Color Wheel,
designed in conjunction with Sydney Eddison, will help you to create exciting
color combinations for the garden as well as understand color relationships.
Included are a 9-1/4" two-sided color wheel and a fully illustrated instruction
booklet with colorful plant combinations and text that explains relationships
between colors, principles of contrast and harmony and the meaning and uses of
tints, tones and shades. This is a perfect gift for a gardener! See your
retailer and visit 
New Print Canvas from Tara Materials