Blog
10/19/2017 2:42:14 AM
While we don’t have photographs of the scenes painted by most recognized masters, it is obvious that they typically modified what they painted to fit an underlying abstract structure rather than simply copying what they saw.
John Singer Sargent
Sargent was a master at not only creating an interesting abstract structure, but of doing so in a manner that flattered his subject. In the painting of Mrs. Abbott Lawrence Rotch notice not only the value pattern, but how Sargent painted:
- the length of her head and neck (chin well above shoulders, narrow head, high ribbon),
- the vertical line, creating a sense of slimness, of her arm, neck and hair ribbon (with the length of a forearm concealed by cloth)
- a large (flattering) chest with evidently small (reality?) breasts (essentially there is a disconnect between the chest above and the waist below – disguised with lace)
- vertical highlights, also implying a slim figure, with hips selectively hidden by the cloth and the brush marks in her lap,
- an apparently hyper-thin waist, yet allowing for a realistic girth hidden behind her arm and in the dark front.
Note: Cover her left hand, her waist or the top of her head and imagine where they should be. Then slowly uncover them and you will find that Sargent exaggerated the length of her forearm, the length of her head, height of the ribbon and off-set her waist. All in the interest of flattery.
While we don’t know what the model really looked like, I suspect that Sargent selectively incorporated sufficient recognizable characteristics for Mrs. Rotch to see her likeness in what she knew was a flattering depiction.
John Singer Sargent - "Mrs. Abbott Lawrence Rotch, 1903"
Over the years, I have occasionally used Photoshop to analyze the underlying structure of various paintings. In the case of “El Jaleo” note the rhythmic, almost musical, aspect of the value pattern as well as the dynamic posture of the dancer.
"El Jaleo" simplified and posterized
"El Jaleo" - Sargent
"Muddy Alligators" is another Sargent painting with a recognizable pattern, this time a watercolor. Note not only the connecting lights as a focal point, but the verticals framing them.
"Muddy Alligators" - Sargent
"Muddy Alligators"
upside down posterized
Sargent - "Oyster Gatherers of Cancale" color and greyscale
The “Oyster Gatherers of Cancale” merges into a clear value pattern with figures linking either directly or by proximity.
Sorolla
Similarly, Sorolla’s “Pescadores Valencianos” merges figures and objects into a cohesive value pattern.
Sorolla - "Pescadores Valencianos" original and upside down posterized
Bouguereaux
"Rest in Harvest" original and Photoshopped color/value pattern
The color/value pattern in Bouguereaux’s “Rest in Harvest” is so stark as to seem almost a block-in. Though he is often thought of as the pinnacle of realism, the true color and value separation would never have been so distinct.
Van Gogh
Van Gogh - "Two Crabs", in color and greyscale
Van Gogh’s “Two Crabs” is not so much a value pattern as a study in color contrast. Notice not only the play of red against its green complement but the use of contour lines (wire framing) to depict structure. I have seen this painting in person and was astonished how vivid the colors were – so much so that I don’t believe it is possible to convey that vividness in a reproduction.
Degas
Degas is highly regarded for his compositions.
Degas - "Le Tub"
Degas – "Dancers"
Degas - "Fin d'Arabesque" (original and Photoshopped)
Degas – "Dancing Class" (original and Photoshopped)
Degas - The Ballet Class (original and Photoshopped)
Degas - "Dancer in Green" original and posterized
Degas - "Dancer on Stage" original and upside down photoshopped
Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Wyeth – "Helga"
A modern master, Andrew Wyeth is another artist known for realism but he described himself as an abstract painter. I’m confident he was referring to the abstract value structure underlying his paintings. Nevertheless, some of his paintings are so abstract as to require a second or third look to see the realism.
Andrew Wyeth - "Sunday Times"
Wyeth, Andrew - "Wolf Moon"
Andrew Wyeth also could exaggerate for emphasis.
Andrew Wyeth - "The Garret Room"
8/17/2015 10:17:43 PM
A few years ago, Deb and I spent a weekend in Idyllwild, CA while I was participating in a plein air contest, painting in oil. While there I took a number of photos of a jazz band, but had never used them for a painting, until now.
This is the reference photo. It has potential but is not well composed.
Above left is the cropped version. I added a third musician in the upper right, relocated from the original photo using Photoshop. As a composition, I’m happy with the location of the figures, but its dark, dark, dark. I’d like to see large lights somewhere to give the composition more punch.
Played around with a few ideas and this (right) is what I selected. It’s just a small value study painted on 8 ½” x 11” typing paper. As I painted it, I added a few select warms (red/yellow portion of the color wheel) so it’s really a combined value and temperature study.
I liked it so I painted this full color study (below) on 9” x 12” watercolor paper.
Again, I liked it so I painted this larger version (16” x 20”).
Yikes, not nearly as good as the smaller study. What was I thinking? So … the obvious solution is to repaint it – only much better. But as I was rethinking my approach, I also came up with a few ideas that I thought would improve the design.
I liked the full color study for version 1, even though I had botched the full size painting, but I felt it could be improved. The big guy on the left is really big and I felt if I showed his legs “correctly” they would look wrong. I had camouflaged them in the initial studies, but the result was a bottom heavy design. I thought it would help if I put a few darks in the upper portion of the painting and a few more lights in the lower portion. I liked the “lost” aspects of the faces in the initial studies so I wanted to exaggerate the lost aspects and play with abstraction – maintaining just enough realism to show what’s happening – and no more.
So the study at right, full size this time (16” x 20”).
I was happy with the general approach but I didn’t think it was sufficiently worked out so I painted one last study (9” x 11”)
which I used for the final painting below (16” x 20”), and which Deb named “Jazz Blues”.
For those interested in the evolution of the thinking process, you can get a good idea by noting the changes to the saxophonist’s shoulders and adjacent background. I’ll just point out that all those changes are deliberate, including the little dots of paint that appear in some versions.
Hope you like it.
Keene
6/6/2015 10:10:50 PM
Don’t Let Reality Get in the Way of a Good Design
Recently, I summarized and reorganized my notes on composition and design. As I reviewed my notes from dozens of experts the dominant theme was the need to enhance, simplify and transform the scene before us so as to create a work of art. Since this is easier said than done, we attend workshops and diligently scrutinize the techniques demonstrated by these acknowledged masters.
There is much to learn by watching demos, but sometimes it is like watching a magician. While we’re looking for the trick, we miss the obvious. I know that I have often been so amazed at what an artist painted, that I failed to notice what they didn’t paint. Or been so enthralled with their painting that I hardly noticed the vast differences between what was painted and the actual scene.
From the point of view of understanding the artist's design choices, the changes made by the artist are more important than any representation retained of reality. With that in mind, I thought I’d share a few photos of paintings that differ in interesting ways from the actual scene.
This is a tiny study by Vadim Zang from a photo I took in Paris. Vadim was my academic impressionist mentor for about two years. He’s obviously emphasizing both gray and optically connecting reds.
"Le Progres" 5"x7" study by Vadim Zang, with photo reference
Here’s is one of mine. I played beach volleyball for years so the scene is reminiscent of many a weekend at 22nd Street in Hermosa.
"Between Games" by Keene Wilson, with photo reference
An examples from a painting by Terry Miura.
"Tractor 1" by Terry Miura, with photo of scene
Last year I took a workshop with Alvaro Castagnet. As I watched his demos, it seemed he was painting the scene we saw, but only in bits and pieces that he fit into a coherent whole. I think of it as using the scene for reference material to paint from imagination.
San Francisco Demo 1 by Alvaro Castagnet, with photo of scene
Union Square Demo by Alvaro Castagnet, with photo of scene
The photo of the scene below was taken from where Alvaro painted and is a pretty good indication of how small the portion of the scene he painted was compared to our field of view. The large sloping hill in the background of the painting was barely visible in the far distance, and virtually invisible in the center of the photo.
San Francisco Demo 2 by Alvaro Castagnet, with photo of scene
Lately, I’ve been studying with master watercolorist Fealing Lin. Though I’ve intermittently painted in watercolor for years, I’ve been focusing more on watercolor lately because I want to improve my design skills and think a good watercolor only works if the design works. I know all paintings require good design, but to me its analogous to the way drawing the figure exaggerates drawing mistakes. Similarly, painting in watercolor seems to exaggerate poor design. It also shows off good design, as below.
"Old Man Reading" by Fealing Lin, with photo reference
It’s easy to look at a finished painting like this one by Keiko Tanabe and think she painted just what she saw, but only if you don’t have a reference photo to compare.
"Procida I" by Keiko Tanabe, with photo of scene
Taiwanese artist Chien Chung-Wei is one of my favorite watercolorists. I love the way he creates a sense of reality based on a nearly abstract design – often from very mundane scenes.
Watercolor plein air study by Chien Chung-Wei, with photo of scene
And finally, another of my favorite watercolorists, Prafull Sawant, from India.
"Grand Bazaar at Bornova" by Prafull Sawant, with photo of scene
If you’re interested in design and composition, you might want to check out the notes that I just posted entitled “Composition and Design: Practical Advice for the Advanced Artist”. If you've already read my theoretical notes under the headings of "Artistic Composition" and "Design in Art", these are not the same but are collated and reorganized from my notes from individual artists.
Keene
3/21/2015 1:12:01 AM
Many non-artist collectors assume that watercolors are easier than oils, but those who paint in both mediums know better. I know there’s room for argument here, but I thought I’d share my struggle with a recent watercolor.
A few years ago, I took several photos of a trio playing in the square of a small town in the Czech Republic. I used these photos for an earlier oil painting and thought they would be suitable for a nice watercolor. Here is the initial reference photo in full size along with the cropped version I actually chose to paint, and another version I chose not to paint.
Full size reference, cropped version used, and an alternative option.
Even at this point I made several subtle changes using Photoshop. Specifically, I tilted the flute – horizontal lines are generally stable and I was seeking a more dynamic feeling, diagonals are dynamic. I also moved the hands closer to the musicians head, and both slightly enlarged and tilted the head. I did this so the hands and head would more closely relate to each other. With solely this relationship in mind I might have chosen the alternative photo, but while I like aspects of the alternative photo it's more about hands and flute than I wanted. Perhaps it will do for a future painting.
Charcoal drawing
Next, I drew using vine charcoal, which is soft and easily erases. I used vine charcoal because I wanted to play with the design and it allowed me to wipe out and redraw as often as I liked. My goal from the beginning was for the painting to be more about design than realism, nevertheless I wanted an accurate drawing which I could choose to follow or ignore as dictated by the design.
Tracing of drawing
So I traced my drawing, clarifying some aspects in the process. I then transferred this drawing to rough watercolor paper using carbon paper. At this point I’ll mention that I actually traced the drawing three times, each time making subtle adjustments and in one case clarifying what artists call "structure" and in another making notes on where I wanted hard or soft edges. Hard edges attract the eye whereas soft edges attract less attention. I’ve never traced a drawing three times before; but, as I said, I struggled with this one.
Tracing (also drawing on tracing paper) emphasizing structure and another locating hard and soft edges (note the slight differences in hand position, location of the flute and width of the head)
Here’s the first painting. Uggh!
First painting, "Czech Flutenist"
I told you I struggled. There are a number of things I don’t like about this painting, but mostly I don’t like it because it is a portrait and not a design. So I resolved to paint it again, only better.
Here’s the result:
Second painting, "Czech Flautist"
Can you believe it? I made the same damn mistake. It’s still a portrait. Honestly, I was thinking about design. I flicked some red into the upper left because that area needed more interest and I think the red brushmarks add a sense of movement. But it’s still not a very strong design.
So I painted a third version.
Third version, "Czech Flute Player"
Now this is more what I had in mind from the beginning. It’s still a portrait, but not just a portrait. I’m actually pretty happy with this.
But I knew I could do better. So I changed my strategy. Whereas for each of the three previous paintings I had painted the figure and the design as one concurrent process, this time I focused on the abstract design almost exclusively until I was happy with it. Then and only then, did I bring out just enough of the figure for the viewer to know what was happening.
I know that many collectors don’t appreciate abstract art; however, I believe that even when you don’t notice the abstract “pattern” in a realistic painting, it’s that abstract design which carries the painting. Take any good painting and turn it upside down so it’s difficult to focus on the subject and what you see is the abstract design.
Fourth and final version, "Czech Flutist"
I like this painting precisely because it’s the abstraction that you notice first, even right side up, and the subject is only secondary. In addition the colors are in harmony, warms (yellow and red) balanced with cools (blue in this case) and light against dark. There is also a distinct light path leading from the musician’s right hand up and to the right that is in opposition both to the diagonal of the flute and the light of his left arm. Finally, I think that you will find something of interest wherever you look whether you view the painting from afar or in detail. You may like one of the other paintings better, my wife does, but I prefer this one.
Last but not least, we had to name the painting. I say “we” because I don’t actually have much input into the process, though I have been known to exercise a veto. Naming the paintings is Debbie’s territory and fortunately there are lots of synonyms for "one who plays the flute".
So there you have it. Which painting do you prefer? I’d love to hear from you.
