Painting under the Microscope
'Stillness' Acrylic painting by Tania Williams
Sometimes paintings can look deceptively simple, yet you may be surprised by the amount of thought that has gone into it.
Those flowers on the wall (left), are they for decoration? Do they symbolise something mysterious and enigmatic? Or maybe their function is purely practical. Well the answer could very well be all of the above. But in this instance the answer is very simple, and we shall return to answer this later.
Today I am going to put my recent painting Stillness, (which is my interpretation of a lovely wooden statue found at Angkor Wat in Cambodia) under the microscope in order to illustrate some very practical techniques you can use to UNIFY your paintings. Scroll down to see original photo. Previously we talked about the various elements which make a painting successful. These included colour harmonies and various contrasts such as that between complimentary colours, hues, brightness, values, and textures.
I am going to illustrate some of these techniques now, and I am also going to introduce you to two more techniques which will help you to create even more balance in your painting; horizontal and vertical lines and the Art of Repetition. I also want to briefly talk about the Feeling of a painting and its importance. But first lets look at how I have used the technique of Contrast to add interest.
Original photo of Angkor Wat Statue
As you may know, contrast is very important in any painting. It makes the viewer want to explore the painting further. In Stillness I have used contrast in several ways to help to add this interest.
The most obvious use of contrast is probably that between the 2 complimentary colours of blue and orange, which is also a contrast between cool and warm. Then there is the contrast between purple and yellow, which are also complimentary colours. If you remember, complimentary colours produce a very strong contrast and effective combination when used next to each other. There is also a noticeable contrast between light and dark, and finally the more subtle contrast between the wooden texture on the figure and the slightly softer and grainier background.
Feeling of painting
It is important to consider the feeling you want to portray in your painting. There are several ways to do this, ie with line, texture and colour. In stillness I chose to have a large area of blue in order to enhance the general theme and feeling of the painting, which is one of tranquility. I choose orange/gold for the statue, despite it being wooden, as I wanted to give it some warmth as well as the impression of it being very valuable, as in the association with gold. I wanted it to be calm and peaceful but, at the same time I also wanted it to have some energy, hence the strong contrast with the complimentary blue and orange.
Horizontal and vertical lines
A further way to unify a painting is to balance horizontal and vertical lines. If you look a the large blue area to the right of the figure you will notice the subtle shape of a window sill. I’m going to let you in or a little secret here. I didn’t particularly need a window there, but what I was after was a horizontal line to help balance out the vertical lines in the paintings, but I didn’t want it to be to obvious as I wanted to keep the simplicity of the composition, so I settled for a very subtle impression of a window sill to achieve this.
The Art of Repetition
By repeating certain elements in your painting you are effectively pulling it together, or relating the various parts to each other. This gives the feeling of UNITY in your painting. For example you can repeat certain colours, shapes, textures or any element found in your painting. It doesn’t even have to be a significant part of the painting.
“So to answer the question ‘what are the flowers doing on the wall?” Take another look at the painting. See if you can see those flowers anywhere else in the painting? Thats right – on the head dress. Although they are not an important part of the painting, their appearance elsewhere, helps to unify the painting as a whole. They also ad interesting textural elements to the painting.
If you look at the background shape of the wall panel with the flowers on it, you may notice that it is suspiciously similar to the shape of the head dress. I can assure you this is no accident either. And, if you look even closer, you will see that all the colours in the background have been repeated on the figure itself, such as the reds and purples of the wall panel as well as the blue of the background. And likewise, the yellow and orange of the figure, have been repeated in the wall panel above the window.
So if you want your next painting to be a Masterpiece, give some thought to these useful techniques, and I guarantee you will be surprised at the result. I would love to hear how you get on.
Until next time…
Colour and Contrast
- At May 15, 2012
- By artespiral11
- In Understanding Colour
0
'Cafe Terrace at Night' by Vincent Van Gough
HUE. This is a specific colour, such as red or green. The colourwheel has 12 different hues.
CHROMA: This refers to the saturation, intensity or purity of a colour. Colours on the colour wheel are of pure intensity or chroma.
TONE: This relates to the lightness of darkness of a colour. Every hue has a tonal value, which can be modified by either adding white or black. Judging the tonal value of a colour can be difficult at first. The best way is to half close your eyes until the colour almost dissapeares leaving nothing but the tone.
Last time we talked about the contrast between complimentary colours as well as warm and cool colours. There are however other contrasts which are equally important if you want you paintings to look convincing. These include chroma, tone, and texture.
Chroma
If you are using a bright colour it is important to make sure you contrast it with it’s equivalent Dull colour. For example if you have used a brilliant blue on a vase, make sure you mix up a dull blue (add grey, black, white or other colour) and use it somewhere to contrast the bright and dull. If the blue colour is quite a dominant or an important part of the painting you may also
Lillies by Van Gough
want to contrast it with its complimentary colour orange, to bring it forward and give it more energy as Van Gough has done with his ‘Cafe Terrace at Night’ painting. If the blue you have used is a bright blue, then the orange you contrast it with should also be a bright orange. If the main blue is a dull blue you would then contrast it with a dull orange/brown. For a realistic look try to include a good variety of the same colour in various tones and brightness. See how Vincent has contrasted the bright blue of the sky and the upper building with more dull blues elsewhere, and the bright yellow of the cafe wall with the paler table tops. Yet another contrast is between the complimentary colours yellow (the wall) and purple-mauve (road). In his ‘Irises’ painting he has used similar colour combinations. Study the two paintings and look for more contrasts.
Tone
As with chroma or colour intesity, tone is also very important in creating balance in your artwork. Make sure you balance light areas with dark areas and make sure you have a good selection of tonal values in your painting. To check your tonal balance half close your eyes, try to imagine your painting in black and white. It should still be interesting without colour.
Texture
By contrasting texture in your paintings, you create interest. You can contrast smooth textures with rough impasto textures, water colour effects with pastel. Without the right amount of textural contrast your work could appear a bit dull or un interesting.
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When it comes to contrast in painting there is more than black and white and complimentary colours to think about.
Colour Harmonies
- At April 20, 2012
- By artespiral11
- In Understanding Colour
- 0
How and why does a particular colour make us react in a certain way to a painting? Colour is the most powerful instrument in visual art; Colour is used by artists to arouse emotions in the viewer and is a powerful means of visual communication.
It is well known that colour can be used by an artist to create a calming or stimulating effect, or to draw the viewer’s eye to a particular part of the composition. Colours can also be “warm” and “cool” with warm colours such as red and orange appearing closer to the viewer and cool colours such as blue and green appearing to recede.
In visual art, colour should create a balanced visual experience. Without balance or harmony, the art is either too bland and doesn’t engage or excite the viewer or it is too loud and demanding and the viewer simply turns away. To create harmony in a painting it is important to balance complimentary colours and analagous colours.
Colour Harmonies
Complementary colours
Colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel are considered to be complementary colours (example: red and green).
The high contrast of complementary colours creates a vibrant look especially when used at full saturation. This colour scheme must be managed well so it is not jarring.
Complementary colour schemes are tricky to use in large doses, but work well when you want something to stand out. Complementary colours are really bad for text.
Analogous colours
Analogous colour schemes use colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel. They usually match well and create serene and comfortable designs. Analogous colour schemes are often found in nature and are harmonious and pleasing to the eye. Make sure you have enough contrast when choosing an analogous colour scheme.
Remember to always choose one colour to dominate, a second to support and a third as an accent. Black, white, neutrals and grey can be also be used as support or accent.
Triadic colours
A triadic colour scheme uses colours that are evenly spaced around the colour wheel. Triadic colour schemes tend to be quite vibrant, even if you use pale or unsaturated versions of your hues.
Warm and cool colours
Colours can be divided into warm and cool colours, and this is referred to colour temperature.
Warm colours are vivid and energetic, and tend to advance in space. These are the reds, yellows and oranges.
Cool colours give an impression of calm, and create a soothing impression. These are blues and greens.
However even warm colours can seem cool and cool colours seem warm. A bluish green seems cooler than a yellowish green, while a reddish purple seems warmer than a bluish purple. A red with a hint of purple seems cooler than a red with a hint of orange.
White, black and grey are considered to be neutral, with black considered a warm colour.
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Psychological Colour Symbolism
We live in a world surrounded by colour, but how many people actually stop to think about the colours in their life, or even ask themselves why they like a particular colour and dislike another. Here is your chance to find out a little bit more about the colours in your life.
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RED Being the longest wavelength, red is a powerful colour. It has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Hence its effectiveness in traffic lights the world over. Its effect is physical; it stimulates us and raises the pulse rate
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BLUE Blue objects do not appear to be as close to us as red ones. Blue is the world’s favourite colour.
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YELLOW As Yellow is mentally stimulating it is the strongest colour psychologically.
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GREEN Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatever and is, therefore, restful. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the colour of balance – a more important concept than many people realise. When the world about us contains plenty of green, this indicates the presence of water, and little danger of famine, so we are reassured by green, on a primitive level.
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VIOLET The shortest wavelength is violet. It encourages deep contemplation, or meditation. It has associations with royalty and usually communicates the finest possible quality. Being the last visible wavelength before the ultra-violet ray, it has associations with time and space and the cosmos.
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ORANGE As it contains both red and yellow, orange is stimulating both physically and mentally.
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PINK Being a tint of red, pink also affects us physically, but it soothes, rather than stimulates.
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GREY Pure grey is the only colour that has no direct psychological properties. A virtual absence of colour is depressing and when the world turns grey we are instinctively conditioned to draw in and prepare for hibernation. Unless the precise tone is right, grey has a dampening effect on other colours used with it.
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BLACK Black is all colours, totally absorbed. The psychological implications of that are considerable. Black is essentially an absence of light, since no wavelengths are reflected and it. It works particularly well with white. Black creates a perception of weight and seriousness.
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WHITE Just as black is total absorption, so white is total reflection. In effect, it reflects the full force of the spectrum into our eyes. Visually, white gives a heightened perception of space. The negative effect of white on warm colours is to make them look and feel garish.
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BROWN Brown has much of the same seriousness as black, but is warmer and softer. It has elements of the red and yellow properties. Brown has associations with the earth and the natural world. More positively than the ever-popular black, which is suppressive, rather than supportive.
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