Feedback | About composition | Class #23

Sources of inspiration and basic elements of composition are the two topics we have approached in this class.

Last Thursday in my studio : an atmosphere of magic like when witches gather around a cauldron…

 

Exercise #1 : To start the New Year in good mood, we play “A Fake Artist Goes To New York”. A smart trigger to call and widen creativity

Exercise #2 : Understanding what is composition by doing, looking and discussing

We use papers done by students in previous classes

 

a) Composing with simple squares

 

b) Overlapping the squares

c) Adding “left overs”

 

d) Arranging the squares to get new shapes

e) Stealing “left overs” from another student

  

 

f) Following precise rules for cutting the squares

 

g) Taking advantage from another artistic tool. Here photography ads the third dimension

h) Placing the cut parts on a black surface (playground)  highlights the internal spaces (here the lines inside the squares) and the external space (outside the 5 squares)

       

 

  

 

 

i) Here the negative space becomes central

 

Coming to theory > what is composition ? 

See also > https://drawpaintacademy.com/understanding-composition-for-artists/

“Composition in art is essentially the arrangement of visual elements using various principles and techniques. It is often used to describe the overall design of a painting. A well composed painting will intrigue and invite the viewer and help communicate the artist’s statement.”

Here a list of the main visual elements (also called signs) you may/must consider when composing a visual art work.

Lines: The visual paths that enable the eye to move within the piece.

Shapes: Areas defined by edges within the piece, whether geometric or organic.

Colors: The different hues.

Textures: Surface qualities which translate into tactile illusions.

Tones: Tones are graduations of one colour, going from light to dark.

Spaces:  The ones inside the shapes or objects (positive), and the ones in between the shapes or objects (negative).

 

As a conclusion

To play is a excellent method to develop creativity.

You probably know the Tangram play, a specific kind of a dissection puzzle consisting of seven flat shapes, called tans, which are put together to form shapes. The objective of the puzzle is to form a specific figure (given only an outline or silhouette) using all seven pieces, which can not overlap

A Tangram play can be used to easily assess an individual’s imaginative creativity and know in which of its three components lies his strength.

> The number of different themes (house, animals, characters, etc.) that it addresses allows one to appreciate his creative flexibility
> The number of figures he imagines or finds for each theme shows his creative fluidity
> Comparing the figures he creates with to the production of a reference group shows his creative originality.

Over 6500 different tangram problems have been created from 19th century texts alone, and the current number is ever-growing.

Have a playful week ! See art – be an artist ! 

And may your wishes for 2020 come true. 

 

Christine

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Feedback | Matchbox, bloody peppers, mountain ranges and more > Class # 19, 20, 21

It took us three weeks, but we have managed to reach mountains, across desert, enjoy red peppers, meet strange animals, and describe a bipolar personalities

You just need some paper and few art supplies.

Exercice 1 : Choose any object to start with…

 

Exercise 2 : The pepperoni Project comes to an end 

 

Exercice 3 : Work in progress > Mountains – Part 2

 

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The world of crayons 

+ washings + watercolors + acryl painting

 

Exercice 1  > A very seldom animal 

 

Exercice 2 > Interpreting given words

You start by drawing given words : quiet, nervous, quick, sad…

 

Exercise 3 > Amazing sculptures popping up on the horizon

 

Exercise 4  : Work in progress : Range of mountains – Part 3 > Turning from autumn to winter 

 

Exercise 5 : Works in progress > The two sides of my mate

 

 

You are talented > Two of the many works that Nirja has realized at home 

 

Many thanks guys. You have worked a lot a produced astonishing art works. Go on exploring the plastic art language.

Season’s Greatings ! See you next year !

Christine

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Feedback | Values, brush strokes, complementary colours | Class # 19

Back to lines > Back to black and white > To better understand painting

A detour before returning to colours

From abstract painting to studies of mountainous landscapes

 

 

Exercice Nr.1 > Drawing lines to create a graphic landscape

Exercice 2 > Brush strokes

 

Brush strokes in art history

Remember: inspiration comes always from somewhere

Roy Lichtenstein found his inspiration for his famous painting “Brushstroke” (1965) by reading a comic strip book

 

Three painters known for their characteristic brush strokes. Who are they?

 

Exercice 3 > Using washings of black ink to get different values and install a deepness

 

Exercise 4 > Our “works in progress”

 

 

Looking further, being curious and open-minded, following new paths to reach new places.

Thank you for this attitude. Have good time.

 

Christine

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Feedback | People – Peppers – Cabbages | Class #18

We won’t reach new places if we don’t follow new paths! 

 

Exercise #1 > Reviewing knowledges > Complementary colours – Quick drawing

 

 

Exercise #2 > The right use of a brush > Just do lines

         

 

Exercise #3 > Brush stocke are personal expression

 

 

Exercice #4 > Don’t pretend you have ever looked at a pepper

Look at things differently!

 

Exercice 5 > The Blue Cabbage > From lines –  to rhythms –  to object 

                 

Exercises 6 > Works in progress  > Sky and Horizont 

I hope to see you back soon.

 

Many thanks for spending time discovering and practicing art.

See art, be an artist, have a great week.

Christine

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Feedback | Gesture – Inspiration – Colours – Shapes | Class #17

Exercise #1 > The act of painting > The gesture of Jackson Pollock

Exercice #2 > Inspiration comes never from nothing > Our favorite painters inspire us words

The words you connected to those paintings :

pointu – cubique – intimate – féminin – onirique – volant – minimal – bossu – agressif – pointilleux – étrange – torturé – gribouillé – sophistiqué – happy – fun – tortured – Mexican – flying – magical – vast – sad – playful – childish – concluded – different – joyous – happy – triangulaire – géométrique – linéaire – volage – nerveux – point – trait – familial – simple – saison – automne – abstrait – cirque – jeux – colourful – contrasté – exubérant – excentrique – amoureuse – rêveuse – perdu – sanguine – torturé – fusionnel – mortel – empoisonné – clownesque – vivant

 

Exercise #3 : A work in progress

We choose two words out of list above and “draw” them on a background made previously

 

Exercises #4 > Inspired by the beautiful colours of peppers

First step : searching for the colours

 

Second step : searching for the shapes

 

Remember : By doing art, always consider the left overs

 

Exercise #5 > Swiss chards + peppers > Drawing and painting > It’s all about composition 

 

 

Compliments! And thanks for your presence.

It was great working together.

Art is a way…

See you soon.

Christine

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Feedback | The act of painting | Class #16

The act of painting

Exercise #1  > Gesture  > Do paint like Jackson Pollock

 

Exercise #2 > Do observe and observe and observe your subject

Exercise #3 > Textures + colours + faces

Exercice #4 > Swiss Chards > Painting ≠ Drawing 

 

Show us what you do outside the class > Angelika’s art works

 

Thank you students. You are working hard and well. Compliments.

See art, be an artist, have a great day.

Christine

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Feedback | Acryl painting | Class #15

First steps into aryl painting

Introduction

Like in Kyūdō – Japanese traditional archery art – THE WAY is what matters.

[…the goal most devotees of kyūdō seek is seisha seichū, “correct shooting is correct hitting”.  When the technique of the shooting is correct the result is that the arrow hits the target.] Wikipedia

#1 Brush strokes 

 

 

#2 Catch the instant, catch a detail 

 

#3 Work quick, train the gesture 

 

#4 The sign 

Before becoming an international recognized artist, Fabienne Verdier studied for 9 years calligraphy at the Sichuan Fine Art Institute in China (1985-2004).

Here : Saint Christopher crossing the Waters, 2011

The more powerful the brushstroke, the more alive the artwork. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#5 Families 

 

Thank you guys. See you soon: we”l go on exploring the world of painting and colors.

See art, be an artist, have a great day.

Christine

Feedback | Synthesizing projects > Art classes Nr. 12 & 13

 

Lines – Textures – Colors – Rhythms – Composition  

 

> Searching for textures and patterns in our close surrounding

> Transforming our photographs in colored papers to be used in a later project

> Making our own textured papers

> Interpreting an observed familiar scene

 

Ten minutes are enough to find hundreds of textures in our surrounding

 

 

First exercise in the studio to mobilize our knowledge and soften our hand

     

 

Creating our own textured paper sheets

 

 

About colors and composition : abstract works in progress

 

 

   

 

A video : don’t forget to put on the sound ! 

Click on the next picture to see the birth of our “Abstract Works in Progress”

 

The Baobabs Project: step Nr. 3

From Madagascar to another planet

Our photographs as background to produce paper sheets for collage

Research on complementary colors

 

 

Sketching each other. Quick and with confidence

 

 

Lines, textures, colors, rhythm and composition : our final works

 

Last words for this feedback

I’m writing you this message to let you know that c&b-Art Studio will close for a summer break.

I wish all my dear students good time and hope to see you back in the studio in fall for new art discoveries. 

Many thanks for being interested in art.

Christine

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Feedback | Watercolor and works in progress > Art class #11

  • Papers made for a future project
  • Simple landscapes
  • Project Baobab, step 1
  • Project Jump into the Spring, step 2

 

 

 

 

Hand colored papers, material to be used later

 

Landscape, first exercises

 

 

 

Project Baobabs

Photograph by DEA | C.Dani – I.Jeske

Step #1

 

 

 

Project Jump into the Spring

Step #2

 

Work in progress

Have a week full of discoveries.

Christine

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Feedback | Add colours! > Art class #10

Always look at artistic images on a screen as wide as possible

 

What are you looking for?

 

Remember. We have all a basic graphic expression: our handwriting

 

 

Forget what you know!

Just look closer and closer. And restart. And restart again.

 

 

Defining “values” in a face

More exercises about colours

Inspired by a stone

 

 

New step into the challenging world of portraiture. Adding colours.

 

 

     

 

 

Congratulation!

Keep exploring new ways and you’ll make exciting discoveries!

Enjoy art.

Christine

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