PaintBox Tips

PaintBox Tip #104 sketch discoveries

17/6/2022

I circled it so i wouldn't forget!!

It’s great to be back in Lucca where there’s a painting on every corner and more! Hence I’ve been choosing colazione caffe’s for sketching out opportunities.

Yesterday’s sketch afforded me 2 discoveries for this subject, both based on chiaroscuro, a chequerboard if you like. Aka alternation = light/dark, light/dark, light/dark. Given that some of the dark might be not so dark and some of the light might not be so light – in other words, a full range of values is required – every shape should have a different value to it’s neighbour – this difference might only be a 1% variation.

So what were the 2 gems I discovered?

There was a dark cast shadow on a building to which I could “impose” light value people
a light value umbrella overlapping and interlocking with this same cast shadow.

Even though the sketch and the painting will be contrejour, I will be able to use similar values to tell my story. Values make the impact, colour is just cosmetics.

Something more to think about, these shapes did not conveniently place themselves correctly for me, I made them happen, as I was sketching these wee ideas presented themselves to me so I pushed them into my painting concept – I’m the artist!!

non ferma cari amici!!

0 Comments

PaintBox Tip #102 Don’t give up on a sketch that’s gone wrong!

4/6/2022

2 Comments

Sketching is how I get my buzz to paint a scene, especially if I’m not enthralled with a scene or feeling a bit out of sorts (jetlagged, just plain tired or moody - mamma mia!)

We all do it … sometimes our sketches are not right, sometimes we have to do the wrong version to get to the right version. The wrong version helps us to see.

This is especially true if you’re working on a new subject. A new subject may require some intense study and you may have to sketch it several times to really start to understand it. A sunny day is a brilliant opportunity because you’ll see more detail, more shadows that highlight the lights and help you understand the shapes. In architecture (and every subject) it’s a good idea to focus on a small area (see John Ruskin’s sketches of Lucca, little studies of the shapes of the rooflines, monuments, decorations) and gradually increase the subject area. This can lead an artist to an intense passion for a subject lasting many years, the challenge can be totally absorbing. Everytime we sketch (paint, write music/lyrics, sculpt, poeticise, pontificate etc) we see new elements and make surprising discoveries.

Measuring the relationships is how we learn – how high is this compared to that? How wide? Is it a square or a rectangle? How acute is the angle? how dark does it have to be to make another shape understandable? How light? and all the steps between

Try not to give up on a sketch, start with light marks and 5 big shapes. Once everything’s in position add values, light to start with then build up to a very dark dark.

This one is still not a very good sketch but I’ve learned how the shapes work together (or not!) and their relationship to each other. Maybe I’ll come back and have another go, maybe I’ll just get stuck in and paint it now!

non ferma cari amici!!

PS I often say to students an eraser is an unnecessary tool but i really needed it with this sketch!!
I love light poetic pencil marks - especially wrong ones - they add character and pad out a little - in other words don't be neat and tidy, leave what you have deemed as wrong and let them show.

2 Comments

PaintBox Tips

PaintBox Tip #104 sketch discoveries

PaintBox Tip #102 Don’t give up on a sketch that’s gone wrong!

Author

Categories

Archives

Amanda Brett - Watercolour Artist

PaintBox Tips​

PaintBox Tip #104 sketch discoveries

PaintBox Tip #102 Don’t give up on a sketch that’s gone wrong!

Author

Categories

Archives

Amanda Brett - Watercolour Artist

PaintBox Tips