Question For Painters

Congrats on acting on your inspiration, Lisa... What media are you using -- oil or water based paints?

Lots of video/painting tutorials online ...

wetcanvas.com is another great resource....



~ Carmen Hathaway

Hi Carmen... Brightly coloured acrylics is what I'm using. And I don't know how to paint so will need the lines :-)

Excellent video! Thank you :-)

Black sharpie ... will .... bleed through the paint. You might try using a # B6 pencil, a very soft lead, dark, but you can erase and lighten it as you go.

Thank you Shasta... That's what I'll do.

You're welcome..

The video's from this site...great starter hwillkempartschool.com

Don't know how intricate a drawing you're using -- look at a few videos for some basic guidelines as to how to proceed.

There's also a lot to be said for just going with the flow -- many classes I taught novice painters I'd encourage them to get back into the headspace of being a child -- unfettered and delighting in the brushes and colors.

Sharpies can bleed through -- and so can graphite/lead pencil -- that can get messy too unless you use a fixative.

Once you start erasing on lines -- I found most starting out would get hung up on erasing instead of getting into the piece and allowing creativity & spontaneity to be their guide.

A few video tutorials & you'll be that much more confident :)

A useful search term "acrylic painting tutorials" -- you'll find so many you'll feel just like a kid in a candy store. Enjoy :)


~ Carmen Hathaway

Art supply stores usually carry an all graphite (no wood ) pencil which you can get in various grades, such as I mentioned. One way is to blacken the backside of your drawing / lines and then trace on to the canvas. It is like making your own carbon paper for tracing.

I've had no problem doing this.

Using graphite for transfer method can be messy though ;) Don't get too heavy handed with it & you'll be fine.

If you have a very dark background blocked in with acrylics -- and want to transfer drawing details -- rub light colour chalk on the back of your drawing and trace over the lines -- that works well also.

Use removable painter's tape to secure your drawing in place -- inexpensive -- that green tape you find at the hardware store.

Starting out many years ago -- I spent an inordinate amount of time at the library -- read as many books as I could about a variety of media,tutorials, artist bios, etc....tremendous inspiration.

In any event -- have fun!



~ Carmen Hathaway

Are you working on a canvas or paper? Most of all, have fun...........why not try to forget the lines and paint in the shapes everywhere, not being careful too much, and perhaps limit your colours to a limited palette you can control..........check the web.....as suggested by our two very most generous, gifted artists.

@ Carmen: I will take a look at those tutorials... But of course I already jumped in and coloured the background and some of the ground. I had used art transfer paper which didn't look dark enough, but when I got it on the canvas I could see it way better than I thought.

@ Shasta: I've done that with drawings, but I used my transfer paper for this. I was't sure if it would be dark enough for me to see and was going to go over the whole thing in sharpie. It turns out that I can see the lines from the transfer paper well though...

@Vivian... LOL that sounds fun, but those lines contain the point of this piece :-)

Thank you all for your help. I will keep you posted. I'm not sure anyone will ever see it, but at the very least I'll tell you all about it :-)

Happy to help.

Artists going way back used lines - usually done with charcoal and with large, very large, canvas drew it out on paper than made like a stencil which they pounced with a cloth bag full of charcoal dust to create the outlines. then only time that lines really become a problem is with transparent watercolor or acrylic - and you can see them, especially with the yellows - some don't like the lines to show - some use them as part of the image. I used to paint on a light table - with a drawing under the watercolor paper - it works - although that lamp get's warm and the drying time is a lot quicker if you like wet on wet painting.

That's very cool Roy... I've heard about light tables. I think my childhood hero CW Anderson used them but I'm not sure.

Anyway, I've started laying on the paint. It looks terrible right now and I hope I don't wreck it. The drawing took me four long days to get done...

Lisa

Next time, be sure to photograph that precious drawing when finished.....

LOL, I have photos of the drawing, plus I did it on paper, then transferred it on to the canvas. So if I had to, I could start again... It would must mean transferring onto the canvas again.

By the way ...for fixing carbon, graphite or chalk lines -- you don't need expensive spray fixative.

Create a transparent wash -- ultramarine blue's a good one to dilute -- or use matte medium -- brush over your lines & you're set -- & so are they ;)

Light tables -- enjoyed mine initially for various drawing applications -- it eventually became a very handy device for viewing my glass patterns when I began working in stained glass.






~ Carmen Hathaway

Hi Lisa, sharpies are permanent.
I rarely use anything pre paint ( I think you should give it a try and allow yourself to experience a new medium......) but if you are planning it out, use colored pencils...no smudgey messy graphite to deal with..and those smudges will mix with the paint and change their color.
Have fun!

I paint on my backgrounds first and then use a graphite pencil when needed. You can usually erase the lines, too. Just make sure to use a pencil that's not too thick or the graphite will smear and don't use on that's too thin, either. Otherwise the pencil jabs into the canvas and creates a groove instead of a mark. Your standard 2B should be perfect.

Further to Marlene's suggestion of color pencils -- be sure to use watercolor pencils -- the 'regular' ones -- will leave a wax residue that repels acrylic....

Practice 'drawing' with your brush also -- the confidence that comes with laying in your lines that way pays big dividends :)

Don't restrict your brush work to a fine tip only -- go big & bold with some large head bristle brushes.

Lisa -- you wrote: "But of course I already jumped in and coloured the background"

That's starting point for me -- think of your background as the bed of earth for the flowers to come....

I usually have more than one piece on the go -- alleviates getting bogged down ;)



~ Carmen Hathaway

Graphite can come through thin acrylic and be a permanent part of your painting. I nearly always use lines and a transfer method BUT I put the lines on canvas with a charcoal pencil. Yes, as Marlene pointed out they will mix with the paint but will "paint out" in a couple of layers and then there will be no lines on the canvas. If you would like to contact me privately I will give you my formula for getting a drawing on canvas quickly and accurately. Roy is correct in that Michelangelo used what they termed cartoons, or line drawings on large sheets of paper, punched holes in the lines and pounded blue chalk through the holes. A very old technique. Marlene is also correct, again in that a painting done freely (without line) will be both instructional and liberating, it will also have a very different tone More "painterly" perhaps. There should be classes in your area, at local high schools or junior colleges (adult classes) that will be very inexpensive and push your knowledge base forward tremendously.

Good luck and do not be discouraged. Do a painting but don't over think it, then do another, and another and...

I scetch lightly with a regular lead pencil, then I made a thin burnt sienna wash and basically paint the whole canvas with this wash, then take a smaller brush and outline and shade giving attention to the details that you do not want to lose. After this dries, you have a pretty good perspective on what the whole painting will look like when it is complete. What I like about this method is you can also change things around if the composition is weak or if something just is not drawn correctly. If it is not a good scetch, it will not be a good painting...

@ Lisa -

Good for you... wish you great success with this new painting endeavor! I draw on canvas with charcoal. I don't sketch... I draw it out completely - details and all and when it's finished, I bang lightly on the back of the canvas to get any charcoal dust off, and then use hairspray on the canvas to hold the charcoal in place. That's how my Mentor has always done it and has taught her students the same way for over 30 years... I do it all the time and it works like a charm. We don't bother with any pricey additives, etc... just cheap hairspray.

I too paint over the whole canvas with a wash... careful to not lose my lines. Then, I begin to paint.

--Donna Proctor

Wow Donna, that may be something I might try.
Lisa, snapped a photo of a painting that I am currently working on. Have already added a little color but you can sort of get a hint at what I am talking about by looking at the birds. Hope this helps and can not wait to see the final outcome.

Lisa, I think you are missing an important step, most of us painters learn to draw first then move on to painting. Once you able to draw well enough you can actually draw out the out lines with paint and brush on canvas. At least that;s how I work on my paintings on canvas.

Drawing skill is essential to a specific outcome -- however -- the sheer exuberance of wanting to enjoy paint for the sheer fun of process is also key.

A well executed, thought out drawing is the basis for an equally well executed painting -- the levels of the expectation, and outcome, vary significantly with experience.

One of the courses I taught at my studio I named "Who says You Can't Draw?" was very well attended -- lots of fun and my students always blew my mind with their talent and creativity.

Betty Edward's Drawing On The Right Side of the Brain's a good read ....check it out via this link www.drawright.com& indulge in as many articles & literature you can absorb. And then have some more ;)



~ Carmen Hathaway

@ Carmen - I own the Betty Bible... it's a great instructional read and there's also a workbook one can purchase. Agreed - drawing skill is essential to a specific outcome, but there is a wonderfully exciting feeling in just a simple process... many abstract painters who just go with the flow know that all too well. :)

@ Alfred - Yes, I drew with a brush over a simple drawing with watercolors... I can't seem to manage that with oil.

@ Phyllis - Good! The cheapest brand in any walgreens or grocery store does the trick! :)

I've been so busy painting today, I haven't had time to come on here. I spent hours on it today. It's 36 X 48 and boy oh boy does it take a long time to cover that much real estate! I got the background to where I think it's okay and started on the rest. It is sooooo hard. This is not coming easily for me.

Carmen says: > By the way ...for fixing carbon, ...Create a transparent wash -- ...brush over your lines & you're set -- & so are they ;) 


I wish I'd known that earlier. I put some paint on that I didn't like, wiped it off and my sketch went with it. I think I was able to get it back to the way I wanted it, but had to do it on my own without the guidance of lines :-) Also, I will try drawing with my brush. I think I've started to anyway. It's a very different way of doing things...

Marlene: Thank you for the suggestion of using coloured pencils... I ended up transferring my drawing onto the canvas with some sort of paper that comes in what looks like a Saran Wrap box... It works well, but the paint washes it off, so I should have fixed it before I went forward.

Thank you Kylani... that's good to know. I have lots of different pencils...

Kevin: I'd love to hear your method... What I did for this painting was the same as I would for a drawing. I used sketch paper with a grid, drew the subjects, then used transfer paper to put them onto the canvas. I will try not to get discouraged. I am finding it quite a challenge though and I am a perfectionist :-)

Phyllis: > I scetch lightly with a regular lead pencil, then I made a thin burnt sienna wash and basically paint the whole canvas with this wash, then take a smaller brush and outline and shade giving attention to the details that you do not want to lose.

That would have been great to know about 16 hours ago :-D I will do this next time and think it will make life easier. Your painting looks beautiful already!

Donna: thank you for your words of encouragement. Again this wash seems to be something universally done, and something I really wish I had done! Next time...

Alfred: Here is one of my drawings... There are only four finished. This was my first, then I completed three more, started three that I didn't finish and then took up photography. Photography took over my life. Anyway, I've always wanted to paint and a discussion thread on here inspired me to try. So I'm trying ... I'm finding that painting is very, very different though. Much harder.



Thank you all so much for jumping in here to help. I can't say at this point if this is a piece that will ever make it up onto my wall, but it won't be for lack of trying and I will keep you posted.

Lisa

Lisa,
I would highly suggest just allowing yourself to play with acrylics...with no end painting in mind.....learn how this marvelous medium works...and above all, learn to mix colors!
play with each basic color, one at a time...add water, mediums, black and white...you will never regret it!
try a new medium the right way!
Keep us posted!

I've been obsessed with this painting and have hardly been on the computer since I began... I am really enjoying the process and having so much fun with it so far. I'm pleased with how it's looking but it looks like it's going to take me a while to finish. I worked for over 10 hours yesterday and about 6 today on it and I've only got the base layers done. I think at this rate it will take at least another two to three long days to finish.

The trouble with trying to do anything sustained like this is we have a bull terrier puppy (they are not like other dogs). He's like a 3 year old with ADHD and really big teeth, constantly on the go and needs a nanny. I have actually had to have my adult daughter "babysit" him so that I can work. Anyway my hubby is off for a few days so I can work!!!!

Just wanted to check in and give an update for those who are interested. I can't wait to show you. I think it's going to turn out so that I can...

Lisa

I used to draw on the canvas with thin charcoal, then paint over that (in oils) with very watered down (with turpentine) raw umber and then wipe off the charcoal.

I would imagine you could do the same with acrylic (those of you who paint with it could chime in here), using a very watered down neutral color.

Although it sounds like you're well into the painting. Use this one as an experiment, and please share with us when you're done. We promise we'll be gentle!

For those of you who wanted an update... This has taken me about a month and it pretty much took over my life for that month.

The only place I have to work on a canvas that large is in the kitchen, so there was a mess in my kitchen and dining room through the entire process. I painted till I burned out after a few weeks and had to stop because I was exhausted even though I was almost done. Then I picked up again and made it to the finish.

I have gone through a range of emotions with this piece. At times I was discouraged and a little overwhelmed. I felt at times like it would never be done. At other times I was frustrated and had to keep going even though I was terrified that I was going to ruin all my hard work. I don't know how to paint so it was a lot of trial and error...

Anyway, here it is.

Lisa I am impressed. Your goal to just jump right into a large painting just like that...well that is impressive. This is a nice piece.

I would encourage you to now go back and buy a smaller acrylic pad and play with painting as Marlene suggested. Whenever I've switched to a new medium, it has really helped to play and get a feel for what the medium can do and what I am capable of doing with that medium while not worrying about it being my next masterpiece. Again this is a nice work, though it is not on the same level Yet as your graphite works. Don't get me wrong you'll see the same in my digital painting. The work from two years ago are not on par with what I can do now nor when I was using traditional mediums.

Congrats on staying the coarse and finishing!

Lisa, congratulations, well done!
Now, for your next painting, enjoy the medium and draw nothing first....just let the brushes move and think of horses!

You're off to the races Lisa..terrific piece! Your first painting? Watch out world -- here she comes..

Everything you describe -- the range of emotions in process -- that's all part of the ride...and you're good to go :)

Thanks for sharing ...


~ Carmen Hathaway

Nice painting Lisa. I like the unusual colors. Your over the hump!

Thank you Jean, Marlene, Carmen and Jim :-) You are all very kind to take the time to comment and help me.

I take your advice Marlene and let go and see what happens. I know that will be a challenge for me because I'm very tightly controlled in what I've been doing.

I already had the concept for this piece when I posted and I had to see it through. Now that it's done, I feel more free to try other things. I am very much looking forward to trying to just play with the paint and see what happens. I want to try something abstract with no pre-conceived ideas and see what happens, and I have a few more ideas for more structured pieces.

The trouble is time. I'm buried under loads of computer work with my photography, and I have two graphite pieces that are about 80% done that I abandoned two years ago when I picked up my camera.

My trouble is not knowing where to focus my energy or time. I love doing all of it and don't want to give anything up.

Lisa