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Saturday, September 28, 2013

More Art Instruction

Just got back from a really terrific portrait painting workshop in Austin with Scott Waddell. It was a whole week of tremendous fun with fellow artists, and cram-packed with great information and instruction. The week was so full of information that there really wasn't time to finish a whole portrait, and that was OK. We got all the important points covered without having to complete a whole portrait. We spent two and a half days drawing from a live model and two and a half days painting from her. Here is what I managed to accomplish.

A great big thanks to Danny Grant of Austin, TX who worked so hard to set up the workshop, as well as to Scott Waddell who gave the workshop.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Art Instruction

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the delay in writing. I haven't been hibernating (it's too early in the season for that), but I have been burrowed down in my studio watching a fabulous set of DVD's by Bryan Neher. I won these DVD's in a drawing that Bryan did - see, you can win cool goodies by entering a drawing.

The first few sets of DVD's were review for me: Drawing, Value, Color, Edges - and review is always a good thing, especially when it can possibly add new insights or an understanding from a different angle. Brian gives an easy to understand analogy of value and color in terms of a dimmer switch and thermostat. There is a tremendous amount of good information in these first sets of videos. Then came the dessert! Painting Outdoor Light. Now, I have to tell you that it is going to take me awhile to get the cognitive information and the motor skills from that DVD into perfect alignment simply because there is so much great information, both verbal and visual, to digest. So I am now munching, or perhaps more accurately, I am at the ruminating stage. This is the information that I have so diligently been searching for. In fact, I actually had the information, but he helped to put it together for me - you will especially be interested in the effects of color on the different planes of the face in outdoor light. Brian clearly explains the choices he makes as he paints and he shows you his palette as he is mixing his colors. You will also be interested to know that if you don't want to have to wait for DVD's in the mail, and you know how to download a link, you can get a break in the price.

Whether you are interested in painting or not, you simply have to view his lovely work. I first came across his work on Artist Daily several years ago when Brian's wife used to post it for him on that website. The portrait in his Painting Outdoor Light is of his lovely wife. I am personally hoping that Brian has more videos up his sleeve to offer to us later.

By the way, Brian, if you read this, thanks for helping to make my summer delightful!