Session #3

Session #3:

First of all, review the darkest areas to be sure the shapes are clear and fully painted in – correct if necessary. Adjacent to the darkest sections are the “middle darks” – next in line to be painted.

 HINTS: Some greens lighten up more easily by using Hansa Yellow Light (or Cadmium Lemon, Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Light) with the Phthalo Blue Green Shade and perhaps a little Zinc White. There were many different challenges in this value range – from texture to complexity. Remember that acrylic dries DARKER and lighten accordingly. You can’t really tell what colour mixture you have until you add a little Z/White

 If you need soft edges, use less paint and rub with your finger immediately. Make a “lump” of colour, then vary the edges of it as you paint – a little more red here, a little more blue there, etc.

Session #2:

Blocking In The Darks:

Using a combination of Quinacridone Red, Phthalo Blue Green Shade and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold create a rich black. Mixing your own black (and greys) is more effective from “scratch” (primary colours) because you can vary the tone of the black – redder in places, greener or bluer elsewhere. Getting the paint consistency thinnish requires the use of Matte Medium, rather than water or white paint. If you want to lighten your black to a grey tone, use Zinc White, rather than Titaniun White because it keeps the colour better – less “pastel”.

Use this very dark paint selectively – try to keep it only where it really exists in your subject yet, be sure to completely fill the area where it belongs because it is difficult to touch up later. Placing these darks where they belong all at the same time throughout the canvas creates unity.

Next, lighten the mixture and adapt the colours to suit the “middle dark” areas – usually, they are next to the darkest bits. Where a soft edge is wanted, rub the paint with your finger along the edge. A bit less paint (rather than a “glob”) is easier to soften.

Session #1

Starting Out:

Looking very generally at the chosen subject, create colours to locate on the canvas. As each colour is mixed, thin it a great deal using Matte Medium, then paint a patch of colour on the canvas/paper. Immediately, before it begins to dry, press plastic wrap into the wet paint.

Hints: If you smooth out the plastic with the flat of the fingers and keep it covering more than the area of paint, hard edges are avoided; to soften the edge of the shape- paint across it with uncoloured Matte Medium to “pull” the edge out; overlap shapes; change colours slightly & frequently; remove the plastic right away.

Once the base is fully dry - using pencil, charcoal or a small brush with paint, draw in the major shapes of the subject. To “set” charcoal, take a small flat brush and paint carefully clear Matte Medium over the charcoal lines.

Hints: Locate the large shapes by measuring where they touch the edges of the photograph – how far down the photo’s edge is how far down the canvas edge, make a mark, find another point where the object/shape crosses the edge etc. etc.