Watercolors

Grenn asked:


OilPaintPortrait.com offers high quality, hand crafted art, We help customers turn their photograph into beautiful art, such as oil paintings,

Watercolors, pencil sketches, pastel drawings and so on.

OilPaintPortrait.com is a professional studio and art company. Our goal is to make portraits from photos affordable for as many Customers as we can.

We work with over 120 full-time painters in our studios, plus 500 Freelance artists for special subjects. This allows us the ability to supply High quality oil paintings at the lowest prices.

Our customer care specialists will help you with your order. From figuring out exactly how you want your finished product to look, size, and

price, we are here to help. Emails are answered usually within 12 hours.

All Oil painting in our website are handmade in traditional way, by Our famous artists who begin with a blank and good canvas. They step by step create a beautiful hand-painted oil painting from photo. Our artists hand paints each oil painting painstakingly and beautifully. You can click to see our oil painting process

All paintings are 100% Hand painted by our talented and professional artists. The Perfect Customized portraits that you’ll be proud to hang on your wall. We guarantee 100% satisfaction. When we finish the paintings. We will take photos for your confirmation. If you are dissatisfied with any place of the painting. Just tell us. We will improve it. Till you agree with it.

Oil Paint Portrait a rapid growing web-based company that focuses on the reproduction of museum quality oil paintings,  portrait from photos and decorative related arts.  As a leading supplier of decorative related arts, we deliver the best value to our clients and provide tailor made cooperation plans for our partners.

Our team is composed of a group of outstanding artists coming from well-known art schools in China, Europe and U.S.A. They have at least 10 years experience on art creation. Some of them are the professors and lecturers from the Art Department of the leading universities.

Our mission is to provide the best value paintings and service for wholesale distributors, galleries, hotels, restaurants, office furnishers, and interior designers.

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The vision of us is to bring art to each home. To fulfill it, we provide museum quality paintings, portrait from photos with reasonable price to clients.




Turn your photos into original oil painting photo portraits pencil sketching



ROSCOE

Mark Feldman asked:


Delacroix was born in Charenton-Saint Maurice, near Paris into an aristocratic and wealthy family. Although he was registered as the son of Charles Delacroix, a diplomat and former Foreign Minister, rumor had it that he was the natural son of Talleyrand, the famous diplomat who became French Foreign Minister after Charles Delacroix. As an adult, Eugene Delacroix certainly bore a striking resemblance to Talleyrand, who went to great lengths to assist Delacroix in his career.

Little is known about Delacroix’s childhood, except that he loved art and won prizes from his prestigious school for his drawing. In 1815 Delacroix went to study painting in the studio of Pierre Guerin, a neoclassical artist. But despite his formal training Delacroix leant towards the style of the Italian and Flemish schools, absorbing the works of Rubens, Veronese and fellow Frenchman Theodore Gericault from whom he learnt to combine the romantic ideal with the violent action of the times.

Delacroix’s first major painting The Barque of Dante, which was inspired by Gericault’s work, The Raft of the Medusa, was accepted by the Paris Salon. It caused an instant sensation, was decried by the public and judges alike, but the French government still purchased the painting for one of its public buildings.

Delacroix painted the Massacre at Chios, another important work inspired by the Greek struggle for freedom from Turkish rule. The painting is loaded with action and emotion, depicted in bold colors and masterful brushstrokes. It brought him wide popular acclaim and was also bought by the French government. A second masterpiece, Greece Expiring on the Ruins of Missolonghi, was also a dramatic statement in support of the Greeks and their quest for independence. It was inspired by a terrible event where an entire city committed ******* rather than surrender to the Turkish forces. Throughout his life Delacroix was to be inspired by literary sources and one of his icons, the poet Byron, died at Missolonghi.

In 1832 Delacroix joined a diplomatic mission to Morocco and the newly conquered Algeria. Spellbound by the inhabitants, the exotic costumes, the colors and contrasts, he produced a wealth of paintings, drawings and watercolor sketches of the native peoples of North Africa. In Algiers, Delacroix drew Muslim women in their costumes. He painted a Jewish wedding, he painted wild animals and indeed, his portrayals of lions, tigers and horses are some of the finest in animal art.

Between 1833 and 1861 Delacroix worked on many commissions from the French government and royalty to produce murals for public buildings and palaces in Paris. He had to work long, tiring hours on scaffolding in cold, drafty buildings. His health deteriorated as a result.

Eugene Delacroix died in Paris on August 13, 1863 aged 65. During his lifetime he had dominated the French art scene and he had been awarded many honors. He had produced over 850 paintings, many of them masterpieces, over 8,000 drawings and watercolors and also 60 sketch books. In the words of his contemporary, the French poet Baudelaire, Delacroix was “The last of the great artists of the Renaissance and the first modern.

You can find a wide collection of Eugene Delacroix paint by number patterns at the Segmation web site. These patterns may be viewed, painted, and printed using SegPlay™PC a fun, computerized paint-by-numbers program for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.



EMORY

Michael Dale asked:


Imagine standing on a mountain top. As you turn your head you can see a wonderful view. It is so breathtaking and beautiful. You feel inspired to pick up your brush and paint what you see… but there is so much. How do you begin?

This makes art difficult to do… there is so much choice. If you attempt painting and drawing all you see you are doomed to fail. You can’t possibly reproduce everything.

As you stand facing your canvas, ready to paint, you should focus on the main subject. It could be anything that captures your imagination… it may be a chunk of stone or a tree… it may be a mountain goat or a bird of prey.

Concentrate on what you consider is going to be signficant. Eliminate anything that will divert attention. Add everything your subject merits to make it look real. Leave everything else flat and featureless to bring your subject forward. All else is irrelevant, other than to frame and give meaning to your subject matter…

* When the rough shape of far away hills can be illustrated by a single block of even-toned gray-blue… why add more?

* A strip of sky color can be used for a winding river in the valley bottom… isn’t that plenty?

* When a forest could be painted with a single dark green brushstroke… why do more?

In 3 stages you can create an impression of distance…

* The main subject and foreground details should show plenty of detail… Using vibrant colors and sharp contrast levels.

* Middle distance requires less detail… Color tones and contrast levels should be muted and softened.

* Far distant hills and scenery have reduced texture. It can be produced with the sketchiest of outlines… Needing flat color tones of grays or sky colors.

Generally, oils and acrylic paints are great for close-up detail and texture. Watercolors are better to learn the level of tone and detail for distance painting.

It doesn’t matter what you choose to draw or paint with. The key to good artwork is to focus on the main subject… everything else should be removed unless it adds and supports.

Michael Dale is the author of 1- Color Is Best (the quick and easy way to learn to paint watercolor) and 3- Colors Are All You Need (mix any color you want fast using only 3 colors). Go to Paint-And-Draw.com to find out more.

You can also find a drawing and painting course edited by Michael Dale at http://www.drawingfoundations.com



ENRIQUE

Trendsetters asked:


Painting is a skill much like any other; it requires special tools to accomplish the job correctly. Essentially, paint brushes are an extension of the hand, so choosing one is very much a matter of personal taste. No doubt that when faced with a hundred different paint brushes, they all start to look the same. However, there are two key aspects to look at in particular: the shape and the materials used to construct the brush. The materials are of most importance since they make a big difference in price, quality, and performance.

Natural vs. Synthetic Brushes

The major difference that divides synthetics from natural brushes is that synthetics are made from polyester, a man made product often referred to as Taklon, and natural brushes are made from animal hair. There are pros and cons to using both types.

Synthetics — Cheaper. For use with acrylics and watercolors . Synthetics are not good for use with oil paints since cleaning them requires cleaning with turpentine, which will destroy them. They don’t depend on a fluctuating market, rising or falling animal populations, or other environmental factors that might affect animal fur and the cost of it. Synthetics pose no moral dilemma for vegans or vegetarians either. Because synthetics are less porous than natural hair, they are more versatile for using with different mediums and on different surfaces. Built to be strong and durable. Natural — Best for use with oils and watercolors. Natural brushes don’t hold up well to acrylics since the chemicals eat away at the natural oils in the bristles. Many brushes contain blends of two or more of the different types of hairs mentioned below. Soft bristles — Kolinsky sable (highest quality), badger, ox/sabeline, squirrel, goat, and pony. Camel — This is often a blend of other natural hairs, not hair from a camel. The best ones utilize the natural tip of the hair, not one that has been previously cut. For example, a camel brush made primarily of pony hair will most likely be using hair from the mane, which receives multiple cuts to yield more brushes. This is the lowest quality of natural brushes. Hard bristles — Boar, hog, or pig. Brush Shapes

Round

Makes pointed, thin lines at the tip or wide strokes when pressed down. Use for details, pointed lines, washes, and fills. Choose a pointed round for more ability to paint details.

Flat

Depending on the size, flats (aka shaders) can be used for big washes, blocks, and fills or fine lines when angled on its side. Good for all types of mediums.

Filbert

Ideal for creating soft lines with little or no edge. Good for blending as well. On their sides’ they can create finer lines, just like a flat brush. Not the best for watercolors.

Rigger

Basically, these are very long round, pointed brushes used for detailing and outlining with fine, long, continuous lines. Also used for lettering. Good with all paint types.

Bright

These are essentially flats, but shorter, stiffer, and not particularly good for watercolors. Excellent for short strokes. Also called a chisel blender.

Fan

Fan brushes are very versatile. They can blend, be used dry, or they can be loaded heavy with paint to create texture. Not for watercolors.

Angled

Great for most things, except oil painting. Similar to a flat brush, and can create details, tight shading, or more general blocks of color.

Mop

Usually made with natural hair, making them excellent for watercolor, washes, and blending. They also mop up extra water on the canvas.

Spotter

Spotters are short bristled brushes with a fine point. They are ideal for adding details and lines.

Hake

These are exclusively used for doing watercolors and they often have natural hairs, best for absorbing water.

Sizing

Besides the shape of the brush, you’ll also want to choose the appropriate size. This is largely determined by the size of the canvas that you are working on, as well as the amount of detail that you are working with. Sizing, which has no overall industry standard, is measured roughly like so:

Smallest Brushes (Liners) — 10/0 | 7/0 | 6/0 | 5/0 | 4/0 Small Brushes (Liners) — 000 | 00 | 0 | 1-5 Medium Brushes — 6-14 Large Brushes — 15-20 Largest Brushes — 21-30

What do the numbers really mean? To get an idea of the sizes of these brushes, know that a size 12 is equal to a 12mm wide head. Therefore, a size 6 would be a 6 mm head, a size 1, a 1mm head, and so on. Numbers smaller than 1, such as 10/0 mean that the brush is 10 units less than a mm.

Ferrules

This is the metallic band that wraps around the head and the handle of the brush. It can be made of various materials, including seamless copper and nickel, and spot-welded, nickel-plated steel. The latter is rust resistant.

Cleaning and Usage Tips Usage — Be aware that you need to have different brushes for each type of painting you plan to undergo since the bristles are designed differently for each type of paint. Keep your acrylic brushes separate from the oil brushes, and keep the watercolors separate from those. Otherwise, if you mix them, it will compromise the longevity of the brush bristles. Never leave brushes standing in water, except for rinsing and washing, since it will deform the bristles. Don’t press or push the bristles so that they spread on the canvas; it will destroy the head’s shape. Over time, a paint brush head will naturally become worn down and it may become stained. Cleaning — After painting, it is extremely important that you wash your brushes as soon as possible. First wipe them off with a cloth or paper towel. Then rinse them. Acrylics should be rinsed in lukewarm (NEVER hot since it will cause the bristles to fall out and it will strip the natural oils from the bristles) and oils will need turpentine or another solvent. Once the majority of the paint has been removed, wipe the brushes down again and wash them with a gentle bar soap, working the bristles gently in the palm of your hand. Rinse the brushes with water until the water runs clear. Shake off excess water and wrap in a towel or paper towel to reshape the head and to let dry. Storage — Always store brushes upright so that the head does not become damaged.

MICAH

Mark Feldman asked:


Homer was born in Boston, Massachusetts and, when he was 19, was apprenticed to a commercial lithographer. Despite having almost no formal training in art, Homer moved to New York in 1859 and opened his own studio as a painter and illustrator. He took art classes and was a regular freelance illustrator for Harper’s Weekly and other important magazines of the day. They would be his major source of income for the next 17 years.

When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Harper’s sent him to the front lines to document the fighting. He made faithful sketches of the battle scenes and ordinary life in the camps. Although these did not get Homer much artistic recognition at the time the drawings, with their strong draftsmanship and realism, are today considered to be among the best of America?s graphic arts.

After the war, Homer produced a series of paintings influenced by scenes he had witnessed, among them Sharpshooter on Picket Duty, and Prisoners from the Front, which was exhibited at the Paris Exposition of 1866. In the same year he traveled to Paris and stayed there for ten months.

Ten years after the end of the Civil War, Winslow Homer was in his mid-40s and an acclaimed painter and illustrator. Snap the Whip, painted in 1872, was exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and, in the same year, he decided to abandon illustration and devote himself to painting. But perhaps the most significant development in Homer?s artistic career came with his adoption of watercolors. He is quoted as saying “You will see, in the future I will live by my watercolors” and, indeed, the success he achieved with these fresh and spontaneous works permitted him to stop working as an illustrator.

At this time, Homer never went anywhere without brushes, paper and his pans of watercolors. He started depicting the coast of New England, the Adirondacks, the wild rivers of Quebec, the Florida Keys and the whitewashed walls of Bermuda.

In 1881 Homer returned to Europe and spent the next two years in Cullercoats, a small fishing village on the stormy North Sea coast of England. His subject matter was the sea and the courageous inhabitants of the small struggling community. The watercolors he produced of the village women going about their daily lives or waiting for their menfolk to return from a fishing expedition are some of the most powerful images produced by the artist.

Back in the U.S. he went to live in Prout’s Neck, Maine where he built a studio on the rocky sea shore that was to be his home until he died. Winslow Homer lived there alone, isolated and free to devote himself to his art. It is at this time that he began painting the seascapes for which he is best known such as Gulf Stream, Eight Bells, and Mending the Nets. His paintings underwent a fundamental change. He was now concentrating on the force, drama, and wild beauty of the ocean. His style was powerful and self-confident. Homer never spoke about the reasons for this self-imposed seclusion; it?s thought that perhaps an unhappy love affair might have been the cause.

Winslow Homer died on September 29, 1910 in his studio at Prout’s Neck. He was 74 years old. His painting, Shoot the Rapids, remained unfinished.

You can find a wide collection of Winslow Homer paint by number patterns at the Segmation web site.  These patterns may be viewed, painted, and printed using SegPlay™PC a fun, computerized paint-by-numbers program for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.

 



TERRELL

Mark Traston asked:


Watercolor can add a lot of life to your work of art. With some helpful tips you can master and perfect the art of watercolor painting. Transparency is the most promising and the most attractive characteristic of watercolor. The watercolor feels like a sparkle of light which the color of the paper shines through the paint. The watercolor seems to blend with the color of the paper and it creates an illusion of transparency.

Some tricks can best work and create the best illusion for your masterpiece. The watercolor trick that can make your painting lively. Lift paint is a trick that a watercolor paint can have. A wet tip can add light with your watercolor. While you are working with your artwork you have to keep in mind that you must work from light to dark. This will create an illusion that your artwork is coming to life.

The paper being used for your art work must have that high quality and excellent texture. A dramatic effect can be created in the final outcome of the painting. Water color paper must be chosen promptly to suite the type of scene you want to paint. You can choose from the following types of water color paper like rough pressed, hot pressed and cold pressed. You must also consider the size and weight of the watercolor paper. This involves the fibers of the paper that you will use. If these fibers are treated it will decrease the ability of the watercolor paper to absorb the water. Lighter paper must be stretched before using it otherwise it will wrinkle when the wet tip of the brush works with the paper.

When you are looking for the best type of watercolor paint that you will use you have to consider the capacity of the painter, whether he or she is still a student or a professional artist already. When you are already an artist who can work best with watercolor, you can use artist watercolor paints which have more vibrant colors to choose from. It is really a matter of taste. Though it is best that you use artist quality watercolor paint, but you can always mix and match the colors. You can try experimenting with colors that you use to depict your work of art in the liveliest mood. You can purchase watercolor paints in forms of pans and tubes. To make the paint more workable and accessible you have to use water in order for the dry paint cake can be easily managed in paper. You have to make sure that you have rinsed the brush before trying other colors. This must be done when you are working with a watercolor paint in a pan. If you will not do this, you will get ugly and dirty looking shades of colors. You can try mixing and matching your primary colors to come up with your secondary colors. There are still pre-mixed watercolor paints available inn the market.

You can avail such, when you visit hobby stores and see if you have your most favorite color, Purchase only a few primary colors and learn how to mix your own colors rather than purchasing premixed colors. When you become more experienced, you can then start incorporating more colors into your palette.



CLYDE

Emma Snow asked:


Brushes are the most important painter’s tools. Buying brushes is not just a random decision, but one that should be made carefully. Selection of brushes is personal and is based upon needs and level of investment desired. Because a brush will only last as well as it is cared for, proper cleaning and storage of brushes is probably even more important than the decision of what brush to buy. Because no matter how wonderful a brush is, if it is abused it will quickly be discarded.

Types of Brushes

The hair of the brush is what primarily denotes what type of brush it is and it’s purpose. Although natural hair brushes usually cost more, they do not all create the same results. Sable hair brushes are probably the most popular brushes. They are soft haired brushes that move the paint easily and keep their point. Sable brushes are great for watercolor. Hog hair is also used to make brushes, but has a very different effect with media. Hog hair brushes are stiff brushes for heavy paint and will leave brush strokes behind. They have spilt ends and hold more paint and are used in oil painting. Synthetic brushes are also common for artists to use. These are generally less expensive, but still produce quality work. Paint brushes are an artist tools and several different types are needed depending on the project and desired result sought. More expensive brushes keep their shape after a stroke and do not fishtail or bend when paint is applied to paper or canvas and therefore have a more professional result. Less expensive brushes may be suited for some jobs, especially when used in crafts and with products like glue. The other factor identifying a brush is the handle. Traditionally long handled brushes are used for oil painting because the artist is standing at an easel. Shorter handled brushes are for watercolor and acrylics because the artist is sitting and painting in greater detail.

Cleaning and Care for Brushes

Because how well a brush is cared for effects how long the brush will last, extra effort put in to properly care for these important tools will be well worth the time. All brushes will eventually wear out and will then need to be replaced, but lengthening the span of time before that is necessary will help the budget. Cleaning is crucial to extending the life of a brush. Each brush should be cleaned immediately after use. Use a mild soap and clean in the palm of the hand. Rinse thoroughly and when water runs clear, lay the brush flat to dry. It should not be left vertical to dry as this will cause water to be pulled into the handle and will ultimately cause the handle to loosen and the brush will no longer be usable. Paint brushes should never be left sitting in a glass of water. Other than the effect it will have on the handle, it will crush the bristles. If the brushes are soaked, use a brush container that will suspend them and only fill the water to soak the bristles and not the ferrule or handle. After the paint brush is cleaned and dried it may be stored upright, or in a flat brush holder. Cleaning brushes is not only done at the end of a painting session, but should be done as needed. As a person is painting, effort should be made to keep paint away from the ferrule of the brush, but inevitably will naturally be drawn up the brush. As the paint gets close to the ferrule, it should then be cleaned. This is to prevent the paint from getting under the ferrule and drying there. Natural hair brushes also need to be conditioned on a regular basis. There are paint brush soaps that come with conditioners in them, or conditioner can be bought separately.

Make the investment of brushes one that will be used wisely. The results that a good paint brush produces are worth the initial cost, but only if the effort is made to care for them and extend the value of the investment.



SANFORD

Mike Sexton asked:


Some of the reasons for buying art online:

These days you can see just about every style of art there is to be seen online in the comfort of your own home or office. This saves you a tremendous amount of time where you don’t have to go walk around a huge gallery, drive a long distance and end up looking at art that you have no idea who painted it, what materials they used, etc. You’ll be surprised how many people just love art and are not experts on techniques, painters’ names or styles. Another benefit to buying art online is the fact that at most online galleries, you will get a short biography on the artist who painted the piece as well as the and their style & price. What if you have a question that isn’t answered at the online gallery you’re viewing? Well in the real world, sometimes finding someone to help answer your questions can take you a tremendous amount of time & there are even times when you won’t find anyone who can help you at all. When you browse online galleries you generally have the option to email the artist directly and then you can have your answer within minutes- depending on how busy the artist is and when they’re checking their email but that’s still a huge bonus over scouring an entire gallery for someone to help you.

Reasons you have for purchasing art:

I’m sure it seems like the obvious thing but in truth many people overlook this point as their basis for buying art in the first place. You have to know WHY you are purchasing art in order to get the right piece. Think about it for a moment, are you buying a painting for someone you love, for your home, for the office decor or maybe as an investment piece? Or perhaps you want to start collecting artwork from a particular artist to build up a nice collection. Each reason I’ve shown you as well as others you might have in mind require a different outlook when you’re purchasing from the style of art, the subject matter to the most obvious- the price. Not too many people want to spend a few thousand on a painting they’re just going to hang up in their living room or hallway but on the other hand, if you’re wanting your first piece of art for investment reasons, you won’t want to pick up a 5 x 7 picture of a fruit salad in a plastic frame. Also, don’t just consider the piece you’re looking for but also the artist, their reputation as well in determining the price of the piece. Naturally, a very well-known artist who sells a lot of their work and is featured in many showings will charge more for their work than someone who’s just beginning in the art world.

What’s more important? The latest trends or Personal Taste?

Let’s face it, we all fall into this trap at some point in our lives- whether it’s to do with clothes, cars and yes, even art. There are so many people who purchase an art piece simply because the style is popular or the artist is very well-reknowned yet they honestly don’t like the piece they bought at all-they bought it just to be “fashionable”. Well speaking from personal experience and as an artist myself I want to give you a big tip that is too often overlooked but it is the VERY reason you should be buying art in the first place- because you love it!!

Don’t worry about the latest trends in art styles or the popular subject matter for paintings or even how the frame looks that the piece came in. First and foremost before going any further in the purchasing process ask yourself this- ” DO I really like this piece?”, “Does it speak to me?” These are the sorts of questions you need to ask yourself before you even talk to the artist. I will admit it, naturally I want people to purchase my work BUT most importantly I want them to be in love with it, to have it speak to them in some form, have it convey an emotion to them that just cries out “I have to have that painting!!” Unlike a car or a blouse, always go with your personal taste and intuition when purchasing any form of artwork.

What sort of medium should I choose?

As you may well know, art comes in so many forms, I can’t even begin to do them justice here but as a few examples: you have watercolors, oils, acrylics, photographs,digital art, statues, murals, etc. Which style is the most valuable or the most respected? The truth is that the medium the artist used to create their painting means very little in the end buying decision if you’re truly in love with the piece. Take for example, I’m going to a site that sells acrylic paintings and even though I’ve never owned such a painting and never really cared for that medium, I find a piece that speaks to me; it has a beautiful bright and bold tropical rainforest scene with a gorgeous flock of birds in the foreground and I’m just in awe of the craftmanship this artist has used. Would I just say to myself,” Mike, you **** acrylic paintings, don’t waste your money on that”? NO WAY in the world would I be this foolish!! Naturally I’d buy this piece because it spoke to me, it gave me something that transcends the paint used or the surface where it was painted on. This is the sort of mindset you have to get yourself into. There are so many wonderful pieces of art that are being created every day around the entire world in various mediums- from acrylic to digital paintings to 3-D images- what makes any of these styles less important than another? Absolutely nothing but your own taste. If you see a watercolor painting and love it- buy it!! if you see a digital painting that speaks to your soul- buy it!! Do you see where I’m coming from here? If you’re brand new to the art world, let me give you a few definitions of some of the more popular styles:

1. Abstract- This is art where the artist an artist either exaggerates or simplifies the form of the subject to attach emotion or other meaning to it.

2. Art Deco- A form of abstract art, this celebrates technical advances of the 1920’s and 30’s. Art deco paintings have a slick, metallic look, they include jarring angles & use machinery colors.

3. Gouache watercolors- This is a type of watercolor that include white pigments that make them thicker & more opaque than other types of watercolor paintings.

4. Impressionist- This type came into being in the late 19th century and include such well known painters as Monet and Renoir. These painters altered their strokes to approximate the effects of changes in lighting on the subject. Impressionism still remains very popular among artists, collectors & art enthusiasts.

5. Pop- Pop art shows contemporary, common objects in a way that makes a statement about modern culture. You might be familiar with the work of Andy Warhol who painted Campbell’s soup cans- he was a pop artist.

6. Realist- Realism art portrays faithful and realistic depictions of subjects; this comes from the idea that any subject is worthy of being painted in and of itself.

7. Surreal- Surrealism, is a very cool approach to art; it features objects that look or act unnaturally or are depicted together unexpectedly; this is similar to a dream.



SONNY

Jan asked:


Most pieces of artwork start with an outline drawing whether you are going to do a watercolor painting, portrait, pet portrait, landscape or seascape or any innovated art piece. Outline drawings are used as an effective tool to start simple sketching, cartooning, can be used for the beginning stages of a detailed realistic drawing for a fine art piece. There are several ways to start an outline drawing, you can free hand the drawing or use a grid if you are confident to free hand.

Whether you are free handing a drawing or using a grid you have to see the whole picture of what you want to draw. The best way to see the whole picture is to visualize what you want to draw. With visualization you start to train your eyes to see what is really there, not just what you think is there. You see, feel and understand the whole package of what you are drawing.

The question you have to ask yourself is do you want a flat one-dimensional drawing or would you rather have a drawing that portrays curves, texture, and feeling with character?

Take a piece of paper and trace your hand like you did when you were young. You are seeing a hand, right? Is that hand flat and is it just one-dimensional? Does that traced hand show the years of wear and tear, the wrinkles or is it a young hand that has just started out experiencing life? With out lines, shadows, highlights and details there is no story to that drawing so your drawing is lacking the pull and the energy to keep someone’s interest. When you draw you need to tell a story, you need to pull the observer into the drawing. If the observer is looking at the hand you sketched, that observer needs to feel the pain or the softness of that hand, is it a farmer’s hand that has tilled the soil and is weathered from the years in the sun? With just a simple drawing you can show the entire story that goes with the hand you are drawing.

If the sketch of that hand is done with a graphite pencil, the observer is not going to see the coloring of the hand and whether the hand is tanned from the sun. But they can see the wrinkling, scars and calluses that you have portrayed and the observer will visualize that the hand is tanned and callused. You can show the highlights and the shadows making the hand look rounded and curved.

As you look at your own hand, move your fingers, look how the skin wrinkles, where are the deep creases, where do the shadows start and end. How are the muscles and the bone structure formed?

Here is an easy exercise to help you start seeing like an artist sees before doing a drawing. Let your hand rest comfortably on your leg, table or counter in a well-lit area. Sit and focus on your relaxed hand thinking what is the first step to drawing my hand. What do I see? How many lines can you see on your thumb, how do they curve, bend, now look at the rest of your hand and count the lines. Look for the shadows and highlights. Do you see more lines than you ever anticipated or are the smoother than you thought? When you think of drawing your hand you may have not envisioned the hundreds of small lines, the hard edges and the soft edges that make up the form of our hand. Look and see the object not the hand that you are so familiar with, look for the story that your hand tells. Now that you are seeing the lines, shapes and structure, you stopped thinking about your hand and started seeing the lines.

Another exercise is to look at a piece of fabric that is lying on a table or on the back of your couch. That fabric has curves, folds, bends and contours. It is not a flat object just lying there. When you go to draw that piece of fabric, you need to sculpture it to the lay of the land, the form of the object up against, the shadows and the highlights that make it look realistic. Try taking a photo of the fabric, and then use a grid to redraw the fabric using a graphite pencil; you will be amazed how realistic your drawing will become.

Learn to see the makeup of the piece you want to draw, visualize the object, get your head inside the object and now put the lines that you visualize down on paper. You will be amazed at what you are drawing.



RALPH

Dan Woods asked:


The Brandywine River Museum, frequently referred to as the Wyeth Museum due to its extensive collection of works by the Wyeth family, is housed in an old 19th century grist mill in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. In 2008, the museum announced its plans for the creation of a special community outreach program intended to help low-income students attending educational and community organizations in the greater Philadelphia region and in New Castle County, Delaware. The inaugural group, consisting of eighty fifth-grade students from Caln Elementary in Thorndale, Pennsylvania, visited the museum on January 30th, 2008 to view the exquisite art works on display, as well as a special exhibition by Jerry Pinkney. The museum is committed to the preservation and exhibition of American art. It showcases landscapes and still-life pieces by various artists from the Brandywine region.

The Founding Father

Within the walls of the Brandywine River Museum hangs a vast collection of works done by three generations of Wyeths: Newell Convers (N.C.), Andrew and Jamie. N.C. Wyeth settled in the Brandywine Valley in 1902. The museum houses approximately 40 of his works, including ‘The Black Arrow’, ‘The Boy’s King Arthur’, ‘The Old Pew’, ‘The Last of the Mohicans’ and pieces from ‘Treasure Island’ and ‘Kidnapped.’ N.C.’s house and studio were also acquired by the museum and are now open for tours. N.C.’s five children were artistically adept as well. His well-known daughters, Carolyn and Henriette, possessed tremendous artistic talent and are well-represented in the museum. N.C.’s youngest son, Andrew, was particularly gifted and went on to become one of the most influential figures in American art.

The Skilled Son

The Andrew Wyeth Gallery contains approximately 40 watercolors, tempera, and dry brush paintings, some of which being ‘Night Sleeper’, ‘Roasted Chestnuts’, ‘Siri’, ‘Snow Hill’, ‘Trodden Weed’, ‘Pennsylvania Landscape’ and ‘Evening at Kuerner’s’, a painting that portrays the neighboring Kuerner Farm owned by Karl and Anna Kuerner. The farm was a major inspiration for Andrew for over 70 years. His earliest painting of the property goes back to 1932, when Andrew was only a mere 15 years old. The young artist developed a close bond with the couple, and was soon permitted to roam the property and the interior of the house at will to draw and paint. The Kuerner Farm property was acquired by the museum in 1999, and has been offering tours since 2004.

The Gifted Grandson

The third generation of Wyeths represented at the Brandywine River Museum is Andrew’s younger son, Jamie. In his early twenties, Jamie gained public acclaim for a posthumous painting he had done of the ill-fated John F. Kennedy. On display in the museum, are Jamie’s stunning portraits of fellow artist Andy Warhol and dancer Rudolf Nureyev. Jamie is also well-known for his animal portraits, such as ‘The Raven’, ‘Portrait of Pig’, and ‘Angus’, which are also featured in the museum’s collection. Jamie is praised for his distinguishing style, which is characterized by powerful images and sharp contrasts. He also has an extensive collection of bird paintings on display at the museum. The pieces range from watercolor to oil on canvas, with some pieces displaying combined mediums. Jamie’s bird portraits represent a variety of birds with seemingly human characteristics. See the Brandywine River Museum for more information.

 





CHANCE