100 Color Challenge: For this assignment I painted 100 small boxes with 100 different colors. I was only allowed to use the following colors: Alizarin Crimson/Scarlet, Ultramarine Blue/Cobalt, Cadmium Yellow Medium/Lemon Yellow, Titanium White, and Ivory Black.
Oil Practice Painting- Brush and Palette Knife: For this assignment I painted two mini paintings with oil paint. One with a brush, and the other with a palette knife. I chose to paint a flower and an apple!
Final Oil Painting (Landscape): "Cherry Grove"
The painting shown is a sunset photo of Cherry Grove Beach. As assigned, I painted the landscape with oil paints. My other ideas include a photograph of a mountain landscape, a lake landscape, and various photos of sunrises/sunsets in different settings (highway, school, backroads, etc...), all of which I took myself. In the end the photo that called my name was the stunning Cherry Grove sunset. I believe that my painting is more well executed than neat, for a few reasons. To start, the waves and the patterns in the water look very similar to the actual photo. As well as the colors that are reflecting onto the water. In terms of neatness, I feel like the sky looks neat and very similar to the reference photo, but I don't think the water is as neat. I used a blotting method to paint the water, thinking it would create the affects of water... I was wrong. It made it look exactly like the technique I used. Blotting. The colors I used in this painting look close to the actual colors of the sunset, especially the sky. In the water, I used a variety of colors to create the affect of a sunset reflecting onto the water. I used oranges, yellows, dark blues, light blues, greens, white, and even purple. In the sky I used blues, oranges, yellows, and pinks. I feel that the colors in this piece go so well together, because of the complimentary colors scattered throughout. For example, the orange and blue in the sky and water, the yellow and purple, and the duller tones of green and red. I enjoyed using other colors in the sky, instead of the classic children's picture of "blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and a perfectly symmetrical sun". I liked adding the pink tones and white to make thin, wispy clouds, all in different shapes and sizes. I created contrast in my painting by accentuating the wave patterns with prussian blue. The dark tone of this shade of blue is my favorite to use when painting water. Using this color made the water have dimension, instead of simple flat water. I also created contrast by making the buildings a silhouette so they could really stand out agains the sunset. I applied textures in my painting by using different paint brushes for different sections. For example, I initially used a fan brush to paint the water, to give a "wavey" look. I also used a blotting method on the darker, more accentuated waves, to make them seem as if they were curling over. I highlighted the water by adding accent colors like purples and greens, and I added shadows simply by using the darkest tones of orange and blue that I could find. I also added white into the water to lighten up certain areas of the prussian blue that were too dark. I was able to create depth in my painting using similar techniques talked about in the previous paragraph. I made sure the pattern of the waves headed East, like the actual photo, and I made certain sections of the water seem higher than others. I also added some texture to the sand, so that it wasn't a solid orange color. Using specific colors in specific areas allowed me to replicate which areas of the water were and were not reflecting the orange colors of the sunset. Some painting techniques that I used to make my final painting successful were blotting, blending, and using light strokes to add accent colors like purple and green. Although I consider this painting a success, I did struggle with a couple things. Initially I had no clue what to do with the water, because I figured that mixing the orange and blue tones would result in a brown shade. I finally decided to go for it, eventually using more colors than I expected. I also didn't know how to make the colors of the water reflect the pattern of the waves. I would definitely say that the most successful part of this painting is the sky. I feel like it really replicates the actual photo, and that the colors and clouds are very similar. I also feel like the scale of the final painting is close to, to almost exactly like the actual photo. Overall, I enjoyed painting this piece, especially as it is one of my favorite places to be. The beach.
Final Oil Painting (Animal Portrait): "My Bruno"
For this painting I was assigned to paint a portrait of one of my pets. I have four. Three dogs, and cat. That being, my three other brainstorming ideas were my dog, Sarge, my other dog, Pinky, and my cat, Coconut. So, with careful decision, I picked my favorite... Bruno (don't tell the others!!) Here are some reflections of my process throughout painting this piece. I would say that my painting is well executed and neat. I would also say that it looks pretty similar to him. I do think that it looks pretty clear and realistic as well. I think in terms of craftsmanship, the nose is the most well executed. I think my painting uses almost all the elements of art. For example, there are various lines throughout this piece that allow Bruno's features to stand out. For example, I used diagonal lines to accentuate the shadows under his eyes, as long as curved lines to show the "rolls" in his skin. I also used thin black and white lines to paint the whiskers. In terms of shapes, I used mostly circles, rectangles, and triangles, here and there. I used many different shades of brown, along with black, grey, orange, and even blue. As Bruno is a brownish-orange dog, I used multiple shades of brown to add extra detail to almost every shadow and highlight on his face. Because of his large under eye bags, I had to add darker values of brown under the eyes, and even black under the neck and around the eyes. I tried to add texture to my piece as best as I could. Because Bruno isn't a fluffy dog, I had to paint him more with block colors rather than individually painting the fur. Therefore, I added white to add highlight to make it seem more like individual dog fur. I chose this animal because he is my favorite doggo, and I felt that I could execute the painting well. In terms of what the painting is saying about the subject, I think the painting shows a a happy dog with a sad expression. I know that Bruno is the happiest of dogs, but in this particular picture he has sad eyes. I would say the focal point of this piece is the nose, as it is the neatest, and most realistic part of this piece. I would also say that it's the focal point because of the use of colors in it. The bright blue on the nose catches the eye, and is nicely complimented by the orange-brown tone of his fur. I accomplished this nose by painting it a little more each day, and letting it dry in between. The first time I thought I "finished" the nose, it wasn't as realistic as it is now. I kept adding more and more everyday until it looked like the mushy wet nose on my actual Bruno. I used texture to enhance my artwork in the whiskers, his lower right lip area, and in his "eyebrows". I also added it throughout the piece, by using a brush where the bristles were all spread out. This added extremely small dots that replicated fur. I also used light strokes in on his "eyebrows" to make them look more furry. Throughout the entire piece I added certain highlights to enhance the appearance of his fur, and make it look less flat. In terms of the research (fur and oil practice paintings), they really had no affect on my final painting, because my dog isn't as fluffy, and the eyes were so small and black, that there was not much opportunity to use what I learned watching the tutorials. A step I took throughout my planning process that really helped was my marking of exact measurements. This helped me to get the scale as close as possible to the actual photo. I also paid a lot of attention to the colors, and made sure I could get them accurate. I definitely spent a lot of time playing around with colors before actually painting. I would say my final painting is successful, because I feel very proud of my work, and I am glad with the final product. I would also say it is a success because I feel like it looks super close to Bruno, and that it looks very realistic. I feel that one of my largest successes was definitely the highlights and shadows. I really enjoyed using oil paint, and I really like how the finished products look when painting with oil paint. One thing that I don't enjoy, is how much it gets on your hands and clothes, even when you haven't even started painting yet. Compared to other paint mediums, I would say this is my favorite. I love the consistency, the way the paint spreads, and I especially love the finish. I also really like how it has such nice coverage with even little amounts of layers. In terms of difficulties I faced during the painting process, I would say that the eyes gave me a hard time. I got the right eye in one shot, but I had to keep touching up the left one, trying to make it look more realistic. I also had some trouble with the creating of colors, because I didn't want him to be too orange or too brown. I also had some difficulty with the scale. Although I did carefully plan it, I had some trouble making it as perfect as I could get it. I think if I could go back and make any changes, it would be to raise the nose a little higher, add more black to the outside of the left eye, and spend more time on the ears, and the pattern of the fur. I feel that the fur could look more "furry". Overall, I really enjoyed painting this piece, and seeing what I am capable of doing as a beginner painter. I can definitely say that oil paint is my favorite!