Archive for the ‘Art Techniques’ Category

Drawing facial features ( just as drawing feet and hands) is not easy. It takes a lot of practice and even then it is still hard.

A good rule of thumb when drawing figures is if you can’t draw it then don’t draw it- suggest it.

What I mean by that is if you draw every little line and wrinkle and it is not photo perfect detail it may hurt your drawing. Try using a few significant lines and gestures placed just so to give the viewer the feel of the feature instead. This is the way the impressionists and post-impressionists did it. Specifically artists like Seurat.

Here is one for Seurat:
http://www.artic.edu/artexplorer/search.php?artistname=40810&tab=1&just=2

Your drawing might have more impact with suggestions. You don’t always need all the details. The viewer will still read it as the feature that the lines represent.

To get a good idea of where or how to place a line that suggests the feature- try squinting at it and that will help you see the shadows and outlines as opposed to the feature as a whole.

Depending on the work you are creating art can be an expository discipline almost like reporting. If you are trying to trigger an emotion or get an idea across its important to know your subject. Try taking out a pen and paper and brain storm a little.

This exercise is a type of brain storming technique that is useful for finding relationships between objects, life, and wherever your thoughts take you.

Take any object and list all attributes that are associated with that object. For example:

Your living room sofa:

Write down every attribute that belongs to this sofa:

• How big is it?
• What color is it?
• Is it soft?
• Is there a pattern?
• What is it sitting next to?
• Why did you decide to place it in this part of the living room?
• Is it next to a window?
• Is it sitting on a rug?
• Does it have a matching chair?
• Does it have throw pillows?
• Is there change in this sofa?
• How long have you had it?
• Where did you get it?
• Who was with you when you got it?
• What else did you do that day?
• Why did you pick this sofa?
• Is there someone sitting on it?
• Why did this person choose to sit here?
• What is that person thinking?

I can’t tell you where this will end. When you have finished a complete list of attributes for your subject- you now completely know the subject. You understand its purpose, its shape, its life span, its ideas, its future plans, and so on and so on.

Do you still see this object the same as you did before? Can you see this list transforming into a work of art? Good art comes from drawing what you see, and then drawing what you know- until you begin to see what you know. This is true whether the outcome is representational or abstract. Our style is what decides how
we express what we know. Knowing your subject is a very important element to creative expression.

This brainstorming technique is also valuable for generating ideas and overcoming creative blocks.

With any art medium you are using your goals are to express yourself, make an impact, trigger an emotion, or perhaps tell a story.

There are many ways to do this but the main solution still has to come from you. It is important to try different techniques to find those that you enjoy, work well for you and help you to reach your artistic goals with each piece. There are many to choose from and not all of them will be for you. But experiment and you will find those that suit you and your artistic style.

Try these:

Dry Brush
This is a painting technique that uses more pigment than water

Impasto
A painting techniques where the paint is laid on thickly to create a texture that will stand out as a relief

Lifting out
A technique that removes color from a canvas or sheet of paper to create highlights. This can be done with a sponge or your brush.

Pointillism
A painting or drawing technique that uses dots that are unmixed and juxtaposed next to each other. The dots will work together to create different tones when you look at the piece. Also referred to as stipple.

Scumbling
A technique where a thin or broken layer is laid over the top to show patches of color underneath. Very often used with dry brush and with pastels.

Scraffito
To scratch the top layer to reveal the color beneath. This can be done with the with the opposite end of a brush or a knife.

Spattering
A technique used to create small dots of paint randomly. This can be done by filling your brush with paint or using a toothbrush and flicking paint towards the paper.

Vignettes
This is a painting technique where the edge fades into the white of the paper using the paper to create a border around painting.

Wet on Wet
This is done by painting fresh paint onto wet paints. Most often used i watercolor this technique can create some interesting effects and is great for skies and fabrics.

Burnishing
This can be used in drawing by applying heavy layers of your medium until the tooth of the paper is completely filled in. Burnishing with colored pencil will leave a painterly effect.

Crosshatching
This is a drawing technique that uses fine parallel lines drawn closely together to give the effect of shade or tone.

Juxtaposition
Placing different elements next to each other to show their different qualities and contrasts.

Resist
Using any material that will repel paint to  leave the white surface or color beneath. Can be done with wax, crayon, rubber cement or masking tape.

Glaze wash
A transparent wash of color laid over the dried paint to adjust the tone