tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62721814836644371802024-03-24T00:21:11.743-07:00Sixty Minute ArtistAdvice on how to make the most of your studio time.sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-52936204294693866562008-08-12T06:33:00.000-07:002008-08-12T07:29:55.461-07:00Painting in New Mexico<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-m36g9TjmbW-KD0FTeHDSkM5ktwmZ8Zpcm0E8KFM8zM9l_4Cv6HYmNWHv_EG8NlhIfaslNwrl4CYyz9gY6vlvKwSa9k5f7eAFFqcikutDVVGejXfzXtalzRtXTDv4GWDKQmGvwbK3_uD/s1600-h/black+mesa+morning.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233624173979431570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-m36g9TjmbW-KD0FTeHDSkM5ktwmZ8Zpcm0E8KFM8zM9l_4Cv6HYmNWHv_EG8NlhIfaslNwrl4CYyz9gY6vlvKwSa9k5f7eAFFqcikutDVVGejXfzXtalzRtXTDv4GWDKQmGvwbK3_uD/s320/black+mesa+morning.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "Morning Near Black Mesa", Oil on Panel, 8x10 inches</em></div><div align="center"><em>Jerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lebo</span>, 2008</em></div><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="left">Just a quick note to let you know how painting is going in New Mexico. We are having a great time, painting everyday, and traveling around this beautiful State. </div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="left">The above small painting was based on a some photos I took the other day on the way to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/band"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bandelier</span> National Monument</a>. To get there you travel by highway through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ildefonso_Pueblo,_New_Mexico">San <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ildefonso</span> </a>and near the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohkay_Owingeh_Pueblo">San Juan </a>Pueblos. You can see it from miles around as you travel in the area. There is also another Black Mesa in the most Northern part of NM--this one is only about a half our north of Santa Fe. </div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="left">It was early in the day when we passed by, and we stopped on the side of the highway and took some photos--and I made some color notations and a quick sketch. The Mesa actually looks very dark most of the day--but in the early morning it takes on a pinkish/purple quality that was very compelling.</div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="left">I was reminded what a special place New Mexico is the other day by two of my readers. Cindy, who is one of my collectors, sent a comment on my last post--which reminded me of the uniqueness of the New Mexico landscape--and how the skies here are somehow different. In fact, last year when we were here I wrote a post titled "<a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/08/top-ten-reasons-for-artist-to-live-in.html">Top Ten Reasons for an Artist to Live in Santa Fe</a>". I re-read this post and say that the "number one reason" I cited for living in Santa Fe was "clouds". And, I still think the clouds here are the most amazing you will see anywhere. In the morning, the sky here is usually very clear and blue, but when the clouds arrive later in the day, the show is often amazing--and worth the trip alone.</div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="left">I also got a nice note from Jacqueline Butler, welcoming me to New Mexico. Jacqueline is the artistic director for the organization "<a href="http://www.dailypaintersnewmexico.com/">Daily Painters of New Mexico</a>". She lives near <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Galisteo</span> and is thinking about starting a blog and is hosting a workshop for members. So, if you live in the area, <a href="mailto:jacqueline@dailypaintersnewmexico.com">drop her a note</a>. Especially if you want to become a daily painter here in NM. I have talked about my own personal views on "daily painting" in previous posts--and I fully support the concept. I just don't think it is for me, personally. My own view is that finding time for "daily painting", is more important than trying to make a painting a day.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">So there you go. I highly recommend a trip to New Mexico to paint--or just to look around. I have been coming here for thirteen years now--usually once a year. And I am still inspired <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">every time</span> I visit. Who knows, I may even move here one day. I have met many people who come here for business or some other reason--and fall in love and stay. But, even if you can't get here, you can do the next best thing. Go to your studio and find an excuse to put a fantastic sky in one of your landscape paintings!</div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left">All the best, <strong><em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">sixtyminuteartist</span></em></strong>.</div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com318tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-63586235456602728702008-08-01T16:07:00.000-07:002008-08-02T06:34:13.527-07:00Canvas or Panel for travel?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IuO0SlU6AgMJGnDEZo0PXTmx5aVyGbWQlDK5u7314ca0B5bGNL6qt9V3KOoBsrjY07gORbANdTDmlLNcpHht6n-9YCMtBftaQtzzRtovx2N-zAzvLFOplW4e7upqhqwW4a0hH9l7idQE/s1600-h/juniper+view+study.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229690166448370114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IuO0SlU6AgMJGnDEZo0PXTmx5aVyGbWQlDK5u7314ca0B5bGNL6qt9V3KOoBsrjY07gORbANdTDmlLNcpHht6n-9YCMtBftaQtzzRtovx2N-zAzvLFOplW4e7upqhqwW4a0hH9l7idQE/s320/juniper+view+study.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "Juniper View (Study)", Jerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lebo</span>, 2008<br />Oil on Panel, 6x6 inches</em><br /><br /></div><div align="left">You have probably noticed it has been a while since my last post. Several of my regular readers have sent me personal emails asking if something is wrong. I appreciate everyone’s concern, but I am okay—nothing terminal yet.<br /><br />As for the reasons behind my silence, the truth is that I have been dealing with some personal issues--and also have been busy at the day job—including two overseas trips. Fortunately, this has not kept me out of the studio for the most part--and I have been continuing to try to move forward with my work. The important thing is that I am still painting—and keeping my “hour a day” minimum discipline.<br /><br />The main reason I have not been blogging is that I have not really had much to say. I usually need some sort of inspiration or something to share with my readers in order to get me started writing a post. I don't want to bore people with my random thoughts.<br /><br />To be honest, I have also been struggling with which direction to take my art. The last few large "color space" painting I finished are sitting around my studio and pushing me to make another one. But, to tell the truth, I have been feeling like doing some small paintings. I am also torn a bit about how to balance my normally "painterly" style against the more graphic approach of my most recent paintings. I realize now that my “style” is something that took me many years to develop--and I am not sure I should simply throw it out. On the other hand, I still very interested in the ideas I have been pursuing in my recent work.<br /><br />So, why am I posting today? Well, I have a perfect excuse to do some small paintings—and share some ideas with you. We are on vacation in <a href="http://www.santafe.org/">Santa Fe, NM </a>for the next three weeks, and am working with my "portable studio", which is made by <a href="http://www.openboxm.com/">Open <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">BoxM</span></a>. I have written about the traveling setup I use for painting in past posts, and it is ideal for small paintings and studies. So I though I would post a few of these small paintings as they come off the easel over the next few weeks, as well as share some of my tips for painting when traveling.<br /><br />So here is my first travel tip. When traveling, I recommend you try painting on panels—instead of canvas. First, because panels are easy to pack, and you can buy them at most art stores these days. Most airlines are adding baggage charges for weight and second bags these days—and I managed to fit all my clothes and painting supplies for three weeks into one suitcase. You can also make your own panels when you get to your destination from supplies available most places (<a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-make-inexpensive-painting-panels.html">I did a post that shows you how</a>). In fact, unless you are planning to paint big paintings—panels are the way to go in my mind.<br /><br />On the other hand, if you are set on canvas, I have found the best approach is to pack a variety of stretcher bars (taped together) and ship a roll of canvas to where you are painting. That way, you only have to bring the bars, staple gun, and pliers on your flight. If you are bringing large stretcher bars, you are probably not going to be able to fit these in a suitcase, so that means some extra costs. When you stretch your canvas upon arrival (<a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-to-stretch-art-canvas.html">I did a post on that too</a>), leave enough edge overlap so as to be able to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">un</span>-stretch your work. That way you can simply roll it up and take it home in a mailing tube when you leave.<br /><br />Okay, so there is a few tips for painting when traveling. For my current trip I decided to use <a href="http://www.ampersandart.com/">Ampersand <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Gessobord</span></a>. These panels are a bit more expensive than the ones I make at home, but not as expensive as some of the others out there. I started using these in my studio about 8 months back—and I am totally addicted. The surface is so nice and has just the right tooth for taking paint—and the quality and consistency is high. I am not paid to promote their products, but I can recommend them without <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">hesitation</span>. The panels come in various sizes (and you can cut them to size). These are widely available these days, so you have probably seen them at your local art store.<br /><br />So there you go, hope you get a chance to paint outdoors during the summer. And, maybe even get a vacation somewhere so you can paint something new. If so, I will be offering a few tips over the next few weeks—so stay tuned.<br /><br />All the best, <strong><em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">sixtyminuteartist</span></em></strong>. </div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-36949844125476655382008-06-03T08:57:00.000-07:002008-06-03T13:57:18.268-07:00Where to show your paintings?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3O1F3A68Si4K0pWdb5RhToXjn4l_7C2SIuyeObR-ekgWQzH-TusmNG9REpFwwMHD0nzH9v025yQnSaXxy4Mo_qP_X6pmxRaF3oBq8m4txhRYKxjw_W4oF4_pDkeZ-AiNYWhIbLxCvicW/s1600-h/sweet+escape+final.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207685420104549906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3O1F3A68Si4K0pWdb5RhToXjn4l_7C2SIuyeObR-ekgWQzH-TusmNG9REpFwwMHD0nzH9v025yQnSaXxy4Mo_qP_X6pmxRaF3oBq8m4txhRYKxjw_W4oF4_pDkeZ-AiNYWhIbLxCvicW/s320/sweet+escape+final.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "Sweet Escape", Polymer on Canvas, 50x50 inches<br />Jerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lebo</span>, 2008</em> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><br /><br /><em>“I don’t paint pictures in hopes that people will understand them. They understand them, or not, according to their own capacity.”</em><br /><br />--<strong>Pablo Picasso</strong><br /><br />Okay, so I decided to submit a couple of my recent large paintings to a <a href="http://www.delaplaine.org/">regional <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">juried</span> exhibit </a>up in <a href="http://www.fredericktourism.org/">Fredrick, Maryland</a>. They wanted artists to submit the actual paintings, so it was a bit of a chore framing and then carrying three very large paintings (the largest was 50x60 inches) 30 miles to the venue. Now the good/bad news, I found out that they accepted one of the paintings (the one in my last post, “These five words…”)--but rejected the others, "Sweet Escape" (above), as well as "Dead Heroes", the painting I put up two posts back. You are probably thinking, hey, you should be happy. You got a painting into a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">juried</span> show, right? Well, it gets better.<br /><br />So I go up on Saturday to pick up the rejected paintings and haul them back to the studio--and when I get to the venue I find out that my artwork has been scattered around. One of the paintings is in a closet—with another painting leaning against it—which put a dent into the canvas. The other one is in an office, leaning against the wall behind a pile of other rejections. But, that wasn't the strangest part of it. The woman handing back the work had the "jury sheet" sitting there and was pleased to show me that the painting accepted into the show had a notation next to it...are you ready....it said, "Maybe, if we have room". <em>There you go--critical acclaim if I have ever heard it!</em> I weakly made the point of saying, well, my paintings are rather large--so I understand if there was limited room (hoping for a bit more a positive <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">response</span>), to which the woman replied, "Oh, we have paintings in the show bigger than yours." Thud. I tired again on the way out, “So have you given out awards yet.” You can guess the response—“Oh, yes, they are all <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">given</span> out.” So, I am in the show, but barely--and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">definitely</span> not the rapturous experience one hopes for.<br /><br />Okay, so what is an artist to do in when faced with such a situation? The short answer is brush it off. Get back in the studio as soon as possible and get painting again. I have seen artists send work to many galleries over the years, and most do not even get a polite rejection letter. Getting a form letter can be an achievement. With a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">juried</span> exhibit, politeness is probably the best you can hope for. Even if you get your work into a group show or a gallery, you can expect that your work will be treated for what it is from a gallery perspective...a commodity—and I have heard of many cases where galleries have damaged work due to haphazard handling. Other artists are your worst enemy, as they tend to treat other artist's work with little regard (if they are not looking). I am serious. If you don't believe me, watch what happens when artists bring their work to a critique or for submission to a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">juried</span> show--if no one is looking, other artist will not <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">hesitate</span> to move your work or treat it in a very haphazard way. I have seen it. To a gallery, you are just one in a long line of eager artist to get their work shown, so don't be surprised if a gallery generally acts like you're work is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">replaceable</span>. At least until it sells for $50 grand or so--they tend to get more careful at that point. </div><div align="left"><br /><br /></div><div align="left">I think my recent experience also shows <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">some</span> important points to take into account when you think about where and how to send your work out. First and foremost, it is important to find a gallery or event that is interested in work and represents similar artists and/or types of work. I wrote about this <a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/08/painting-is-location-location-location.html">early in my blog</a>. But it is worth repeating. If you are painting "cowboys and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">indians</span>", don’t send your work to a New York gallery—you won’t garner much interest. However, the good news is that <strong>they may be very excited in Tuscon</strong>. In the end, you need to decide before sending out work if it is likely to appeal to a certain gallery or jurist. In my case, I think it was the fact that my paintings were so different from all the other painterly and more formal painting that was submitted to the show, that it simply did not fit with the show or what was running through the jurist's mind. You want a show that hangs well together--not necessarily to show every type or style submitted--even I can understand that.<br /><br />Anyway, I thought I would share this experience, so you will be prepared. I know some of you are thinking about trying to break into galleries and submit your work to a show. If you are interested in reading more about how to better showcase your work and build your career as a visual artist, I will again recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Leap-Building-Career-Visual/dp/0811818152">Cay Lang’s book, “Taking the Leap”. </a>I have mentioned it several times in my blog, but it is a great book. I went back to reading it again after my recent experience, and I could quickly see some of the mistake I made in submitting work to the regional exhibit. First of all, as I previously mentioned, these types of modern, hard edge, “color space” paintings don’t really fit the style of the venue or the other art being shown there. So a tepid reception was probably inevitable. Second, I don’t think they together really represent a cohesive artistic statement yet—since they are still evolving in terms of style and technique. This is not to say they are bad paintings, they are perhaps not quite ready for full public exposure or it was not the right venue. Anyway, live and learn.<br /><br />I hope you got something out of my experience that will help you build your career as an artist.<br /><br />All the best, <strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">sixtyminutearist</span>.</strong></div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-82513306396761760032008-05-02T09:27:00.000-07:002008-05-02T13:12:58.144-07:00How to Start a Painting?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5HG2HMPNICCy5uFCqNpd4IoJWg7UyoaCZaAUB9S40RhPEpU07FMJsnBxfn6_-xvF60oWOYbhhke9ERauVdFmUiRX8DqHWYFYW7vWNe6U4MDn3F5W_HZIgZIGr6Va_9BbklQZiTsBgwgG/s1600-h/thesefivewords+final.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195820246104674290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5HG2HMPNICCy5uFCqNpd4IoJWg7UyoaCZaAUB9S40RhPEpU07FMJsnBxfn6_-xvF60oWOYbhhke9ERauVdFmUiRX8DqHWYFYW7vWNe6U4MDn3F5W_HZIgZIGr6Va_9BbklQZiTsBgwgG/s320/thesefivewords+final.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "These Five Words in my Mind"</em></div><div align="center"><em>Polymer on Canvas, 60 x 50 inches<br />Jerry Lebo, 2008</em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="left"><br /><em>“The progression of a painter’s work, as it travels in time from point to point, will be towards clarity: toward the elimination of all obstacles between the painter and the idea, and between the idea and the observer.”<br /><br />--Mark Rothko<br /></em><br />I though this was a fitting quote for the above painting—and relates back to my own experience lately. As you know, I have making a radical change in my painting style over the last few months, and I have been getting a lot of questions as to “why”? The short answer can be found in the above quote—in that I felt a real need to simplify my work and eliminate the obstacles between what I was trying to say in my paintings—and to send that idea more directly to the observer.<br /><br />The above painting, “These Five Words in my Mind” was motivated by a very simple idea that I had been thinking about for a few months—that is, how do words and colors relate? And could you make a painting that had the effect of words—in terms of evoking a response of the observer? And how could you change the colors and shapes to change the meaning and sensation of a painting?<br /><br />Let me explain. Let’s say you have five words. There are a lot of different things you can say with those five words. Change one word, and you can chance the entire meaning of what you are saying. Take, for example, the two phrases, “I would hate to love you”, and “I would love to hate you”. These phrase contain the same six words—but you immediately feel different depending on which one is said. In a way, color is the same way. You can make a lot of different paintings with a set of five colors—and if you change one color, the entire sensation will also change. Of course, most paintings have dozens or thousands of colors—but do they need all of them? Which ones are important to send the meaning? And which ones will change the meaning of the painting—these are the questions I was asking myself when I thinking about the above painting.<br /><br />For this painting, I purposely chose five colors you would probably never see reflected in water—and except the blue—would not likely make anybody think “water”. Then I tried to make a painting that said “water” on one hand through the subject matter—but in a very minimal way. In fact, the main purpose was to combine five colors into a certain sensation—that is to send a sensation through a certain color “note” or harmony. Also, I used shapes moving from larger to smaller (and hard edge to soft) to give the painting a sense of moving back in space—so that the five colors soon become “color”, “space”, and “sensation” all at the same time-(by combining in your eye)—just like a certain phrase would (or even five music notes) do as they are uttered or played. You cannot hear the individual words or notes—only feel the sensation. I know it probably all sounds pretty crazy—but that is what I was thinking about before I started this painting and while I was painting it—the sensation of five words running around my head.<br /><br />Okay, so how does this relate to the subject of this post? Well, I have been thinking a lot about how paintings communicate and what that means for how artists might approach their paintings. One of the things I think is important is that an artist at least be clear about the motivation for painting before moving to the easel. I have heard instructors say that you must “have one idea” or that you should “focus on the main idea of the painting” while you paint. I have known that to be true based on my own experience. When I start to paint with one idea in mind (say, capturing the feeling of a sunset) and then start focusing on something else half way through (such as the the color of the mountains)—it is more than likely going to led to a bad painting. The fact is, that a successful paintings are those that deliver a clear message to the observer—as simply as possible. If the artist is not clear—how can he/she expect the observer to see it clearly?<br /><br />So what does this mean for starting a painting? Well, obviously, I think the first step is to make sure you know what you want to say before you start a painting. That is, do you want to say something about something you are seeing, feeling, or something that pleases you visually? Keep that idea in your mind as you plan and work on the painting. Make it as simple as possible. My experience is this simple approach will lead to better outcomes. Successful paintings require a lot of pre-meditation. Many painters and students focus so much on the mechanics of painting—color mixing and drawing—they forget about the “why”.<br /><br />So next time you are about to start a painting. Take a few moments to think about why you have chosen the subject. Ask some hard questions about what attracts you to that subject or landscape. Really work through your motivation for starting a painting—before you start mixing colors and drawing on the canvas—and stick with this idea throughout. Try to get that idea onto the canvas. When you step back from the canvas, ask yourself <strong>not</strong> if looks like the subject matter—but <strong>if it feels like it</strong>. Not if the drawing is good, but if the sensation is good. Does the figure feel like it is standing? Not is the gesture correct, but does it feel correct? Why is this important—because when the observer sees your work—this is what he/she will feel right away more than any amount of good drawing or careful color mixing. The idea or message of a painting comes to the viewer in one quick moment as a feeling (like five spoken words)—and so you need to be sure that you are communicating and assessing your paintings at that level.<br /><br />Okay, I know this is a bit touchy feely for some of you. But I hope you got something out if it.<br /><br />All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist</em></strong>. </div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-85750157426115966722008-04-16T07:37:00.000-07:002008-04-16T11:49:04.157-07:00Using Color References<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2mh3nkkWIHaWEP5iF-58TA0QvCcBCd54Veu61gFS09j8_Ax0diXdedA-xBXDZZGwRXhkeGbU1RRwMUpl8VrjCh7nvi2xzThywLdXTtOJvvvaYrjH10CIRx0ezZZopgAJuFET37fDXt3u/s1600-h/light+post+study.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189852541057945058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2mh3nkkWIHaWEP5iF-58TA0QvCcBCd54Veu61gFS09j8_Ax0diXdedA-xBXDZZGwRXhkeGbU1RRwMUpl8VrjCh7nvi2xzThywLdXTtOJvvvaYrjH10CIRx0ezZZopgAJuFET37fDXt3u/s320/light+post+study.JPG" border="0" /></a><em>"Untitled" (Study), Polymer on Paper, 17 1/2 x 23 Inches<br />Jerry Lebo, 2008</em></div><em></em><div align="left"><br /><br /></div><div align="left">The weather is getting better in DC, so I have been able to stroll around during my lunch hour and take a few pictures that I can use as reference material in the studio. I am thankful for my digital camera—not only can I look at the picture right after it is taken—but I can take hundreds of pictures and then simply delete the bad ones. I end up throwing out most of the pictures I take, in any case. In the past, I used to pay to develop a whole roll of film and then throw out the majority of the shots. So I love my digital camera.<br /><br />Anyway, the above study is one of the paintings I am thinking of making into one of the large “color space” paintings that I have been talking about in my blog recently. The study is based on a photo I took last week when I was walking near the <a href="http://hirshhorn.si.edu/">Hirshhorn Museum</a>. I like the unusual composition—and thought it would be a good opportunity to explore various color harmonies.<br /><br />I usually do these sorts of painting studies using acrylics and sometimes oils (I gesso the paper for oils). I really struggled with the color relationships in this study and it took me quite a while to figure out how to get the effect I was after. The reference photo and painting are quite different. I have put the reference photo below so you can see the changes I made—basically I re-worked the entire color harmony in pursuit of what I have been talking about recently—that is, how to evoke a certain psychological response in the viewer using color.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189887124134612466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaujN8C9-Yy2UFvJ0eydcKY4OH1dBJndtsqfZ6R4RDN3PW_6bTdCuLVzFHOvSuW5GehW5Jz0tn3zPYarhvZn3FQ66Y3XxZoKzm1KevRu0DMTOjyREmc8kwZRY3c46jwEmU7u4E_fbZwPT/s320/light+post+reference.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />One of the problems when moving from a small study to a large painting is that a painting that looks good small—may not look good in a larger format. The reverse also holds true, that a large painting may not be very interesting if painted in a smaller format. You have to decide to “go big” or not based on a smaller studies—and it is not always easy to imagine the effect. Anyway, I am thinking of trying the above painting in a large (50x66 inches) format—what do you think? Send me a comment.<br /><br />Okay, so let’s get to the point of this post—which is how to use “color references” in the studio. I have increasingly found that I am nearly blind when it comes to color. I know that sounds strange—but the light in my studio is always changing, my mood changes, and even my sight seems to change when I am in the studio. I look at a color at one moment—and it looks greenish—and then two minutes later it looks to have change to a bluish color. I have written about this in some previous posts—but I think color is the hardest part of being an artist. It is such a moving target—even for a trained artist.<br /><br />One solution I have come to increasingly rely on is the uses of color reference materials. That is, pieces of color that I have lying around my studio—that can serve as a neutral reference point. For example, in just moving from the easel to the palette—sometimes my thoughts about a color change. I might think I have the right color when I am mixing it on the palette—and then get to the canvas and change my mind. So which color is right? The one I was seeing on the palette or the one I have on my brush? It depends, of course, on what color I was after. Which I might have forgotten by the time I am ready to make the stroke—since I am daydreaming about something else most of the time anyway!<br /><br />Color references don’t need to be expensive or complicated. They can be pieces of paper you paint yourself—or colored paper that you buy. You can use a color matching system—such as Pantone—or make up your own system. Color charts are also a popular way of color referencing—and can be keyed back to the paints you are using. Basically, what you want from a color referencing system is something that you can refer to that is unchanging! Examples of color references that I have used in my own studio include <a href="http://www.pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?pid=14">PMS swatches</a>,<a href="http://www.coloraid.com/"> color-aid paper</a>, and <a href="http://www.dickblick.com/zz034/03/">premixed color charts</a>.<br /><br />The key to using a color reference is to understand what it can—and can’t do. A color reference is not a solution to a problem. It is not a preset color harmony that you can use in a painting (I don’t think this is possible anyway). The benefits of a color reference system in my mind are two. First, it is a tool you can use to work out how colors (and values) will affect each other before you put them onto the canvas. In some ways, this can lead to new color harmonies—but in my experience it can also keep you from mixing the wrong colors or going in circles. Second, and in my mind equally important, color references can be used to bridge the gap between the color you are seeing in your mind and the one you are mixing on the palette. For example, when you think “blue”—<a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/11/color-do-you-see-what-i-see.html">what blue are you thinking about</a>. If you can pick out the “blue” you want from a color reference system before you start mixing—then you can more quickly know if you mixed the right color.<br /><br />If you are not convinced yet—try this experiment. Think about a color you want to use in your paintings. Say, a sky color—or the color of the grass on a sunny day. Next time you are in the studio—try to mix it. Or, better yet, look out the window and mix it based on what you are seeing. Once you have mixed the color, put it aside for the moment. Next, find a piece of paper or other reference material that is as close as possible to the color you are after. You can again compare it directly (by holding it up to the window, for example). Now, mix the color again but with the reference color sitting on your palette. Now go back and compare the color you mixed when you did not have the reference—and the one you mixed when you had the reference nearby. Which is closer to the color you were after? I think you will see my point pretty quickly. Having a neutral reference can get you closer to where you are going--and faster.<br /><br />I am a strong believer in having as much information around you as possible when you are in the studio. Photos are an accepted material for artists to use. But this is only one form of information—<a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2008/02/painting-from-photographs.html">and not a very good one at that</a>! I also am a firm believer in color references. There are numerous ways to use these to improve you paintings—color mixing only being one.<br /><br />Okay, that’s it for now. Go to the studio and paint. All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist</em></strong>.sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-1361727731407813452008-04-07T09:35:00.000-07:002008-04-07T14:38:11.726-07:00Finding the Shadow Color<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9leWBRKISk9OqIxiYEQcLoqKtFguSRBVFCkqKRKE0ZFPpoYD7_BC8BbK_2Jyud1Bc4me_NVT1NKznHnyB81t-9StUQ58m_TRPH_aXFFWt3oGVJDsbWPty4jyVcY6sa5muJYZa9e1dQmRM/s1600-h/neversaynever.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186543056599181138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9leWBRKISk9OqIxiYEQcLoqKtFguSRBVFCkqKRKE0ZFPpoYD7_BC8BbK_2Jyud1Bc4me_NVT1NKznHnyB81t-9StUQ58m_TRPH_aXFFWt3oGVJDsbWPty4jyVcY6sa5muJYZa9e1dQmRM/s320/neversaynever.JPG" border="0" /></a>"Dead Heroes", Polymer on Canvas, 47 x 66 inches<br />Jerry Lebo, 2008</div><br />I have been busy over the last few weeks working on several large paintings, which has proven to be a big challenge. The above painting is the first to come off the easel, and is about as big as I can effectively paint in my basement studio. Here is a shot of what it looked like on the easel, to give you an idea of the scale.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186552591426578274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2KGdP5gRJA11Ub-CDednrUVzgGlPoOPs9otH-ZTo2QUw6cxOatKVgx4IksVP2ggBn0VdkXZZfkb9LhJpdJk7kWT-Mfr3XNa2JrFlsqJwNktGkF1GgFGnwuschF2SHbqP1N0MNVPmet5B/s320/studio+shot+dead+heroes.JPG" border="0" /> <br /><br />As you can see, I am continuing to pursue the approach I started in the painting of our dog I showed you in my last post. The intent is to push the color harmony ideas I have been talking about over the last few months. That is, to bring together the color interactions in such a way as to make a psychological “color space” which is integral to the subject and message of the painting--and transforms the viewer's experience.<br /><br />The painting itself is based on a photo I took this summer at the World War II memorial here in DC. I made a photo album for my Great Uncle who recently died—as he was too ill to travel to see the Memorial himself. The picture is of one of the waterfalls that they have at each end of the memorial (one each for the Atlantic and Pacific Campaigns)—this one being the Pacific. My Great Uncle was in the Pacific during WWII—and survived the sinking of his ship and his shipmates being eaten by sharks. I have fond memories of how he used to tell me war stories. He is one of the big influences of my youth—always around during the summers I spent in Indiana as a kid. He died a couple of months back after a long battle with prostate cancer. I will miss him--and I suppose the painting is a bit of a memorial to his memory. <br /><br />Okay, so back to the subject of the post—painting shadows. This post has been lurking in my mind for a couple of weeks--and is motivated by one of the key issues I see people struggling with in their paintings. Often we stand back from the easel--and wonder what is wrong with a painting and think "color". But, which color? Most of the time we look at the higher value and high chroma hues and start messing around with those--but in fact it may be the shadows that are the problem. Frankly, I see this over and over in my students work--they pay a lot of attention to the colors where the light is hitting an object or the landscape--but then mix up some pretty boring, or even plain bad, shadow colors. <br /><br />The first message I want to get across is: <strong>shadows are colors!</strong> Let me say it again another way: the color you are putting in the shadow is just as important as the color you are putting on the highlight. If either one is wrong--the painting will suffer. Okay, so how do you find the right shadow color? Well, first, you need to be able to see the shadow color. So let me give you a little exercise that I have learned that will help developed your mind and eyes to better see shadow colors. If you do this exercise regularly, it will improve your painting. I promise. It is a little exercise I call, "find the shadow color". <br /><br />The exercise starts by finding a piece of paper that is a single color and at least around four or five inches square in size. It doesn't matter where it comes from--out of a magazine, book cover, or simply paint a piece of paper. Next, take the piece of paper and put it a few feet away from you in a location where it is being hit by light. It can be natural light coming in from a window (if you are in the studio)--or light from a lamp. Doesn't matter. Once you have your color/paper sitting there, take a moment to really notice the color. Take a long look--try to remember what it looks like. Is it warm or cool? What is the hue? Try to memorize the color. <br /><br />Next, take the same piece of paper and put it somewhere nearby where it is not being hit by light--but the color is still observable (not in the closet!). For example, if you had the paper sitting on a table, put it on the floor next to the table in the shadow of a table. If it was in the light coming in a window, put it in a place where the light is not directly hitting it. Notice the change in color. Take a long look--try to remember what the new color looks like--how did it change when you moved it out of the light? Did it get warmer or cooler? What is the hue? Again, try to memorize the color--and think about how it compares to the color when it was lighted. Move it back and forth between light and shadow and notice what happens.<br /><br />Okay, now the fun part. Go and find another piece of paper (or paint one) that is the color of the paper when it is not being hit by light. This is a lot harder than it sounds. I did this in my office the other day and it took me a good fifteen minutes to find two objects where the color of one was the shadow color of the other. The test that you have the right color is simple. Put the two pieces of paper in light together, then move the original piece (the one you first chose and observed in light) into the shadow. If you have the right shadow color, the two pieces of paper should appear to be the same color.<br /><br />Below are some pictures to give you a better idea of how this works. The first photo below is of the two pieces of paper that I determined were shadow and highlight colors. They are actually the covers of two publications I had sitting around my office. This is how they look sitting on my desk as lighted by the lighting in my office.<br /> <br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186561795541493618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWMOctv8VkJvlpIupcSw6n7Hv71GnPJm8BUJ94lq5TzpkQU1rLW0yC93lzlCXicz4tQ-sGVGLaVEzgo8RYu7KxxyaOoHaVSkNG7VzwavmpcFqcqXmX6sAA9BmpEJ-GgV8bbTpctK7HIDC/s320/shadow+pair.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />So, how do I know that the darker color is the shadow color of the lighter one? Simple, I put the lighter color on the floor off the edge of my desk so that I could see them next to the other. In effect, so that the darker one was in the light, but the lighter one was in shadow. Below is a photo of the result--taken with the darker one sitting on the desk and the lighter one on the floor in shadow.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186561881440839554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0K5CmPxxdXczOAhyvyw6sKSiYhwWETu8LdpeUpsbC21c2Ivb8vrag0YFNAreoL3qp6ENtiLkOZXJBls4RGzrM-6j0OzbI3xM210WDfuP5lX7BcGw7lb2MBHSIiv8RWvtDJLKFF5_HkSc/s320/on+floor.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />You can see that they have effectively become the same color. And, yes, the one on the floor is the lighter color in the above photo. Hard to believe I know. <br /><br />Try this exercise in various lighting conditions and types of light. Finding two colors that work may be a bit of a struggle at first, but you will get better at it. If you do it as a regular exercise, you may be surprised how it improves your ability to paint shadow colors (the first thing you will notice is that shadows are colors--and they have predictable relationships!). Your mind will remember how colors in shadow and light relate--which will make you quicker at finding the right shadow color.<br /><br />There are a lot of variations on this exercise that can help you out in the studio. For example, say I was painting a still life with an object in it that I was having a hard time finding the right (or even simply believable) shadow color. A simple guide might be to paint a piece of paper the color I was using for the object in light, and another piece the shadow color I was using. Then I could do the same as I did above to compare the shadow color to othe other paper "in shadow"--and if the relationship was correct. Even if the match was not perfect, I would expect the temperature and general hue would be in the same range. If the two colors are off--you will see it pretty quickly--trust me. <br /><br />One of the things you will notice right away is that the shadow color of something in natural light is much cooler that a shadow of the same object indoors under normal house lighting. Which means, for example, that the relationships indoors are different than those you would see if you did the same exercise (with the same colors) outdoors. Which means that if you are painting landscapes, use natural lighting for the exercise--and preferably do it outdoors. Also, the shadow color of an object will vary with the distance you are away from it. So, if you move one of the pieces of paper closer or farther away from you--the relationships change. So, think of it as a way to train your eyes and guide your thinking--not a scientific experiment. <br /><br />So there you go. A simple exercise to help you explore shadow colors--and to get better at seeing. Hope you find it useful.<br /><br />All the best, <em><strong>sixtyminuteartist.</strong></em>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-40182407303027485832008-03-21T13:47:00.001-07:002008-03-21T18:20:10.764-07:00Improve Your Studio Lighting<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOosKFIrO6ccm0i_0uyLHLUg8n-u4X0NR8z_ap5sh4oDS9g3BVu9dwl0rdSCWC0G92hDd5VrUhQTdA52PFAH-lwTGuQP7coBQf_UzzzDW8UWXzoHfauRzuGq0U9PR5ZsAkyPNLFQFEHjk/s1600-h/zuni+dog+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180299630144710450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOosKFIrO6ccm0i_0uyLHLUg8n-u4X0NR8z_ap5sh4oDS9g3BVu9dwl0rdSCWC0G92hDd5VrUhQTdA52PFAH-lwTGuQP7coBQf_UzzzDW8UWXzoHfauRzuGq0U9PR5ZsAkyPNLFQFEHjk/s320/zuni+dog+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "Losing a Whole Year", Acrylic on Paper, 18x24 inches</em></div><div align="center"><em>Jerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lebo</span>, 2008</em></div><br /><br />I am sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I am not sick again. To tell you the truth, I simply decided to spend more time in the studio--rather than blogging. This has given me a bit more time to explore new ideas--and I did not have much to write about anyway. The last four weeks or so have been pretty much failure after failure in the studio--until last week--when I started to make some breakthroughs. But, I must admit that I painted some pretty bad paintings in the meantime.<br /><br />I think my new approach in the studio is rooted in my previous postings over the last six months about color and perception, which always get me thinking about what I am trying to do with color in my paintings. I finally decided to take the time to explore some new ideas about how colors relate and how they can make space and visual sensations. As you can see from the above painting, it is already impacting what is coming off the easel. I am much more focused on color and how to simplify what I am trying to say. My intention has been to create what I call “color space”, which is a set of color interactions that create a certain psychological response in the viewer. In my mind, this is at the root of all good paintings. At least the ones I like.<br /><br />Okay, enough about that for now. The reason I am posting today is that I have received several emails recently from readers inquiring about studio lighting, so I thought I would share some thoughts on this issue.<br /><br />Let me start by saying that, by far, the most common mistake I see with studio lighting is that <strong>there is not enough of it</strong>! Many artists are forced to work in upstairs bedrooms or office spaces--and the light is usually much too low to effectively see colors and values properly. I also see a lot of people using lighting that is the wrong color (temperature)--typically too warm--which is what the standard household bulb provides. The fact is that the average number of windows in a house/apartment simply do not let in enough light to effectively work as an artist--so there is nearly always a need to add additional lighting. Many people hear that the best light is "northern light", which is true (if you happen to have it)--but there are things that are more important than having northern light--the first of which is to have enough light. You can make do without northern light--but not too little light.<br /><br />If you have good windows--regardless of the direction they face--the first key is to keep direct sunlight off your canvas and work area when painting. This is also true when you are painting outside. If you are painting with direct sunlight on your canvas or palette--it will distort your perception of color and value (it warms them)--not to mention that it will make you squint. So indirect light is better than direct light. Whether you are outside or inside--if direct light is pouring into your work area--I have always found the best approach is to turn your easel so that the direct light is coming at a 45-60 degree angle to one side of the canvas/easel--so that it is not behind or directly in front of your canvas. If your looking at a subject that is in to the left of your easel, for example, then the sun should be keep on your right side just out of your peripheral vision (say, 60 degrees)--but not so far as to cast any direct light onto your canvas.<br /><br />If you are building a studio, or have your choice of rooms, the ideal situation in a studio is a high level of natural indirect light--which is why people talk about "northern light" as being the best source. The sun moves from east to west during the day--and moves from north to south (toward the equator) as it the season moves to winter. Thus, northern light (in the USA, but not if you live in the southern hemisphere such as in Australia) is the only 365 day per year indirect source of light. That said, it is not only the side it comes from--but the amount, as I have said. Thus, a large western window in your studio is better than having a small Northern window--since at least in the morning you will be getting a lot of indirect light.<br /><br />Okay, so what to do if right now to improve your studio lighting? Without knowing your exact situation, the size and types of window, and time of day you typically paint--generally you want to maximize the indirect sunlight--and avoid direct sunlight. If you have good natural light--the best orientation for your easel is probably away from the window--so that you are maximizing the amount of natural indirect light hitting your canvas. But, be aware that if you have a western or eastern facing window, the amount of light coming will increase at some point during the day and eventually for some period be coming directly into your studio, so you may have to add blinds and/or be able to turn your easel away at an angle, as I have suggested above.<br /><br />Natural light aside, my overall suggestion to most artists is to add more artificial lighting to their studio--but make sure that it is as similar to daylight as possible. This can be halogen, incandescent or fluorescent--depending on what you prefer. The key is to look at the Color Rendering Index (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">CRI</span>) and Kelvin (temp.) of the bulb you are using. Check the manufacturer's web-site or the packaging to find this information. If it doesn't say--don't use it.<br /><br />For reference, remember that natural sunlight has a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">CRI</span> of 100 and Kelvin of around 5500--which is a bit blue in color. The normal light/lamp bulbs you buy at the store have a Kelvin of around 3000 (and a low <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">CRI</span>), which is why they make everything look warm. Many halogen bulbs are also made this way--since bulb makers have learned that people generally prefer warm light. You want to use a bulb that is a least a 90-95 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">CRI</span> and not less than 5000 kelvin. There are halogen lights in this range that are not too expensive--I personally use four fluorescent bulbs at 5000k and 96 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">CRI</span>. You don' t have to buy one of those expensive "art lights" or other bulbs sold at art supply stores. There are plenty of places that sell natural lighting--and you can get it a lot cheaper. Be aware that not any bulb called "natural light" or "full spectrum" will work. Again, check the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">CRI</span> and Kelvin. If the package or web-site does not provide the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">CRI</span> and Kelvin of the bulb--then don't buy it.<br /><br />I find that my studio lighting always feels a bit blue to me--since the light elsewhere in the house is warm. Don't be alarmed if you notice this effect. Natural sunlight tends toward blue--that is why shadows outdoors appear cool. They are only getting indirect (reflected) light from the sun--which is cool. Direct sunlight is warm--which is another reason to keep it from directly shining on your canvas--it changes the colors.<br /><br />One test you might try for your lighting is to take a picture of a piece of artwork using a digital camera with the flash disabled (use a tripod since the exposure is long) under your studio lighting. Then take a picture of the same piece of artwork outside in reflected natural daylight (not direct light). If they look pretty close in terms of color, then your studio lighting is similar to "northern light", since all that means is an even indirect sunlight.<br /><br />Get more lighting in your studio--you can never have too much--only the wrong kind.<br /><br />All the best, <strong><em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">sixtyminutearti</span></em>st.<br /></strong>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-14557758280467364602008-02-22T10:59:00.001-08:002008-02-26T07:48:56.292-08:00Improve your Color Harmony<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4bbBcikPT8YRSQoFRB2YejiIrD96N5_TwjLH5bKziCGdLRAoYwh22iZKCQlo6XYDOTDfwuqSTEfy1ldJ_OgubAST7liW4ZdWO4z70gCLNrrsIeCPw1v3S6F_g9jDZW0Eo837Ena3hNoW/s1600-h/winter+pines.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169881421272675362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4bbBcikPT8YRSQoFRB2YejiIrD96N5_TwjLH5bKziCGdLRAoYwh22iZKCQlo6XYDOTDfwuqSTEfy1ldJ_OgubAST7liW4ZdWO4z70gCLNrrsIeCPw1v3S6F_g9jDZW0Eo837Ena3hNoW/s320/winter+pines.JPG" border="0" /></a><em>"Winter Pines", Oil on Canvas, 20x12 inches<br />Jerry Lebo, 2007</em></div><br /><br />I apologize for not having posted to my blog in a while. As some of you may know, I was traveling during January--which partly explains my silence. But I also managed to catch a case of “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_fever">Dengue Fever</a>” while visiting one of several tropical locations on my itinerary. There were only about 100-200 cases of Dengue Fever in the US last year—so most doctors don't even know how to treat it. I fortunately had access to a good doctor and have slowly recovered. But it has set me back in the studio and blog a bit—as I have been not been able to do much over the last three weeks.<br /><br />Anyway, I am back in the studio and thinking about art--and I am very excited to be back blogging. I plan to use my blog over the next few week to talk about color, which is a topic my students are asking a lot of questions about these days. So, I plan to post some of the ideas and lessons I am sharing with them--and I hope you will be able to take something away that you will be able to use in your own art.<br /><br />The first issue I want to talk about is "color harmony". In my experience, beginning and intermediate artist are always looking for a solution to color problems. Their colors look dingy, or their paintings don't have any spark--and look drab or dull (especially next to other artist's work). Or, their color is way over the top and looks gaudy and/or disorganized. They discover that painting like Monet or Matisse is not as easy as it looks.<br /><br />After enough frustration, an artist will typically seek out new ideas (usually go to the bookstore or sign up for a class) and soon discover "color triads" and the famous "color wheel"--and various other color systems--and soon think that there is a formula or book they can read and learn about color. They buy books called "color harmony" or "color for artists" and read them carefully, then they go back to the studio and try out various ideas--and perhaps their paintings get a bit better--but generally they end up unhappy. The core reason is simple, there is no way for another person to give you advice about what color you should use—or what will make your paintings better. You have to discover it yourself. Color is a personal experience--and what one person likes about color is not necessarily what you will like. Also, learning how to use color requires an active engagement—not a passive one. You cannot learn about color by reading a book--you have to look and learn visually.<br /><br />This leads me to my main hypothesis, the main reason I think artists struggle with color is simple: They don't spend enough time working with it in an active way. I remember when I was studying at the <a href="http://www.washingtonstudioschool.com/">Washington Studio School</a>—no one talked about color. Everyone talked about painting and drawing—but color was assumed to be something you knew about. We talked about values—but never really talked about how and if color became important in painting. Not surprising I have spent a lot of years struggling with color in my own painting. Anyway, I am going to try to talk about some of what I have learned over the years.<br /><br />The first issue to understand is that the human eye is very sensitive to color and can see millions of colors--while it can only see a much narrower band of grayscale value (some think about a hundred values). At the same time, the eye is easily fooled by color and finds it difficult to see the difference between colors. I know this sounds contradictory—but it is true. They eye can see a lot of colors, but at the same time has difficultly seeing differences between two colors—and (as I have mentioned before in <a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/11/color-do-you-see-what-i-see.html">previous posts</a>) the eye has a hard time seeing value and color at the same time.<br /><br />I was doing an exercise with one of my students the other day where she had a series of red color chips taken from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Munsell-Student-Color-Set/dp/1563672006">Munsell Student Color Set</a>. These are basically value and chroma combinations in one color range, in this case red. If you look at these chips all in a pile, some of them look very close in value and color—and are vary hard to tell apart. I took two of the chips that appeared very close in color/value and put them on top of a larger swatch of red color in a reproduction of a painting. One of the chips was very close to the color in the book, but when the other chip was put on the color—it was clear that it was remarkably different. So how can two chips that look so similar sitting together on the table—look so different when placed on large swatch of a color. The answer is—without a reference point—your eye finds it very hard to decide the difference between two colors. But, once you have a reference color—it has the effect of accentuating their difference (I talked about this effect in a<a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/12/relative-value-and-color.html"> previous post</a>). In fact the difference can become so glaring that you will feel stupid you couldn’t see it before. Try it sometime—mix two reds that are close in value and chroma—perhaps one-half value step apart. Then paint a piece of paper with one of the colors. Put the other color on top of it. The difference that was hard to see when comparing two piles of paint—will become obvious when one color is on top of the other.<br /><br />Okay, so what does this have to do with color harmony? The point I want to make is that when an artist goes to mix a “red”--there are thousands and thousands (if not millions) of variations in red to chose from--and believe me (I have tried it), a small change in color can make a big difference in what happens in your paintings. And, where is the reference for the right color? In your mind? If you get it wrong by just a bit--you may take your painting in a whole different direction.<br /><br />Don’t believe me? Next time you are at a museum buy a reproduction of a painting you like—and then mix a color that is just slightly off of one of the colors in the painting (it doesn’t even have to be that much off). Paint over the reproduction with the “slightly off” color and then stand back and look at the painting from a distance. I think you will see very quickly that even a slight change in color can have a big effect in the overall look and feeling of a painting. Color is strange in this way—you have to mix the right one out of the possibly millions of choices or you won’t get the effect you are after. I think this is one of the biggest hurdles to improving color in paintings—taking the time to find the right color—not the “close enough” color. Most artists are in a rush to paint. Thus, rather than finding the right solutions—they stop at something “close”.<br /><br />I will be giving you some exercises to help with color over the next few weeks. But, let me first say that learning about how to use color is a lifelong pursuit. If you have been following my blog, I have been talking a lot about values and working with grayscales. If you have been doing the exercises that I recommend, you have seen how hard it is to learn to see grayscale values. Well, mastering color is much harder than grayscale values. In fact, the problem with color is that there is no scale, formula, or system that you can use to learn about it. As <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Albers">Albers</a> says, it is purely a psychological experience--and thus a moving target. Even your own sense and taste for color will change over time--so there is no way to learn a system and then walk away. It will be an on-going challenge that can keep you busy for a lifetime.<br /><br />Okay, before I close let me give you a simple exercise to get started working on improving your sense of color. This is one I often use myself. First, find a reference—a colorful photo or some colored paper—or even a painting that has been reproduced. Look for a reference that has clear areas of color to work from—that is, areas of color large enough so you can make direct comparisons. Pick a color in your reference and try to mix that color on your palette. Do this exercise with the photo sitting a foot or so away from your palette—so you can see it, but not make a direct comparison while mixing. When you think you have it matched, compare the mixed pile directly to the photo reference. How close did you get? Don’t settle for "close enough"—try re-mixing until you have an exact match. If you have never done this exercise before, I would be surprised if you can even get it exact on the first try. If you are struggling, move the photo reference onto your palette so you can make a direct comparison <strong>while you are mixing</strong>—I bet it will be easier to get close. But even with the reference sitting there on your palette--you may struggle to get an exact match. Okay, here is the final twist. Do the exercise with a limited palette (say, blue, yellow, red, white). See how close you can get with only the primaries--that is my favorite way to do the exercise.<br /><br />I recommend you do this exercise until you have mixed 5-6 different reference colors. If you feel it is too easy—time yourself. See if you can make a perfect match in less than two minutes or less than one minute. Or move the reference further away from you. I know that may sounds strange, but I believe that just taking the time to mix colors will improve your painting. If you do this as a warm-up every day before you start painting—you may be surprised with the result. You should soon not only be able to mix the color you want more closely and more quickly—but you will soon realize that you are able to see the subtle differences between various colors much more clearly as well. You will also be better able to remember colors that you have mixed in your minds eye.<br /><br />Okay, that is it for now. There is much more to be learned about color, but this is a start. I will give you some more exercises in coming posts. Now, go to your studio and paint.<br /><br />All the best, <em><strong>sixtyminuteartist.</strong></em>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-33379273967753222492008-02-06T07:25:00.000-08:002008-02-06T14:34:37.056-08:00Painting from Photographs<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5617l-VmG9FqQzNp6h34bhPFXEJBvpKnMbxcviPJ_8VNNUThrR3F6ADwwG3yEce9JR4DmZgtP8DeOWYtqC5l4ZrIQePsOndF7fLNrvKjtZTEwfreReOfzI1fd_BXP3QfvMxhjQPSzcA0m/s1600-h/evening+sky+study+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163888942499217330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5617l-VmG9FqQzNp6h34bhPFXEJBvpKnMbxcviPJ_8VNNUThrR3F6ADwwG3yEce9JR4DmZgtP8DeOWYtqC5l4ZrIQePsOndF7fLNrvKjtZTEwfreReOfzI1fd_BXP3QfvMxhjQPSzcA0m/s320/evening+sky+study+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "Evening Sky Study", Oil on Panel, 8 x 4.5 inches</em></div><div align="center"><em>Jerry Lebo, 2007</em></div><br /><br />Two posts back I showed you a <a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2008/01/learning-to-see-values.html">simple exercise</a> to help see grayscale values more clearly by painting directly on a printed photo. If you have tried this exercise, you have probably noticed that it may not lead to a very interesting result--at least not something that you would want to hang on the wall. There are several reasons. First, as Josef Albers points out in his book, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Interaction-Color-Expanded-Josef-Albers/dp/0300115954/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202317987&sr=8-1">Interaction of Color</a>", photos lose the finer nuances and delicate relationships that one would see in nature. Put another way, there is much less information to paint from when painting from photos in comparison to standing outside and looking at the real thing.<br /><br />Another problem with painting from photos is that photos distort value relationships. If you have every compared a photo of something to the actual subject, you will have seen that colors change, and values tend to merge together. For example, the shadows in photographs tend to darken and simplify—and the lightest lights tend to get higher in value and merge together. If you want to test this—try this experiment. On a cloudy day, look up at the sky and take a few minutes to notice the all the shapes and value changes you can see. Then, take a picture. You will see very quickly (assuming that you did not apply a variety of photo filters and exposure techniques) that the subtle variations will be lost in the photo. In some cases, the sky may simply become a single value. As Alber's puts it in his book:<br /><br />"…photography registers all lights lighter and all darks darker than the more adjustable eye perceives them. The eye also distinguishes better the so-called middle grays, which in photography after are flattened if not lost."<br /><br />There are other distortions taking place in photos that are less obvious. For example, take a picture of the Grand Canyon and print it out as a 4x6 print—do you think that the photo will give you the same sensation as standing at the Grand Canyon--obviously not? A photo is much smaller in scale than the real thing, so the physical sensation and peripheral sensations of standing there are lost. This is in addition to the value and color distortions I mentioned above. It is no wonder people's eyes glaze over when you show them vacation photos—these are a poor substitute for the real thing. <br /><br />This brings me to the point of this posting. That is, that a good painting has to convey something to the viewer--and a direct reproduction of photo is unlikely to provide the necessary information to convey that sensation. Another way to think about this is to consider paintings that you like--and compare them to photos you have seen of the same thing. For instance, would you prefer to see a Manet painting of a bowl of peaches—or a photo? What would it take to make a photo of peaches as interesting, or better, than a painting? As Edgar Payne says, "A pictorial representation (painting or photo) is always a translation." The art is thus in the translation. So, if you are going to paint from photos—don’t rely entirely on the photo—think about the translation.<br /><br />There are of course many ways to translate visual ideas in paint, and I am not going to be able to say much in a few paragraphs. Instead, let me focus on some ideas to help you if you are going to paint from photos in your studio.<br /><br />1. <strong>Don’t lose your focal area</strong>. A good painting needs an area of emphasis, or focal area. One of the problems I see in photos, since they tend to distort values, is that they may lose or even move the artist’s intended focal point. For example, in landscape photos the far shadows darken and tend to draw undue attention. In other cases, the subtle changes in values that naturally occur in photos will reduce the emphasis/complexity out your intended focal area. Or, the opposite could occur—where more than one point of emphasis emerges (for example, due to a over-darkening of a secondary shadow). Think back to what drew your attention when you took the photo—and work to ensure that that is the focal point in your painting. Don’t rely on the photo too much.<br /><br />2. <strong>Add variation in shadows</strong>. I can almost always tell a painting that has been painted from a photograph—mainly due to the darkness and simplification of the shadows. The most common mistake I see is either to make the distant shadows too dark—or the near shadows too simplified (and dark?). Put an object on the still life stand and take a picture. If you compare the photo to the actual subject—you will see there are subtle value and color changes in the shadows that will lost in the photo. If you are going to paint from the photo, you will need to put these back. If you hold your photo directly under a bright light, you may still be able to see some of the subtle changes that were actually there. If not, I recommend mixing a least three shadow values (two of which will be a half value step or so above the darkest value you plan to use). You should use these higher two values for the majority of your shadow area(s). The darkest value can then be used as an accent as needed—noting that the darkest values tend to occur where two objects meet. A cast shadow will always have some reflected light in it, so will never be the darkest dark—despite the fact they may appear that way in a photograph.<br /><br />3. <strong>Reserve your highest highs</strong>. Just like shadows, the highest highs in photos tend to brighten and merge. Thus, do the same as you would for shadows. That is, don’t use white or near white values right off the bat. Start by taking down the highest values in your photograph by least 1 to 1.5 value steps. For example, the sky in most photos will appear to be nearly white—but if you look outside—the sky is usually 1-2 value steps lower (hint: hold a white cloth out at arms length and look at the sky--which is darker?). Also, the local color of the highest values in your photo may be lost or distorted—that is, they will appear washed out. You may thus need to add a bit of color back into these areas (the color of the sky on a cloudy day is not white). If you don’t’ know what color to add—start with the local color of the object and the color of your light source. The highlight is usually some variation of these.<br /><br />Let me close with a quote from JF Carlson from his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carlsons-Guide-Landscape-Painting-Carlson/dp/0844661023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202318076&sr=1-1">book on landscape painting </a>where he says, "We must not train our eyes to copy tone for tone, but think of the bearing of such colors and harmonies up the main idea of our picture.” In other words, the problem with painting from photographs is not only that they are not an accurate record of values and/or colors—but a good painting is more than a direct copy. It is a translation of reality. So, when painting from a photograph, always keep in mind the sensation and idea that you are trying to communicate—and adjust your value and colors based on what is needed to covey that to the viewer. <strong>Don't be a slave to your reference photos</strong>. Even if you managed to get it perfectly correct, it is not likely to result in a compelling painting, so go ahead and loosen up.<br /><br />Hope that is helpful. <br /><br />All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist.</em></strong>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-84858944070274260362008-01-18T15:41:00.000-08:002008-01-28T21:16:35.508-08:00Selling a painting--who gets the image rights?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ9NaXA8F0lAaLP26Fp8qz7D1PU-84kub-6lydLEznmWJW6xMNMaMhPA3SgfP3quqNHL7_jtjzKspsTb-EpK_Ebh0vJuJmCyE4ZuO5YWggF2gwnaSDB09bKIqNHHchLQ3MiH3B43btmhO/s1600-h/canyon+sunset.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156966427588434450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ9NaXA8F0lAaLP26Fp8qz7D1PU-84kub-6lydLEznmWJW6xMNMaMhPA3SgfP3quqNHL7_jtjzKspsTb-EpK_Ebh0vJuJmCyE4ZuO5YWggF2gwnaSDB09bKIqNHHchLQ3MiH3B43btmhO/s320/canyon+sunset.JPG" border="0" /></a><align="center"><align="center"><em>"Canyon Sunset (Study)", Oil on Panel, 8x10 inches<br />Jerry Lebo, 2007</em><br /><br /></div><div align="left"><align="left"></div><div align="left">I received an email the other day from one of my readers asking what appears to be a straightforward question. A local business wanted to commission a painting, but also wanted to use an image of the painting in their promotional material. Furthermore, they wanted to be able to manipulate the image for various uses—in this case, they wanted to change the colors to fit with a boy or girl theme. My reader said that there wasn’t much information on the internet about this issue—and wanted my thoughts. I did a bit of searching on the internet and found there was some information—the problem was that most of it was wrong. So, I thought I would do a post on this issue, so others might benefit.<br /><br />The first thing you need to know is that when an artist sells a painting, they are not selling the rights to use the image in other forms, such as on web-sites, promotional material, business cards, etc. An artist retains all rights to the image when they sell the painting. Under US copyright law, using an image of an artist's painting requires <strong>written permission from the artist until 70 years after his/her death.<br /></strong><br />You should also understand that rights to the image have value that are separate from the painting itself. For example, if you own the rights to an image, you can make prints and sell them. In other words, if you were to sign over your rights to the image, the person who purchases these rights could, in theory, go down to the local art fair (or in their store) and sell framed prints of the image for whatever they think they can get--and you could not stop them. If they have full ownership to the image rights, the can even sell those image rights to someone else—or even more than one buyer! If the image gets popular—the rights could be worth more than the painting.<br /><br />So what if you put your paintings in a gallery? Galleries will often require you to allow them to retain the image rights during the period they are selling the painting so they can advertise it on their web-site or in print. This would be spelled out in the contract you would sign with the gallery--since these rights are not the same as owning the painting. Usually, once a painting is sold, the rights to the image revert to the artist--unless it was agreed the gallery would retain them.<br /><br />What about commissions? I saw a lot of advice out there on the Internet that said that if the work is a “commission”, the buyer of the commission has the rights to the image. This is not always true—and in most cases where an artist takes a studio commission—it is not the case. Under US copyright law there is a clause that relates to what is call "work for hire". The “work for hire” clause applies when you are working as a freelance artist and supplying work to an employer—in which case the employer gets both the work you create and the rights to the image. Your employment contract would probably have a clause to this effect in any case. Some artists interpret this as "if it is commission, the image rights go with the painting." This is not true—unless you actually agree to this in the commission contract. Here is a link that explains when a painting is a “work for hire” and when it is not:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.copylaw.com/new_articles/wfh.html">http://www.copylaw.com/new_articles/wfh.html</a><br /><br />Okay, so what does this mean for an artist who has a client that wants to buy the painting and also use the image? First, you have to judge the situation and decide what is important to you--and think about the risks of granting the rights to use an image. Minimally, you should have a written contract with the person using the image covering the limits of the use of the image. There are sample contracts out there—typically in books which provide sample legal forms for artists. The language of these contracts can be quite daunting—when they talk about “moral rights” “resale royalties”. But there are some good web-sites out there that can help with understanding terminology. You can also always make up your own contract—if you feel comfortable with the issues. Here is a link to a book of sample contract documents—but there are numerous others out there—and I am not recommending this one over any other:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.greatideagear.com/business.fine.artists.html">http://www.greatideagear.com/business.fine.artists.html</a><br /><br />So, I guess the bottom line for an artist, who has a buyer who wants to use the image as well, is that you need to negotiate the terms and put them in writing. This can be part of the commission contract—or a separate agreement. You can grant the image rights for free, charge a lump-sum fee, or have a royalty--that is fee per use. If the person only wants to put it on their brochure--the contract might give the rights for one year for that specific purpose--this is like renting the image for specific use.<br /><br />In terms of price you should charge, it is up to the market. If you think that $100 is fair for one year use--then charge that. If you want publicity for your work—you might want to make it free--but sign the painting clearly so everyone will see your name when the painting is reproduce. You can specify in the contract that a citation must be given under the painting every time it appears in print (even specify what it should say, for example, "Jerry Lebo, 2008"--or better yet require them to put your web-site under the image. As I said above, you can put a sunset clause in the contract that after one year (or five years?) the rights would revert back to you--so they have to at least come back to you and discuss continued use of the image. The right to reproduce a popular image a single time--might cost $200-$300 dollars (or more) out on the market depending on its use. If you want to know what people are charging go look at the stock image web-sites--where businesses go to buy images for promotional purposes. Here is one--where they give you their prices.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.worldofstock.com/">http://www.worldofstock.com/</a><br /><br />I did a test on what it would cost to use one of their stock photos (not even a very good photo) in a brochure at half page size for a maximum of 1000 prints--and the price was $250. You get the picture, so to speak. The image rights have value--even if limited.<br /><br />The last issue raised by my reader really bothered me. That was the idea that you would grant the rights to manipulation of the image when you sold the painting. This would be very hard to monitor--and the buyer could easily make you look bad by manipulating the painting in a negative way. So you would really have two choices here--either allow it, but require that you have prior approval of every manipulation. Or, you could propose that you provide a discount if they would buy two paintings (in this case, one with a girl theme and one boy). That eliminates the manipulation risks—and gives you a second sale. You can then rent the rights to use both images under the above terms without manipulation. To sweeten the deal, you can tell the buyer--if they buy two paintings instead of wanting to be able to manipulate one image, you will grant the use of both images in promotion for free for 1-2 years (or for a number of brochures)—but no manipulation allowed.<br /><br />Anyway, each situation will be unique, and all elements of image rights should be considered and negotiated. I cannot cover them all here—so I have tried to lay out the basic principles. Just remember, the image has value separate from the painting itself—so be careful how you grant these rights. You don’t want to see an image of one of your paintings used improperly; it can impact your career as an artist.<br /><br /><align="left">All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist </em></strong></div><br /><br /><em>Post Script:</em> If you are looking for more information on copyright law and pricing of image rights, several of my readers have noted the <a href="http://www.gag.org/">Graphic Artists Guild</a>, which produces a publication titled <a href="http://www.gag.org/pegs/index.php">"Pricing and Ethical Guidelines"</a>. This publication provides sample contracts, pricing guidelines, and further information on copyright and business practices for creative artists.sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-38443914724512391852008-01-11T08:59:00.000-08:002008-01-11T11:23:31.739-08:00Learning to See Values<div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154265043483105714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlFTTgNE75zxNxaDtjolBvt8HrIPl0MOyo-jUklXH9RBBmU7GHRfjL1dSw_8oW1Em0C-8hZaaoR5BGvEwBbEuxrlPUEcVXqVTGUo-lgesxTj1OMoSHEhrzG5VMSCWSAtc497kVijL95x3V/s320/merrick+butte.JPG" border="0" /> <em>"Monument (Merrick Butte)", Oil on Panel, 8x8 inches</em><br /><align="center"><em>Jerry Lebo, 2007</em></div><br /><br />Some of you are probably wondering what happened to me--having not posted to my blog for several weeks. No, I did not stop painting or have some terrible accident. Family is fine, thanks for asking. I am very much alive and kicking--but just decided to take a total break from my blog over the holidays--and then added a few more days for good measure. So I hope everyone had a good break, but it is now back to work and back to the studio!<br /><br />The good news is that the holiday break gave me a chance to work through some issues in my own painting, as well as develop some new ideas and painting exercises. The painting exercises are thanks to my students, who continue to challenge me as I try to impart my ideas to them in new and innovative ways.<br /><br />One of the questions that kept coming up for me during the holiday break was the rather basic question, "How does one learn to paint?" For a long time, I have heard from others who say that the only way to learn how to paint is to "do it". And, while this may be partly true, you can paint badly for a long time and not learn anything. My current students are quick learners and thirsty for new ideas on how to improve--so I have been challenged to come up with exercises to assist their process. Some of these have proven useful in my own work. And, I am now convinced, more that ever, that the key to improving is...are you ready...<strong>learning to see</strong>. <br /><br />No surprise, right? So what do I mean by “learning to see”? To put it simply, what I mean is increasing your ability to distinguish between colors, values, and their interactions—and use this knowledge in your art. To use a similar analogy from music (i.e., “learning to hear”), this would be the ability to hear the difference to between notes, pairs of notes (chords), and learn how they interact when played together—and to use that knowledge to make music. <br /><br />Unfortunately, it appears there is a difference between music and art. That is, while everyone seems to take for granted that you need to practice for a long time before you go onstage—in painting people seem to think that you can write music the first day you pick up a brush. I mean everyone has two eyes, and it is simply copying what you see—isn’t it? Even artists have this bias in the back of their own minds--wondering why when they are not painting like a master after a decade or two. Would you expect to be able to write the equivalent of a Beethoven symphony after a decade of piano lessons—or, as most painters equivalently are doing, a decade or two of twiddling at the keys?<br /><br />Okay, so how does one “learn to see” in practical terms. Let me give you an example. One thing that I have noticed about my students is that they are struggling translate what they see in their minds onto canvas. For example, it is very easy for me to say, "do you see that green…okay, mix the same color and value and put it on the canvas". But there are a lot of steps in the process. You need to be able to mix a color that is at least close to what you want (and in the right value), pick it up with the brush so that it is not too thin or thick, and make the right stroke on the canvas. There is a lot of room for error in this simple process.<br /><br />Let me give you a more concrete example. One of the problems that my students have been struggling with is how to get the right "value" onto the canvas. Not the value they see in their mind, but the actual value required. What surprises me is that when I show them a value that is very dark--say slightly above black—they will mix and put something down one or two value steps lighter? Can’t they see? It is frustrating for them when this happens, and frustrating for me to watch. But, it reminds me of what Josef Albers says in "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Interaction-Color-Expanded-Josef-Albers/dp/0300115954/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200078680&sr=8-1">Interaction of Color</a>", where he says that even in his advanced painting class, only 40% of the students when shown two different colors could correctly pick the one that was darker than the other. And, these were his advanced students! So, it is not as easy as it sounds "to see".<br /><br />Let me give you a more personal example. I tried an exercise the other day where I took a simple photograph that was in color and tried to guess how many equivalent grayscale values were in the photograph (one of the silly things I do in my free time). I guessed six. Then I printed the photo out as a black and white print--and I looked at it again—and could see there were in fact around eight. Then I did something I used to do as an exercise years ago, I went down in the studio and tried to match by direct comparison every tone in the picture by directly mixing the actual value (using ivory black and titanium white) and putting it down where I saw it on the printout. Guess what, I discovered by direct comparison that there were at least 10-12 values in the picture (although some were very close). This shows you how hard it is to see values in black and white photo—let alone color. <br /><br />The funny thing was, after I did this exercise, I decided to start painting. And, guess what? My painting process felt a lot smoother, and I felt like I was in control of my values during the process. The exercise of simply looking for, and then actually mixing a set of subtle values, heightened my ability to see for hours after I did the exercise—maybe for longer. <br /><br />So, there you go. This is what I mean by “learning to see”. Taking the time to do something that <strong>physically forces</strong> you to struggle with seeing a value, color, or interaction between values or color. This is the best thing you can do for your painting—right now, today. Let me say that again in another way. If you want to be a better painter—don’t waste your time painting—do something that forces you to look harder and see something that you don’t normally see. The results will stay with you—and improve you work much more quickly than an hour spent painting badly. <br /><br />Now, I know many of you won’t believe me—and will not take the time to do these types of simple seeing exercises. They are tedious—and not as fun as painting. But, believe me, this is what is needed to paint better. This is how you learn how to paint—challenge yourself to look and see—and you paintings will get better. It can work with composition, color, values, color interactions—all aspects of painting get better by physically doing an exercise that stretches you ability to see that thing you did not see before (not thinking or reading about it, but physically doing it). <br /><br />Okay, so what exercises can you do? Of course, there are thousands. But, here is one exercise I know works—and you might want to do before you next painting session. Take a simple photograph, maybe of a still life or simple landscape—and print it out in black and white on an inkjet or laser printer. If you are working from photographs in the studio, you can use the same subject you are planning to paint. But, this is not a study you are doing, it is an exercise. You are <strong>not</strong> trying to make something that you will use—it is something that you are going to throw away. <br /><br />Start by putting some ivory black and white on the palette—and try to mix one of the values you see in the reference print—and then put it down right where you see it in the photo. You should compare the value before you commit to it. So, take a small dab of the mixture you have mixed on your palette and put it directly on the printout when you think it is. It will visually "disappear" on the printout if the value matches. Take the time to remix and remix until it is right. Don’t settle for “close”, get the value exactly right. When you have a match, take a blank sheet of paper and record it with a little patch of paint. Then, move to the next value. See how many different values you find in your photo at the end. Here is a picture of the results of this exercise when I did it this morning.<br /><br />Here is the startup—with my printout and bit a clean paper to record values.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154292101777070530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIjbUgQwPAvWCx8abaXP1UrYdJT-TFqQdEhLZOzZ-1HoPNEhEBGhQzRmg9k7k7GeiTt-02H9Epp-FtBzo6bo135gKVKLlA6hNq_yZ3l0npw5ct5VdUMGgr1KkTJENq6dlfi1RUB2yZaA1/s320/starting+setup.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Here is about midway.<br /><br /><align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154292269280795090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj0RijsNfLmQrkz1CbTX_w9xeejgh1S_O2pDWBMENl3Ja6s2p7tJ-2dduE83ohqBA6yVm2_pgaFHjgC4Gl2Nv8pMXwTO4cln5DgBCGap_Lj0kkh45_XmIMWrGJMjEUlKVTFbY7CYDqUcg/s320/midway+study.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />And, here is the printout when it is covered. Keep in mind, this is not the same as making a painting. It is not even a value study. It is simply a piece of paper covered in paint—the benefit is in the process—not the product.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154293089619548674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfWJ_MyH2nPPsBwaUcGXgbcjBvrfNq4NyCvrOsxsymOGQpV5VRCkEapSJ7ejXHxWQ8Ubfax-6TzqxuOpG1hikPxN5Q-M8wT1tv1Dxz0Z6Zvmdo0pNasVoGucEhNRhgufawh4HqT2wQ5Yc/s320/final+state.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />If you do this exercise until you have covered to whole photograph—I am convinced you will have learned something. You may not feel it, or be able to talk about it—but your eyes will be learning when you are doing this exercise. Try doing it everyday for a week for 30 minutes—and you will see an improvement in your work—I promise.<br /><br />Okay, that is it for now. In my next post, I will teach you how to take this exercise a bit further into a formal study—or even into a painting. But, the process I described is a good exercise in and of itself—and worth doing even it you plan to throw away the finished product. The process will subconsciously teach your eyes to see values in a way you can never learn from a book or from looking at paintings. I am convinced, "learning to see" requires a physical/active engagement--there is no other way. <br /><br />So, that is what I learned over the holidays, how about you? <br /><br />All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminutearist.</em></strong></p>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-21603257113593629492007-12-20T06:03:00.000-08:002007-12-20T08:34:33.131-08:00Color--A Natural History of the Palette<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE5e8PeSGJjeeT-SHG625ON0B0pjWfeIeeRkNLe3YzWv_qBixZPpBGDFxtH3v2LpvlXJQOiKaRKSnjHdHiJ76GF52vIjC2itLq3hDJT79ZrqHDZUX7e7WCuR57dlqJGg7qV0yr_lLCoTs/s1600-h/canyon+view.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146055518703895746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE5e8PeSGJjeeT-SHG625ON0B0pjWfeIeeRkNLe3YzWv_qBixZPpBGDFxtH3v2LpvlXJQOiKaRKSnjHdHiJ76GF52vIjC2itLq3hDJT79ZrqHDZUX7e7WCuR57dlqJGg7qV0yr_lLCoTs/s320/canyon+view.JPG" border="0" /></a><em>"Canyon View (Study)" 8x8 inches, Oil on Panel<br />Jerry Lebo, 2007</em><br /><br /></div><div align="left">Greetings. I hope everyone is having happy Holiday season. I am looking forward to getting some extra studio time, as I have started to work on a series of landscapes that I have been thinking about for at least three months. It has taken me that long to get the concept together in my mind. The above study is the first of the series, which I am hoping over the next few months will come together as a cohesive statement on Southwestern landscapes. I will be doing some larger paintings over the period, as well as many of these smaller studies, and will post them as they come off the easel. Stay tuned.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Anyway, I am reading a book that I wanted to make recommendation about--in case you are looking for a last minute present for the artist in your life or looking for something to read over the Holidays. The book is called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Color-Natural-History-Victoria-Finlay/dp/0812971426">"Color: A natural history of the palette"</a> , by Victoria Findlay. In a roundabout way, this book speaks to one of the issues I have been mentioning in my blog--the (over) abundant availability of pigments for artists. The book does a good job of putting this modern phenomenon in context--and clearly makes the point that for most of modern history, access to color and pigments has been a struggle for artists--including rug makers, textile makers, and painters. Today, however, the problem of access to color is largely solved by the invention of chemical and man-made substitutes for previously natural sources. For example, I was just in the art store and noticed that Winsor & Newton sells 12 different yellows alone. I can imagine JMW Turner falling to his knees at the sheer sight of the W&N rack! <br /><br /></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">As I have said in past posts, it is my experience that the wide availability of artist paints is in fact a detriment to the beginning artist. The natural inclination is to buy a wide range of these colors and to start painting with them right out of the tube--putting in some white or black to adjust the value. The results will not be pleasing. Most of the modern paints you buy at the art store are so overloaded with pigments--that it is a wonder that anyone can get them to work in a painting. Personally, I find that I spend most of the time mixing a paint not to get it the color "up" (in chroma)--but to get it "down" so that it doesn't jump off the canvas or ruin the whole harmony of the painting. <br /><br /></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">To me there is a question if we need all these modern colors. My normal palette for almost all paintings, including the one above--is simple: cadmium yellow, cadmium red, sap green, ultramarine blue, and titanium white. Sorry, but the lack of "Bismuth Yellow" has never stopped me from making a decent painting. On the other hand, it would be very easy to ruin one if I had a tube of it sitting around or a bit squeezed out on the palette. You have to have a really good reason to squeeze Prussian Blue out on your palette--it is like setting off a hydrogen bomb. <br /><br /></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">So, back to the book. What I like about this book is that it reads as both a travel journal and history lesson on the sources and use of various artist's pigments. Each of the chapters focuses on a particular color--such as red, white, yellow. etc. , and examines the history and cultural context of its production, sale, and use by various artists. Some of what is in the book I had learned from various other sources, such as the source for ochre paints. Or the reason, sienna and burnt sienna got their names. However, there is so much more that I didn't know, I have enjoyed reading each and every page. <br /><br />Here are some tidbits to tempt you: </div><div align="left"> </div><ul><li><div align="left">Michelangelo’s unfinished painting "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Entombment">Entombment (1501)</a>" was probably left that way as he was waiting for his valuable shipment of ultramarine blue paint to arrive from Afghanistan--where it is still made today;</div></li></ul><ul><li><div align="left">Turner was a big fan of the paint "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmine">carmine</a>", a red which is considered "fugitive" and thus would have faded in color quickly. As a result, many of his paintings do not look anything like they would have when he painted them. Turner used some pigments that faded very quickly, even during the period of his own lifetime, but he refused requests from his patrons to "fix them" even though he knew that his choice of pigments was the cause. In later years, he used "iodine scarlet" which was known to fade very quickly--even within 6 months from first painting.</div></li></ul><ul><li><div align="left">For most of the last two centuries, the main source of red pigment has been an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal">insect</a>. Even today, some of the products you consume use an acid produced by this insect as a natural food coloring--including Cherry Coke. It is also commonly still used in makeup, so you may be rubbing it on your face.</div></li></ul><div align="left">Anyway, I hope that is enough to consider getting a copy of the book. I think you will enjoy it. And, since you can't paint 24 hours a day--it will give you something to do during breaks from the easel.</div><div align="left"> <br /><br /></div><div align="left">All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist</em></strong>.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-64398568001428650922007-12-13T06:12:00.000-08:002007-12-15T05:38:49.750-08:00"Relative" Value and Color<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnQG2n_Uu5btDJY_nZe1fbQwEjZWZZgUuOIFjeqaIAUa2kWkqqBLEoIuzGYaP89l7tBm1jsYIcL1YrcUqf1hQUUuxAtVyXXHa2M-XwT6Mnjy8zRh1OO3D2KO4IG0O79dTWm9dDVotI_pb/s1600-h/red+licorice+laces.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143460798471646098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnQG2n_Uu5btDJY_nZe1fbQwEjZWZZgUuOIFjeqaIAUa2kWkqqBLEoIuzGYaP89l7tBm1jsYIcL1YrcUqf1hQUUuxAtVyXXHa2M-XwT6Mnjy8zRh1OO3D2KO4IG0O79dTWm9dDVotI_pb/s320/red+licorice+laces.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>"Red Licorice Laces", Oil on Panel 6x6 inches<br />Jerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lebo</span>, 2007</em></div><br /><br /><div align="left">Okay, I know what you’re saying "red licorice laces", why would someone do a painting of such a thing? Well, the answer is for two reasons. First, it was a commission from a collector--and you know how I feel about turning down commissions. If not, you can <a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/10/commissions-where-to-start.html">read my post </a>on this issue. Second, I really like painting unusual things--I also did a <a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/08/painting-unusual.html">post </a>on that sometime back. I find that painting something unusual can free up your painting process. Painting unusual things also seems to make people paint more loosely--I guess because they can take it a bit less seriously. Finally, it is good every once in a while to paint something different, since it is easy to get into a rut with your paintings--pretty soon all those trees start looking the same. Painting something unusual also forces you you to do (and possibly) learn something new. Try it,<br /><br />The “Red Licorice Laces” painting is a good example of what I want to talk about today, which is "relative" value and color. That is, when you go to mix a certain value or color, you have to understand that the color or value will change depending on what you put next to it. This is a point I cannot emphasize enough, so let me say it again in another way. The value or color you are mixing on your palette is not the color you will see on your painting--as it will change depending on what is already in your painting. Here is a diagram that demonstrates this well.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143892903886111906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQIJ37bmxjziFr0wOFJ3qndjJUYkGWU7MTj9Bwc_IHVamzfI-xsy43SFAifHiCA1x2NJSHYxp8zG6O9fKWiaaOm7gp8Loikcrktpt0M0aYXqfLrBAhaGbS30vaMqtgldNbK_V7maBW5mo/s320/crispen.gif" border="0" /> <br /><br />In this diagram there are two different colors/values that are very close to one another placed across three different backgrounds. The top set of values from left to right are all the same value and color, as are the bottom set. It think everyone will be able to see that the same value/color appears darkest when on the lightest background and darkest when on the lightest background. The color also changes slightly. In the middle box, you can also clearly see the slight variation in the small change in value from the top and bottom set. This is because the background value is between the two values, which has the affect of accentuating their difference.<br /><br />So what does this have to do with the "Red Licorice Laces". Well, the above principle of relativity not only applies to hue (color) and value, but to the intensity of a color. When I set out to paint "Red Licorice Laces", it was clear to me that the laces were relatively dark in value--even where the light was hitting them. Thus, the challenge was going to be how to get a sense of light into the laces without putting white into the red paint--which would have just dulled it down and made a horrid pinkish color. The answer, which I had learned over years of painting, was to raise the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">chorma</span> of the color, not the value.<br /><br />How did I do that? First, as I started the painting, my main focus was getting the values correct. I first focused on the relationship between the background, foreground, and larger shapes in the mass of licorice. Overall, I could see that the highest value in the licorice was around the value of the background--but it was much more intense. So I kept the background rather neutral and around the mid-value range--and painted the rest of the licorice in various tones in the lower range of red. When I was ready to "pop" the light into the licorice, I went for a straight cadmium red--which has the highest chroma (intensity) of any red. The nice thing about cadmium red is that I know that it is right in the middle of the value scale (here, the same as the background)--and since I had painted the rest of the licorice in either lower values and/or chroma, it reads as light to the eye. In fact, here is a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">picture</span> of the painting in black and white. You can see that it is the intensity of red (chroma) that reads as light--not the value.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143942059786814642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEvRSuZvLYDNeRSrwMSsKxJN444Ltlig_Wbh73hDGnbjwOVF4Iio5EDPmyKocvooAUH9dAlHQvsnnc0m48h84234cY1arN3BFNb9pLYBYj6iO38MTaK5aIxB6tuKWzbZxcSsDPZMn5ipV/s320/red+licorice+laces+bandw.jpeg" border="0" /><br /><br />I wanted to show you this effect so that you would understand not only is every color or value relative to what you already have put down on the canvas--but there are times when you can use the fact that the eye sees chroma as light to your advantage. For example, if you look up at the sun it appears to be a very high value. A setting sun, glows a bright orange that is intense. Most beginning painters want to put white into orange to make this effect--but this approach will never work--since white just reduces the chroma value of orange. If you take out your white paint and hold it up in comparison to a setting sun, it will appear to be darker--so not only are you reducing the chroma of the orange by adding white--but you are moving it towards a value that is lower that what you are after. Artists have for centuries painted setting suns--so how do they do it? The answer is that they exploit the natural <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tendencies</span> of the eye--which is to see everything relative to what is next to it--and mistake <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">chorma</span> for light. For example, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">you</span> may already know that putting a very slight bit of cadmium yellow into white paint makes white "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">luminese</span>" (appear to go up in value). So white is in fact not the highest potential value on your palette in relative terms--it is white with a bit of yellow. Try it. Put some white on your canvas next to white with a touch of yellow--and the latter will appear brighter. Now, add a neutral gray around the yellowed white--say of a mid range value of gray--and it will really start to glow. Get the picture?<br /><br />So what does this "theory of relativity" mean for your art. How can you apply this in your art right away? I have three suggestions to think about next time you are painting:<br /><br /><strong>1. Think of more than one option</strong> --when mixing a value or color, the tendency is to focus on only the color/value at hand. That is, you imagine the color you need and try to mix the the color/value directly. But, this is not the only option. For example, if you want to increase the value of a certain area of your painting, you can also lower the value of what is around it. If your value is already high (say, near white or slightly under), then the option of raising the value will not work in any case. So, try increasing the chroma--not only the value. Raising the chroma works particularly work well in shadows to give a sense of reflected light. For example, put a color with the same value as the shadow--but a bit of color/chroma in it--and it will read as reflected light.<br /><br /><strong>2. Know your Materials.</strong> Most tube paints are at their highest chroma straight from the tube, and will diminish in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">chorma</span> if any color is added--even white. So learn the value and chroma values of the paints you are using. Here is a <a href="http://personales.upv.es/gbenet/teoria%20del%20color/water_color/color10.html">link to a chart </a>that gives you both the value and chroma relationship of most tube paints.<br /><br /><strong>3. Keep a Reserve.</strong> Never mix a color that is close to your darkest dark or lightest light early in the painting process. If you do, you will have nowhere to move up or down later--and you will find yourself painting all you other values in relative terms. If you are painting in a 9 interval value scale, for example, paint between values 2-8 for most of the painting--and at the end come back and add accents of your darkest dark or lightest values. You will see, it is the highest values and darkest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">darks</span> that give a painting its sense of light (of course, also reflected lights, to a lesser extent). You will see that a few strategically placed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">darks</span> and lights will really give your paintings a sense of light.<br /><br />Well, that is it for today. I just wanted to give you some ideas as you head into the weekend painting period. Get out some of your art books and see if you can find a case where another artist has used chroma to portray light (hint: Sargent and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Sickert</span> were masters of this approach). Then try to do it in your paintings.</p><p>All the best, <strong><em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">sixtyminuteartist</span>.</em></strong>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-83149968316640778162007-12-06T08:50:00.000-08:002007-12-06T11:31:33.419-08:00How to Paint Loosely<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQvt8sMTwtHZtM6rNvbcP_cqSoBVx_z5UwMqlHwIaEhkahvtMGixVupLWSJ-wyUUV2XKSrVaxSXQ36Nth7LssLe5IEGmlQ-JSzr0GPfKGmdDPEF08jFlUs9of058ha2DCXK_NeHOK3YLn/s1600-h/pears+step+3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140903849821514626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQvt8sMTwtHZtM6rNvbcP_cqSoBVx_z5UwMqlHwIaEhkahvtMGixVupLWSJ-wyUUV2XKSrVaxSXQ36Nth7LssLe5IEGmlQ-JSzr0GPfKGmdDPEF08jFlUs9of058ha2DCXK_NeHOK3YLn/s320/pears+step+3.JPG" border="0" /></a><em>"Two Pears (monochromatic study)", Oil on Panel, 6x6 inches</em></div><div align="center"><em>Jerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lebo</span>, 2007</em></div><div align="left"></div><em></em><br /><em>"A painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, some fantasy. When you always make your meaning perfectly plain you end up boring people."</em><br /><em>—</em><strong>Edgar Degas</strong><br /><br />People often ask me how I keep my paintings “loose”. I think what they mean by "loose" is that my paintings look like they were done spontaneously—and do not appear overworked or over-polished. However, my wife will tell you that they don’t always come out this way. She often comes into my studio and tries to stop me from continue to work on a painting when she sees it is going well. Many times I have ruined a painting trying to "improve" it—an experience that I am sure you have had yourself. It is very easy to do the wrong thing to an otherwise good painting thinking you are going to improve it—only to find that it has become dull or drab. As Degas says, you have to keep some vagueness and mystery in you paintings—even if your gut reaction is to paint it away in the name of making it look more refined. Degas also always said that "no art was less spontaneous than his"—and that the final output as the result of “reflection and study of the great masters.” Appearing spontaneous takes a lot of work!<br /><br />One of my students has asked me to help her paint more loosely, so I have been working to design some exercises to assist her development in this regard. In my mind there are two parts to get a spontaneous feeling in your paintings. First, you have to paint with clarity and conviction—and not be afraid to let the process take over a bit. Second, you need to understand what is important to making a painting work. That is, what is essential to a painting so that it can hang by itself on a wall and draw people’s attention?<br /><br />One can talk about what makes a painting good or bad for hours (and people do), but I wanted to design a practical exercise to help my student discover it herself. So I thought I would share with you what I have come up with.<br /><br />You will see that I am going to undertake the demonstration as a monochrome painting. One reason is to show you that making your paintings appear spontaneous does not require you to splash colors all over the canvas haphazardly--which I see a lot of out there. In fact, it is more likely to ruin your painting—than make it better. Also, I want to show you that, regardless of how spontaneous your paintings look, good value relationships are important. The student I am working with has a good sense of how to see value relationships—which I think the beginning painter needs to spend a lot of time focusing on before moving to the next step. If you cannot see values clearly—it is going to be difficult to loosen up your style and keep in all under control. So work on values first if you are just starting out—you can see my previous post for some ideas on how to do this.<br /><br />In my mind, the key to painting “loosely” is rapid and confident decision making. When you move your brush from the palette to the canvas—you need to think of the stroke you are about to make as an indication of a shape and value, not the actual shape or value. If you have laid out your palette correctly, with your values clearly set out, then once you have loaded the brush with paint--the value decision is done. Thus, moving to the canvas to put down a stroke is your shape decision. What I mean by "indication of shape" is that you don't want to try and match exactly what you see so much--so much as <strong><em>what you feel is there</em></strong> or what you want to say about that shape. Simplify what you are seeing to its most basic form.<br /><br />Here is an exercise you might try to better understand what I mean--a timed painting which limits in the amount of time that you spend at each phase. Get yourself an egg timer or kitchen timer and do the following exercise with whatever subject matter you feel most comfortable. A small still life or landscape study is fine--but I would suggest using a smaller canvas. Before starting, set out your palette in a seven or nine value scale with black and white at the ends.<br /><br />1. <strong>The sketch (five minutes)</strong>--give yourself five minutes to put a sketch down using your next to darkest value. Don't block in any values--just focus on the silhouette and making out the major shapes and shadows. You can correct the drawing as much as you want during the five minutes--but when the timer stops---you have to work from what is there. I did this last night--the following sketch took 41/2 minutes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V1Lj6e6cD8vd5DqBlKoMMDZGHH_lwpfvc1ycYPqPLXWnCmCTI_aKHtu_4D24yFahmfYFia_AfF4wf4aAVzOjXKhy8frBFtfKSGfzKmZP6HNHKsP1qcmu4vLd9OVlUwQUGb2P3kjQ3Mn1/s1600-h/pears+step+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140903789691972466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V1Lj6e6cD8vd5DqBlKoMMDZGHH_lwpfvc1ycYPqPLXWnCmCTI_aKHtu_4D24yFahmfYFia_AfF4wf4aAVzOjXKhy8frBFtfKSGfzKmZP6HNHKsP1qcmu4vLd9OVlUwQUGb2P3kjQ3Mn1/s320/pears+step+1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />2. <strong>Large Masses (10 minutes)</strong>--working from dark to light, give yourself 10 minutes to block in the major value changes in the painting mainly using your middle value ranges--stay away as much as possible from the darkest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">darks</span> and whites during this period--you will need these later. You should be looking all over the painting to make sure the relationship between the various objects and background make sense. Do not paint any details--or go for perfection. Get the canvas covered and make corrections to the largest masses until you have something that sits well on the canvas. Here is my demonstration painting at 10 minutes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UGGkMvbS6pTgwkquYjKluHITmNAnHecq4rW2Sfj2OK4NQD5RE8MZkaexA1XI-LPD2DWmBJbe6rgA_lMkMQlMdngjg9WGGbc5MbAtWir-W_zSUCeuWLbPcZxQE6n9XsAwopuUtgBNgjbk/s1600-h/pears+step+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140903725267463010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UGGkMvbS6pTgwkquYjKluHITmNAnHecq4rW2Sfj2OK4NQD5RE8MZkaexA1XI-LPD2DWmBJbe6rgA_lMkMQlMdngjg9WGGbc5MbAtWir-W_zSUCeuWLbPcZxQE6n9XsAwopuUtgBNgjbk/s320/pears+step+2.JPG" border="0" /></a> <br /><br />3. <strong>Dimension and Light</strong> <strong>(10-15 minutes)--</strong>focus on getting a sense of mass and light into the picture. If you have done the second step correctly--the objects will be there in roughly the right relationship--but lack a strong sense of light or mass. Focus on two areas of work for 10 minutes. First, transitional values, look for areas where two values are coming together--but the change is too abrupt so that it draws the eye too much. Put a value between the two values down as a transitional value--don't make them up--look for them in what you are painting. They are there--but a bit harder to see. Avoid putting too many transitions in the area you think will be the final focal point--you want to keep at least 1-2 sharp transition here. Once you have a few nice transitions down--move to your lighter values and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">darks</span> and begin to work the highlights and shadows. Look for places where a bit of your darkest dark or lightening of a high value in a certain area will bring up the sense of light. This is basically subdividing the larger masses into a darker dark and lighter light--but you want to think about how this effect light. Don' t do it everywhere--only where you think it will bring up the overall sense of light in the painting. once you feel the sense of dimension and light is going well--take the last 5 minutes of this part of the exercise to really develop and draw the viewer to the focal point/area. This is where it is okay to add some details to the painting and sharpen transitions. If you are adding detail--do this with small one-value, or less, changes within a value area you are working. If it is place where light is hitting the object--go for increasing the value change--for instance--see if there is a place to but a black to white transition (or similar) in the focal area, for instance, where a dark shadow and lighted area met near a shadow. You should only have one large value change (black to white) in the painting--so if there is another part of the painting where you have such a variation--this is the time to revise that one, for instance--rather than white to black. In the secondary area, try taking the white and black up and down one value in the scale--they will still read as light--but not compete with the focal point. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVm8C6Py_EWE2cjgXfjC4RAztvMawQMy3DeAGsmMueOxzE3TTlYHXBkFV_J9Muykfv5LfvI5ImbA8X0f_gvZIaHhV86_98-R6mXOWT-tftVD4XUknzZcC_A0Eux0x-ZwjupJ5tEqQ5Xx3/s1600-h/pears+step+3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140903652253018962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVm8C6Py_EWE2cjgXfjC4RAztvMawQMy3DeAGsmMueOxzE3TTlYHXBkFV_J9Muykfv5LfvI5ImbA8X0f_gvZIaHhV86_98-R6mXOWT-tftVD4XUknzZcC_A0Eux0x-ZwjupJ5tEqQ5Xx3/s320/pears+step+3.JPG" border="0" /></a> 5. <strong>The evaluation</strong>. Step back and give yourself five minutes to consider the painting and make final changes. This is the last chance--but if the first phases have gone well--there should only be minor changes needed. A good way to see what the painting needs at this point--which should be small strokes or adjustments,--is to step far away and look at the painting from 10-15 feet away. Or leave the studio and reenter as if the painting was there and you were looking at it for the first time. Look at it quickly and make the first change that comes to your mind with either a brush or finger. You are looking for small tweaks at this point that will improve the painting--not perfection.<br /><br />In total, this exercise should take 30-45 minutes--but not more than an hour in any case.<br /><br />Try it out--let me know if the results are more satisfying to you. Let go of your fear of making a bad painting. Also, remember that whatever you come out with--there will be people who cannot see what you were after and would liked if if you had done it differently. It should satisfy you--and say something about what you were trying to acheive.<br /><br />All the best, <em><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sixtyminuteartist</span>.</strong></em>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-14434562410230438392007-11-29T09:21:00.000-08:002007-11-30T05:30:12.877-08:00How to Make a Painting from a Drawing<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraHx9qUjSZmu2PcLcraFpf-9qPpr_GXflDJNQfs8x_4Yq7rosVMBTteO9iLEB30TR-F5HcDVzqlOhISkLRA_M-X_S3BUXlksec9ifi6BIWPQOOgINyuz0xBlHolgc65ah65Ww1tmXwT0W/s1600-h/thanksgiving+view2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138314096692750354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraHx9qUjSZmu2PcLcraFpf-9qPpr_GXflDJNQfs8x_4Yq7rosVMBTteO9iLEB30TR-F5HcDVzqlOhISkLRA_M-X_S3BUXlksec9ifi6BIWPQOOgINyuz0xBlHolgc65ah65Ww1tmXwT0W/s320/thanksgiving+view2.JPG" border="0" /></a> <p></p><div align="center"><em>"Thanksgiving View (Study)", Oil on Panel, 8x8 inches</em><br /></div><div align="center"><em>Jerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lebo</span>, 2007</em><br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The fall colors in Maryland are nearly gone, but I managed to get out and take some pictures just before the Thanksgiving weekend. I had the feeling that the leaves would be off the trees soon and on Thanksgiving Day a cold front came through with wind gusts up to 50-60 mph. Needless to say, most of the remaining leaves blew off the trees, so I am glad I got out in time to get some pictures of the red and yellows of the fall. The above painting is based on some of the photos I took around a creek near my house. I have been thinking about making some larger paintings, and this little study will be good reference material for a possible future large painting. My plan is to do some of these smaller studies—and then pick the best ones to make into larger paintings over the winter.<br /><br />You may also have noticed that I have not posted for nearly a week. I have been a bit busy at work these days, and I have been working on this particular post for most of this week. I also have had two new students sign up for lessons, which got me thinking of what a challenge it is to teach art. I mean, how does one get ideas across in a way that students can learn quickly--things that have taken me 20 years to learn? Most of the ideas I want to relate to my students, I have talked about in my blog, values, color harmony, drawing, etc. However, it is one thing to say it in my blog—or even during a lesson—while it is entirely another for somebody to be able to take it forward in their own work.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">With this in mind, I spent my studio time this week working through a demonstration painting covering some of the key issues I have been talking about in my blog. The idea comes from an exercise that I assigned to one of my students, that is, to start with a drawing and take it through to a painting. In executing the assignment, my instructions were basically to copy the tones in the drawings into the painting—introducing color/value combinations that are consistent with those of the drawing. This particular student said she has good drawing skills, so I put her to the challenge. I always remember hearing my former teachers, “Painting is drawing with color.” It has taken me 20 years to figure out what this meant—and I hope you will understand a bit of what this means by the time you finish reading this post.<br /><br />So let me start by giving you an overview of where I am going. The student I mentioned liked to paint animals—and she had done a few paintings of geese and other animals. She showed me a few painters that she admired—and I tried to talk her through some ideas on how she might move her work in the direction she was thinking. After taking a look at her work and discussing ideas, it was clear to me that she needed to work on her sense of value, color harmony, and focal point. That is a big agenda, so where to start. I decided I would start her off with a simple exercise as follows. The basic approach is to find a drawing or picture where you feel comfortable that you can identify the values--and using you normal drawing materials--make a thumbnail or small sketch of the subject. At this stage, you want to pay particular attention to the values you are seeing. From that drawing--or other source material--the next step is to mix colors equivalent to those values and make the same sketch--only this time using paint. To make it easier, let me summarize the process into three practical steps:<br /><br /></div><div align="left"><strong>1.</strong> <strong>Make a Value Scale.</strong> Make a value scale on a piece of paper or canvas using your drawing materials. The scale should have your darkest value at one end (black, or slightly lighter), and your lightest at the other end (white, or white with a very slight warm tone).<br /><br /><strong>2.</strong> <strong>Draw your Subject.</strong> Make a drawing from a photo or life (or even from a drawing you find in a book) focusing only on trying to get the right values in the right place. For instance, draw the outline of your subject--focusing on the gesture--then find the various values in your picture and make the same shape/value marks in your own drawing. If you are a beginner, it is often easiest to draw from either a photocopy of a photo (so that it is only in black and white) or to use another artist's drawing. Refer to your value scale often for comparison. You want to choose source material that has clear tonal relationships--especially if you are a beginner.<br /><br /><strong>3. Paint using the same Value/Shape Relationships</strong>. Once you have a drawing complete—mixed the equivalent values in paint, and either make the same drawing again using paint on canvas—or go over the drawing you have made (you can put shellac over it if it is on paper) and “draw with paint”. That is, put the paint down in the same shape/value combinations as the drawing.<br /><br />Okay, got it? Simple, right? Well, let me make myself the guinea pig--and show you a demonstration of this approach (which took me around a total of 4 hours to complete in the studio):<br /><br /><strong>1. Make a Value Scale</strong>. This can be done with any drawing materials, but to make it easier to execute--I am going to show you a very <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">straightforward</span> way to get your values down correctly. I went out and bought monochromatic pencils made by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Prismacolor</span>. They make a “French Grey”, "Cool Grey", and “Warm Grey” pencil set that is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">basically</span> grey values. So, I bought one black and one white pencil—and then the five intervening monochromatic tints of the French Grey series: French Grey 10%, French Grey 30%, French Grey 50%, French Grey 70%, and French Grey 90%. That makes seven values--what I would call two accents (black and white--which should be used sparingly) and five evenly spaced values. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Prismacolor</span> makes the equivalent in warm and cool grey, so there are three possible color schemes to use for such an exercise. Here is what they look like:<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138315509736990786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EXUXD43cLF-9bAl0wb0r2NjXMJP7Xe6pOmI4-jF9yq3MzgwcCTfaxfhElKX9Mu3nF7Tu9OJmAogfvVPAJoxuGvXNIX1kfLuCzpCI3hEAX1rsJ0U9wFVqCOBFVf1YRyF60MHlgYqn0J1D/s320/IMG_4259.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /></div><div align="left"><strong>2. Choose a Subject.</strong> In this case, I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">didn</span>’t want to copy my students work--who wanted to paint a rabbit--so I chose a cow (calf), for which I had some reference pictures and drawings of in my files. I started by putting a value scale across the bottom of my drawing. I find this very helpful to help me to see relative values. Try it sometime, it is a simple way to improve your drawings immediately--you can use it to compare your values as you draw. You can see by the value scale below that the panel color is about the same as my third from highest value. I started drawing with my next to darkest pencil--not my darkest--which will allow me to go lower in value later in the drawing. You could use a high value--but I don't recommend it. In this first stage of drawing, I was mainly paying attention to the silhouette of you subject and try to get the gesture correct. I was erasing, and redrawing for around 15 minutes--and this is where I stopped this first phase.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138315784614897746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUIDEUuoZnF-Owd_u0xPOOeUvXHouwwagpfENrjfwt-Ok266R3YARfRaS8OZ13PQkyit31Eta-LJ19YoqLa9l4vN8dvuYGMDGuqY9S2X5pGXjWrbLOgQ34YHCm51N-HCeJrqcyhi40dsz/s320/initial+drawing.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Next, I started by filling in the shape/tones that I saw in my reference material. I essentially took each of my pencil values--and looked for the same value in my picture and then put that down where I saw it in my silhouette. I started with my darkest value and worked up. Here is what it looked like after I put my darkest value/shapes into the drawing.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138316102442477666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXN0LZiVA4DltxandmQRiDRnKsnlUUXkk8kSuzXue2AbbieCTKQ72xYFIQf0KxnyKXfuHAQENpLTUU4JQuqd1cpW3-qVr4sDFjQD9ZauQYGepRhuuM0JsdA4owVhJSEe4Rj5olqErr8UIx/s320/first+stage+drawing.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />I proceeded this way for around 30 more minutes, erasing, drawing shapes, changing values. I tried to find distinct shapes and then put the value down in the same shape and value I was seeing. Here is where I stopped with the drawing--and felt it was time to start painting. I basically felt like I had enough information down to get a good start on the painting--and to demonstrate the next phase.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138316403090188402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7-jRIy2Ck6CZYcQlNcrz-Lz3Znm_KQOoSCs0S-vnb2ynTWqfHjXDf-kliEYEBc3Zj5LopAVV3-IzyI62NIpEBUf8fibQDuj9XTcDXyfCQ298OVY33LqljB1fNuVIzF-9uBBPvu1EPU2z/s320/final+drawing.JPG" border="0" /><br />2. <strong>Mixing the Equivalent Values in Paint</strong>. Before I started to paint, I took the time to mix a full set of values equivalent to the pencils I was using. If you have problems mixing these values/colors--many artist's paints come in premix tints. If you buy black, white, and three <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pre</span>-mixed values--you can mix the intervening values from these. In any case, I have had a lot of practice mixing paint, so this took less than five minutes to mix the below set of equivalents. where I was uncertain about the value--I would simply compare and adjust against the scale at the bottom of my painting.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138316746687572098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSfj2TjmezCeoHttGGRtMyyAmydcGU1XE7-f7nWl-x6e58Om9HV_PsQNctDbaLYy_Z6Vf5t-P0Gw-80v6GlA6-sUy033HUN_iqKhBxgFeFpaA0Msm_BpA0TOPpEjX6HOPVCQm2n-MN9cm/s320/starting+palette.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="left">I started with the darkest two values--keeping my brush clean between value changes. Here is what it looked like after a couple of minutes. I am using a #5 Bright brush, and you can see that I am trying to put down the shape and value at the same time.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138321990842640642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjjUXw5CLgWKZhhGpeSKQBXau6BPgWaIDq0nCYGOqrrFfRfQdfUpCG1cr8KqudX-q67lxS_Ha7mO1fLyRUPNJsNe2SlaMBE59OlOckJsccZ74-GvfShHgw90F3xOBJXSZG7WiaUVEhABR/s320/first+stage+painting.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="left">Another five minutes later this is what it looked like--as I moved to the lighter values.<br /><br /></div><align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138316961435936930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXOOg5oPNEFAvBttTiWTyDC08xrDdv8FYQ-10Qv-jnhQo99THHyIUHBOOH0lLYGa2IlNYlhwiqmT6NyLPtDLkbbm1sshKpphewk5-IDblktO2PaiDvQ5YueBlMqEaRUGwvJcyuaapvP9g/s320/stage+two+painting.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />And here it is after about 15 minutes--you can see I am starting to put the background down. I am also starting to lose some of the strong shapes and value <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">relationships</span>--so I am going to have to go back and correct some of those. This is a very important thing to remember--you must be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">always</span> look and be ready to change what is not right in your painting. If the values or shape is not right--scrap off the paint and change it. As soon as you start to feel there is something in your painting that you do not want to change--or are not willing to change--then you are in trouble.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138317193364170946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpEc0hD-185NotI2gKjGH00-h4ebOMaF2mG7Im8ShnmjQaHJ3Tx2ZLuXfpT-Mv9iXbhA158CmLPIKpHgJbR1x4s184smNdkGmF8uUJMq7aCY-LczVmXlQ4ep7yZ_a_vatz_z8Icmky_7b/s320/IMG_4278.JPG" border="0" /><br />I worked on this painting for maybe around another 20 minutes--and this is where I ended up.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138317300738353362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-UY7_pbG36aqLkUEhB_bFh6plDJGycHHpSdLkMudIep_VBIKydpx_3Fc2KHM1o4iuzlrs7-9Vgz_-tNAufCpXnK79TwjWgMLKjnu_1abTvUpFeaSK8iwI2_fCMYCCeOA43M8evxszuli/s320/stage+4+painting.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />And here is the painting at the end of the first session--after around 1-2 hours of total work--including drawing, mixing, and painting.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138317395227633890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgQs8PmdCkB5FwMj5IFE73qHWZPJpj3PLn1_peNhqOsFUmgilq7o9wuiXFE740CgkLBGehwBFcUg4WPWDMALoMIqjUcRO6io1neyHqOzc0kSLOAu4kg-gceQeumcC5LCcvSDJVStOwk6M/s320/final+state+first+night.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />The next morning I got up and went into the studio and hated what I had on the panel. It is not bad, but it was not what I was after at all. I really wanted to get the sense of that awkwardness of a newborn calf--and this was not it. It was too much like a cow. So, what did I do? What all artist should do when they are not satisfied. Start again. So I scrapped off the entire painting--and decided I would start again that evening. Here it the panel scrapped down--which leaves a "ghost image" to start from the next day. Many of my best paintings have been made after scrapping off a painting that was not going well--you should not be afraid to do it.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138321170503887090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WlyVO_nflVUgjt99cfdyIUbFLKYM17vFs2K0XQ212pVh9iLrEN7oieFeyetBekUdEK8bTM_8t2wMK7jTalx-JXGDx_X6mUpDU-XRTe3snQoyfg6-FmkBVfAV02lYkNQ5GW7xUbZ3vmkV/s320/scrapped+calf.JPG" border="0" /><br /><align="left">That evening, I came back to the painting and starting again by mixing each of my values to match my value scale--and started painting in value shape combinations in my drawing. I painted for around 1-1.5 hours and stopped when I thought I had the sensation that I was looking for--the feeling of looking at a newborn baby cow. And here it is:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138315045880522786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8CNfApTSQAuiNTPDRWLW_lywX2EXdPV4Dt7cYxIeTcULZFCFXr3Oi7g28UOo-Ougt5_Q2sHjgg8mnAmIbzlcWtOTrKdFgHuagHG__N3lzY59npfu_j9yzNCkacNaJ7UiLBhw_MFYxCRh/s320/calf+study+final.JPG" border="0" /><em> "Baby Calf (monochromatic study)", Oil on Panel, 8x8 inches</em><br /><br /></div><div align="left"><align="left"><align="left"><align="left">So there it is, a short painting lesson in how to go from a drawing (a not very good one at that), to a painting. I have always said that if it doesn't look good in black and white, it will not look good in color. I hope you can see what I mean from the above example. This is a monochromatic painting--and of course it would be more compelling in color--but would it be more convincing?<br /><br /><align="left">So here are few things to keep in mind: </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><align="left"><br /><br /></div><div align="left">1. <strong>Make bold decisions</strong>. Pick a shape and a value and put it down.<br /><br /><align="left">2. <strong>Don't be afraid to change something on the painting</strong>--painting is the process of conviction, evaluation, adjustment, re-conviction, and adjustment. It is a constant process of adjusting what you see on the painting--versus your subject. Fight for the image.<br /><br /><align="left">3. <strong>Keep your brush and values clean</strong>. If you are not cleaning your brush properly during the painting process, your values will change and your painting will lose its solidity. Clean your brush with thinner and dry it between every value change.<br /><br /><align="left">4. <strong>Focus on Value Changes. </strong>Look hard at what you are painting--and focus on where you see the values change. Make the same value changes in your painting.<br /><br /><align="left">Hope you enjoyed this mini-lesson. Go to your studio and try it out.<br /><br /><align="left">All the best, <strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">sixtyminuteartist</span>.</strong></div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-81306166958847809512007-11-22T08:27:00.000-08:002007-11-24T16:19:24.757-08:00How to Stretch an Art Canvas<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9UM0npsqzoHAD-XUWVR7DrWXnAKc0etoJMtnTW23F4Kv88-M8b4Z9ZmF_U3BHjS0UYeDHbM7rIFo_g7JKcyRKmxP4s9Rd2oqWlcBXBh8NdoIOR1O0kCweLgf9blsWaYxhcFBKplicIaq/s1600-h/nearing+utah3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135721242116024306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9UM0npsqzoHAD-XUWVR7DrWXnAKc0etoJMtnTW23F4Kv88-M8b4Z9ZmF_U3BHjS0UYeDHbM7rIFo_g7JKcyRKmxP4s9Rd2oqWlcBXBh8NdoIOR1O0kCweLgf9blsWaYxhcFBKplicIaq/s320/nearing+utah3.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>"Nearing Utah", Oil on Panel, 6x6 inches</em><br /><div align="center"><em>Jerry Lebo, 2007</em><br /><br /><div align="left">I did a post a couple of weeks ago titled, "How to Make an Inexpensive Frame for your Paintings" which turned out to be popular. It was noted by <a href="http://www.artistsmagazine.com/blog/Build+Your+Own+Frames.aspx">The Artist's Magazine's blog</a>, so a lot of people tuned in to that post. It seems that everyone appreciates a good DIY post, so to make it easier in the future, I have put a listing of my DIY posts on the right-hand side of my blog under the title "Do It Yourself".<br /><br /><div align="left">Given all the DIY euphoria, I decided to do a post about how to stretch an art canvas. Yeah, I know what you're thinking--doesn't everyone already know how to do that? Well, I think you'd be surprised how many people don't. I remember teaching people how to stretch canvas when I was at the <a href="http://www.washingtonstudioschool.org/">Washington Studio School </a>and <a href="http://www.holton-arms.edu/">Holton-Arms School </a>(where I was the visiting artist back in the 1990s and my friend <a href="http://www.askart.com/askart/artist.aspx?artist=11008583">Lee Newman </a>still teaches). It is the type of thing everyone assumes every else knows, so no one takes the time to teach it. In my experience, even people who are painting regularly don't necessarily know how to stretch a canvas. I see a lot of people going into the art store and buying ready made canvases. I guess it is like frame-making and panels, why do it yourself when you can buy it at the store ready made?<br /><br />In my mind, there are good reasons to learn how to stretch your own canvas. First, if you are traveling, stretching canvas can save you a lot of weight. You can take a mix of various stretcher bars and a roll of primed canvas or linen--and when you are done painting--simply un-stretch your paintings, roll them up, and take them home. You can even ship the bars and leftover canvas back home through the mail if you get in a bind. Try carrying 20 large panels on an airplane or in your luggage--panels are heavy--and they are cumbersome. The other reason to learn how to stretch canvas is that it is a quick and easy way to have something to paint on--in any size you want.<br /><br />All said, in my experience, the most important reason to learn how to stretch a canvas is to save storage space in your studio. The method I am going to show you also allows you to un-stretch and store your paintings flat or rolled once they are dry. You can't do that with the pre-stretched store bought canvas--since they don't have enough overlapping canvas to re-stretch them once you take them off the stretcher bars. Also the quality of the pre-made canvas generally is not good--and they are typcially not very tightly stretched.<br /><br />So let's get started. Here is what you need--some canvas or linen, stretcher bars, a tape measure, canvas pliers, something to mark with (pencil?) and a staple gun. I prefer the standard JT-21 staple gun, which is what they sell at art stores and some hardware stores. You don't want to get a staple gun that is too big or strong--since the staples will either not penetrate well or will be too big and possible weaken the canvas.<br /><br /><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135718222754015138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5pyZKeWjk51ZTjaOfUzuGGRl2L-QeRxtmTacI6JC51k76wuC8KyiU8f1yB4tv9VWMGsiLNAD7iWGwNul03W3SbmdIYx_mW-K4SlOb74f3CDevxCrrjg3X_PVILLVB3GVoYAe1MptjWoR/s320/IMG_4211.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />The first step is to put the stretcher bars firmly together. If they don't go together easily, use can a hard surface so as to have something to press hard down upon. Some people like to use a door jab to assist and keep the corners square--however, just because you use a door jab--doesn't mean they will be square--so you need to measure as well.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135718012300617618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MPTJvLsBZWltIqvfEVONhLlvfV09ogGGu79tnnp2ni1juk0rgQG5iYwgmIIKH9-Dhi7x5moTvXMf5R3kndEyCxAl2ZPejLl0xutHYmLpOoViqsKCA-iBXrp2G9WlzqDfxQa5orbDnzEM/s320/IMG_4213.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />The corners should fit tight, like below, when all the bars are together.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135719004438063042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwTC2uZV-pSMtTx3LnYkyg3Ve_VrLzfYwrobZp9YOTzoI6WwVqfqk9qJVqbBCxkLLI5erJu0VzL7IFAnFpi8Guzo6DUJd4wuUS7vUoZE8gC_cNhYac8VsTnIvfBvASn2ru1I8GhtHtyyD/s320/IMG_4216.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Once you have all the bars tightly together, the next step is to make sure they are perfectly squared up. This is a two step process. The first step is to make sure the distance vertically and horizontally between the bars is consistent. Since you are usually not stretching a square canvas, this means the distance across each paired side should be equal. To check, measure the distance across one side at two points near the corners of each stretcher bars. I have used two measuring devices in the picture below to demonstrate where to measure, but you will only need one. The distance at two points near the corners--around where I have place the measures in the below picture, should be the same. If not, adjust the stretcher bars by pulling the appropriate end until the distances are equal. Repeat this process across the other pair of bars.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135717797552252802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZC-7yThLUgF-wMx6Y35vfe2qtWL_SNUPhDcKTapuHwc0oeKxHNA4fOtmP6hdoltcLxeYXYj6oOS_zIds-gDwpCqA7HDGa5bk8xPRTYOiAtmgi9DfG7LWWu1e8hpBKiGd6lsmKKwxS6ap/s320/IMG_4217.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Once you have sides consistent, the next step is to make sure the stretcher bars are squared--that is, at 90 degree angles. The way to do this is to get the diagonal distance to be the same across corners (assuming the first step was done correctly). As per the below picture, measure the distance corner to corner across one side, then the other.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135717621458593650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25fIgOPPyV3F9NZSm9gCggKDcawaKuNdccKBd4Lp4O-LjI_U4KtlFC49QwiTLwHKSgkCro9kZBZp5U58QLpjDE-g8Ogdp_5L2G2yfjsRgFISgum35hAyALl1Y451vlBJ1PfHH5Or6NyeI/s320/IMG_4219.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />If the distances are not equal, the easiest way I have found to get them equalized is to place the frame on a firm surface and push the top stretcher bar sideways (not downwards) in the direction of the shorter side. For example, if the measurement from the left hand corner to the bottom right is shorter--push the top bar towards left. It doesn't take much of a change in the sideways direction to make a big change in the diagonal measure--so don't over compensate. If the difference in distance is less than an half inch, for example, a slight tweak to the left should be enough.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135718510516823986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-S7dwDIBTdZnIVXQO0R7aQMnMdyBB44VklcwTkAfJ-uV_1D1Qa2vm66-zrXSooQ-0UxLwlmcUAqiCtB7bLmqEPUFg_2DYj8N8v3E3AWW_LzloQvMevjlk6lYIy9Yo3OvmN2quC742K1e/s320/IMG_4221.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Okay, so if you have the stretcher bars squared up and equal distances apart--the next step is to fix them together so they don't shift while stretching the canvas. To do this, I put three staples across each of the four corner joins as in the below picture.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135717449659901794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjyMDk41Jm19s3qbkKRmDYzDvF-9fTrk3RY0e6mLAVnq8Ynwt-2fGMjychYViz3tBGJWjWuOhv0jhlvNqByKVDfS6lZz77-ha1u1fFdm5S6oJ7eS_1PKCF8E0N0WqJDXvr4ZldQCSKhWM/s320/IMG_4222.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />The next step is to mark out your canvas piece. I like to use a stretcher bar to do this. For some reason, the width of a stretcher bar is just the right size for the extra canvas you will need to ensure a tight stretch and to un-stretch and re-stretch the canvas later. The first step is to square up the frame to a straight edge of the canvas. In this case, I have used the lower edge, which I know is straight. Then I have placed the bar on the right side, to make the first line.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135717234911536978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloHIE0L0HT6bb0PuY3Vgi-c1FNQloAT-Wcmq8sSTAtUFi87kmnUQN4Q7VK3rR-VveybOar4AHwJX0zG770jndaOavQ0DSlWEIZxZ2DSAlSb9XNfet2ZZy7TpINs6pLOtfsBD3mCr7xZ23/s320/IMG_4225.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Once you have all four sides marked, you can go ahead an cut out the canvas.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135720056705050594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOq74rnx9tc2u2qyTi1gy1Aycps3YMDM1JJwsaW3ugTCBkn4AFGuWeNfm2Maz-nfkn0UR4hdJgSeIYV_eXPzAgGhBXXhIi4uDqD2FEStiRoa_a8b99A60RxBD0hG4IdRrB6p94JHMig0bB/s320/IMG_4226.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Place the canvas face down on a clean surface and put the stretcher frame on the canvas. Make sure the side on which you have stapled the corners is facing up (towards what will be the back of the final canvas). To help center the frame, you can use a stretcher bar along one edge to guide you. Once centered, start by pulling up one side of the canvas and put a single staple in the center of the stretcher bar.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135719919266097106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_Kw82ViYsl5yGzVAlu4JnRCp1YqzjPjJV8Z8O-xCKtbgqcIJeaD4JxFCZS1PbJXqSRzW39lmKT0FRqWmv9pVpAZ1whBDoMVyRub4PvJ6s6lptVyUWwt158uFXd1s0GOdxsHiy322B5JU/s320/IMG_4228.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Once you have one staple in the middle of the first stretcher bar--move to opposite stretcher bar and use you canvas pliers to pull directly opposite your first staple. Once you have a tight stretch--put in your second staple.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135716925673891650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbHLLXUr0m_pxzCr26sl4wvdfZhEpz8jQi_IG3xAP73LhCoTUx_OPyyXs6TzNTbWK7SHgwGDIOEqp2DjPTusLDla6YRo1AIciE0-OydSgYexFBBnOKFGx3XvS8WTV_zSI33kNoNvME7Ag/s320/IMG_4230.JPG" border="0" /><br />Once you have two sides stapled, move to one of the unstapled sides and put another staple in the center of the bar. Once you have a single staple in all four sides, the canvas should have a nice diamond shape in the middle. If it does not--take the staples out and start again. This is the most important step and worth repeating until you get it right--otherwise the canvas in not going to be tight when you are finished.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135716702335592242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0fQ-hENEMovr-7uM8pBxVVHBolfybKTiBRTA9o7xDxwtmIU8pBtP5YM4P9Qy_DMKyCMmCfN0S-xqNCFF-mAsG69XJ7i_98yPRmnUewT0Mk2EGl6-Dw67nzm7hFbIhOH04fjOVfb_8XIO/s320/IMG_4231.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Once you have a single staple on each of the four sides (and a nice diamond shape), go back to the side you put the first staple into--and (using your canvas pliers to get a good stretch) put a staple on each side of the first. Then move to the opposite side, and repeat. Then move to the other sides, and do the same. Do not put more than two staples on any side at a time--before moving to another side. It is tempting to do one side fully, then move to the next--but you will not get a good tight canvas with this approach.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135716556306704162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjEDmIqh0MeEs-bS-DEnXKZggNgnKGanhRIEZFlcPaMH3goWfD__ptzfuD2oi5vx7FVpGztB5GYwCn0LHQoeOBWZLNf-BXPOwtflTOpHSABlovgBEq8aIwZtONjNpTXDuNk69xYBDiMnW/s320/IMG_4232.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />For this tutorial, I am stretching an 11x11 inch canvas--so only took five staples per side to completely attach the canvas tightly. Here is what a finished side looks like once all the staples in place. Notice, i did not put the last staples all the way at the end of the bar--but left a bit of a space. This is to allow folding of the corners.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135716410277816082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKt70o3PAFw6pips_SpoSuL6fTuTYX3GyOglX8cP1mdFVQEwyUR6Pst9lEFgnHVLxpwpQ1dMH6DDioAnGom0gOZ1hc2LwE0FgHHhl11ga_phHzF4uoTCWk2Wc6xGQPL_hLaUv6H40Zifxa/s320/IMG_4234.JPG" border="0" /><br />Once you have all the staples in place, turn the canvas face down again and make the corners. I have heard these type of corner folds called "hospital corners"--since I think this is the way they used to fold sheets. Basically, what you do is fold the corner of the overlapping canvas towards the center--and then fold the remaining overlapping material over. Once you ahve the fold nice and tight--put a staple across the fold to hold it down. The canvas should be snug against the corner.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135716186939516674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GL7uKV5aPnJr1zmoSQby4Rq5Jm5dcKsIMaattopHym4MYmMtm_6Cw5lpw46XytfVR80LwxaJfAtWOzU7uFw-8s9U4IyA78naFWNH3bRliD0rC6fE-qg32Qb-B1wn_5W-tI1YzYKjP1SM/s320/IMG_4236.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Once all four corners are done, I like to put a staple on the overlapping bits of the canvas--one or two is usually enough--and will hold the canvas snug to the back. Here is a picture of what the back looks like with all the staples in place.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135715976486119154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfux0U4xHzczrmtF9Ct9I7VYq8Ag0XGlEzv9CErJ1_UYlcbHLgQ69SXDJ5BqPLNyk1gjBAQZK7P5suyGPZ1SIDIEJV0GT9PIuz_ftbGYMa1u6E-hj8nzhC43X-r30X6c9upIm890myur1/s320/IMG_4240.JPG" border="0" /><br />And here is the finished canvas--ready to go.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135715761737754338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E11cAc2P6NK5brDBhwtgiEr3tr0JY7rDmsLLh-xPB9uVP_rFXQRch9Ph5_n6343Rb43-wiNUMMRjdNPMWd5wsmUo0NKjXwBkm3LTWZNWEpiYQolj7573Xp60Wiw7xCAnh_merZpo5sgl/s320/IMG_4243.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />So, there you go, a quick tutorial on how to stretch a canvas. I have stretched canvases up to 30x30 inches using this technique. If you go larger that this, you will need to use a cross brace to keep the bars from warping--or use heavy duty stretcher bars.<br /><br />Hope you find that useful. Off to the studio--it's time to paint.<br /><br />All the best, <em><strong>sixtyminuteartist</strong></em>.</div></div></div></div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-30261200691992214502007-11-19T05:41:00.000-08:002007-11-19T13:55:34.938-08:00Finding Support in your Artistic Process<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezL9EQI1dpLypKAoSqYOIS6XN0aUpx5Dfsxy7wXFIfYBE-c35ayw5KTsgmveXdSUqALFk6p2RhIjo1uPbuD3LMiPkE3AYghIvh_5iLwa3BmhyphenhyphentgVYm39Y4Wf-DekLfJwP3QFpVHWU53-l/s1600-h/north+of+taos.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134546255027955362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezL9EQI1dpLypKAoSqYOIS6XN0aUpx5Dfsxy7wXFIfYBE-c35ayw5KTsgmveXdSUqALFk6p2RhIjo1uPbuD3LMiPkE3AYghIvh_5iLwa3BmhyphenhyphentgVYm39Y4Wf-DekLfJwP3QFpVHWU53-l/s320/north+of+taos.JPG" border="0" /></a><em>" North of Taos", Oil on Panel, 6x6 inches</em><br /><em>Jerry Lebo, 2007</em></div><align="center"><br /><br />"Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do”—<strong>Edgar Degas</strong><br /><br /><align="left">I have been reading a book about the art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel called, “Discovering Impressionism”, which gives a detailed account of his life and business as an art dealer. It is a good read, but most of the information you may already know from reading about the various artists whom he represented, such as Degas, Pissarro, Sisley or Renoir. On the other hand, the book does give you a good sense of what it would be like to be an art dealer for artists that are not yet accepted. For example, Monet was completely broke when Durand-Ruel met him in London and agreed to represent him. Even 13 years later, at the time of the First Impressionists Exhibit, there was virtually no market for Monet’s paintings. One critic said about his Monet’s seminal painting, “Impression: Sunrise” (1873) that “Wallpaper in its embryonic stage is more finished than this seascape.” You can remember that next time you are having a bad day painting--Monet had many worse. If you read the book, you will also see that Cezanne seemed to get it worst of all--both from the critics and from himself.<br /><br />Anyway, the reason I am bringing this up, is that I have been working on some landscape studies over the weekend, and have been struggling with my own motivations for the subject. I mean, why paint a landscape—why not just take a picture? I know it sounds a bit crazy, but landscape painting as a whole has not been around that long. It was less than 150 years ago or so that people even starting thinking that landscape painting was something to take seriously—and then mainly because there was no photography. People lived without landscape paintings for thousands of years and seemed to get along just fine—I suppose they would just look out the window instead. So why ruin a good thing and start hanging these colored scribbles on the wall? It seems a reasonable question.<br /><br />When I started painting landscapes early in my artist career—I really didn’t think too much about it. I owned a French Easel long before I owned my studio easel—and going outside to paint just seem natural. However, as I have gotten older and more progressed in my painting process, I have found the same thing that Degas has spoken of--that the more I know about painting, the harder it seems to get—so why?<br /><br />The first reason is that you start asking much more from paintings. Also, and I think most painters will agree, your artistic output always lags behind what you think you can do in your mind. In that sense, the painting you are thinking about, or trying to paint today—is the one that will come out at the easel in three or six months. This means artists are always a bit frustrated with their outputs—always challenged by “the next one” that is lurking in our head. This is probably also true of other creative processes, such as writing.<br /><br />Which brings me to my point of this post, which is the need to find a process that works for you in terms of reducing the lag between what you want to do—and what actually comes out. That is, the need to make a stronger connection between your artistic vision and the practical process of making art. I think if you take the time to do this, it can be very empowering—and will provide a strong foundation for your work—which I think this is absolutely necessary to sustain yourself as an artist. I mean, what if a critic says that your paintings are no better than “embryonic wallpaper”—would you quit painting? What if they said it over and over again over fifteen years…in the local newspaper? I don't think many artists can honestly say they could still go to the studio everyday. I wonder if I could.<br /><br />The good news is that the most potent antidote for the critics and self-doubters alike is to have a solid artistic process that supports your studio practice. What I am talking about here is a practical process that will get you back into the studio painting no matter what happens in your daily life. Of course, everyone has a slightly different way of going about their art, so I am not trying to say that I can give you a detailed plan—but let me tell you about some steps that I have taken that have helped me move in the right direction in my own process:<br /><br />1. <strong>Take yourself seriously</strong>. As you have probably learned, there are very few people who take artists seriously and painters even less. Degas always said that this is why he never married, he didn’t want his wife popping into the studio saying—that is a nice little painting—why don’t you paint more like that? Everyone has so many pre-conceived notions about artists, if you say you are an artist—you are more likely to get a snide comment about what a nice hobby that must be—rather than support. Imagine, if you were to stand up at a party and announce you have decided to become an investment broker, no one would bat an eye. On the other hand, if you stand up and announce you were going to be an artist—most people would roll their eyes. Someone once said to me, “If you don’t take yourself seriously, how can you expect anyone else to?” I think this is worth thinking about--if you want to get people to support you—you need to do it yourself first. Would you take yourself more seriously if you were a heart surgeon? Hmmmm.<br /><br />2. <strong>Think before you Paint</strong>. I think there is a great tendency to jump too quickly into a painting. I mean, what is all the fuss--get some paint, brushes, and a canvas—and away you go. For many years, this is the way I approached painting—and while it led to output—it usually did not lead to satisfying results. I have come to understand in my own work, that it is important to consider, before even lifting a brush, what I am trying to accomplish for each and every painting. I know it sounds tedious, but believe me—this helps. Once I have a clear idea, then I can start looking at the options in terms of composition, focal point, and basic color schemes. As I mentioned in a previous post, I find it useful to pick one simple idea or objective for each painting. For example, for a landscape—it might be a particular feeling of evening or morning light, or the color of a particular mountain or colors of the season. If this is too complicated, you can make it simpler—like the just capturing the mass of a tree or the color of a field. In my experience, the simpler and more focused the objective—the better the painting will be in the end. Also, having a clear objective in mind helps you to establish a process for developing ideas. For example—if you wanted to capture a particular time of the day—you can start by looking at how other artists have accomplished it, do some small studies and sketches, and work through the problem. The process itself will take you somewhere. <br /><br />3. <strong>Have clear goals and a plan for your work</strong>. Making progress in painting is very slow. In my experience, it takes about 3-4 months of painting everyday to see even small improvement—and years to see any big gains. Thus, your goals and plans for your work need to reflect this reality. For example, if you want to get your work into a local gallery, it may take years just to get your work to the point when you feel you are ready. And, even if you are good enough today, you will still need enough work, the rights sizes and subjects, and a consistent style of work even to be considered—that could take months, if not longer. Personally, I find it useful to set clear weekly, monthly, yearly, and every five-year goals for my work. You can also have a long-term or lifetime goal—but these are mostly for dreaming. It is better to have more short term goals, than long term goals—since these are the ones that will drive your daily process. For example, a short-term goal might be to paint a small painting that really captures the feeling of the fall colors in your neighborhood—while a 6 month goal might be to make a set of paintings that you could enter into a local art show. The one-month goal is the one that will drive your immediate process, so you should take the time you need to achieve it. Do small studies, do some research, make it happen. Taking a slow, practical approach to your short-term objectives will immediately reward you, as it serves as support for you as an artist. After all, the first thing you will need to go to the museums to look at how other artist have done this, do some sketching, color studies, take pictures—really let yourself get into it. The deeper you go, the better your will feel about your work—and the more self-sustaining the process. Your spouse might even start to take you seriously.<br /><br />4. <strong>Judge the process, not each individual output</strong>. It is very easy to make a bad painting. We all make them. Even the ones we think are good, often backfire. I am always surprised when the paintings I think are my best, other people don’t seem to like—while some of my worst (in my opinion) have been the ones to sell. Artists are not good judges of their own work. So how does one judge ones work? Well, if you are focused on clear objectives and are taking the time to prepared and execute, the outputs become less important as individual pieces to sell or show. What you will quickly see is that each painting is like the piece in a larger puzzle—leading to something else. Sure, some are better than others—but you might find for example, in that one I really nailed the colors. Or the composition in that one is what I was after. You will begin to see your paintings less as statements of whether you are a "good artist"--and more as imperfect children of your process. <br /><br />Anyway, I hope you have found these ramblings useful—and perhaps inspiring. In my experience, a good artistic process will give you a sense of purpose and motivation—and provide support even in the most chaotic times. I usually close by saying, go to your studio and paint. But, today I think I will close by saying—go to your studio and think (but not too much)—then paint.<br /><br />All the best, <em><strong>sixtyminuteartist</strong></em>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-66525098216210219182007-11-15T05:37:00.000-08:002007-11-15T11:23:29.421-08:00Color--do you see what I see?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB3nbX23xO6vGgDdt5R6cnuvB14KgQhcrUUuyZGjdO55j428Aufwo8MTosqLezXCyzH6icTF350YMN-0HSK-SeidGXBjQnRmjV2N0SJi_rPnKN3APZAjwMoBJOVzPa_kq18lZXGWb7liX/s1600-h/favorite+color3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133061858495882818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB3nbX23xO6vGgDdt5R6cnuvB14KgQhcrUUuyZGjdO55j428Aufwo8MTosqLezXCyzH6icTF350YMN-0HSK-SeidGXBjQnRmjV2N0SJi_rPnKN3APZAjwMoBJOVzPa_kq18lZXGWb7liX/s320/favorite+color3.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "America's Favorite Color (blue)", Oil on Panel, 6x6 inches<br /></em><div align="center"><em>Jerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lebo</span>, 2007</em></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><em><br /><br />“It is impossible to remember color precisely…color is a psychic effect.”--</em><strong>Josef <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Albers</span></strong><br /><br />For those of you new to my blog, I am doing a series of paintings I call "<a href="http://www.jerrylebo.com/recent%20work.htm">America's Favorites</a>", and the above painting is the third in the series. To learn more about the series, read my <a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-to-build-low-cost-frames-for-your.html">previous post</a>.</div></div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">So, I came across a book the other day at Border’s which I have since recommended to several people, it is titled, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Josef-Albers-Bauhaus-Mountain-College/dp/071484599X">Josef <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Albers</span>: To Open Eyes</a>". It was written by a former student of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Albers</span> and the curator of the <a href="http://www.albersfoundation.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Albers</span> Foundation </a>in Connecticut. I have read <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Albers</span> classic book on color "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Interaction-Color-Expanded-Josef-Albers/dp/0300115954/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195143928&sr=1-1">The Interaction of Color</a>"--but frankly never took the time to study it carefully, and I probably understood about 10% of it in any case.<br /><br />Anyway, the <a href="http://www.albersfoundation.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Albers</span> Foundation </a>has a "by invitation only" artist-in-residence program, and my friend <a href="http://www.mitchelljohnson.com/">Mitchell Johnson </a>was selected this year. He has been going back and forth between San Francisco and the Foundation for the past month or so, which got me interested again in color theory. I thus went to the bookstore to take another look at the “Interaction of Color” book and came across this new book, “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Josef-Albers-Bauhaus-Mountain-College/dp/071484599X">To Open Eyes</a>”. This book is an attempt to capture a record of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Albers</span>’ teachings when he was at Yale and Black Mountain College—where such notables and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Rauschenberg</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Twombly</span> studied. If you don’t know about the <a href="http://art.yale.edu/Home">Yale</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mountain_College">Black Mountain </a>programs of the 1950s, you are missing a big piece of American art history. <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1248/is_9_91/ai_108278519">Read this </a>for starters.<br /><br />Anyway, I highly recommend the “To Open Eyes” book—which contains detailed information and examples of how <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Albers</span> taught color, painting, and drawing to his students. The only disappointment was that the book made me realize how deficient my training has been in these areas. It is a totally different approach than most art schools—where they basically set you up in front of an easel, get you painting, and then walk around and critique your work. If you lucky, they might give you some conceptual exercises—but don’t expect to be taught how to draw. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Albers</span>’ approach was totally different—and I think it shows in the quality of his student’s work.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Albers</span>, to his credit, had a very clear vision for what it took to learn to be an artist—and it is consistent with what I have discovered over the years—and what this blog is about. First, one must learn to see—or as I have said many times—if you want to improve your paintings, “look harder”. Second, that good work habits and consistency are keys to maintaining an artistic process. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Albers</span> believed that the act of creating art encouraged self-confidence and independence—and was a powerful antidote to what he saw as a “culture of conformity.” Simply the act of making something has power for the individual if you do it regularly.<br /><br />So, what does this have to do with this post? Well, there is an exercise that is mentioned in the book that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Albers</span> used do at the start of his color curriculum that I thought was worth telling you about. Essentially, he would pass out packs of colored paper to his students and then ask them to pick out the “reddest red” in the pack. Or he would ask, pick out the red that is the “Coca-cola” red. Of course, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">every time</span> students selected different colors out of the pack as the reddest red or “Coca-cola” red.<br /></div><br /><div align="left">Another of the exercises he did relates back the difference between value and chroma—which is one of the biggest weakness I see in most intermediate artists' work. To get his students thinking about this issue, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Albers</span> would ask students to use the colored paper and start pairing colors of near or equal values. Invariably, students not only disagreed on whether the paired colors were really equal in value, many times they could not even decide which color was lighter or darker than the other. He would also ask students to pair colors which were of equal intensity—again this led to disagreements among the students.<br /><br />So here is your “<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Albers</span>” test for the day. In the above painting, which of the following are higher in value: the green background or blue highlight on the tube of paint? Second question, is the brown of the table top higher in value or lower in value than the blue highlight on the tube? The answers are at the bottom of the post.<br /><br />So why am I challenging you like this. Well, I have been saying that value is more important than color when it comes to making a good painting—which I think is true. But, that said, I also think that color can be used very effectively to get your messages across in your paintings—but you must understand that colors are relative to one another—and people’s perceptions of color vary. So, you must learn and practice color—don’t just go out there and start laying it on. The misuse of color is by far to quickest way to ruin a painting—I have seen it over and over again. I partly blame the paint manufacturers for making so many colors readily available. There is so much pigment in modern paints, and so many colors are available, it is a wonder that good paintings get made, seriously.<br /><br />So, yes, blue is America’s favorite color. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Pantone</span> did a survey, and <a href="http://www.crayola.com/colorcensus/americas_favorites/index.cfm">here are the results</a>. I was actually surprised to see that red came in 12<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">th</span> in the survey—I suspect this has to do with their methodology. I found <a href="http://desktoppub.about.com/gi/pages/poll.htm?linkback=http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/red.htm&poll_id=7979890264&poll=1&submit1=Submit%20Vote">another on-going <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Internet</span> survey </a>where red and blue are neck-in-neck for America’s favorite color. I think this is a more true result. My perception is that red and blue are, in fact, the classic America colors. Why? It has become so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">ingrained</span> in the culture. We have the red states and blue states, we have the red-white-and blue of the flag, and we have red fighting blue (think Confederates against the Union). So is red or blue America’s favorite color, here is a second version of my America’s Favorite Color painting (work in progress). I am posting both, so the viewer can decide—since color is in the eye of the beholder.<br /></div><br /><align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133094603326547570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyT-qUVTUeUCqSDuGumOQg00sEyQHGpjyokoWinTjFYuZ4XBAEXBfOYKshT4ZBDOKtFJlxkwm77TLo1EQRiQUOc7ZrW9nDb87pcMOnkAckI3bYPh21uUaf2m7GC-twfC6SOcLOm5P1Ozk/s320/favorite+color+red.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"><align="center"><align="center"><em>"America's Favorite Color (red)", Oil on Panel (Work in Progress), 6x6 inches<br />Jerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Lebo</span>, 2007 </em><br /><br /></p><div align="left">Oh, I almost forgot. The answers to the above quiz are: (i) the green background is several values lower (darker) than the blue highlight; and (ii) the brown table is around the same value as the blue highlight. Oh, also, just for reference, the red highlight in the above painting—is about the same value as the blue highlight in the top painting--could you tell? My guess is that most people will pick the red as the higher value--since it is appears to "glow" more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">intensely</span>. But, then again, maybe not to you.<br /></div><div align="left"><br />So there are some thoughts on color perception for the day--with two examples. Go back to your studio and paint. But, please put away some of those tubes of color and simplify your life a bit. Think about which color you want to use—don’t just pick up the first blue you see—think about <em><strong>which one you need</strong></em>. I once heard it said, “you need a good reason to pick one color over another”—and I think that is good advice. BTW, I pick blue.<br /><br />All the best, <em><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">sixtyminuteartist</span></strong></em>. </div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-43287291060064477122007-11-11T08:21:00.000-08:002007-11-15T07:14:03.938-08:00How to Build Low-Cost Frames for your Paintings<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXLGKawJcBmB3HOjQp-nMOiHJCW01KUanpOlnS0uAOCQxienXy6lQRozxCpnh7uImyGi82c7Pytep48LnadvTANqIu4smpdzOj6hakJ2gkIAp1fXY4g2i4JRU6gnA1NifqJawtBHvbYHB/s1600-h/bagel+with+cream+cheese.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131634031904939170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXLGKawJcBmB3HOjQp-nMOiHJCW01KUanpOlnS0uAOCQxienXy6lQRozxCpnh7uImyGi82c7Pytep48LnadvTANqIu4smpdzOj6hakJ2gkIAp1fXY4g2i4JRU6gnA1NifqJawtBHvbYHB/s320/bagel+with+cream+cheese.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "America's Favorite Breakfast", Oil on Panel, 6x6 inches</em></div><div align="center"><em>Jerry Lebo, 2007</em></div><div align="center"> <br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">(<span style="color:#ff0000;">$100 </span>. <a href="mailto:jerrylebo@gmail.com">Click here </a>to purchase).</div><br /><br />I have started work on my latest series of paintings, which will be titled "America's Favorites". The idea has been lurking in the back of my mind for the last few weeks--and "Apple Pie Slice" served as a nice transitional piece. The idea for the series is to take objects from everyday life that are quintessentially American--and do a series of small paintings. Apple Pie is pretty obvious, but I am actually looking for some of the more subtle items that seem to creep into our lives and become standard American fare before we even realize it. To me, the bagel and cream cheese is a good example--it is not as obvious as apple pie or, say, bacon and eggs--yet it is now almost a standard breakfast for Americans. Stay tuned to see what I find next--I think you will be surprised.<br /><br />Okay, so back to the post at hand. I have been promising to tell you how to make a low-cost frame for your paintings. As I said the other day, I personally like to send my paintings out "ready to hang" and have been offering a simple pine box frame with my Ebay (now Etsy) sales--for an additional charge of $10. So, let me show you have I make them.<br /><br /></p><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The method I will demonstrate will work for a 3/16th inch panel, but the principles can be adapted to fit just about any thickness or type of painting. At the end of the post, I will show you how to adapt the design so you can use it for a painting on stretched canvas, for example.<br /><br />The basic process starts with two pieces of lumber, which you can either buy ready made--or make from scrap or basic lumber stock (for example, 1x8 lumber). If you build them from stock, you will minimally need a table saw--but also preferably a router to cut a "round-over" on the front edge of the frame. You will see what I mean in a second. I have been using ready made lumber lately to save time--so let me show you that approach first.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />The process starts with two pieces of store bought molding. I buy mine at Home Depot in the trim section--but I am sure you can get them at most hardware or lumber yards--if you are doing custom cuts--then you would make these from your stock.<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The first piece is a standard piece of rectangular molding--11/16" by 7/16". The second piece is called "screen pine" and has a tapered (rounded over) edge--which probably comes in various widths. For my purposes, I am using a 3/4 inch width--which I think is standard. </div><p align="left"></p><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131621134118148978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePNtlGZvdoqxHJgd09AZb7bwtBvzjWSBbYmO4G7oGafchfk4j_bQWwD4Q_410MyEpntwObg8KQFAG3rHVCufNNS3mgF6aiugZ-4_liV6fS4Z3riSS6Q79bdFwDl6csC4qLjWK_GcXaT5k/s320/IMG_4076.JPG" border="0" /><br />The first step is to glue these pieces together using wood glue along the short side of the rectangular stock. I start by putting a bead of glue on the square stock (not the screen pine)--and then spread it with my finger. You will need to keep some wet paper towels around to wipe off your fingers and excess glue.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131621344571546498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbL-QugDohomk45n6cfPAPbNPlkdBekw_YJ7h40iFGz1wky34WZd_4JNK5P83JgXFSvefpKAn1URFoh_ttAranXPJZgbO8inh9ajJ7MRxlS-fwVmwtvgFVOjQfGJ1qsdn-sayGU7umM-J/s320/IMG_4078.JPG" border="0" /><br />Once you have the glue spread evenly on one side, you want to clamp your screen pine (or rounded over stock). I use standard "c-clamps" from the hardware store. But I have also used vise grip pliers--in a pinch. Anything that will hold tightly as the glue dries. Be careful not to over tighten the clamps or you may leave tool marks on the wood that will be hard to get out later. When clamping the wood, I usually start at one end and work my way to the other. I may seem easier to clamp the two ends first, but this usually causes problems and warping in the middle.<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cyre5y3K4IxD9eutsi7hznCeOGY3WoaHOI24pzbFaSuK_7nsAV1nzGugMIVN-lp8PjngiKkwCW6xZZ_q55rVevtulbaxQST6TEy4oAH0UX6-m_aZwJLwiWdinnBpyp-uJX65UO0VUsEt/s1600-h/IMG_4079.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131621572204813202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cyre5y3K4IxD9eutsi7hznCeOGY3WoaHOI24pzbFaSuK_7nsAV1nzGugMIVN-lp8PjngiKkwCW6xZZ_q55rVevtulbaxQST6TEy4oAH0UX6-m_aZwJLwiWdinnBpyp-uJX65UO0VUsEt/s320/IMG_4079.JPG" border="0" /></a>Here is a picture of the pieces of wood clamped together. I usually put one clamp every 10-12 inches to get a good tight fit. For this eight foot piece--I used eight clamps. After all the clamps are tightened, go back and wipe off any excess glue. Especially if you plan to stain or paint the frame--since the glue with keep these material from adhering later on.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131621924392131490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4kwJp-q9T12HryUL9_acPuu0qTU92kQNTQTU8ZNEfQp3NLCbXaQAQ8LSX7Kyu-I65ZwLB1rAC-QNH0q2eBUNdkN25Gh1BTjbpywcg7pQB5wiGMl59M_s6Vmfe4eojKjTv3QycmqNqa5l/s320/IMG_4083.JPG" border="0" /><br />Here is a side view of the pieces after the glue has dried. You can see--it is basically a rectangular piece of word with a flatter piece glued to the side.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131622083305921458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy444qevqA-bykzqOO1_tXRdp_aq9615CWavPqP01IRfDcnnbtrQg_umlutc5YnxMSFrCeoyauZbl6_0hmG2PrSooUn7QLUi5kfebJWyf17JKspjrk1v_c8I8SpbyYHMTG6Mh-Hat9MYlE/s320/IMG_4089.JPG" border="0" />Now comes the fun part--cutting the miters. For this purpose, I highly recommend a good miter saw. This is mine, which I bought 15 years ago for around $100. I was just down at Home Depot yesterday--and you can still get a decent one for around $100. This one has saved me thousands of dollars in framing costs over the years. I suppose you could do this with a miter box, but I don't recommend it.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131622285169384386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtll4yb8ErkuylP0cgSMMvjsfuUqWOKEAoqYi0CnmaLCSB-ORnNG3Gr5eCNEeOcdKHd6eXolsKzTJCfHJp-Y5LaczEEo8gQH_6VokPRPcWTeOAOQLsMyu3FzFZseodkEapDsOyhz1xYuJm/s320/IMG_4090.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />You want to take your time when measuring the cuts. I like to have a slight offset from the front edge of the frame to the edge of the panel of around 1/8th inch. Also, my panels (which I showed you how to make a couple of posts ago) are not always perfectly six inches. Thus, I usually use the painting itself as the guide when measuring. You want to measure against the top edge of the stock (along the raised edge)--not the bottom or outside. You see I have put the panel right up against where I want to measure--and I mark the stock to the width of the panel plus 1/4 inch (1/8 for each side of the panel) to get my offset. Then cut away.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131622439788207058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBum7qpIjZZQkoUwekaGP9LwPI4P-xTpuTjAnneQpBo_Cmf2KneYlVvo2Qp1pGaXV90Q1z3inVRliTbqbswpvh0cSClHIbGSgSGtbSCSC2iALdCF7O0uhDtCsroWMXH1CZ7c-OZUTH4Dsi/s320/IMG_4093.JPG" border="0" /><br />After cutting your miters, I recommend you layout the frame to make sure it fits together. Many times I have found that I have overcut--or missed one of the cuts--and the frame is not square. Better to find out while you still have the saw out--then when you are trying to glue the frame.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsi0Scs5DEJozB5k9O5c55unE3G85114vL45CKmy8j5yUu9v6Neh2OGxeNrwenH1q6g0q4zhyphenhyphenZyq0VDbuEV-vVtbMuLhPCiA04smya6EAC2yDfkB6b344wwdk5BpL_lGMW-1HvvA-lrdl/s1600-h/IMG_4099.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131619274397309794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsi0Scs5DEJozB5k9O5c55unE3G85114vL45CKmy8j5yUu9v6Neh2OGxeNrwenH1q6g0q4zhyphenhyphenZyq0VDbuEV-vVtbMuLhPCiA04smya6EAC2yDfkB6b344wwdk5BpL_lGMW-1HvvA-lrdl/s320/IMG_4099.JPG" border="0" /></a>Once the frame seems to have a good fit, I use a very simple tool that I love--the band clamp. You can get one of these at the hardware store when you get your wood--they are a must have for framers. I have tried corner clamps--but this device works much better. I glue both side of each corner--and then wipe off the excess glue that squeezes out after I tighten the clamp.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131622783385590754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRscq4d91zLSNDiEE054FAMKnLVonoJOud4cGF0yjZ0xMO1YJHp6ZdVghC0N3qrC3Jpx2-FlIgFuvOiuw8pC9xiqRwgvUzfUNEDOnARzR5JgXF-l-HrlwKrsZElIPTKBHXQV5JeqrGDtj/s320/IMG_4104.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Once the glue is dry, I give the frame a good sanding with a medium weight sandpaper--to get rid of any imperfections or marks. I then will attach framing hooks and wire to the inside of frame. If you put them into the back--the picture will not hang flush to the wall. That is another reason I like this type of box frame--it allows interior mounting of the wire--not all frame designs do.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131627787022490754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFLaxrPMo1ALaNjnUHJ1aXFiOl7PAB_cFkYlm_v6GbvS-ndHhs4FnUhvAqFDQ1zPUOPKG7a-x6X1DlSCqmd1KlHlipK5D31eoBfDilpZACljRPaikqINcSio6jWPhEMO46YeKxdRy5IKH/s320/IMG_4125.JPG" border="0" /> I mentioned that this design can be used for stretched canvas or linen. Here is a frame I built 15 years ago. I have applied a stain--but the design is the same--only the measurements differ. Essentially it is a back support--with a side piece that has been rounded off. I made these frames from 1x8 pieces of lumber in a friend's woodshop back in the early 1990s for a show I was having. I made 40 frames for around $4 each!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131626030380866626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPu1deqMHmDd33czHkyv1oayV3qwfQIscvIqRgaY-TBjvz0L3oEHUwQJGHUg1WTLcOpf6ZwW8F5p9XRbBoRZx5u7B9aZGB5LcPfLzzDjaOlrv2eetgZK7VBLMNQeTSFmva7oMP2_zBUMqa/s320/IMG_4122.JPG" border="0" />Mounting stretched paintings is a bit different than with panels--and is actually a bit easier. I simply used a wood screw and drill a pilot hole--then set the screw through the frame and into the stretcher bar.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131623891487153170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSseuxp5f3Rx1fEww1d6TOKQhTRWCfcW9nlJYhLDzIlLooGmL8Azqo6voeq3a9tBvySmC9v7Z7jdEYdeZVMpr4LGyk0Y9rTni_fEW2nqHkwgN1s6yUkMSP62WdSJimn-DKicJkXQVDyAUx/s320/IMG_4109.JPG" border="0" /><br />So this is how this simple panel frame looks after it has dried--and the picture is mounted. You can see the 1/8 inch offset on each side, as well as the flush hanging. I think it looks nice, given the cost. I mount the panel into the frame using double-side removable mounting tape (you can get this at craft, art, or framing stores). You can use the permanent mounting tape--which holds a bit better--if you don't imagine changing the frame in the future. I use removable, since I am not sure if my collectors will stick with the frame over the years.<br /><br />So how much does it costs? I went out yesterday and bought 24 feet of screen pine and rectangular stock for around $18. That is enough, if you measure and cut carefully, for around nine frames. I usually make a mistake that means I lose a few pieces, but let's say a minimum of 6 frames--that works out to $3 per frame per 6x6 panels. It takes about one hour to make a frame--not counting the time you are waiting for glue to dry. But you can save time by making a dozen or so at at a time. They look nice--and people appreciate having a ready to hang piece arrive in the mail.<br /><br />Okay, there you go--my long promised tutorial on making a simple pine frame. However, don't go a make one right away--you need to go to the studio first and make a painting. Don't get distracted by frame making--that will come later--think of it as the reward for selling a painting.<br /><br />All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist.</em></strong>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com90tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-7469917944384378232007-11-09T11:33:00.001-08:002007-11-10T05:08:56.584-08:00Etsy vs. Ebay-what are the advantages?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNk_ukopLBesjXGaQP45gIBVSp8yn3xHKBgaieZB80yAcmfIVfKcvMdNlAlVCBI6rR5MuAHBpwAL9vhDr21vLVtHA09iWxhHOmMP6Knx3ZOxLUHPY3VQdXh78aZMITYHsvAMVoY36nm09_/s1600-h/above+the+sangre+de+christo.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130933063177460546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNk_ukopLBesjXGaQP45gIBVSp8yn3xHKBgaieZB80yAcmfIVfKcvMdNlAlVCBI6rR5MuAHBpwAL9vhDr21vLVtHA09iWxhHOmMP6Knx3ZOxLUHPY3VQdXh78aZMITYHsvAMVoY36nm09_/s320/above+the+sangre+de+christo.JPG" border="0" /></a> "<em>Above the Sangre de Christo", Oil on Panel, 6x6 Inches</em><br /><div align="center"><em>Jerry Lebo 2007</em></div><em></em><br /><br /><div align="left">I have been working on two landscape commissions over the last week, so I have a lot of reference material from Santa Fe sitting around the studio. I was thinking back to the first time I went to Santa Fe in 1994, and I remember it was the sky that really drew my attention--and it has compelled me as an artist ever since.<br /><br />One of the natural phenomenons that occurs in Santa Fe—that I rarely see anywhere else—is the way the clouds seem to explode over the top of the Sangre De Christo Mountains above the city. The first time I saw this, my first thought was that if you were to do a painting of it—no one would ever believe it actually looks like that. I have done several paintings of it over the years-and people seem to understand. I regularly get emails from people who have lived in New Mexico and and fondly recall the skies. Back in July I did a painting titled “Above Tesuque”, which was the first painting I sold on Ebay--to a former NM resident who is now living on the east coast. So I took the opportunity of having all my cloud photos around the studio to do the above small painting.<br /><br />So, as you may have seen from my widget (bottom right of my blog), I have started posting some of my work to Etsy, rather than Ebay. Here is a link if you are interested in taking a look at my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5383183">new Etsy store</a>—where you can also see the above painting.<br /><br />So why did I move over to Etsy? Well, I remember getting a comment from someone back in July on my blog about Etsy (recommending it) and I have been curious ever since. But the real impetus came when I did a review of my sales over the past few months and realized that I am losing about 3-4 percent of my sales price to the listing fees at Ebay. Since I often listed items more than once before they sold—and some never sold—this means I have been losing about 10% of my overall revenue to Ebay listing fees. Thus, for small $100 paintings, I am not sure Ebay is the best approach. In fact, those PAD painters who seem to be successful on Ebay are getting multiple bids which raise the price of their paintings. For me, I has usually get only a single bid, so Ebay is not really much of an advantage from the point of view of raising the selling price. So, I am going to try Etsy for a while—although I may still use Ebay now and again. I have kept with my fixed price approach (which I posted about the other day) of $3 per square inch for paintings, and $1.25 per square inch for works on paper.<br /><br />So what are the advantages of Ebay over Etsy. First, Ebay is great for getting access to a lot of people. There are millions of eyes over at Ebay looking for all sorts of stuff. So new people may see your work each day, as the result of browsing listings related to yours--or just looking to buy art from new artists. On the other hand, with 20,000 paintings for sale—it is pretty much luck or clever marketing if they find it. I saw one artist using an interesting—but in my mind not entirely ethical approach. He had purchased a <a href="http://www.duanekeiser.com/">Duane Keiser </a>painting—and relisted it for $1000 as part of his Ebay store. So if somebody types Duane Keiser as an Ebay search, this guy's Ebay store comes up (in bold) at the bottom of the search results—offering a painting at more than triple the price of the paintings Duane is actually selling. I am sure that people click to see this very expensive Keiser painting—then get hit in the face with lots of thumbnails of this guy's work. Pretty clever—and I am sure it sells a lot of paintings as a result--but I am not sure if I could sleep at night knowing I was using another artist's reputation to sell my paintings. But, then again, he is not the first or last artist to take such an approach. I am sure that if you get into the gallery where there is an established well-selling artist--your sales will go up too--especially if you paint in the same manner. But is this the same as buying one of his paintings and selling it in your own gallery to attact attention? Anyway, I just checked on Ebay before posting this, and he is still doing it. </div><div align="left"><br />On Etsy, the first thing I noticed is that I am actually getting more “views” of my paintings than I was on Ebay—although I have not sold anything yet. On Ebay, most of my paintings were sold at the reserve price in any case—after a single bid—and I think most purchasers were coming through my blog. For $.20 per listing (much lower than Ebay)—and about the same selling fees—your listings stays on Etsy for four months with no additional fee. So, if you are selling mainly through word of mouth (or your blog), Etsy may make more sense for you. In terms of advertisement, however, it may also be good to have a few paintings over at Ebay every now and again. However, until you are generating multiple bids for your paintings, Ebay’s only advantage is the sheer numbers of possible buyers—note, I say possible, since you will still need to find a way to drive traffic to your work. Generally speaking, I noticed that I was selling one painting for every 100-150 views of my work. Don’t take that as a scientific number—it is just a rough rule of thumb I came up with from observation. However, in my case, it has mainly been my blog—and not Ebay—that has driven traffic and interest in my work—so I am looking to cut my costs a bit over at Etsy.<br /><br />Okay, well, that is it for now. I am working on my next posting already, which will be about how to make a low-cost frame for your paintings—an issue that several of my readers have sent me emails about requesting more information. I just received an order to build 12 frames for one of my collectors, so it is a good time to do the post on the subject. Stay tuned.<br /><br />All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist</em></strong>. </div></div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-48720167930846140092007-11-06T11:11:00.000-08:002007-11-06T19:00:40.291-08:00Painting-a-Day--should you do it?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnotGZ4Z8sSVitEWGaBIHF3bBzS5TeByZ6YbNcZ0EJT3rMNe6tKSksm1zbU2ceyMlignVhWlsW4ahkZtVCTs1MGPypF-OWXqj6MIlJ-3sdHfcS4JUkY1bcNM1SE8vANmNbzkz20mGKPST2/s1600-h/southwest+view+NM.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129807649574205298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnotGZ4Z8sSVitEWGaBIHF3bBzS5TeByZ6YbNcZ0EJT3rMNe6tKSksm1zbU2ceyMlignVhWlsW4ahkZtVCTs1MGPypF-OWXqj6MIlJ-3sdHfcS4JUkY1bcNM1SE8vANmNbzkz20mGKPST2/s320/southwest+view+NM.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "Southwest View (near Abiquiu)", Oil on Panel, 6x6 inches</em></div><div align="center"><em>Jerry Lebo, 2007</em><br /></div><br />I worked on some commissions over the weekend. The client for the above painting requested a southwest view similar in style to my painting titled, “North of Espanola”, which is a large painting (30x30 inches). Needless to say, it was a real challenge trying to pack a similar landscape into a 6x6 inch panel. I also wanted to do something slightly new with this commission, so I changed the rock formations and sky based on some photos I had from up in Northern New Mexico from our vacation last summer. It brought back a lot of memories to be painting a summer scene, while the weather in DC is turning cold.<br /><br />Earlier in the week, I had a chance to go down to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._W._Turner">JMW Turner exhibit </a>showing at the <a href="http://www.nga.gov/">National Gallery of Art</a>. I have never really been a big Turner fan, but there were a few pieces that were worth seeing. There is a lot of work at the show from the Tate in London that was collected from his studio after his death. That is the work most worth seeing. I think the same was true of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste-Camille_Corot">Corot</a>, I have also seen many of his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_at_Narni">little studies </a>he made for his own use in the studio, and I find these to be the most interesting work. It makes you wonder sometimes—are all these little notes and studies that I am doing in the studio going to end up in a museum show after I die? I’d better pick them up off the floor and dust them off a bit.<br /><br />Anyway, leaving the exhibition, I noticed they were selling copies of the 2001 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Turner-James-Hamilton/dp/140006015X/ref=sr_1_1/105-1314356-5874018?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194403461&sr=1-1">biography of Turner by James Hamilton</a> for $10 (half-price), so I bought a copy and have been reading it on the train and in the evenings. Reading about Turner got me thinking about the business of art—and in particular about the current “painting-a-day” movement (PAD). Turner was a very astute businessman, who never let an opportunity to make money off his art pass him by. One could argue that he invented the “painting-a-day” approach. Not only did he paint nearly everyday, but he would churn out little watercolors for his collectors at the drop of a hat. He used to keep detailed list of scenic views people had requested, and next time he was in the area--he would rattle off a quick watercolor and send it out. He even offered to hand out small paintings to the Royal Academy in order to get elected as an Associate (art as bribery!). In fact, Turner started out as a youth selling his small watercolors off the walls of his father’s barbershop—for about the price of a haircut—to the wealthy patrons who came for a trim. He was a businessman <strong><em>and</em></strong> an artist. Perhaps, that is why he was so successful—he painted a lot—and understood that to keep painting, he needed to sell his work regularly by whatever means available.<br /><br />Is “painting-a-day” a fad? I think it depends on how you look at it. From the artists personal point of view, for many, I think the answer maybe “yes”. I have been surfing around the blogosphere and web lately, and it is not hard to find numerous abandoned PAD blogs—with a couple, or even months of postings—but then nothing. As I said when I started this blog, I think the PAD approach is actually very hard to keep up as a practice—sure for a month, or a year, but 10 years? How many artists have the stamina?<br /><br />As for myself, I have never professed to be a member of the PAD movement, simply because I have painted long enough to know that it is not possible to do it with the time I have available. Even five paintings a week would be a big order. But, in my view, the main benefit of the PAD approach is not sales or being able to make a painting a day—it the consistent effort and practice that it requires to even try. As you know, I have proposed a more modest approach--a minimum of an hour per day in the studio. I think it is reasonable to produce 2-3 small paintings per week this way, if you are able to put some consistent time on the weekends—say, around 10 hours per week total. But, the goal should be to develop as an artist through a consistent effort--not output.<br /><br />So back to the selling of paintings. I am not "anti-Gallery", in fact, I think you should have your paintings in Galleries, on Ebay, at art shows, wherever you feel comfortable selling your art. However, having personally taken a 10 year hiatus from selling, I think there is nothing wrong with not selling your art--the goal is to paint--not to sell. To me, it was a luxury to take a decade long break from selling--and just paint for myself--and take a day job. Before getting a full-time job, art was my only source of income for a while and if I didn't sell, I didn't eat. Talk about pressure--it is a quick way to lose your artistic freedom. I think artistic success has other potential downsides. If you are successful, you will be under incredible pressure to paint, "more like that you did for your last show". Or, your gallery will want you to paint in a certain way, like another painter that sells well. I am not kidding here, my artist friends have been asked by their galleries to do just these sort of things--more than once.<br /><br />So what is the point of this post? Well, I wanted to make some suggestions for those who are thinking about whether they should join the PAD movement, get a gallery, or to paint a certain way. My first recommendation is that you should not be afraid to <strong>not sell your art</strong>. I find it useful at this point in my life to sell my art, but if you have a job--you may have your plate full and may not need the extra workload. It is more important to paint, than to worry about selling. On the other hand, if you want to try it--go for it.<br /><br />My second recommendation is that you should not be be afraid to approach galleries, but be prepared for hearing a hundred "nos" for each "yes". Also, don't think that getting a gallery will solve your problems or make you enough money to quit your job. More than likely, it won't. But then again, Ebay probably won't either. The way to sell enough art to quit your day job is probably not what you want to hear. Here it is: Paint everyday for twenty years--and use every moment you are not painting to build people's interest in your art. Repeat every twenty years, until death. If you are lucky, somewhere in the first 10-20 year of doing this you will be able to paint full-time. However, the same effort will be required until the last step, death, regardless of how much money you make in any one month. The effort required to keep it going does not diminish.<br /><br />My last recommendation is that you shouldn't get too worried if you are not part of the PAD movement, it is a good practice if you want to give it a try--but 365 paintings a year is quite a lot. It is more important to have good work habits and a consistent practice--not output. One painting a week would be a good start. Anyway, the PAD movement is certain to fade away as the art market and consumers lose interest. Although, I think the main attraction is not the fact there is a painting everyday--but the fact that artist are reaching out, sending paintings around by email, drawing attention to their work in new ways, etc. In any case, all art trends fade away, and this one will eventually too. That does not mean direct sales, blogs, and the Internet will not be essential tools for artists for many years to come. They will. It is just that the PAD movement may not be the underlying concept. There may be other approaches and ideas that will come along and replace it (maybe the sixty minutes a day approach!).<br /><br />So there you go, some thoughts on keeping focused on what is important--a consistent effort. Forget the trends, painting has been around for centuries and artist with good work habits and some luck--are the ones that people remember. History is littered with talented artists that failed to apply themselves--no one has ever heard of them. Which one will you be?<br /><br />All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist</em></strong>.sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-75992610761350023382007-11-02T07:46:00.000-07:002007-11-02T14:34:26.637-07:00Selling Paintings on Ebay--An Update<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dJuydgTh6F2tFopBH3m84xPKq3l_X33-idQ4FK12IKRXtuXalLx-3W80mJ6mLxh9oJo6in2hktoLnQ1afzMckwrS_eIMpmD1WPC0WWc45aUNiCQa_HeddqFIwmb4fNkXwiIWzTI8qOMS/s1600-h/sunfish+pond+reflections-study.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128255349609183058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dJuydgTh6F2tFopBH3m84xPKq3l_X33-idQ4FK12IKRXtuXalLx-3W80mJ6mLxh9oJo6in2hktoLnQ1afzMckwrS_eIMpmD1WPC0WWc45aUNiCQa_HeddqFIwmb4fNkXwiIWzTI8qOMS/s320/sunfish+pond+reflections-study.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong><em> "Sunfish Pond (study)", Mixed Media on Paper</em></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><em>Jerry Lebo, 2006<br /></div></em></strong><br />I got an email from <a href="http://cynthiagoughart.blogspot.com/">Cynthia</a> out in Utah yesterday, asking me to do a post about my experience selling my paintings on Ebay. So I thought I would give you my views and experience. I did a post on this topic back in July when I was just starting out selling on Ebay--so you might want to go back and read that one first, <a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/08/selling-paintings-on-ebay.html">here is a link</a>.<br /><br />First, let me give you a quick history and why I chose to sell on Ebay—at the end I will come back to what I have learned.<br /><br />Of course, I was naturally wary about putting my paintings on Ebay. After all, it is the world's "biggest yard sale" and is definitely a buyer’s market. I had sold many paintings to people in the past through direct sales and shows--and I was sure that I would not get prices similar to those. My price in a gallery for an 8x10 painting (10 years ago when I was painting full-time) was around $500--it seemed that I was not going to make that kind of money on Ebay. Also, with inflation, that is probably around $750 in today’s terms.<br /><br />The first thing I did before putting my paintings up on Ebay was to read all that I could find out there on the web about the process and even bought a book on Ebay selling. Most of what I read was useless—but some was good. The bad advice I found were things like, "paint in bright colors", "make large abstract work", etc. Hey, I wanted to sell my paintings, not my soul. The first decision I made was that whatever approach I took on Ebay, I would simply paint what I wanted to paint and see if it sold—not adjust it in anyway.<br /><br />I also wanted my art to fit with the premise of my blog, which is to make consistent progress in art through a daily practice—not flog out a painting per day (nothing against those guys—don’t send me nasty comments). I am not blogging to sell my paintings—I blog and paint for myself and my readers—not for money. I have a well-paying day job in order to get money.<br /><br />Good advice I found on the web came from the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2006-08-22-blogger-artists_x.htm">USA news article</a>, and another article forwarded by my friend Mitchell, about our former Randolph-Macon College classmate, <a href="http://www.duanekeiser.com/">Duane Keiser</a>. Duane's logic for his painting-a-day approach was that there are buyers out there for small paintings that do not have access to galleries, or wouldn't go into one a buy a $3000 painting, but might buy a small painting. So, that got me thinking about how I would need to price my paintings and what size to paint.<br /><br />Okay, so let’s start with price. I knew that I had to find a competitive point where I was willing to part with my paintings, but not give them away. I was humble enough to know that I was at least going to have to build a following before I put my prices up. Duane’s advice in this regard was good—of course, every artist thinks their art work is worth a lot—since it is a struggle to produce. It is my art, so the market should pay me! The fact is that the market doesn’t care. And if you look out there, with at least 20,000 paintings for sale on Ebay right now (go check), you will soon see that setting prices emotionally is a recipe for failure. Art is art—a commodity that people mainly purchase for decoration and to look at—and there is a lot of competition. The successful artist’s I know are able to separate the process of making art, from the commercial side of the business. These are two different worlds—and you better learn how to separate them if you want to be successful at selling. Success at painting is not the same as success at selling.<br /><br />So, on pricing, I went back to square one. When I was a full-time artist in the late 1990s, I used to put a smaller painting, say, up to 8x10 up on the wall in a gallery for around $500. The gallery would take 50%--and I had to supply the framing and all the advertisement. That meant that I actually took home around $240 when that painting sold (no wonder I had to get a full time job)! I sold large paintings for more—and generally tried to keep the price proportional to size.<br /><br />So I did the same math for Ebay. An 8x10 is 80 square inches, and $240 is roughly $3 a square inch. I decided, after trying different formats, that 6x6 paintings are a good size and format for my purposes. So, $3 per square inch is the equivalent of $108. Now, the advantage of Ebay is that I have control of the marketing, shipping, and framing decisions. I did not want to overcharge people for shipping, since I hate when people do this to me. So I estimated my cost and charged that amount, which is around $8. I offer a frame to my buyers at $10—at their choice. The frames I can build myself and keep the cost down, and people seem to appreciate them. I personally like to sell my paintings framed and ready to hang. It is sort of a hang-up of mine (hah!). The frames take about an ½ hour to build and cost me $5 each in materials—so not much profit—but a bit.<br /><br />So I decided to put my first 6x6 paintings on Ebay for $99 (if I put in on for $108, the fees go up). I did this first back in July-August with the idea that if I can sell the frame with the painting—I would be roughly getting $3 a square inch. I used this as well for my overall pricing policy for all my paintings—direct sales--but add a set-up fee for commissions. $240 for a 8x10, $300 for a 10x10, and on up. The largest painting I have in my studio right now is 30x30 and its price is $2700.<br /><br />So what is my experience after 3-4 months? In sum, I have sold around 12 paintings (I say “around”, since I have an order for two commissions and another in the works). Not counting orders, but actual sales, I have generated around $1800 in gross revenue with costs (materials, shipping, framing, etc.) of around$300—for a net profit of around $1500. Most of this was earned in the last two months, so I have cleared about $750 a month. This works out to be the same as a minimum wage job over the same two month period (assuming I have a bit of a tax advantage over a wage worker—since everything is deductible).<br /><br />So what are the lessons I have learned and my recommendations to those who might want to start:<br /><br />1. <strong>Understand the Market before you start</strong>. First, don’t start with high prices, start with small paintings. Buyers accept small paintings (in fact like them) more easily than high prices. Have a clear pricing policy that people understand. If you cannot answer in 5 seconds when somebody ask you how much a painting is, your pricing is too complicated. I have had many direct queries about other larger paintings, and I keep to my policy. Whatever you adopt, the pricing should be straightforward and understandable—and related to size, materials, and technique. Works on paper, for example, I price lower.<br /><br />2. <strong>In early stages, the main benefits of selling on Ebay are not Monetary</strong>. You are not likely to get rich right off the bat with Ebay. It may happen over time—and it may not. I will let you know when it happens for me—but I think that it will be a combination of selling methods that are needed. With respect to Ebay, the main benefits I have seen have resulted from connecting with collectors and other buyers. I sold around 1-2 paintings a month when I was a full-time artist, but much of it were to “friends of friends” and people living in DC, or people that I knew indirectly somehow. Through Ebay, I have met people all over the country. This has been very rewarding. First, because when a complete stranger buys your work, you know they are buying because they like it. Also, you never know where sales to strangers will lead (see my post on <a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/10/commissions-where-to-start.html">Commissions</a>). Of the sixteen people I have sold paintings to over the last several months, I only knew one previously.<br /><br />3. <strong>Be Patient</strong>. It was nearly a month before my first sale on Ebay—and they were very slow for the first several months. In fact, they have been slow again lately, and I will likely sell as many paintings directly through blog contacts and commissions from people who know my work over the next several weeks—than through Ebay. I don’t think that means I should stop Ebay—it is just a natural evolution of the process.<br /><br />4. <strong>Study other Artists and Market Trends</strong>. I think the tendency would be to think that when you are selling regularly on Ebay that you should raise your prices. But, in fact, I am thinking to the contrary. I am planning to use the funds I have earned from my sales to buy a small used etching press. I learned etching many years ago and I miss it—and would like to start again. I also think this would allow me to produce etchings which I could sell on Ebay or elsewhere for more accessible prices of around $25-30. I want <strong>more</strong> people to have access to my work, not less! This is consistent with what other artists have done. For example, there are two major art shows in DC right now, Turner and Hopper—both were etchers who used etchings to popularize their work. The value of their paintings rose when their popularity rose, not because they thought their work was suddenly worth more.<br /><br />Anyway, that is my experience so far on Ebay. I will do another update down the road to let you know how it is going at around 6 months.<br /><br />So, go to your studio and paint (or etch)—and then go out and find yourself some buyers. Not because you need the money, but <strong><em>because you need to meet people who value your art and will inspire you to make more.<br /></em></strong><br />All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist</em></strong>.sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-27203036633305223232007-10-31T06:25:00.000-07:002007-10-31T18:02:55.717-07:00Color Strategy<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLXaez_0tw9up-cWShOtyEiN8vhnjgpjmbfcI1qvGJ4Uf5R4bZ05QNxeCDqkX1w-PEk3XTk-SOtkGwJ7TVvfwxT85H6Qhan_aBQkgUbOzBJtfnjRDCr75IvQ4s8GEHyjWn32xS39-Wckn/s1600-h/apple+pie+slice+4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127491438135981858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLXaez_0tw9up-cWShOtyEiN8vhnjgpjmbfcI1qvGJ4Uf5R4bZ05QNxeCDqkX1w-PEk3XTk-SOtkGwJ7TVvfwxT85H6Qhan_aBQkgUbOzBJtfnjRDCr75IvQ4s8GEHyjWn32xS39-Wckn/s320/apple+pie+slice+4.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "Apple Pie Slice", Oil on Panel, 6x6 inches</em></div><div align="center"><em>Jerry Lebo, 2007</em></div><p><br />My wife baked an apple pie last week from scratch—and I stole the last slice from the fridge (she thinks I ate it) and I put it up on the still life stand. As I was painting, I noticed this nice purple-yellow complementarity emerging between the pie and the background, so I pushed it a bit. I think it gives the painting a nice calm feeling, sort of like the feeling after you eat apple pie. Anyway, I hope you like it. If you want to add it to your collection of Jerry Lebo paintings—or start one—you can click here to <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-Pie-Slice-by-Jerry-Lebo-Original-Oil-Painting_W0QQitemZ190168831611QQihZ009QQcategoryZ20135QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">bid for it on Ebay</a>.<br /><br />Also, as I promised last week, I have also added a link trading system on the bottom right of my blog—and put a few other blogs who are linked into Sixty Minute Artist. So, if you want to trade links, send me an <a href="mailto:sixtyminuteartist@gmail.com">email</a> with your link and I will post it—assuming you are linked back to my blog and have an art-related blog. I really wanted this to be an automated process—but after taking a look at all the various widgets out there—none of them really seemed to fit the bill. Thus, it looks like I will have to do it manually for a while.<br /><br />I have been meaning to do a posting on color and painting—and was reading a post titled “Color Theory” over at <a href="http://mongoose1.wordpress.com/">Skating on the Edge of Infinity</a>—which links through to another blog called <a href="http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/articles/color-and-color-mixing/">All the Strange Hours (ATSHs)</a>. David over at ATSHs—has written an over twenty page treatise titled “Color and Color Mixing”. This is one of the best pieces of writing on color I have read in a long time. I highly recommend you go over and read it. There are a lot of small tidbits worth writing on the wall of your studio. Such as, “value is the most important component of color”, “mix the value first”, and about how to nudge color—or as <a href="http://www.christensenstudio.com/">Scott Christensen </a>says, “bend”. These are principles I have been talking about in my own blog, and I thus I highly recommend you go and read this piece. Print it out and post it in the studio. Thanks ATSHs. </p><p>In this post, I want to take the ideas ATSHs has put forth and add some practical advice. Over the years, I have probably read most of the books on color theory, color mixing, and color for artists out on the market—and I find them frustrating to read. Why? They spend a lot of time telling you about complements, how to mix a color, or how to “make color sing”, and then leave you staring at a blank canvas wondering what color to mix first. Painting is not about reacting to a book, it is about reacting to the thing you are trying to paint. Okay, sure, you need to know what complements are, and how to mix purple, for example—but what you really need to know in particular situation is how to respond to the thing in front of you so that you are able to use the colors on your palette effectively. What I am trying to say, is that all these books on color harmony and color theory aren’t worth much for one simple reason; they don’t give you a practical <strong>strategy</strong> for using color. Painting is not about color theory, but about taking a set of colors sitting on your palette, a blank canvas, and using these to communicate to the viewer.<br /><br />Before I start into my ramblings on “color strategy”, let me start by mentioning a related issue—palette. Most artists eventually settle not only on a set of colors to put on their palette, but a set of color mixes they use to communicate. My friend <a href="http://www.mitchelljohnson.com/">Mitchell </a>told me what one his teachers at <a href="http://www.parsons.edu/">Parsons School of Design </a>used to say about Corot, “those <em><strong>were</strong></em> his colors”. What they meant is that, while all those browns and grays Corot used may appear to us to be rather bland, they were in fact the mature palette which he developed to communicate in his landscape paintings—and in that sense became “his colors”. He did not jump all over the place—one day adding a bright orange, green the next. He found a set that worked for him. They became so personal, that if you paint a painting using those colors, someone will inevitably think you are imitating Corot—or will say it feels like a Corot. In other words, the sensation communicated through that set of color harmonies, and various values and compositions, have become associated with Corot. I think the same can be said for Cezanne, Monet, Gauguin, etc. Even modern painters, such a Thiebaud, Indiana, or De Kooning, have developed “their own colors”.<br /><br />I wanted to tell you this story so that you understand that eventually you will find (and need to find) a set of colors and color mixes that allow you to communicate in the way that is unique to you—and there is not much anybody can do to help you find these colors. It is simply a very personal process that will evolve over your lifetime. I can say, however, that the best way to find these colors is to paint—and paint often. Look at other paintings you like and try to see if you can reproduce the sensation of those paintings. Play around. I did a post a while back on how to “<a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/08/landscape-painting-improving-color.html">steal color harmonies</a>” which is one way to try out different color ideas. In any case, “your colors” will come to you over time, and after painting many, many paintings. I have been painting for twenty years, and my colors are still moving around a bit—although my palette does not change very much.<br /><br />Okay, back to the idea of a color strategy. To me, painting is a very practical problem. You have some colors on the palette, you have a blank canvas, and you want to make something interesting that will communicate to the viewer. The problem is that the possible combinations are limitless, and there is no structure to guide you. Also, if you handle paint badly, it will turn into a mess. That is where the practical problem of painting begins to seem impossible. One approach is to look at how other people have solved this problem—which I think is a good idea. You should definately go to museums, look at paintings, copy paintings (rent a DVD)—and thus learn from other artists who have solved this problem. But, that will only take you so far. You will eventually need to find your own solution, not copy theirs. And that is what all those books on color theory and harmony fail to tell you--where and how to start finding your own approach!<br />So let me give you some fundamentals—a practical approach to getting started and, hopefully, finishing a successful painting—as well as to start developing your own color strategy. What I am about to recommend is mainly aimed at the beginning and intermediate painter--my apologies for those who find it too simplistic. I also want to state upfront that this is not the only way to paint; there are obviously millions of ways to go about it. What I am going to present is based on what I have seen a large number of successful artists doing—in essence, a composite approach to using color:<br /><br />1. <strong>Pick a “drawing” color</strong>. Most artist start with a drawing of some sort. Not a detailed drawing, but a loose sketch laying out the major shapes and composition. I recommend you do this with a warm color, since subsequent over-painting is either going to pick up this color--and thus warm whatever color you are applying--or let it show through. If the color is too cool, it will tend to deaden the painting. Of course, you can try a variety of colors and find what works best for you--I recommend a warm mid-tone. In any case, this color, what I call the “drawing color” will slowly become a stable part of your process—and will become the way you start all your paintings—so don’t change it every time once you have something that works for you. Personally, I nearly always start my paintings with a roughly equal mixture of Sap Green and Cadmium Red. I have seen other Artists use straight Cadmium Red—which is not only warm, but around the middle of the value scale. Do not over-draw at this point, just breakdown whatever you are painting into the major shapes. I have heard artist talk about trying to find the five major masses in the painting—and within these the three major value changes. I think this is a good guide. If you have more than 15-20 shapes in your drawing—then you have gone too far with this step. In terms of color strategy, experiment with different drawing colors and I think you will eventually find one that works for you. Finding your “drawing color” is the first step to having a workable color strategy.<br /><br />2. <strong>Mixed the colors of your major masses and shapes</strong>. You should start by covering the entire canvas with the key values and colors that you intend to use for the painting—essentially filling in the fifteen shapes you have sketched out above. There are many ways to go about selecting these colors. Most artist look at what they are painting (landscape, figure, etc.) and use what they see out in nature. Even this is not a perfect process, since the values and color range you can achieve with paint is not the same as what is out in the real world. So, you will need to make many approximations. Also, color and tones change depending on what is next to it—so one color will affect another. Whatever approach you use, however, in my experience you will be adjusting these throughout the painting process—so don’t try to get these perfect on the first go around. Also, do not paint any details at this point. If you are painting a tree for example, there will be a shadow color, a highlight color, and a transitional color between the two. Thus, for a tree, you might mix three colors/values. When you are applying these colors, your strategy should be foremost to get the values and shape correct—the color is the easiest to adjust later. Don’t spend too much time on any one object, once the values and color are “roughly” correct—go to the next part of the painting. Do this until you have the entire canvas covered—again shoot for not more than 15-20 shapes. </p><p>3. <strong>Stand Back: Correct color, value, composition, and drawing</strong>. Now that the canvas is covered, you will have a good sense of the overall color harmony and success of the drawing and composition. If the painting does not look good to you at this stage, you need to make the corrections right away—within the major shapes. If you do not make adjustment at this level, the painting will not work whatever you do at later stages. For example, if you as the artist feel there is a lack of harmony in the colors of the painting—or they look muddy or too saturated—you need to start making corrections at this stage. So, go back and take the time to make adjustments within the major elements and shapes until you are satisfied the overall sense of light, color, composition, and drawing in the painting. Here are some things not to do at this stage: (i) Do not start painting details like leaves in the trees; (ii), do not start blending edges together within shapes—keep your major shapes distinct; (iii) do not start painting flowers or grass into the foreground. None of these things is going to fix the problems—if you cannot get the painting to work at the level of largest shapes—it will not work later. Keep working until you are 90% satisfied with the painting.<br /><br />4. <strong>Add transitional colors and tones—until satisfied</strong>. Now comes the fun part. If you are 90% satisfied with the major elements of the painting from a compositional, value, color, and drawing perspective, then you are ready to start adding the things that will make it feel like a finished painting. In this regard, my major recommendations are that you stay within the value and color ranges you have already established for the painting. That is, say you want to add some details to the foreground, you can’t just mix any color or value—and plop it down. It is not going to work. This is where “bending” “nudging” of color come into play. For instance, slightly warming a color will bring it forward in the painting—and cooling it will move it back. Let’s say you have a tree, again, that you want to add some extra variation into the shadow—start by taking the shadow color you already have down on the canvas and mixing a color that is slightly warmer or cooler—but has roughly the same value. I think you will find that you can make a lot of interesting variations and transitions using this appoach without ruining the overall integrity of the painting. Look for reflected light for example, which ofter occurs in shadows as a color change--rather than value change. This is also the stage where you need to pay some attention to the focal point—again by adjusting the tones and colors within your major shapes—adding details, color variations, or value changes that bring out this area—be careful not to upset the overall harmony of the painting. </p><p>Besides slight value or color changes, another trick is to change the chroma of the color—but not the value. Below are two excerpts I have stolen from paintings that demonstrate this effect—both from very successful painters. If you desaturate these samples, you will see that the value changes are very slight, but the variety of colors and chromatic changes are high. For example, the red in the first sample is the nearly the same value of the flesh color underneath--and the green foreground color in the second sample is the same as the reddish-brown behind. This is a good way of bringing interest and adding "space" to a painting without upsetting the tonal relationships.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127569524936390466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3SLhhmoIJFvT81AkdnTnCyOWLjCrPTCY8zeJwx34Cil6Wa916YAEkX4poT0mmkFFsTd5NhNQDvegRAxNiRRgiCDgCzdzVGIh4FOLdY_e5hT7nERTedlCp7NDolZH2ERyoP1zMs1DAOM9/s320/sample2.jpeg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127569215698745138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="100" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jxTcHTANCIUSSjUuufLUSva6WKBVcMNR8oB9NtNrpRDUEQ6d4xD8wLl18UdVdo6o2urUGyAz48EW4m9Jl4KvRX0SsdM3weIIelSVE69Fh2jzKGrSmUeQo0jl-wMltYSs_z4KnFQCzTwU/s320/sample1.jpeg" width="221" border="0" /><br /><br />So there you go. Some thoughts on how you might go about improving your paintings, but also how you might improve your strategy to manage color—within a painting process. Hope it is useful, I am sure there are a lot of other ways to go about it. But, these are my thoughts—for what they are worth.<br /><br />All the best,<em> <strong>sixtyminuteartis</strong>t</em>. </p>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com89tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-6651648651949711452007-10-27T14:45:00.000-07:002007-10-29T07:54:10.960-07:00How to Make Inexpensive Painting Panels<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7HH3mnPb2l8Mbqnm_3rE9ddYJEgrWVPKZiqkpjPiDL5qqP2kyu1-tbZjDJnZ8NP01xPFjHL6btJ9pPvZbn9WfYxUIHXS3A91eZd_U9zM7CO0Bprke875vTn8mi3JYIoP3en9j1bv8TdF/s1600-h/hostess+cupcakes+chocolate.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126358919684536082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7HH3mnPb2l8Mbqnm_3rE9ddYJEgrWVPKZiqkpjPiDL5qqP2kyu1-tbZjDJnZ8NP01xPFjHL6btJ9pPvZbn9WfYxUIHXS3A91eZd_U9zM7CO0Bprke875vTn8mi3JYIoP3en9j1bv8TdF/s320/hostess+cupcakes+chocolate.JPG" border="0" /></a><em> "Hostess Cupcakes (Chocolate)", Oil on Panel, 6x6 inches</em></div><div align="center"><em>Jerry Lebo, 2007</em> </div><div align="left"><br />You may have noticed that I have been painting a lot of small paintings on 6x6 panels lately. In fact, I think I am getting a bit addicted to this size. It lends itself well to small still life and landscape work--and it is the type of painting that I recommend you work with if you are just starting out painting, or need to get warmed up. It usually takes me 3-5 hours to finish one of these small paintings--but it can take longer. In the case of "Hostess Cupcakes (Chocolate)" I struggled for quite a while over three days, and finally finished it last night. It may be the last of my "Bite Me" series, as I think I am ready for a new challenge. Although, I don't think it is the end of the 6x6 inch format--so I thought I would show you how I make the panels I use for these types of paintings.<br /><br />Let me start with a disclaimer. There are a lot of way to make art panels--and I think I have tried most of them over the years. Just go to the art store and you will see all the various technologies. In my mind (and I do not make any money for saying it), <a href="http://www.canvaspanels.com/">SourceTek</a> makes the best panels on the market today. They also happen to be the most expensive--a 6x6 is around $10. If you are selling your paintings for $100--then this is simply not affordable. On the other hand, if you sell you paintings for $1000--or even $300--then you might want to try these. The panels I use cost around $0.35 each to make.<br /><br />The process starts with a 24x36 sheet of 3/16" tempered Masonite. I buy mine at Home Depot, but I am sure they have this stuff at most hardware stores. Technically, this size is a half sheet--as most places will typically sell it in larger full sheets. There are also different thicknesses--but for small panels there is not much reason to buy it thicker--it just makes the panels heavier. I have used 3/16" masonite for up to 12x12 inch panels. If you want to paint large format paintings on Masonite, there are two problems. First the cost goes up rapidly, and thus canvas becomes more cost-effective. Second, the gesso will warp the sheets as it dries if the panel is large (a problem that can be overcome by using thicker sheets or combining several sheets with glue). In any case, I recommend you use 3/16" mainly for smaller paintings.<br /><br />I know there are artists who will only paint on panels, even in large sizes. If you want to read more, there is an article in this month's "American Artist, Oil Painting Highlights" magazine titled, "Ask the Right Questions about Hardboard". The artist paints in sizes as large as 30"x40" on Masonite, and recommends that artists use premium untempered, wet/dry process boards. You'll have to read the article to get the details, but I was not clear after reading it why these are preferred--but I think it makes a difference in larger formats. The process is quite elaborate to make such panels.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126355290437170770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ghhUsnEyhEk4aQs0d1bc5-ZFKpXaFy7bvnM2LYfMzG9QjzQwhlKsraa1gacGsfKNxd2yOA1v4hDNms5AFILpWEwqYcC7qoXg8vGodNr0J9XmCb7KdeQePlUcQ3CKJ3DEknmRd306nBtp/s320/panel.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Anyway, here is the sheet of Masonite ready to go. You will need a good t-square and pencil or marker to get started. It is important to measure very carefully when making small panels, since a little error will make a big difference in the final panel. You can never get it perfect, but you mainly want to make sure the panel is square--if it is not, you should not use it. <div align="left"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126356175200433762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqD3vKZd4aHnMRP6t88D_GjSD8-zweNxE5bqCS2kfpgbPjPyrr1KOzrM7gitZlHXcYX4piZYAYc_SDv4nmP0T8q0ifMP3wTiF7vmWGEaSy765IpIn_FlvVKsCIIgOlQ0KL7LpqUyxIEj9V/s320/IMG_3954.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Here I was planning only to make eight panels, so I have marked out two lines 6 inches from one end. I then come across and mark three lines 6 inches across down the other side. Use the edge and t-square to make sure you are square to the edges and the panels will be square. If you want to check if they are square--measure the diagonal across each panel--it should be the same distance from opposite corners. If not, the panel is not square--and you need to re-measure (that is why you might want to use a pencil).<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126356355589060226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCm1LxVmdiJ3TwXqPbwu4nkhcF3xYCHnfWssIpCWJHUeIygIj6aitkhnQJrB3kAIHSRsfok5UposER0Upy8wNkI_pduvvwi8q6yGTLYRgfYcx6mJ5W21My3eTMPaXe5BE2nBWiaOalmNSs/s320/IMG_3956.JPG" border="0" /> Here is what it looks like ready to cut. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126356501617948322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EAqWlo1kG3lCWdtvLg5_wT2rFfxJxoLFxCgTMBEB-jgCwuXscsC8tnkBbyWkQ76u0gURbcpEasWsTINRa8f3Y7nsyc-NChkJtGW4dBisY-ViGY3q6Kf3ImtJUwhAoCyElkqqnQDD1Zst/s320/IMG_3959.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />And, here is my magic cutting device--a circular saw I bought at Sears a couple of years ago on sale. It cost around $25 and comes in very handy. If you have access to a table saw, I would highly recommend you use it instead of any handheld saw to cut your panels. It is much more accurate. But, if you are careful, a circular saw works just fine. I have also tried a jigsaw and handsaw, neither of which I recommend. For some reason a jigsaw and/or handsaw do not work very well for me--as they tend to create small variations in the edge quality and is easy to get off-line.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126356699186443954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMP3UlnkqY6X5PeegpVQZM2elyXxK_YQPJ4uuHm-hX0XOH33g3K4yx1unqvTHf4KksaukarpN-HlHLPOMX1ltoMkDvwriKmNWa4hTTUdE7ATrOvb3rsrOJ2qQqF89izvgTF1j2Hb4NCZd/s320/IMG_3963.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />So there they are, eight freshly cut panels. The next step is important--sanding the edges and surface. I don't think it matters what type of sandpaper you use--both a medium or fine weight works just fine. I start by sanding the edges to remove all the loose and hanging pieces--then I put a very light sanding on the tempered side of the board (the smooth side), which is the side to which I will be applying gesso. Below is a picture of the pre-sanded and sanded panels. On the left below is a pre-sanded panel, and on the right is a panel after sanding and ready for gesso. The difference should be apparent.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126356883870037698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjBqzZwvPzEOTb1TtaCJpqwxNaDn6i7oHDp6mABImOn_bPLuYPjlChKNAnE4eBOnTVDJddqWq2BGoLpmayP8n3tniLQuShIHq0MDEdk1onlUWZAea8xBrFzxbixQT4uXaPfOGm0s4Ozo8/s320/IMG_3965.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />I like to use acrylic gesso, which I apply with a sponge or regular brush. You can use oil-based gesso, but it takes several days to dry--and I do not see much advantage. You use oil paints (or acrylic) on an acrylic gesso--and it dries fast--so why use oil? One word of caution however, gesso is very hard to get off your hands, so I recommend latex gloves or a wet paper towel to clean up quickly.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126357137273108178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMsO9zOiYlOoDTnkoJcvA3f43P3ub5z5ItsyqQXDluZ6MivDrxoK4ONtzBmPJEksiz9VkeAYsopO3nv1t4FAX4KELH8kevRZty-UHhh7c0i4mgbaDLgvhSyFFnmmKUHKuRd20F2j7cm0Q/s320/IMG_3966.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />I start by applying a small bit to the center of the panel and working out from there. If you get too much on the panel, either move it over to the next panel--or simply wipe the brush on the newspaper--which you should definitely put down to protect whatever you are painting on. gesso is very hard to get off of any surface!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126357386381211362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE2wZeVd-KDvHauJl4O-pq90VQ298QOuOokUVEvd2jNroo4LWs3EqXkQYVGlkRKWX1xp9RIsgbsrmu1f0fCIagmQ1FFjUjZKiibxmmGfE2mP8TrTpwr3R1mZDOWqeEljV2-3J1LK0-pGg/s320/IMG_3968.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126357502345328370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nnT7Vt4IArgpY4lwV_tTCHoos4hQPWO1d97bTt2ci1iZz_EK6Bkv0If7SoctOxIEWmHbyXECVP0AQZJ9vDiakoO_emorB1kIegMiLkfE-jQpAAwj53w5vZYMYMTeufegHFLZez7vEBUG/s320/IMG_3969.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />After putting a single coat on all panels, I wait 5-10 minutes and come back and put a second coat on each. I think you can probably get away with a single coat, but the brush marks tend to be strong-and a second coat makes a much smoother surface. In fact, if you like a very smooth surface, let the second coat dry a couple of hours--and apply more coats until you are happy. The first coat will dry quickly (1/2 hour), but subsequent coats will take 1-2 hours each.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126357631194347266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-cc9G2RbwMibai-hUvk64FSfXaKOL4-K8QkKI1_sRDm0CjfvCUgIu_DbTMBzZHiuL5QxBSo1IenwdlwovUrBxay76ECDJ356jhyphenhyphenpDb8g3jGx_KTqN7ocpmU-8LJFPhRtsucRS3w5owau/s320/IMG_3971.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />So there you go, eight fresh panels read for painting. You will need to wait a minimum of 1-2 hours before painting on the panels--but preferably overnight. Clean up any excess that is on the edges, since this will be difficult to remove later. Also, you might want to shift the panels on the newspaper a bit, otherwise they may stick after drying.<br /><br />So, how much does it costs? The sheet of masonite costs around $8, the gesso around $7 per bottle, and the rest is nominal--assuming you have a t-square and saw. Even if you don't, it might be worth the investment. I can make 20 panels from a sheet of Masonite, and the gesso last for about five sheets. So these panels end up costing around $0.35 each. A bit cheaper than the store bought version. I started making these types of panels several years ago after noticing that <a href="http://www.artisan-santafe.com/">Artisan</a>, the art store I haunt when I am in Santa Fe, NM, sells the pre-cut Masonite in their store. It proved to be quick and inexpensive for small paintings. You may find pre-cut panels at your own art store. The price at Artisan is around $1.20 per 6x6 panel--so it is a bit more expensive to buy them pre-cut--but also a bit faster.<br /><br />Hope you find that useful. Now you cannot complain you have nothing to paint on. You can make these panels quickly and easily in your own studio--for little cost. I like to make various sizes and have them ready. There is nothing I hate more than being ready to paint and not having anything at hand. Yes, you can always stretch a canvas or go buy a ready made panel or canvas from the art store. But, by the time you go there and back, I can make eight panels in my garage--and be painting in the studio. So buy some gesso and Masonite and have it ready in your garage--it is a time saver.<br /><br />So, there you go. No excuses. Make a small panel and go to your studio and start painting.<br /><br />All the best, <strong><em>sixtyminuteartist.<br /></em></strong><br /><br />Nat had made some comments on tempered vs. un-tempered hardboard--which I wanted to follow up on. I found this link (<a href="http://www.ampersandart.com/tips/archivalinfo.html">story of hardboard</a>) which gives a good technical overview (which even I can understand) on hardboards. Bottom line, tempered is okay.sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com388tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272181483664437180.post-65647563381950668322007-10-23T05:26:00.000-07:002007-10-24T13:34:51.803-07:00Commissions--Where to start?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkaIvgLIdE6Fmnf8IpVIsQn_nFIAbW3RXaebltQlrLkCyVcnLlHEs8YrLwuxFWVf8-6Wqj1zG_kJyW6UBl4fB8CBQ0c1S3JZFwmopfVhdfr810-MnyCZIEM6-vOhP7b4VZIqK8i911MgC/s1600-h/two+dogs+for+frank.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124536269009240098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkaIvgLIdE6Fmnf8IpVIsQn_nFIAbW3RXaebltQlrLkCyVcnLlHEs8YrLwuxFWVf8-6Wqj1zG_kJyW6UBl4fB8CBQ0c1S3JZFwmopfVhdfr810-MnyCZIEM6-vOhP7b4VZIqK8i911MgC/s320/two+dogs+for+frank.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>"Two Dogs", Oil on Panel, 6x6 Inches</em><br /><div align="center"><em>Jerry Lebo, 2007</em></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><br />"Hot Dogs" is the commission I mentioned in my last posting. It is a bit different from "Running Dog"--but right up my alley--junk food. And it is headed to this <a href="http://www.thehotdoghalloffame.com/">private museum in California</a>. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">So, let's say you get a commission to do a painting or piece of art--maybe a portrait or landscape--where do you start? If you are so lucky to be in this situation (which I was the last week)--don't get too excited. There is a lot to keep in mind, from how to negotiate the price, how to get started, and what to do after the painting is finished. As this situation just happened to me, I thought I would pass on the lessons I learned doing commissions over the years-- including most recently with "Two Dogs".<br /><br />First, let me tell you a bit about my latest experience. I received a rather cryptic email from a guy calling himself "Uncle Frank" (signs his emails "with relish") saying in so many words, "Paint me a hot dog". This is not the first time I have had such cryptic requests. I remember one time painting on the side of the road about ten years ago, working on a landscape, and a woman stopped by to chat. Out of the blue, in the middle of the conversation, she said "Would you paint my horse". Whoa (pun intended), that took me a bit by surprise and I blurted out something like, "I don't really do pet portraits". She stood around nervously for a few minutes and left. After A few minutes I realized that I was a total idiot. Here I was painting a landscape that no one was probably ever going to buy (in fact, that one went in the trash), and I had just had a request for a paying commission. What is wrong with that picture--for a start, a struggling artist turning down money!<br /><br />Anyway, back to Uncle Frank. Having learned from the past, I quickly shot a price back to him and he agreed--and sent the money through Paypal right away. No guidance or requirements, just paint me a hot dog. So there I was, cash in hand, a pre-sold painting, with full freedom and subject matter that appealed to me. If you are an artist, other than selling everything you paint (which few of us do), this is a good position to be in--or so you might think. But, in fact, commissions can be quite troublesome, so let me give you my experience and how not to repeat some of my mistakes I have made in the past:</div><div align="left"><br />1. <strong>Calm Down</strong>. The adrenaline rush of someone asking for your art before it is even made is pretty heady stuff. You can make a lot of early mistakes just from the nervous energy. For example, if you are like me, a million images will poor through your mind about this yet to be created painting. What a masterpiece it will be! You want to start right away--and stay up all night creating this special commission. My advice in fact is to do nothing and not even to think about what you are going to do for at least 24 hours. Give yourself some space to digest it. If it is a portrait don't rush over to the sitter's house right away and start taking photos and setting up dates for a sitting. If it is a landscape, don't run outside and start painting in the first field you see--or tell your wife you need to run out for some milk and come back in 5 hours. In my experience, such urges will lead to bad paintings pretty quickly. Relax, it is money in the Bank--take it easy.</div><div align="left"><br />2. <strong>Get Paid</strong>. Ask for some portion (or all) of the money up front. I personally would not take a commission without at least 50% up front (or a signed contract). If the person is serious, they will understand and pay. In fact, most will pay entirely up front if asked. However, a word of caution, don't spend the money until you deliver! There is always a risk you will get sick, be forced to delay the project, or simply fail to deliver--in which case you will need to refund the full amount. So, my advice is not to spend any of the funds until you deliver. It is a good incentive, in any case, to know that you will not get paid until the painting is in the hands of the collector--use it as motivation. Also, use your standard pricing for the size requested, but also charge a set-up fee. Don't try to inflate your prices, use what the market has been paying for your pieces. I currently have a standard price of $3 per square inch--so I start with that. As for the setup fee, I just made this mistake, so I advise you not to make the same. There are all sorts of costs associated with a commission that you will not otherwise occur. Travel, photos, setup, time, etc., and these should be paid for as part of the commission. If is a portrait these can be high, so I especially recommend you charge at least 10-20% on top of your usual prices (or at least a flat fee) for any kind of portraiture. In the case of "two dogs" I forgot to charge a setup fee--and ended up paying for gas, a trip to the store, hot dogs, buns, setup time. It adds up--it probably cost me $20, which is a lot for a small painting. Finally, if the value of the commission is more than you usually make in a month--prepare a legal contract document. I know of a case where an organization is commissioning a portrait of its former head at the price of $25,000. Would you take such a commission without a signed contract? I wouldn't--and I think that the organization will insist on such a thing in any case. If it is a private client, you should prepare a contract--and can probably use available templates out there in books or the Internet.<br /><br />3. <strong>Paint what you know</strong>. For commissions, the initial inclination may be to try something new. I mean, the piece is sold already--why not take a chance. Resist this temptation. First, because it is time consuming. Second, the commission came based on what someone liked about your past work--not your work 10 years down the road. So, I recommend you take a step back, think about what you have been doing and painting over the last few months--and figure out how to build on those efforts. You are not going to make a sudden leap in style or ability just because you have a commission. Think about how to <a href="http://sixtyminuteartist.blogspot.com/2007/08/painting-to-your-strengths.html">paint to your strengths</a> and what you have done successfully recently and how you can build on making a successful painting from there. The fact is that if you have not painted a portrait recently, or a landscape, you are not going to suddenly be able to rattle off a great painting. You may need to do some preparatory studies to get ready(another reason for a setup fee). In the case of "Two Dogs", I simply went back to the core work I have been doing as part of my "Bite Me" series--and took the same tack. The objective I set for myself was to apply what I had learned in the early series paintings--but to do something slightly new (note: not totally new). Don't try to do too much or rush through it, just because it is a commission.<br /><br />4. <strong>Deliver on Expectations</strong>. Commissions are special pieces. People who commission pieces clearly like your work, and you want to deliver something they will like. In this regard, I would recommend you take the steps to make the process special and professional. For example, I typically include the framing costs as part of the fee. I want my buyers to receive a framed piece. If they do not like your frames, agree to help them pick one out that they like (at their costs). <strong>Make sure the painting is delivered framed to the client</strong>--ready to hang. This is important--you don't want your painting sitting around waiting to be framed--it could take months. Second, do something a little personal in the commission for the buyer. In the case of "Hot Dogs", it is clear the buyer is a flamboyant kind of guy who celebrates the hot dog as a great American icon. I appreciate that, and wanted to do something he would enjoy. During my 24hr "calm down" period, it came to me that I could go with a "red, white, and blue" variation on my "Bite Me" theme. The hot dogs are red, so I went with an off white and blue background--which gives the painting a nice "Fourth of July" feel. It is like an American Flag with two hot dogs on it.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">5. <strong>Follow-up</strong>. This is true for all people who buy your art. Collectors are your most important client base. They provide free word-of-mouth marketing for your work, and they may buy another piece later on. They are probably more enthused about your work than your own parents--who probably wished you were a lawyer or doctor. Treat a person who commissions a piece as an important collector--and keep them up to date with your work and shows. They will enjoy hearing what is going on with your art career, as they have already made an investment in you. In fact, if they see you are getting successful, they may come back and buy another piece--before the prices get too high! They can also say they knew you when...<br /><br />So, there you go. Some ideas that you might want to keep in mind on your next commission. As for "Two Dogs", in will shortly be in the collection of the Hot Dog Hall of Fame (a private CA museum, for purposes of the resume)--and who knows after than? Uncle Frank has been <a href="http://sandiegoblog.com/archives/2005/08/09/the-would-be-hot-dog-hall-of-fame/">trying to find a permanent home for his collection </a>for some time. If he gets the Smithsonian to take it off his hands, then yours truly will have a painting in the Smithsonian--and possibly someday in the far future the 135th President may ask for it to be hung in the oval office! And, even if this doesn't happen, at least I know that the painting will have a good home with Uncle Frank--a step better than the floor of my studio.<br /><br />So, my advice is to never turn down a commission--unless you simply do not have the time. You never know where it will take you--and the money can be used for food or paint in the meantime.<br /><br />All the best, <em><strong>sixtyminuteartist</strong></em></div></div>sixtyminuteartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136239814449328254noreply@blogger.com21