Here's some holiday still lifes put you in the spirit!
December 24, 2010
December 20, 2010
Book Suggestion of the Week
Since the holidays are right around the corner you’re probably going to need to really brush up on the workings of that digital SLR that aunt Maude gave you months ago and that you never got the chance to use.
Well once you do that, I suggest you pick up the book “The Digital Photography Book” by Scott Kelby.
Scott Kelby pretty much wrote the book on writing photography books that cut right to the chase of what you need to know to turn those cheesy snap shots into really good shots. In this particular book you will learn much more than the complex workings of your SLR. You will learn how to compose shots, which settings to use for every type of subject, and why you should love an overcast day. And yes, he will show you how to use that bar graph-looking thing called a histogram.
You will learn all this with the minimum of effort because (as in all of his books) Scott Kelby does what he is known for, which is writing like he’s there next to you, instructing you and giving you ONLY the information you want and need to know to improve the shot. No technical speak, no talking down to you, no pie-in-the-sky goals you'll never reach. You'll get just what you need to know to get better shots.
The book is a mere pocket book so every page is filled with information you will use sooner or later. Additionally, he tells you where to buy the camera add-ons you might want and gives the price for each. Even if you use a simple point-n-shoot and not an SLR, this book will help you take better shots.
This book was so successful that he wrote second and third volumes of it. I don’t mean an updated reprint of this book, I mean two new books with new and more in-depth information should you care to go there.
But since the holidays are so close and you’ve yet to do any shopping I suggest you start with this basic, necessary, and enjoyable book. Once the holiday is over and you’ve gotten all the shots really right, you’ll be so into photography that you’ll pick up the second and third versions sometime in January.
Please, check out my photography galleries on Flickr for results I've gotten with the help of Scott's books!
Well once you do that, I suggest you pick up the book “The Digital Photography Book” by Scott Kelby.
Scott Kelby pretty much wrote the book on writing photography books that cut right to the chase of what you need to know to turn those cheesy snap shots into really good shots. In this particular book you will learn much more than the complex workings of your SLR. You will learn how to compose shots, which settings to use for every type of subject, and why you should love an overcast day. And yes, he will show you how to use that bar graph-looking thing called a histogram.
You will learn all this with the minimum of effort because (as in all of his books) Scott Kelby does what he is known for, which is writing like he’s there next to you, instructing you and giving you ONLY the information you want and need to know to improve the shot. No technical speak, no talking down to you, no pie-in-the-sky goals you'll never reach. You'll get just what you need to know to get better shots.
The book is a mere pocket book so every page is filled with information you will use sooner or later. Additionally, he tells you where to buy the camera add-ons you might want and gives the price for each. Even if you use a simple point-n-shoot and not an SLR, this book will help you take better shots.
This book was so successful that he wrote second and third volumes of it. I don’t mean an updated reprint of this book, I mean two new books with new and more in-depth information should you care to go there.
But since the holidays are so close and you’ve yet to do any shopping I suggest you start with this basic, necessary, and enjoyable book. Once the holiday is over and you’ve gotten all the shots really right, you’ll be so into photography that you’ll pick up the second and third versions sometime in January.
Please, check out my photography galleries on Flickr for results I've gotten with the help of Scott's books!
December 17, 2010
Society of Artists Reception
Here are a few quick and random shots I took last evening at the reception for the 2010 Pittsburgh Society of Artists member show. The exhibit is going on now through January 18th, 2011 at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s gallery on the Blvd. of the Allies in downtown Pittsburgh. My 16x20 oil painting “Packard” is in the show.
All the art looked fantastic. I can’t wait to go back and really take my time and study all the good work.
That gallery space is really nice mostly because of the huge windows on the street side. I was a bit disappointed to learn that we (member artists) were not allowed to put any promotional materials on the table in the center of the gallery. I was told that the show was too large to accommodate all the cards and sample sheets artists would want to put there. I’ve been in exhibits that were just as large if not larger than this, (with the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators) and we’ve always had full use of that table. I think a different person is managing the gallery these days though.
Lastly, here is an image I shot a few hours ago from the sidewalk looking into the gallery. Told you those windows are great. My painting can be seen by all passers by!
All the art looked fantastic. I can’t wait to go back and really take my time and study all the good work.
That gallery space is really nice mostly because of the huge windows on the street side. I was a bit disappointed to learn that we (member artists) were not allowed to put any promotional materials on the table in the center of the gallery. I was told that the show was too large to accommodate all the cards and sample sheets artists would want to put there. I’ve been in exhibits that were just as large if not larger than this, (with the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators) and we’ve always had full use of that table. I think a different person is managing the gallery these days though.
Lastly, here is an image I shot a few hours ago from the sidewalk looking into the gallery. Told you those windows are great. My painting can be seen by all passers by!
December 15, 2010
Color Palette - Portraits
Portraits aren’t something I do too often, but every artist on any level should have at least an understanding of how to mix the effects of various light sources hitting flesh. There really is no “flesh” color right out of the tube of course. What type of light and how much light hits the subject affects on the color of skin most of all.
Sometimes it’s just good to start very basically, with a tiny amount of red, a bit more yellow, and a pile of white for a caucasian skin color and go from there.
After taking a portrait painting class years back, I adopted a variation of the instructors palette and added colors from a few other portrait artists I admire to come up with the palette(s) below. Among the colors used are Burnt Umber, Raw Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Cad Yellow Medium, Cad Red Light, Ultramarine Blue.
Here is the portrait I painted from the live model in that class:
As I stated before, depending on how light hits the subject, any number of colors could be used. For the darker-skinned races, more of the umbers are used, but again, light has a lot to do with color choices.
Sometimes it’s just good to start very basically, with a tiny amount of red, a bit more yellow, and a pile of white for a caucasian skin color and go from there.
After taking a portrait painting class years back, I adopted a variation of the instructors palette and added colors from a few other portrait artists I admire to come up with the palette(s) below. Among the colors used are Burnt Umber, Raw Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Cad Yellow Medium, Cad Red Light, Ultramarine Blue.
Here is the portrait I painted from the live model in that class:
As I stated before, depending on how light hits the subject, any number of colors could be used. For the darker-skinned races, more of the umbers are used, but again, light has a lot to do with color choices.
December 14, 2010
Color Palette - Still Life
I still enjoy painting landscapes but, doing them became tougher because I couldn’t control my subjects as much as I’d liked. When I tried to make up lighting that didn’t exist things wouldnt turn out right. So I found myself becoming more and more interested in still lifes. The rich, moody, classic kind that remind one of Baroque-era Europe. Also the kind I could set up myself and control the dramatic lighting of.
I am still very into those type of paintings, and what better master painter to study for that kind of painting than everybodys favorite painter, David Leffel. He uses these colors: Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Light, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, Ivory Black, and Titanium White. His palette is set up as shown in this next image.
Here's two still lifes I did using that Leffel palette.
I really enjoyed using that particular palette and will continue to use it on occasion.
I am still very into those type of paintings, and what better master painter to study for that kind of painting than everybodys favorite painter, David Leffel. He uses these colors: Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Light, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, Ivory Black, and Titanium White. His palette is set up as shown in this next image.
Here's two still lifes I did using that Leffel palette.
December 12, 2010
Book Suggestion of the Week
Planning for that dream trip to Italy in 2011?
Going to the Vatican?.
Can’t wait to see the Sistine?
Then prior to your trip, I suggest you read the book Michelangelo and the Popes Ceiling by Ross King. You will learn the true story (no, Michelangelo did not lock himself in the chapel and refuse to leave until he was finished) surrounding one of the greatest masterworks of Renaissance art. Know those famous pointing fingers that almost touch? That portion of Michelangelo’s work fell away ages ago. Some other unnamed artist did what’s up there now.
Among other things, this book will explain how frescos are done, how Michelangelo had problems with it early on in the process, just what are the origins of those sibyls, and how his treatment of the human figure had an impact on one of his biggest rivals.
The author also describes the seemingly outrageous Pontificate of the day. Can you picture a pope leading troops into battle? Well Pope Julius II who commissioned the Sistine ceiling did just that on more than one occasion. Pope Julius II along with his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned the building of the chapel, have been described by one art critic as “papal tsunamis”. Couple that with the genius of someone like Michelangelo, and you have a fantastic story.
As is mandatory for a book on this subject, each scene of each bay and vault of the ceiling are explained so that when you go there next year, you’ll know the real story of just what your looking up at.
Going to the Vatican?.
Can’t wait to see the Sistine?
Then prior to your trip, I suggest you read the book Michelangelo and the Popes Ceiling by Ross King. You will learn the true story (no, Michelangelo did not lock himself in the chapel and refuse to leave until he was finished) surrounding one of the greatest masterworks of Renaissance art. Know those famous pointing fingers that almost touch? That portion of Michelangelo’s work fell away ages ago. Some other unnamed artist did what’s up there now.
Among other things, this book will explain how frescos are done, how Michelangelo had problems with it early on in the process, just what are the origins of those sibyls, and how his treatment of the human figure had an impact on one of his biggest rivals.
As is mandatory for a book on this subject, each scene of each bay and vault of the ceiling are explained so that when you go there next year, you’ll know the real story of just what your looking up at.
December 10, 2010
Color Palette Options - Landscape
Thought I’d share with you some color combinations I use when painting certain subjects. I keep a notebook of all kinds of useful painting information and the oil paint palette diagram shown below is from there.
Many oil painters adopt the colors of their respective teachers or “masters” they studied under. Some go entirely their own way, and through experience (and many yards of canvas) figure out the colors they like best. It’s fairly safe to say however, that if you understand how to separate values, then color becomes much less confusing.
What I did when I first decided to paint more seriously, is look at an artist whose work I liked and just use the exact same colors they used. The first painter I chose was John Stobart. I was very interested in landscape painting at the time and there was a gallery of his right across the street from the place I worked, so I spent more than a few lunch hours there studying his originals. I know Stobart is known for his maritime scenes, but he did plenty of beautiful landscapes as well.
For years I was using the Stobart palette of colors shown below for doing landscapes. It is comprised of these colors: Cadmium Yellow, Burnt Sienna, Windsor Red, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Green, and Titanium White. I decided to add Cerulean Blue because I like it for skys mostly. My palette gets arranged like this:
Among the landscapes I’ve done using this palette are these two:
Times change, and so did my subject matter. I thought my palette had to as well. However I still sometimes use these basic colors when doing landscapes.
Many oil painters adopt the colors of their respective teachers or “masters” they studied under. Some go entirely their own way, and through experience (and many yards of canvas) figure out the colors they like best. It’s fairly safe to say however, that if you understand how to separate values, then color becomes much less confusing.
What I did when I first decided to paint more seriously, is look at an artist whose work I liked and just use the exact same colors they used. The first painter I chose was John Stobart. I was very interested in landscape painting at the time and there was a gallery of his right across the street from the place I worked, so I spent more than a few lunch hours there studying his originals. I know Stobart is known for his maritime scenes, but he did plenty of beautiful landscapes as well.
For years I was using the Stobart palette of colors shown below for doing landscapes. It is comprised of these colors: Cadmium Yellow, Burnt Sienna, Windsor Red, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Green, and Titanium White. I decided to add Cerulean Blue because I like it for skys mostly. My palette gets arranged like this:
Among the landscapes I’ve done using this palette are these two:
Times change, and so did my subject matter. I thought my palette had to as well. However I still sometimes use these basic colors when doing landscapes.
December 8, 2010
Heads and Things
With the busy Christmas season well underway my progress on the Sketchbook Project has been frighteningly slow. The last thing I did (which was last Saturday) was the page shown here.
A few months back, at a reception for the last Society of Illustrators exhibit, I shot a bunch of photos of this trio jamming away. Working from my photos, I sketched them lightly in pencil weeks ago, then on a whim last Saturday, decided to use color pencils on the composition. I was halfway through when I remembered that I had a totally different, and probably better, color pencil treatment in mind when I first started.
In any case, I'm not finished with this one yet, so stay tuned to see how it turns out.
I started two additional figure drawings as well recently. As usual, I finished a fairly detailed but quick head drawing first, then use that head to measure the rest of the proportions of the figure. One is of a man holding a saxophone, the other is a tennis action shot. Each are from my bank of reference material I shoot.
I have yet to complete the figure portions on these, but here are the finished heads.
A few months back, at a reception for the last Society of Illustrators exhibit, I shot a bunch of photos of this trio jamming away. Working from my photos, I sketched them lightly in pencil weeks ago, then on a whim last Saturday, decided to use color pencils on the composition. I was halfway through when I remembered that I had a totally different, and probably better, color pencil treatment in mind when I first started.
In any case, I'm not finished with this one yet, so stay tuned to see how it turns out.
I started two additional figure drawings as well recently. As usual, I finished a fairly detailed but quick head drawing first, then use that head to measure the rest of the proportions of the figure. One is of a man holding a saxophone, the other is a tennis action shot. Each are from my bank of reference material I shoot.
I have yet to complete the figure portions on these, but here are the finished heads.
December 4, 2010
A Show of Hands
Here is a recent page of hand sketches out of my Sketchbook Project sketchbook. Hands are good and challenging subjects for sketching because they are almost always either entirely, or partially foreshortened.
Foreshortening is part of perspective. Any artist whose style is at all realistic has to have at least a foundation in perspective. Drawing buildings in perspective is one thing, but drawing an organic shape like a hand in proper perspective is a little different.
These hands weren't so hard because the foreshortening wasn't all that extreme. As reference I used a few images out of my huge bank of tennis action shots that I shoot every summer. I always like to observe what the hand that is not holding the racquet is doing during the players motions. You can get some really interesting positions of that hand (if you have the shutter speed set to freeze the motion that is).
One good, old book on how to draw hands is a book called “Drawing the Head & Hands” by one my favorite, though lesser known illustrators, Andrew Loomis.
The book is out of print so look for it next time you’re in a used book shop. I sort of created my own copy from a website years ago. Someone posted a JPG of each page. I downloaded each one, cleaned them up in Photoshop, ran off a copy, and bound it up spiral style.
Hands down.
Foreshortening is part of perspective. Any artist whose style is at all realistic has to have at least a foundation in perspective. Drawing buildings in perspective is one thing, but drawing an organic shape like a hand in proper perspective is a little different.
These hands weren't so hard because the foreshortening wasn't all that extreme. As reference I used a few images out of my huge bank of tennis action shots that I shoot every summer. I always like to observe what the hand that is not holding the racquet is doing during the players motions. You can get some really interesting positions of that hand (if you have the shutter speed set to freeze the motion that is).
One good, old book on how to draw hands is a book called “Drawing the Head & Hands” by one my favorite, though lesser known illustrators, Andrew Loomis.
The book is out of print so look for it next time you’re in a used book shop. I sort of created my own copy from a website years ago. Someone posted a JPG of each page. I downloaded each one, cleaned them up in Photoshop, ran off a copy, and bound it up spiral style.
December 1, 2010
Still Life Sold
A few years ago I decided to try and do smaller, looser paintings. Paintings I could complete in a day or two. Paintings I could either do from life or from photos I shot.
Here's one of those paintings.
I'm happy to say that I sold this painting today to a little girl I used to work with. It's 5x7 inches.
The plan was that I would do many of these quickly, build up a stash of them, and find venues to sell them. Somehow things just happen that pulled me in other directions though. One of those things was coming to the realization that small pieces don't really stand out in group exhibits. Another of those things was getting married and having to move.
Now that I'm settled into my new, albeit smaller studio, I've decided to try and do one large piece a year for the various shows I enter, and a smattering of small, tasty little gems along the way. Now for me "large" means about 16x20 inches.
Here was the "large" piece that I did late last year that has been making the rounds this year.
It is 16x20 and will be moving from the Society of Illustrators show it is currently in, down in McKees Rocks, to a Pittsburgh Society of Artists Annual Member exhibit in town at the Art Institute Gallery.
More to come about that show soon!
Here's one of those paintings.
I'm happy to say that I sold this painting today to a little girl I used to work with. It's 5x7 inches.
The plan was that I would do many of these quickly, build up a stash of them, and find venues to sell them. Somehow things just happen that pulled me in other directions though. One of those things was coming to the realization that small pieces don't really stand out in group exhibits. Another of those things was getting married and having to move.
Now that I'm settled into my new, albeit smaller studio, I've decided to try and do one large piece a year for the various shows I enter, and a smattering of small, tasty little gems along the way. Now for me "large" means about 16x20 inches.
Here was the "large" piece that I did late last year that has been making the rounds this year.
It is 16x20 and will be moving from the Society of Illustrators show it is currently in, down in McKees Rocks, to a Pittsburgh Society of Artists Annual Member exhibit in town at the Art Institute Gallery.
More to come about that show soon!
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