rd2ruin
02-22-2003, 02:55 AM
I originally posted this in the pastel forum (since I work in pastels), but thought you'd all like this too. You can catch my lessons #1 and #2 there.
Week three in my continuing my ongoing series of art lessons. Not really pastel-centric, but might help y'all make better decisions creating works :)
Weeks one and two concentrated on learning to extend lines to create shapes. Triangles in week one and odd shapes in week two. This week, we are going to look at a classic renaissance work to help you see how these theories work to make the classics classic. Below is Domenico Ghirlandaio's "The Visitation". You may want to open http://www.abcgallery.com/G/ghirlandao/ghirlandaio22.html in a separate window to compare my notes with the original.
In week one we learned triangles, because that is the most stable art form. Three sides, all supporting each other. The main triangle (which emphasizes the Catholic story of Mary visiting her Aunt Elizabeth for support) is drawn in pink. Note that buildings like this did not exist in the day and buildings that looked somewhat like this were created from paintings, they were painted deliberately to add form, hence the very not accidental angling of the perspective to draw the focal point into the space between the heads.
Notice in blue, how a lot of seemingly arbitrary forms also lead you to the focal point. Even folds of cloth lead you in. Nothing is a mistake, everything is painstakingly planned out. The second triangle in green runs down the arms of the folk on either side and meets at the dark blue cloth on the kneeling figure. Which of course, leads you back up toward the focal point. Take a moment to note how extending the green triangle matches exactly into the folds of clothes.
Note the red line that lines up the waistline of Mary with the clothes of the woman on the left.
Note the orange line that can be drawn from the crease on the woman on the right, defines Mary's chin profile, and ends up going up the woman's arm on the left.
Nothing happens by accident. Something to keep in mind when you are planning your next project.
For fun this week, see how many more lines you can find in the painting.
Enjoy!
- Greg
Week three in my continuing my ongoing series of art lessons. Not really pastel-centric, but might help y'all make better decisions creating works :)
Weeks one and two concentrated on learning to extend lines to create shapes. Triangles in week one and odd shapes in week two. This week, we are going to look at a classic renaissance work to help you see how these theories work to make the classics classic. Below is Domenico Ghirlandaio's "The Visitation". You may want to open http://www.abcgallery.com/G/ghirlandao/ghirlandaio22.html in a separate window to compare my notes with the original.
In week one we learned triangles, because that is the most stable art form. Three sides, all supporting each other. The main triangle (which emphasizes the Catholic story of Mary visiting her Aunt Elizabeth for support) is drawn in pink. Note that buildings like this did not exist in the day and buildings that looked somewhat like this were created from paintings, they were painted deliberately to add form, hence the very not accidental angling of the perspective to draw the focal point into the space between the heads.
Notice in blue, how a lot of seemingly arbitrary forms also lead you to the focal point. Even folds of cloth lead you in. Nothing is a mistake, everything is painstakingly planned out. The second triangle in green runs down the arms of the folk on either side and meets at the dark blue cloth on the kneeling figure. Which of course, leads you back up toward the focal point. Take a moment to note how extending the green triangle matches exactly into the folds of clothes.
Note the red line that lines up the waistline of Mary with the clothes of the woman on the left.
Note the orange line that can be drawn from the crease on the woman on the right, defines Mary's chin profile, and ends up going up the woman's arm on the left.
Nothing happens by accident. Something to keep in mind when you are planning your next project.
For fun this week, see how many more lines you can find in the painting.
Enjoy!
- Greg