WELCOME TO THE July 2018 DIFFERENT STROKES CHALLENGE

Woot! Woot!

If you would like to host a Different Strokes, please see the Schedule thread here schedule thread link.

Please read the guidelines below carefully.

GUIDELINES:

[*]All entries must be for this challenge and in acrylics – any type of acrylic.
[*]Join in the discussion about the project – it’s friendly and fun to learn how others are coping/struggling/thriving!!! But no visual images!
[*]Help can be gained from asking but also from looking for resource materials elsewhere.
[*]A ‘reveal’ date for all is 21st of the month – that gives us 3 weeks to make the work, plus an extra week for latecomers.
[*]Interpret the ideas any way you wish – be inventive, realistic, influenced by another style or ‘…ism’ – it’s up to you!

PLEASE DO NOT UPLOAD WORK TO THE THREAD BEFORE THE 21ST OF THE MONTH.** Much more exciting and fun to see what ‘masterpieces’ appear!
If work is uploaded early it will be moved to a safe place until 21st.

At the end of the month the thread /discussion will be closed and a new challenge will begin.

**Please note, the single ‘reveal’ date is chosen so that we do not influence each other with our individual interpretations ……
that’s the whole point of it being called ‘Different Strokes’!
By all means ask questions in the thread or initiate discussion about the challenge – just don’t post images!!!

The challenge this month is …………… Lucky Accidents – and how to have them

Bob Ross talked about lucky accidents. David Dunlop teaches that accident can be a friend while painting, as long as it has room in the process. So we’re going to make room for accidents by going fast.

The gist of the challenge:

[*]make at least two paintings of any subject per session

[*]aim to complete each within two minutes and taking no more than fifteen minutes each.

[*]Do as many as you like in any session; (I run out of steam after about four)

[*]No drawing beforehand. Not even thumbnails.

At the end, post all of your work, even the clunkers.

Use any method you like. I’ll describe what I do to help you get started.

What I use …

[*]A reference. Your choice, but you probably do not want a lot of detail in it.
[*]Surfaces to paint on. Size should be somewhere between 5 in. X 7 in. (12 cm. X 18 cm.) and 8 in. X 10 in (20 cm. X 24 cm.). Too small and the painting becomes too fussy. Too big and time expires before the surface is even covered. I use 80 lb. watercolor paper but anything will do. There’s nothing wrong with dividing a larger panel into smaller painting spaces.
[*]Application tools. Brushes should be between 1 in. and 2 in. in width. Painting knives should not be tiny. Really any tool that puts on a lot of paint in a short time.
[*]Paint. (duh). Keep it simple, such as three primaries plus white, or even ultramarine blue and burnt siena with white.
[*]A timer to tell you to stop after fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes is the limit.

Visual aids …

Hints:

[*]Keep it low cost. The idea is to do this in bulk.
[*]It takes too long to mix paint with a knife and pick it up with the brush. Mix with a brush.
[*]Give yourself lots of room for mixing paint. It can get messy.
[*]Cleaning brushes takes time. It might be a good idea to have a brush for light colors and one for darks.
[*]If using paper, try sealing it with a layer of gloss medium. There will be less pull on the brush.
[*]Don’t fix mistakes.
[*]Don’t fixate on details. Go for the big shapes and a strong composition.
[*]Think shapes, not objects.
[*]Don’t even try to reproduce the subject matter. Work toward a well-composed painting.
[*]Focus but don’t try to think your way through it. Try to get a good connection between eye and hand.
[*]Be prepared to abuse your brush.

Need a small brush? Try this.

No fan brush? No problem.

Brushes live for this.

Samples
A reference photo …

The paintings. 7 X 10 in on Canson XL watercolor paper.

One came off the easel oriented this way, but was flipped and spawned a larger, more deliberate painting which I posted in the main forum.

These are four clunkers from another reference. Note the crappy handling of the near tree.

Hope everyone has a lot of fun with this. Relax and enjoy.