September-October: The Cape Cod School of Art

[bigflea]

Kim, The white and blue block study may be more worthwhile if you begin the study with hue differences for the planes of the blocks. As it is, it is more of a local color and value study. For beginning color study the first major lesson is making a hue difference between the color of planes in direct light and those in shadow. So with blue block, we see it has 3 planes and a cast shadow. The top plane is direct light, the front plane is half light, the side is shadow. Those need to be different hues. Why? The first lesson is seeing that planes in direct light are a different hue than planes in shade. The same idea for the white block. 3 different hues for the 3 planes, plus a different hue for the cast shadows. Might help to use a colored cloth instead of white. At the beginning of color study with blocks, forget about correct values. The color won't be correct in value. It is not the purpose, at least not according to Hensche who introduced the color block study exercise. So the goal, at a beginner stage, is using hue differences to state the different planes of the still life. Values are not yet important. Also may help to leave a bit of unpainted white space between the different hues. Hope that helps get restarted. Ken

[fivespices]

Thanks again Ken, I thought I was in the right direction With the white/blue block. I saw the top plan of the white block has cool pink/yellow with some sky blue reflect on it and it was cooler than the side plan (yellow-orange).
I will get some color cloth and do another one this weekend. Color modeling is sure complicated. But if it is easy, then it would not be fun. Thanks for your patient and help.

Kim

[bigflea]

Kim, I think your study is going in the direction of hue differences for different planes, but it could go that direction more boldly or certainly in the first notes put down for the different planes. The pale pink and pale yellow for the top and side planes in sunlight can be a bit overstated. The color for the plane in shadow will be more similar to the cast shadow than it is currently showing to be. IOW the white block in shadow and the cast shadow of the white block form a big unit of shade,( one a vertical plane and one a horizontal or recessional plane) which may differ in hue but not so much in value. The blue block visually likely has more hue difference between the 3 planes, which can be difficult to recognize at first. If they all look blue, it is still possible to begin with different pigments like cobalt blue, turquoise blue or even an emerald green, with a violet for the block in shade. IOW starting with hue differences before concluding that the local object color is dominant in each plane. Whatever cloth is used, it will reflect more color up into the blocks. Your study is well done but comes down to overstating the hue differences at the beginning and studying the mixture of color for each plane for their unique color quality. Ken

[kate252]

ive just been alerted to this thread and it totally suits me at the moment- as im doing lots of flower oil paintings- which are colorful (meant to be)
i dont have palette knives- and i need to use whatever colors i have in my box- im unemployed on a rediculously low budget- s o buying one single canvas breaks my bank.
however- its surprising just how much yu can absorb just by looking at everything.
this class is right on my learning track at the moment- ive been looking at van gogh and his wonderful use of color- and his impasto strokes (envious- hugely) what i am trying to do next is lay off the white. I was misguided in thinking adding white with everything makes it all opaque and this is how yu bring the color out.

white is an addiction...i need white therapy. so this new one im laying right off it.

although i need i for my pink buds.

heres the link to flower paintings....as cant change the pixels.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51755748@N02/6169043619/

if you click on- you see i love painting from life- love color....but there is lots of work that i need to do...

youll know what i mean when if you see the link

another thing iv struggled with is getting paint to nicely sit on these cheap canvas boards- but thats probably a different thread....

my eyes are open- ears open ....

[kate252]

i am having difficulty in getting the right values- i am wondering if putting my colors into grey scale might help so i can see. how else can i see?

[kate252]

this web site seems really good - re cape cod

sorry if the link has been given already
http://www.capecodschoolofart.org/Ab...is%20Site.html

"That is to say, the color of an object as seen by a keen observer, will change depending upon; the light used to illuminate the object, the distance and atmospheric conditions between the observer and the object, shadows cast on the object, and reflections from nearby objects.

So, an object who’s local color is green, may in fact appear more yellowish than green when exposed to the direct rays of the sun. Or depending on how shiny the object is, it may actually appear blue when reflecting the sky. If you paint this object with green out of the tube, or some value of green, you will not have a faithful reproduction of the objects color."

BINGO- and read this if you like
"If one wishes to paint in an Impressionistic way, they must detach themselves from local color and train their eyes to see the color that exists at that moment under a particular set of conditions"

I knew it!! (well i didnt really) recently i started off TWO threads about impressionsim - one on color forum and t'other on water color...and i dont feel we touched on this aspect of impressionsim- so Im so glad someone alerted me to this tutorial...and in particular someone chose the cape-cod. as there is so much literature out there on impressionism and yu can get side tracked V easy

so this is why monet had those funny glasses...and this is why you want strong natural light for this project?

in which case flowers dont reflect much...im wondering what i can use in place of blocks.....or i can look in my sons Brio box and see whats there.

[bjornjo]

Have you tried to paint on masonite prepared with gesso but then putty knifes are better or your brushes will soon be weared off? masonite is cheap from the hardware store and more expensive at art stores. by doing comparesing on the canvas light to shadow and compare canvas to what you have infront of you and also that each color have their own chromatic range. if you want todo value studys it proably better todo that as an separate. flowers are harder objects since they are so thin and "transparent"

[kate252]

im going to try masonite...these canvas boards are yucky yuck- not good- though im sure a good painter could do something with them

i did these flowers today- but i dont think my front room was very light
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51755748@N02/6174663149/

(CANT UPLOAD as cant change pixels at the moment)
I probably shouldnt have shown you at this stage as the tutorial is at the block color stage...i just couldnt resist to shar it with you....its hard. it makes sense when someone explains it...but its hard. (for me-lol)

[Crystal1]

Kate:
I'm very interested in the impressionist colors, even though I like a more detailed painting. I have both of the books recommended. The one from Lois Griffel and "Capturing Radiant Color in Oils", by Susan Sarback. I think it might be a good idea to see if you can get either of these books from your local library. They go into much more detail on how to see impressionist colors in the morning and differently in the afternoon. I much prefer Susan Sarback's book, to help you learn how to see the colors. There are so many example in her book, that it will help you to understand it better. Last week I was able to find my third art teacher...she only charges $10.00 for a 3 three hour class and I think she is much better than my more expensive past teachers. First thing she did was to teach me a Kincaid/Monet palette. I'm very excited about it and will continue with her palette for as long as I can afford her classes (there's some travel that adds to the cost). Yes, you can use your son's toys and paint them, or look at a hardware store for some left over lumber. If your paint isn't sticking to the canvas and you buy cheap canvas panels like I do, then you may need to add extra coats of gesso, and lightly sand them. That's what I do with mine, and it also makes a smoother canvas that doen't show the canvas lines so much. Your last painting is showing much brighter colors already. Good Luck!
Dayle

[kate252]

thanks for that- those books sound really- really good- i must see if my library stocks them. i thought i did well of that flower painting- to do bright colors...but i dnt think i used that much of a range.....colors are scarey...you feel so brave doing doing just one strong color- and its hard to get your head around the fact you probably need a whole range more to get that contrast.

[fivespices]

Ken;

Thank you for your teaching. It was so amazing once I put in the colorful surface I saw those bouncing lights on the white block, and I also saw those hue differences on the top, side, shadow & the cast shadow planes better than when the white cloth was used. The reflected light on the shadow plane were more intense than the cast shadow. Be able to see that is amazing to me. I try to put those reflected lights as a define pattern in the first note but cannot because those edges are so soft and do not know where they start and end. I will keep these 1st note since it is my first hands-on discovery. Wow these block studies start getting fun.






Will try another color surface later when I get better sun light.

Thanks again

kim

C & C is always welcome.

[bigflea]

Kim, looks like progress. Both studies are working well seems to me. The main stumbling block (scuse the pun) seems the shade notes for the white blocks. I think u r seeing color in both the cast shadow and the shaded plane of the block, but looking into each area too directly. That usually leads to making the changes too saturated or bright. The shaded plane of the blocks and the cast shadows of the blocks visually form a big unit or mass. Any variation within them has to stay within that big unit. So it is really a matter of practice, making a hue change within a big mass but mixing it into the mass so the shadow masses remain a big unit or mass. IOW u r seeing the hue changes within the cast shadow and shaded plane of the block, but they are not so saturated (purity) or high in chroma (brightness). Good progress I think. Ken

[Srishti]

Bravo Kim Woo Hoo!

[fivespices]

Srishti:

You are funny. Thanks for the

kim

[fivespices]

Ken:

Thanks. Yes I did stare at those beautiful reflected light. Next time I will scan the color instead.

Do you have your classes planned yet for next year? Will it be on your web site.

kim