Home › Forums › Explore Media › Acrylics › DIFFERENT STROKES: Our forum challenge for MARCH
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March 2, 2020 at 12:42 pm #484787
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WELCOME TO THE MARCH 2020 DIFFERENT STROKES CHALLENGE[/FONT]
If you would like to host a Different Strokes, please see the Schedule thread here
Please read the guidelines below carefully.GUIDELINES:
On the first of each month a theme/subject, reference photo (or photos) will be posted in a thread entitled “Different Strokes”.
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[*]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 – the RIL e.g.
[*]A ‘reveal’ date for all is 21st of the month – that gives us 3 weeks to make the work, plus an extra week for latecomersInterpret 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!!!
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The essence of this month’s challenge is ‘SIMPLIFICATION’!
Instead of copying everything to the nth degree, let’s see if we can distil the very basics from an image, and still make something meaningful!
I’m sure we all are aware of the later works of Piet Mondrian, a Dutch painter active a century ago.
As an example for our challenge I’d like to show you some very early work of the C20th when his abstract style was evolving.
In the following illustrations he concentrated on the horizontal and vertical elements of the subject – you can delve into his theory behind this if you wish!
From near realism to greatly simplified view of his subject ….
The Red Tree c1908/10
Study for Blue Apple Tree 1908
Tree2The Gray Tree 1912
Flowering Apple Tree – 1912
From these early works he, of course, continued to develop his theories and produced many of the ‘Compositions’ in the primary colours, with which you will be familiar, eventually introducing some dynamism to the vertical and horizontal themes by adding diagonals!
But, for our purposes, let’s concentrate on choosing a subject (any genre) and then playing with the forms, simplifying more at each stage of the preparation, until you feel you arrive at the essence of the image – and paint that!
For further study and works:
Piet Mondrian
Brief bio – from The Art Story.org
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/mondrian-piet/artworks/
Wikiart – https://www.wikiart.org/en/piet-mondrian
Chronological list of works – https://www.wikiart.org/en/piet-mondrian/all-works#!#filterName:all-paintings-chronologically,resultType:masonry
Have fun!:lol:
Please let me know if any of the links are dodgy – I’ll re-set later – dinner calls!:)
Cheers, Maureen
Forum projects: Plant Parade projects in the Florals/Botanicals forum , WDE in the All Media Art Events , Different Strokes in Acrylics forum .March 2, 2020 at 3:19 pm #955588Wonderful challenge and wonderful explanation of it! I hope I can play with you, and paint in acrylics for this Simplification.
Thank you Charlie’s Mum!March 2, 2020 at 9:16 pm #955542I want to participate in this one!!!!
I’m going to need someone strong to come over and get my paints and supplies out of the loft! Or maybe someone weak so when they fall and get killed I won’t have to pay!!! (I’m kidding! of course I’ll cover the funeral!)
Even if I need to “make due” with the supplies I still have available, I want to do this!
Sheila:crossfingers:
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.
-Helen Keller
The question is not what you look at, but what you see.
-Henry David ThoreauMarch 3, 2020 at 4:35 am #955490That’s great that two of you don’t find this too intimidating!
Hope you both can get time and materials organised to join us – thanks Marochette and Sheila:) …. and a warm welcome to our forum and challenge Marochette:)
Cheers, Maureen
Forum projects: Plant Parade projects in the Florals/Botanicals forum , WDE in the All Media Art Events , Different Strokes in Acrylics forum .March 3, 2020 at 8:49 am #955547fun!
March 3, 2020 at 9:27 am #955566Sounds interesting. Hope I have time to participate,
Thanks for hosting! 😊Regards,
Cindy
C/C always welcome
"Painting is my meditation"March 3, 2020 at 9:43 am #955589I am not too intimidated because I am completely unconscious!
March 3, 2020 at 11:18 am #955491Lololol!!!😂😂
Cheers, Maureen
Forum projects: Plant Parade projects in the Florals/Botanicals forum , WDE in the All Media Art Events , Different Strokes in Acrylics forum .March 3, 2020 at 3:28 pm #955543That’s great that two of you don’t find this too intimidating!
If I’m really intimidated I can just photograph a blank canvas and say “I over-simplified!”
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.
-Helen Keller
The question is not what you look at, but what you see.
-Henry David ThoreauMarch 3, 2020 at 5:02 pm #955492Lolol!😂😂….. and call it Ghosts in a Snow Storm?
Cheers, Maureen
Forum projects: Plant Parade projects in the Florals/Botanicals forum , WDE in the All Media Art Events , Different Strokes in Acrylics forum .March 3, 2020 at 11:41 pm #955559I was tidying up a corner of the paint room today when I came across an old pen and ink sketch book (1972-1976) in which I started with a realistic image and evolved it in several steps to an pseudo-representational abstract. I did this with dozens of images. Sometimes very complex (a farm scene), sometimes simple (a bowl of fruit), and sometimes fanciful (a man smoking a pipe and playing a banjo while watching a butterfly).
I’m in on this one for sure!
I will include the sketches that lead to the final effort.March 4, 2020 at 11:06 am #955562Sounds like a great challenge, Maureen. I will see what I can manage.
"None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm." - Henry David ThoreauModerator Acrylics Forum~~~Reference Image Library
March 4, 2020 at 3:06 pm #955493That’s great Jim!
Colin, I hope circumstances allow you to paint too.😃
Cheers, Maureen
Forum projects: Plant Parade projects in the Florals/Botanicals forum , WDE in the All Media Art Events , Different Strokes in Acrylics forum .March 4, 2020 at 8:07 pm #955520March 5, 2020 at 1:12 am #955519Wow! Every single piece has so much movement! You can really feel the air and breeze in/around the trees. I knew Mondrian for his squares-paintings, and had no idea he did such sensitive (sort of realistic) work.
This month’s exercise would be great for those of us who tend to be literal and a bit stiff. Focusing on the activity of the thing, rather than recording the thing itself.
Cathy
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