COLOR THAT SINGSBEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE PAINTING

Jewish Community CenterWinter 2018

Glenn Hirsch, Instructor

Paul Wonner

SYLLABUS WEEK-BY-WEEK

Jan 24 “Light” and Abstraction – Color to create “light’ & brush to create “texture”

Jan. 31 “Light” and Realism – Still Life: warm/cool combinations to enhance the illusion of ‘form’

Feb. 7 “Style” Part I – Master Study – exact copy of a painting you love

Feb. 14 “Style” Part II – Response – a painting all your own but using the color & style of the master

Feb. 21 “Explorations” – Working in Series (Course Project: 3+ paintings investigating a style and subject)

Feb. 28: “Energy” - pattern and repetition (HW: continue series project)

March 7 “Idea” – modernism and art history (HW: continue series project)

March 14 No class (HW: continue series project)

March 21 “Critique" – Discussion of all work for semester and potluck

TONIGHT’S LESSON

• What is color? (light)

• What makes color ‘sing?’ (the illusion of ‘light’)

• What makes the illusion of light? (contrast and variety (of color))

• What’s the procedure? (acrylic/oil technique vs. watercolor technique)

• What are all the ways to use the brush?

• What’s the difference between ‘real’ and ‘abstract?’

• Painting exercise: abstraction, brush and layers

What is “color?”

What’s the ‘real color’

of the house?

Color is Light

Monet paints ‘white’ marble at different times of day

What makes color ‘sing?’

The illusion of ‘light’ !

Paul KleeAdam Hirsch

Styles of light“Old Master” emphasizing shadow vs. “Impressionist” style minimizing shadow

ManetRembrandt

Vermeer

Student work in style of Vermeer

What makes the illusion of ‘light?’

light/dark contrast(‘value’)

To see the ‘value’ (contrast)imagine what the painting would look like in black and white.

imagine what the colors would look like in black and white

Degas

Elmer Bischoff

A second factor which also makes the illusion of ‘light’

Variety of color(warm and cool combinations)

‘warm’ and ‘cool’ varieties of the same color

Monet (detail)

Georgia O’Keefe

What’s the Procedure?

Acrylic/Oil(use both thin & thick layers)

Watercolor (use all thin watery layers)

Acrylic procedurestart thin, build up each layer thicker each timeUse opaque white

Watercolor procedurestart thin, build up each layer but each layer stays thin (“watery”)Create ‘white’ by reserving the white paper

Joan Mitchell acrylic John Singer Sargent watercolor

Watercolor: starting on a white background, then preserving the white paper where you want “white”

Acrylic/Oil: starting on a dark background, then use opaque white

Eduoard Manet

Vincent Van Gogh oil Emile Nolde watercolor

Emile Nolde

Using acrylic AS IF it is watercolor

thin watery layers (also called ‘glazes’)

Let each layer dry

‘reserve the white’

Richard Diebenkorn

Semi-opaque ‘glazing’

semi-opaque yellow is painted over a dark backgroundand you see the dark peeking through from underneath

Helen Frankenthaler

Using acrylic AS IF it is watercolorPouring on flat paper or canvas

Acrylic or watercolor, no matter what your procedure, painting is

done in LAYERS

Let each layer DRY before you go to the next

Georgia O’Keefe, watercolorGrove Robinson Branch, acrylic

What is real and what is abstract?

‘Real’ and ‘Abstract’ are relative

Robert Marosiseries, acrylic

Manet Monet Van Gogh

‘Real’ and ‘Abstract’ depend on an artist’s style

All ‘realism’ has abstract qualities, many artists like to emphasize both

John Singer Sargent, watercolor

How many ways are there to use a brush?

• Wet-in-Wet• Wet-over-dry• Stamping, Rolling, Scratching• Dry Brush• Impasto• Transparent glazes

Helen Frankenthaler

Mark Rothko

Fred Martin

Fred Martin

Abstract brush energy is a great way to paint trees

John Singer SargentJohn Singer Sargent

Melba Cantu