Thursday, March 24, 2022

General First, Then Specific, as Needed

 Many excellent painters begin  by blocking in the major shapes while the paper is still wet. Using pale colors, they allow the shapes to run into one another, making a very general statement that comprises all soft edges. In this stage, the work in progress is more concerned with where the shapes are than what they are.

For RexBrant and Trevor Chamberlain (and many others) this is the best time to find out whether the viewer has sufficient  information .They can pause and wait for the paint to be dry enough to receive the next layer one stroke at a time .

Look for a scene or an image that invites a soft-edged first approach and practice till you have faith that  the picture will come together when the hard-edged darks are added. The two here are meant for observation. It's best if you find an image of your own to practice on.










Can you picture these when only the first layer was present?










No comments:

Post a Comment