Learning to See Shapes

This week at the School of Light and Color beginning classes my Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning class started a painting of "shapes". As beginners we don't yet see these shapes as well as seasoned painters. We want to paint flowers and stems and vases and table cloths. In order to help our brains to learn to see in a new way it helps to paint upside down. We need to teach our eyes and brains to see VALUE SHAPES. To do this we had to paint from a photograph that I took the week before.

We started this week with the under-painting and block in phase of the painting. I started to get the dark's in first using transparent paint. Next week we will continue this project and we can see how it all works out. It is usually pretty surprising to turn the finished piece right side up and see that it really works!
Because it is a beginning class many of the students who come in have never before picked up a brush - or at least not since high school. I like the way the class has begun to take on a life of it's own and what has turned out to work the best is for me to begin a painting demonstration while explaining the process as I go. I leave it open for questions. I'll get to a certain point, let's say I might start with the toning of the canvas and then do the underpainting. At this point I will usually stop and allow the class to catch up to this point. Not everybody works at exactly the same pace but I will wait until most of the class has caught up with my demo piece and then paint the next phase of the painting which is the block in. It helps to break it down into steps.
Next week I'll post the finished piece - if it is finished. If not I'll post what we have done so far. Also next week I'm encouraging the class to bring in a painting or two for a classroom critique.

Sweet Tooth?

Sweet Tooth? 

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Study in Compliments

 

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I've just joined a wonderful website called Daily Paintworks. Click the link to check out the first two paintings I have added to the auction. You have seen them before but now they are open for bidding. The starting bid on these are set at a very good price. I will post additional paintings from time to time.

http://dailypaintworks.com/original-fine-art-auctions

Sunflowers Finish.....

Sunflowers by Randy Blasquez
Oil on Linen  16x20"

Sunflowers II  by Randy Blasquez
Oil on Linen    16x20"

I made just a few adjustments on the sunflower paintings from last week. I used a photo reference because my poor sunflowers didn't make it. Because they were painted from life I was able to throw in the few finishing touches without loosing the fresh feel. At least that is what I hope.
I started painting still life paintings when I started to teach at the Capital Art Center in Sacramento because I didn't want my beginnger students at the time to get stuck copying from photos. It's now been about four years and I've learned to love the whole process. Painting still lifes from life is a great way to grow as a painter. By mastering the still life you will be ready to paint anything!

Sunflowers and more Sunflowers....

Yesterday and Tuesday were teaching days for me. I had some sunflowers that I bought last week and they we still looking good so we painted them. I started a new intermediate class downtown at the Capital Art Center. This will be only twice a month. Anyway these are the result of that class and then the class at the School of Light and Color Tuesday night. They are quick demonstrations but they are close to finish. I feel pretty good about the loose quality. A few adjustments tomorrow and then I'll post the result.