Class Demonstration - Floral Color Wash Technique

Yesterday in class I painted from a live floral set up using the Color Wash Technique. It was an interesting exercise in warm and cool. The shadows looked cool, but they were really on the warm side. The key in a case like this one is to compare the color temperatures to one another.  When I was judging this set up, the flowers were very warm, which made the shadows look rather cool. It works much like values, the easiest (not easy), way to judge is to compare.

I like to look at my subject and compare the shape that I'm working on to the shape next to it. When I'm making a color decision, do the same and compare the shape you are working on to the shape next to it, while squinting at your subject or set up.

Color temperature decision making is one of the more difficult things for a painter. Color itself can be tricky. We get a little confused because we sometimes think that a color is either warm or cool. Not so! It is all relative. Try to make your decisions based on whether your color/value shape is darker or lighter and also warmer or cooler than the surrounding shapes.

This will be a little easier after you have blocked in the original color value shape - and you get it right or nearly right. At this point you can judge more easily.

About edges.....

I wanted to share a few ideas with you about controlling edges. This is one of the most important visual elements in painting. It is also a more advanced technique, I believe. I say this because it takes time for our eyes to observe edges correctly. 

The way we see: The human eye takes in what is in front of us in a way that you might not have considered while painting. We zoom in on something as we observe. While doing this, everything around the object of our attention goes into "soft lens mode". Our eyes move from subject to subject, in "zoom mode". Continually, everything that is not in focus is out of focus. 

This is what we must consider as an artist while painting. When you look at a painting, it is best viewed in zoom mode. So pick your focal point early in the painting process. I have found that it works best for me to keep all my edges soft, unless I'm working in an obvious focal area of the painting.

Carolyn Anderson says that our problems with edges have to do with our perception, the way we process what we see. I get it, the image goes in, but we might be getting the message wrong. You can read her post on edges here.

I finished up this little demonstration piece this morning. I started it during my class in Sacramento last Tuesday. It was dry of course, but fortunately I had left the edges soft. It was mostly underpainting, painted using the transparent color wash using the "sauce".

I only had to ad a few strokes to finish it up and I left a lot of the transparent wash as a lighter value in the flowers. I had no photo reference, so I used my imagination. I do this more and more lately, and it's not problem because if I don't like the way it turns out, I throw it out! That takes all the pressure off and allows me to experiment while having no concern (ok, maybe a little), for the outcome.

Okay, about painting edges. Consider that an edge can be painted as a sharp edge, soft edge or even no edge. When two similar values come together, usually in shadow, there is no edge. A cast shadow, at it's base is usually a sharp edge. as the shadow moves away from the object blocking the light, it will turn into a soft edge. A form shadow is almost always a soft edge. At the focal point, use big value and temperature changes and a sharp edge! 

You can learn to create a soft edge with your brush. Paint one value/color shape into the one next to it. Paint from an abstract design, and don't draw on the canvas. Mark your composition using slight marks with paint but don't draw. Stay soft. Keep away from thinking too much and making everything just "so". 

Paint right "into" the shape next to the shape your are painting! Let it blend. If you see an edge that is too sharp, using a clean brush, use a light stroke to pull them together from top to bottom, not side to side with many strokes. 

Use a light touch with your brush. If you see an edge that is too sharp and the paint is dry or is drying, mix the two colors together on your palette and paint that into the edge.

Please comment and leave your questions, or send me an email. We can talk about this further. I'll demonstrate in our next class, just remind me. 

A very tidy palette indeed Suzanne! And I like your notan too!!

One of the set ups at the Studio last week.

Blonds painting flowers!

Everybody in class did a great job. I do love teaching and I love painting flowers so for me, it was a win, win.. 

I was really happy to meet some new painters in my group. You were all a joy to work with and I'll look forward doing it all again in our next class on March 24th.

We talked about a lot of things, but first and foremost, we talked about how to see value and color. What is going on with that? We must learn to see value before we can see color relationships. This is a big topic and I hope to get back to you soon with more about this... R

"It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly." Claude Monet

I am finding this truth these days, so it is a great comfort to find a quote like this one.

Today's effort...

I'm working on 5 paintings right now. It's tough because I don't get to spend the hours I need to in order to work on each one further to finish. The smallest piece I've got going is 24x24. So, they have to wait, which means they will be dry between sessions.
I'm teaching tomorrow and then preparing for a trip to Sacramento on Sunday. I'm hoping to finish this piece at least, in preparation for my class on Tuesday at Patris Studio and Gallery
In addition to this piece I have started another floral, along with the 4 big pieces I've got going. Below is my commission piece (almost there), and the 30x30 Squaw Valley piece. They will have to wait until I get back next week.
I enjoy working wet into wet, but with large pieces and life in the way, it doesn't happen much for me.

I'd like to know what you think about the Claude Monet quote. Let's get some feedback on this one. 

See you soon!

A Better Painting Every Time!

October Gold

Oil on Linen Panel   6x8"

Available Here

Above is an example of a quick notan sketch in oil paint. I used a photo reference for this, along with my little plein air piece that I brought back to the studio. I was preparing to paint a larger piece, and was showing my students how to use this idea, (I planned to use the little plein air as a color reference.)
Do yourself a favor and paint a little notan while exploring your subject. It's quick, easy and it will really get you into the discovery process that is so important with design. If you take time to paint a beautiful piece with extraordinary color and brushwork and the design is not right, the painting will not be great. Something will be "not right", and no amount of "fixing" will do it.
And don't forget, this exercise will get the creative "right" side of your brain in motion. It will free you up to explore and create your best piece yet. Use your pencil or brush for this preparation, or both!

Just thought I'd share with you the idea of working with values while designing a painting. Yes, I said "design". Composition and design are an essential element of preparing for a good painting. If you jump right into your beautiful scene before having a strong design in mind, well, it may not turn out to be as good as it could be.
I like to suggest to my students to draw a quick notan sketch or three. Look for the best rhythmic dark/light pattern (notan). Start here and then look for the value shapes by squinting a lot to allow the values in front of you begin to form larger shapes. Sketch them quickly, then name them. This is a decision process, you are looking for what appeals.
I suggest that you paint a large value scale with no more than five values plus black and white. Use this scale to find the value that you've decided on for each shape. Here is a trick, while mixing paint with your palette knife check each value by moving the knife over to your scale, hold it over the value you are going for and squint. If it goes away, the value is correct.
This will teach you to see value and after this consistent practice it will begin to go easy. Give yourself time and be patient. We are learning to see in a whole new way. Now you will have a better painting every time!
Trust me when I tell you that this is the way the Masters see! It is worth the time and effort.

Recent Inspirations - A Fun Little Study - Paintings 13 & 14

 Yesterday I had a single student in the studio and we worked on learning value, color mixing and brushwork. It was a fun little exercise. I enjoyed playing around with the brushwork on the little black and white study. As I told my friend, you can get away with almost anything when it comes to painting, as long as the VALUES ARE CORRECT.
 I use a value scale to teach my students this very important concept.  The value scale should be only five values, and we name them, starting with the MIDDLE VALUE - and to the right of that is MID-DARK, then DARK. To the left of middle is MID-LIGHT and the first one is LIGHT. You can paint your own value scale on a piece of canvas about 3 inches by 16 inches. Carry it with your painting supplies. Use it to compare each color you mix. If you mix a color, using your palette knife, hold the knife with the mix over the value scale while squinting. When the knife disappears, you have landed on the value of the color you mixed.
We design our painting with a notan, and NAME THE VALUE OF EACH SHAPE, (L,ML,M,MD or D), before mixing our palette to begin our color study.
If you want to learn more about values, paint lots of small studies, and maybe one or two before you begin any painting......

 A small sketch notan should look something like this (above). I did three of these as I was exploring my DESIGN. After this I chose the best one before I began my painting. (I like #3) In it there are 5 values - do you see them? Can you tell the difference between the mid-dark and middle value? Do you see the darkest value? Notice that the eye connects these value shapes. This is how you want to paint.

A small painting notan should look something like this. I ignored any detail here. I was deciding on how big to make the darkest value shape. This is the design process before you begin to paint. 

I know it will take patience to do these studies but it will pay off BIG. As you continue to do them you will find freedom in your paint brush!

ps, I'm leaving town for a quick trip to Sacramento for a dr's appt. so I'll be back in the studio next week. See ya then.

Sand Harbor

Sand Harbor

Oil on Linen   11 x 14"

sold

Sand Harbor Study

Oil on Canvas   6 x 8"

Available here

It has been great to get back into the studio this week. I find that if I don't get there on a regular basis I begin to loose my desire to go. Then I get real unhappy, and wonder why..
I had a nice visit from some of my favorite people from the Sacramento area. I miss them so much and for them to make the trip up here makes me feel loved. They came for the Truckee Thursday event and a couple of them stayed over to paint with me on Friday. More happiness!

Anyway, I have been working these past few days on a couple of different pieces, one being this 11x14 commission piece. I painted this from a study reference that I painted a few weeks back. Michael took me to Sand Harbor on a beautiful stormy day last May and I came home with some amazing photos. I couldn't believe the colors in the water. It so happened that the clouds added to the atmosphere and the colors shone.

I hope to paint more of these.

And by the way, look for news from me in the next couple of weeks. I plan to announce my Fall workshop and class schedule. See ya next time!

The Truckee

"The Truckee"

Oil on Cradle Board   12 x 12"

purchase here

I haven't painted in what feels like weeks, other than here and there. What with family visits, the holiday and just this past weekend a trip to Utah. I needed to get into the studio today. I had started this piece by painting a heavy layer of white oil paint mixed with a little alkyd to help it dry faster and give it a bit of texture. I like the non-adsorbent texture of painting on wood and have decided to paint a few of these smaller panels.

At this point I went into the transparent wash, using rich runny color. It is a fun and exciting way to start a painting, but a real challenge because it is so abstract. In this instance I kept the values in tact and tried to create the glow that I enjoy so much. I also wanted to keep a strong abstract element.

This under painting has been sitting in the studio for weeks, so it felt good to go in and finish it up.
I'm still wanting to paint the snow, I guess I was just inspired. I love the play of the warm and cool. I've been wanting to paint the Truckee for a while, I really enjoy the piles of snow on the rocks in the river.

And I'm ready for snow again already!

"Frosty Morning on Donner Pass Road"
Oil on Linen    20 x 20 x 1.5"
$1400  Studio Blasquez
Available through artist at ranblaz@hotmail.com

Studio Blasquez

I have lived in Truckee now for about six months. It is very exciting to me that just driving around town has been inspiring. I used to think that I'd have nothing to paint here! Crazy huh? It turns out that I am loving the beauty in this area of the mountains. Every day when I drive into town to my little studio I see something new. It usually has to do with the light here and how it hits the mountain view at different times of the day, and even more inspiring to me lately is the light effect on the roads. I think I'm going to be painting more of these local road scenes. 

I'm a little sad to see the snow gone now as I have just begun to enjoy painting it, but the summer time here is equally beautiful. So I'm sure I will continue to enjoy the scenery. It feels like one long adventure to me and I'm loving it.

Be sure to come up for a fun evening on any Thursday through the Summer starting next week on  June 12th. I'll be out with my paints in the middle of it all, with some paintings and some jewelry hand made by my dear friend Dee Alyson. 

https://www.facebook.com/TruckeeThursdays

It's All About Relationships....

"Last Ski Day at Squaw Valley"
Oil on Linen
10x10"

“When the student begins to see each color in true relationship to the rest, he becomes a painter… Everything begins and ends here”. 

                                                                                                                 Sergei Bongart

Do you know what Sergei was saying here?  I am certainly still learning but I do believe that we need to continually compare every shape, value and color relationship as we paint. 

The basic relationships that we are comparing to each other are value first, color, color temperature, edges and texture. The order after value are not so important in order of significance, it will depend on the order of thinking that the artist follows.

So, thinking, is the key word here. We must think through each step as we paint. One of the most important things we think about is relationships.

If painting were easy, everybody would do it. But it is not easy. It takes a lot of dedication, practice and study. We have to LEARN to THINK LIKE AN ARTIST as we paint. 

I like to start a painting using the rule of simplicity by squinting and sketching a notan or three in order to simplify the design. I will break the subject down into 3 to 5 shapes. This is where I will compare values. 

Which shape is darker? Which one is the lightest shape and which one is more of a middle value. At this point you will need to decide which value will be dominant. From here everything is compared to what it is next to, but also you must step back and compare the values as a whole. Or you can do this in your design while sketching out your notan.

Here are some examples of a notan design:

In this case I used a couple of gray value brush pens to quickly mass in the shapes. I was looking for the most pleasing design. Our eyes will see the design more accurately in a small sketch. This sketch must have a border in order to contain it - this is the first and most important element in design. The border must match exactly the proportions of your canvas.

I liked the third option best, it is middle value dominant, the light is secondary to the middle value and the dark is the smallest shape. This is the a very important element of design, and one we want to work out before we begin our painting.

Now you have the basic design for your painting. How great is that? If you keep this design as you work through the thinking process of comparing in a step by step manner, you can't go wrong.

Please let me know what you'd like to talk about next regarding the painting process and what area gives you the most trouble. I love talking about this stuff.

New Inspiration and Exploration

Yesterday my dear friend and fellow painter and I spent some time in the studio together. She liked a photo I had taken last January of a snowy tree scene. I had been wanting to paint it myself so we set out to see what we could do with it. 

I decided up front to stay away from copying the photo, to just let something happen and to have an attitude of exploration. From start to finish I made decisions based on this attitude. I've never had so much fun painting in my life...

I began with the Color Wash Method using my special "sauce" by dipping my clean brush into the varnish and then touching the pure pigment on my palette. I am carful to stay with the transparent colors in the beginning. I was thinking about harmony and musical notes as I designed the trees, going dark initially, with the knowledge that I can go back into the darks to adjust values.

Now, more opaque color comes into it, and I enjoyed the process of painting back into my initial design with a middle tone, painting negative shapes to design the trees.

Here I decided to add some lights into the sky using the negative shape technique. I thought this would help me see the middle values better so I could continue to adjust as I went along. The fun thing about this "attitude" is that I just wanted to see what "happened" as I tried ideas driven by inspiration. 

At this point I had no idea how things would turn out, and that was okay! It was so very freeing to paint this way. You can see I decided to paint the snow using cool shadow mid-light values and then warm light. Still painting negative shapes into the initial dark pattern. Letting things happen here!

Still thinking "what if" I added some very warm lights into the area of the more distant trees. I was having a lot of fun ignoring the "rules".

Looking at it again, I decided although I liked the warm lights, that I wanted to push those trees further back and simplify them. Still thinking "what if" I also went into some of the forward tress with a lighter value of cool gray to suggest cool reflections into the shadow side. I softened some of the edges and threw in some final pinkish highlights to bring the eye to the focal point a little bit, but I wasn't working real hard to create a strong focal point. My concept was more about the patterns of dark and light. I also adjusted some of the shadow areas in the snow in the forward area to bring in some patterns of mid-light value. 

After this I decided I wanted to try painting the same scene again in a different way to see what happens. I was in full creative mode at this point. A rare occurrence. I was loving it.

My idea for the concept of this piece is to use more color and lighter values. It will be more of a high key painting with some pastel color. I started with the same wash technique, but I used a lot of the Rose pigment mixed with some warmer yellows and Oxide Red to get a very warm pink underpainting. I enjoyed using a mid-light cool blue violet opaque color to design the negative shapes of the snow and sky at this point. 

I will have to go back tomorrow and work on this next piece because today I have to finish my taxes. Ugh! But such is life. I plan to continue to explore painting this scene in difference ways, keeping in mind that I want to let things happen in a more abstract way, while trying different concepts along the journey. I'm thinking after this next one that is 16x20", I'll go big with a square format. Can't wait!!

Almost There...

"Looking Uptown"
Oil on Linen  40 x 30"

I think I'm almost there. I was in the studio for only a couple of hours today but I have a good idea how I'm gonna finish this up. Only a couple of fixes (the cars), and a few additional effects and details to finish it off.
I'm teaching next week again. It's been since October. I'm looking forward to it. Then I'm on to the other New York scene I started a couple of weeks ago. I started it using the color wash method, and it will probably go quite differently than this one did.
I am satisfied, if for no other reason than I learned a heck of a lot from this first large New York piece. I'll be painting a series of these city scenes, so stay tuned!

Class Demonstration

Today I'm changing strategy a bit.

I started this piece last week in my oil painting class as a demonstration to show my students how I wanted them to start a painting. 

I used a transparent oxide red for the toning of the canvas, after I used my view catcher to find a composition that i really liked. I always stress the importance to taking time to look through the view catcher while moving around the subject and zooming in and out. Look for the best shapes and patterns while trying at the same time to stay out of the details, (the pear, the flower, etc.).

After the toning of the canvas, I used my brush to locate the subject while looking through the view catcher. First I find where the highest point is located and mark it with a touch of paint on the canvas. Then look again, and find where the lowest point of your subject is within the view catcher, and mark that on the canvas. The way this works is to first find the location using the outside border of the view catcher as a measuring point. Then as you turn to the canvas, you use the outside border of the canvas in the same way. 

From this point, go ahead and find the right and left margins of your subject. This way you know your design will fit inside the canvas. 

Try to leave your spaces (the distance of an object to another object or the canvas border), different lengths rather than equal. This will make things more interesting and help to keep your painting from being too centered. 

Now what I do is to create a value study using my toned canvas as the middle value. I will wipe out the lights and darken the dark shapes. This is the point where the painting is now. 
Starting a painting this way has benefits. First of all, it helps to use the toned canvas a a value in order to measure your others values against. It's more difficult to see value correctly while staring at a white canvas. If you put a little color on there it will appear darker than it actually is. Secondly, it is a very right brained way of getting started. You will be more inclined to use the creative side of your brain, and therefore you will be more creative with your thinking, design and brush strokes. It is much better to keep yourself in the more abstract start and keep thinking about shapes and values rather than tea pots and flowers. When you think tea pots and flowers you are already on the left side trying to describe what a tea pot and a flower "looks like". You do not want this, because then you will start to describe what you "think" they look like rather than really observing what is in front of you. A valualble lesson if you can force yourself to work this way.

Next Tuesday I will continue on this study to show the class how to proceed from here, then I'll post it for you.

I'll continue to post my daily paintings as I can, but have decided to go ahead and get started on some pressing work (paintings) that I have lined up (gallery waiting and also a commission client). In order for me to keep from getting too anxious about it I'll have to make them a priority over the daily paintings for now. 

More later!

Time for a Redo!

"Time for a Redo"

by Randy Blasquez

Today I didn't quite know where to start. I just finished up a large piece for a show, after working on a few others for a different show and meeting a deadline before that.. It has been that way lately. So, today when I was thinking about where to start with a new series for one of the galleries I ended up in the storage area (my second bedroom that has been taken over by old paintings), and as I went through some old forgotten starts and unhappy endings, I decided it might be a good idea to just start painting and playing around to get the creative juices flowing as they say.
This was a demo from class about 3 years ago. We painted out on the sidewalk in Plein Air. I had it framed for a while and then put it away, thinking it wasn't going anywhere and I had lost any interest in doing something with it. So, I had some fun with it, darkened the shadow side and adding more light to the light side. The pears I didn't really touch. Ah! I don't know, it might get some more outta me but maybe not. The pears are a little too defined against the lost flowers, and I haven't decided if that's okay or not.
If I do make any changes, I'll add it to the post later today.....
If you just need to get going, start with an old piece that got left behind. See what you can do. It might spark some new ideas or it might turn out to be a masterpiece!

Colorful Washes

Last Tuesday in my intermediate painting class we started a larger piece from a live set up using oranges and grapes. This is an example of what the under paintings look like after washing in the transparent color. We are using pure color and a non-toxic varnish for this effect. 

This is another technique that will help us stay in the abstract stage longer in the hopes that we will not over-work the piece. I find it very challenging and also very exciting. 

Of course we all sketched our notans to establish the dark and light patterns and shapes before we began. We will need to rely on this plan of action to keep control of the values. Very important. 

This set up is mostly medium values so we designed our sketches with dominant use of medium values. A successful painting will have a dominant value, whether it is dark, medium or light. A secondary value is also important as well and a small portion of the third value. 

Next week we will come back and finish our works using more opaque paint with the goal of allowing some of the beautiful transparent wash to show through. Another goal is to use texture - impasto - while allowing the thinner washed in areas to be visible.
I'll post the results after Tuesdays class...