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!

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 14

"Times Three"
Oil on Linen Panel   8 x 6"

I painted this last night and decided to take the day off from painting today. I'm gonna spend some time with my daughter, sister and her family for our twin birthdays. 

I took this photo at the studio a few weeks ago. Didn't get the chance to paint it that day, but I really liked it and thought it would be a fun one. My friend Renee has these little bottles that hold three flowers. I liked the pink on pink with the contrast of greens.

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 12

"Yellow"
Oil on Linen Panel   8 x 8"

Last year we while walking through the Chelsea district in NYC, we ended up waiting to cross this street and my eyes immediately grabbed onto this perfect setting of yellow's. I wanted to paint it today as a study for a larger piece. I learned a lot about what not to do the next time.

The woman is standing too low in the composition. The buildings in the back are too warm. I think I'll fade out a lot of the color other than the three points of interest on the woman, cab and traffic light.

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 11

"Harmony"
Oil on Linen Panel    6 x 8"

I've been wanting to paint these flowers for a while, so this was a good time. I've gone back through some old photos that I've saved and what better time to try something than during the 30 in 30 challenge.

I find that painting small and every day has given me more freedom to experiment and to "let it go". 

It's easy to wipe a little one if it's not working and I don't have so much invested as I do when I've put many hours into a large painting. 

So thank you again Leslie Saeta for this challenge...

This painting will become available at a later date.

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 10

NBC NYC
Oil on Panel   6 x 6"

We see this on TV all the time so it was fun to walk around this area and then go up to the top for the areal view. One of my favorite places to visit, the streets of New York City. Are we having fun yet?

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 9

"NYC Window"
Oil on Linen Panel   8 x 6"

A photo from our trip last summer to New York City. I enjoyed taking photos of several of these window scenes. I always thought it would be fun to paint them. One of the things I love about New York is the beautiful display windows along the streets. The stores don't even have to be open because the lights stay on all night. You can see them from a distance and as I would walk up closer I could see how big they are...

This painting is available on the Daily Paintworks Website.
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/randy-blasquez/new-york-city-window/167123

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 8

"Pick Me"
Oil on Panel   6 x 6"

You know I love tea cups. Well, my friend Anne has asked me to paint her Mother's and Grandmother's cups for her kitchen. I brought her collection home and they have all been sitting on my kitchen table for days while the light comes and goes. I love the reflected light that comes through the windows at different times of the day. I just leave my camera handy so I could snap photos when I see something beautiful happening. Then I'll move the cups around, stack them in different ways, all the while I am looking for interesting shapes and values and beautiful colors.

This painting is available at the Daily Paintworks Website.

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 7

"Light of the Bay"
Oil on Linen Panel   6 x 8"

Today's painting is from a photo of San Francisco in the evening. Again I love the lights that glow at this time of day/night with the blue hues contrasting with the warm light. One of my favorite cities, I'm feeling fortunate to live only a couple of hours away from there. I'm looking forward to painting with Ken Auster in the City next October for a three day workshop.

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 5""

"Green Apple Set Up"  SOLD
Oil on Panel    6 x 6"

I set this up for my Oil Painting Class at Patris Studio in Sacramento last year. I loved the complementary colors and decided it would be a good exercise. The mirrored vase was my favorite part to paint.

This artwork is available for sale at the Daily Paintworks Website.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/randy-blasquez/green-apple-setup/165504

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 4

"Let's Cross Over"
Oil on Panel   6 x 6"

It's that time of day that I love to walk in the city, and what's better than The City of Light? It's not dark and it's not daylight, it's that in between light that I love. Dark enough to see the lights come on with a special kind of glow.

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 3

"Je prendrai un café crème"
Oil on Linen   12x9"

Today was a long day. Teaching until the late afternoon and then I always stop by to see the grand kids after class. Consequently I ended up painting late when I got home. I had started this piece a few weeks back and decided to finish it up. I took the photo in Paris one morning. I loved the Bistro for the beautiful lights on the ceilings as the reflections bounced into the mirrors all around the bar.

This painting is available through Daily Paintworks.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/randy-blasquez/cafe-creme/165215

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 2

"Late Summer Days"
Oil on Panel  6 x 6"

Today is a still life day. I love painting them. When I first started painting I was in love with the landscape. But after I started teaching I learned the value of the still life. I set them up in the classroom and we all learn to "observe". We have to continually teach our eyes how to see like an artist. It's like learning a new language.

Anyway, today I love the still life, usually florals. At the same time, I have been drawn to the city streets, so I will be painting both these 30 days. 

This painting is now availabble at the link below:

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/randy-blasquez/late-summer-days/175027

Still Life/City Life - 30 paintings in 30 days - Day 1

"Flag City", Oil on Panel, 6x6"

I've decided to paint all City Life and Still Life paintings for the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge this time around. I have been moving away from landscape for a while. It's funny how we (artists), tend to move around in our tendencies toward new inspirations. At least that's true for me. 

I was in NYC last year and took hundreds of photos. I especially enjoyed the evening walks and the lights of the city. This hotel was especially pretty, all dark except the beautiful warm glow of the lights above the lobby with the display of colorful flags. I knew I would have to paint it.
This painting is available on the Daily Paintworks Website.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/randy-blasquez/flag-city/164472

Painting Small and Going BIG

"Last Light on the River L' Aude"

Oil on Linen    18x24"

A couple of weeks ago I held a weekend workshop about learning to paint from a small study and make it BIG. We talked about all the ways to make it work by using a small color study that was painted on site in addition to photo references. From there we talked about how to re-design our studies to make them into a stronger statement as a large painting. Some of us used more than one study to design a brand new design. But I would try to keep it simple and use one for the first few times you do this.

As with all painting, I believe it is important to plan ahead before the start. That includes the design (as mentioned above), including the tools of design like several notan studies and a value study before getting started on the larger piece. It is also very important to remember to always consider the format in your design..  Format is the shape of the canvas. If your study is one format such as 6x8, the larger piece must be  the same format unless you take this into consideration with your design. It's easy to forget this, and consequently your larger piece will not be proportionate.

Also I taught the students how to draw a simple graph onto the color study. We covered the paintings with clear page covers and drew with a colored marker over the top to show the graph. It does help with getting the drawing correct.

As always I like to start the painting in a more abstract manner. I began with a warm reddish transparent tone on the canvas. I used a similar tone on the study I used for this painting. Then the block in. I premixed my mother colors, that is the general color/value of the value shape I see while squinting. This is the simplest process for a block in for painters to learn about color and value control.

From there the next step is to use those color piles to mix into while you adjust each value shape one at a time. The third go around is the modeling, adjusting, all the while comparing, comparing and comparing. The final step is the finish of the painting, only about 5% but the best part. This is where you play it up, put in your accents, lightest lights, reflections and highlights...

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the block in color study in plastic with graph drawing on top It was a really nice weekend of painting large, meeting some new artist friends, and working through the artistic struggle together.  I would never say painting is easy, but the rewards of hanging in there and figuring it out, in an environment that is mutually supportive and instructional, is well worth the uncomfortableness.

30 paintings in 30 days...

still life study   12 x 12"

Coming up next month, Leslie Saeta will again host the challenge "30 paintings in 30 days". She has just posted about it TODAY. Go to this link and read up! Leslie Saeta 30 Paintings in 30 Days Blog

I've talked with my students about jumping on board with me in September to paint 30 little ones, for 30 days. If you have not tried this, you might be surprised at just how much you will gain from the exercise.
Years ago I took my first challenge to paint 50 paintings in 50 days. I did this for three years straight for a gallery show downtown called "20th Street Gallery". It was a wonderful gallery that is no longer in business. But they started this and juried 50 artists that first year to paint 50 paintings. Then they hung the show and it was spectacular!

This is when I first learned the value of daily painting. After the first few days, my paintings began to paint themselves. Okay, well maybe not paint themselves, but it got so much easier and quicker. My confidence grew as my brushstrokes got better. I also began to like the daily practice. There was something about getting into the habit of painting every day. I had heard that it was a really good practice for artists, but of course I had to experience it myself to believe it.

So when Leslie posted her challenge last January, I jumped on board. Again, it was well worth the effort. A few students joined in and they agree that it was very valuable. So once again I want to encourage you all to join in..

The details are posted on Leslies Blog Leslie's Blog
You can sign up there on Leslie's site and post your paintings. And, like Leslie says, nobody will even notice if you miss a day or a few days. Just do it for yourself and see what happens.

Also, if you have a painting or three that you would like critiqued, send me an email alogn with photos of your work and I'll be happy to give you a constructive and kind critique of your overall painting style and/or one or two paintings individually.

So let's do it!

About a Critique

I love that because I blog I meet other artists out there. Last year I met Robert, who has posted a few comments on my blog and we have been corresponding for a while now. Recently he asked me to critique a few of his paintings. This is what he wrote about them:

I have been trying to develop paintings in a consistent motif, consistent style, trying to use value and color to instill vitality into scenes. I'm trying to do that to use my paintings to help uplift peoples spirits. That's my goal. I'm not trying to make political statements, or to use paintings to create harsh, brooding, overly emotional and melodramatic sentiments. Quite the opposite. This world has enough things going on to bring people down. When I think of my clients, I want them to have paintings that hang on their walls that help to make them feel good, refreshed, invigorated.

I'm trying to get more brushstroke, more use of lighting, and of color to try and create vitality. I just want viewers to feel refreshed and energized when they see my works. Happy.

Painting 1 Frolicking in Maine, 16" x 20", Oil on Panel

Let me just say that this painting is wonderfully expressive and original. To me it looks as though you have a love for the area which is a huge asset in a painting. 

Now let's look at the fundamentals like composition and design, value and color quality, perspective, edges and brushwork.

I love the composition and how the boy running on the beach adds to the curve of the wave into the painting. Robert keeps the eye moving in this one with secondary interests like people on the beach as it curves around. It looks to be in the late afternoon light to me, with the pinkish warm undertones. Overall the composition and design was a good concept, but perhaps a lot of information to throw into one idea.

The design in painting is so important and it helps to try and keep it as simple as possible while telling your story. So maybe there is more than one story going on here?

It is really difficult to judge the values in a photograph, but they seem to be reading okay here. Perhaps you could find ways to create distance in a stronger way. Consider scaling the background houses down to a smaller size and toning down the value to be lighter and cooler? I would leave out the detail of the windows and just "suggest" them. The chimneys are not going to have a hard edge and will be much lighter. 

I like the light and shadow on the beach and the people. This is very well done.

I also like the warm light on the rocks. You really thought this through Robert. 

It appears to me that you are at a point in your paintings that you could start to consider your edges more seriously. Really look at what the edges are doing. Anything in the distance is very soft and things tend to blend into each other. The clouds are in the distance and seem somewhat out of perspective. The sky is like a big dome and clouds grow larger as they come closer to you. Clouds are also another opportunity to create a pleasing design shape. Try not to paint mounds of clouds but design something beautiful. Also keep them simple. I know this is just a lot of words, and I hope this is helpful anyway. 

Painting 2 Heading out, Thomas E. Lannon, 12" x 16", Oil on Panel

This is another very beautiful piece. Still maybe two stories going on, or three. The sailboat and the smaller boat is really plenty of information already. The reflections in the water are very nice. I like your brushwork here. The clouds seem to be taking the interest away from the focal point which would be the sails on the big sailboat. I would do away with the building in the back altogether. When I put my hand over it, the design is very pleasing.
Here is the thing. Design and concept are fundamental, especially in landscape pieces. Take time to decide what it is you want to say. This is the concept. It could be about the fisherman, about the sunset, the boats, the shadow and light. I know you want to tell the world about your beautiful Maine. But simple statements made with a melodic design of darks, lights and color will tell your story the best.

Painting 3  Maine Seascape, 12" x 16", Oil on Panel

Painting 4  Heading Out, 12" x 16", Oil on Panel

These two are my favorites. I'm glad you sent enough paintings for me to get a feel for your style and overall development. I like these two because they do tell a story, but in a simple and beautiful way. They make me want to visit Maine and sail in the waters there.
My suggestion to you Robert at this point is to be careful while copying from photos, and rely more on your own understanding of what is out there. Go out and paint small studies, many of them. Really spend time so you can develop your eyes to see what is really there. Look at the difference when you see something in the distance. Take time to paint small simple compositions. Then go back to your studio with your studies and spend more time developing your designs by sketching simple notan studies. Then paint value studies using black and white. Then paint your larger pieces using what you have learned along the way. 
You are doing a good deed, sharing your love of your area. I can feel it already in your paintings. And when you learn to create simple designs that can say it, you will really have something special.
Thank you for sharing these with me. I hope I have been able to say some things that will help. I know you will do well. You have the heart to do it. You have already done it in these last two pieces. So you know how. Bravo Robert.

To see more of Roberts work go to Robert's Blog

Finished a Little Paris Piece or Two...

Along the Seine, Paris
Oil on Linen   12 x 9"

Red Shoes Rule, Oil on Linen   10x10"

These two are probably going to Gallerie Amsterdam in a few weeks. I'm working to paint several new France pieces to take to Carmel. Having fun with these!

More France Studies....

I've decided to post a couple of studies in preparation for my upcoming workshop next weekend, "Painting Small to Large". I wanted to paint some samples to share with the class to help them understand my process..
These pieces are just very small, 8x6's and 8x10's that I will use to demonstrate painting a large painting from a small study. I painted them to decide on the value plan and color design that I plan to use.

 This is from a photo I took in Lagrasse, France. It is a beautiful ancient city with a working Abbey and an old bridge. I took the photo from the bridge. I wanted to paint this small and make decisions about the color plan for my larger painting.

 I painted this value study before I painted the color study, to plan my values in advance. I had a piece that I painted that day, but unfortunately it got carried away in a wind gust and was ruined.. I was painting inside the square and thought I was in a relatively safe spot. But one gust and that was it! It was very hot up on the bridge where I took this photo, with no shade. So, sometimes ya gotta go with a photo. I have to say though, that it is more difficult to paint from a photo without plenty of plein air experience.

This one is in Limoux. We walked across this bridge every day and I loved this view. If you want to learn how to make a small painting large, there's still time to join us next weekend at Patris Studio..