SIMPLIFYING MORE COMPLICATED BUILDINGS

Today we were simplifying more complicated buildings close up, which means more accurate detail, but this doesn't mean we have to include all the detail.

Below we were copying an artists impression of this archway which was done almost all in wet in wet, using masking fluid to pick out the highlights.

We were also using a photograph of the Mall, galleries, above, so we could make our own decisions about what to leave in and what not to include.

Careful drawings were made of both, and we alternated between the 2, applying our first and second washes to the arch, example's below, allowing our pencil drawings to form part of the paintings description of detail

 Above and left, first washes

The beginners were tasked to paint a flat wash in the area of the buildings for this venice scene, ,which involved using enough water to buy time to paint round the details, we had a practice first of painting complicated shapes without blotches or hard edges, which is why the lagoon looks like it has been invaded by alien jellyfish!

   These were more examples of artist simplifying buildings, and photographs that could lend themselves to being simplified

This is one of my own paintings simplified from the photo ref below

SIMPLIFYING WIMPOLE

Today's class was to practice simplifying images of Wimpole hall, which we had wanted to visit today, but the weather was too bad to go out

I went yesterday and had a go at simplifying with a big hake, ( flat end brush )

 To start practicing we did a wet in wet then a wet on dry version of suggesting all the detail on the back face of Wimpole hall

Here are a few learner examples wet in wet

and wet on dry

This is the huge hake I used, leaving me no opportunity to fiddle with small details, but I lifted out the shape of the trees to find definition when it had dried, made easier from using gum arabic mixed with the paint to start with, which enables lifting of more easily

I asked you all to look up David parfait, as an example of loosely defining colour shapes and picking out detail by lifting out, and also in this case splattering.

The beginners had a go at identifying easier colour shapes
                                                       

SIMPLIFYING COLOUR SHAPES WITH CLIFFS

THIS WEEK IMPROVERS DID THE CLIFFS AT ETRETAT NEAR HORNFLEURE, AND BEGS DID THE SIMPLE IMAGE BELOW,

WE LOOKED AT OTHER ARTISTS WHO HAD THEIR OWN TREATMENT OF SIMPLIFYING COLOUR SHAPES WITH THIS SUBJECT

THEN WE DID OUR OWN VERSION OF SIMPLIFICATION AFTER DOING THUMBNAILS IN 1 COLOUR UPSIDE DOWN, SO WE COULD SEE THE COLOUR SHAPES MORE EASILLY