"No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did he would cease to be an artist"
-Oscar Wilde
The 12 Keys that open the door to create good art.
The weeks of summer go quickly when you own a ranch. Building barns and fencing pastures that seem to go on and on. This year is no exception. Not only are we are trying to finish up our barn project from last year we also have been clearing our woods of deadwood and trimming up trees to regain some of our majestic views that we enjoy at The Grand View Ranch. We finally found some time to resume our Campfire Chats and a few artist friends that attended our workshop this May stopped by to join us. They asked me to review my
12 Keys
an artist should know that I discussed in my
May Workshop.
They requested that I write them down so that they can have it handy in their studios as they paint.
This list is just one of many I have assembled over the years of teaching and feel that it is a good start for most artist that are interested in finding a method to follow in their own work.
I have also included the video that I made during the workshop so that even if you did not attend you can be part of the conversation.
1. Concept:
an artist should have a Concept before they start. Most people that I coach from all parts of the world are so eager to start painting they fail to STOP and take a moment to think about what is it that made them stop to paint. Was it the light effects or was it the subject that caught their eye? Most artists feel that location painting is something that must be done with great speed. Often artist don’t have even a Concept of the finished painting. The Concept is the most important thing that an artist has as he stands there in front of a blank canvas. At this point there is, right before him, a blank canvas with endless possibilities waiting to manifest before his eyes. The truth is that if you, the artist, did not see the finished product, the light and shadows, the eye magnets, the composition and value patterns, the temperature, and the transitions, before you even picked up a brush and started mixing paints, if you cannot see the finished work in your mind, you have no business even starting the painting.
2. Central Focal Point:
Central Focal Point or “
CFP
” is the most important key that the artist should consider in the process of creating a painting.
CFP
is the anchor of the composition. Without a
CFP
the painting will lose the viewer’s attention and not have the impact needed to catch the attention of the viewer.
CFP
is what makes the viewer aware of what the artist had in mind when the painter first conceived of the idea. It's the inspiration for the work to exist and without
CFP
the painting will feel lost and undirected.
3. Composition:
Composition is the construction of the painting within the boundaries of the canvas. The Composition should support the Concept of the painting, and be the framework for the
CFP
to be presented. Composition also considers the blocks of value planes and how they are arranged. Positive and negative shapes balance out the painting and give the art piece suitability. Composition is the consideration of the lines of the objects and the placement of them in a painting and the relationship to other lines within the painting that draw the viewer in and around the painting giving it moment and energy. Composition gives a structure of the overall work of art; it is the Blueprint and the foundation of the masterpiece that the artist is creating.
4. Value:
Value is the light and dark of the painting. Some artists say that Value is the most important part of the painting and that would be true till artists discover temperature. Value makes things recede and give objects aerial perspective { the feeling when things move away from the viewer they get lighter} . Often artists add white to paint to make Value but the trick is to paint Values without using white. Furthermore there are Value changes found in objects as well. When objects bend away from light the Value must get darker giving the illusion of shape and form. Value is the absence of color, and without color we can still can make sense of the composition, shape and form using just the Value of it. We see the Value when we look at a Black and White photograph.
5. Temperature:
Temperature is the holy grail to painting; often sought, but rarely used properly. It is the reason so many artists take my workshops and have sought me out as a coach. It is the understanding of how light works and how we see things with it our without it. Without a strong understanding of Temperature the artist is limited only to Value and color to create powerful works of art. For more information on Temperature watch my video that has information on the topic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d08JGpHceE
Temperature creates the effects of light on an object and allows the feeling of air in a shadow. As a teacher and mentor to thousands of students the discovery of Temperature allowed me to communicate color and light and is the foundation of color theory.
6. Brushstrokes:
Brushstroke is the magic of painting. It’s the voice, the breath and the heartbeat of the artist. How an artist uses his brush to apply paint says everything about the artist, his ability and confidence, the training, education and the emotional connection that the artist has for the model. That moment that the brush touches the canvas, with the brush’s tip saturated with paint, the artist records the very essence of what he is feeling at that very moment it is applied. Every Brushstroke must be unique and different. When applying the paint the artist must pause between each stroke for just a moment before applying paint and ask. What color is it? What value is the color? How much paint and medium do I use? What will the edge of this Brushstroke be hard or soft? What direction will the Brushstroke go? How unique is the Brushstroke in comparison to the last one? How you apply your paint determines your style.
7. Edges:
Edges are where two objects in a painting meet or come together. In the three dimensional world objects that are round like an apple do not have Edge. What seems like an Edge actually is the object moving away from us into space, a Horizon. Likewise some objects come forward to the viewer, like a nose on a face, or a snout of a dog. These Edges are also soft or out of focus, since the viewer focuses on the eyes. To create three dimensional form and to give the appearance that an object is round, artists soften Edges. And when the object moves into shadow the Edge will sometime totally lose its Edge all together, creating a lost Edge. Edges also help direct the viewer where to look. The eye can only see a clear hard Edge where it is told to look for one, i.e., a Center Focal Point. When we understand the eye can only see a small area at one time, anything not in that area will appear out of focus. When painting shadows, Edges also appear soft or completely lost. These areas create depth and mystery.
8. Transitions:
Having a good understanding of Transitions is often overlooked and yet it is a very important element in a painting. Transitions mean the expression of light, between light and shadow. It is in the Transitions between the light and shadow of an object we see the local color. Local color is color of the object without light or shadow; it is also where we see the most texture of the object. Transitions also illustrate the speed or the intensity of the light. The shorter the transition between light and shadow the harder or more intense the light is. The longer the space between light and shadow the softer the light will appear.
9. Draw: Drawing
is the heart of painting. It is true one does not need to Draw well to paint but to paint well one must master Drawing. Painting “IS” Drawing with color, it is a skill that luckily can be learned with enough practice. I recommend joining a weekly drop-in nude drawing group and remaining there forever!
10. Perspective:
Perspective is both linear and aerial. Linear Perspective: the perception of lines going to a vanishing point. It is the feeling that as things get farther from you, objects get smaller. Aerial Perspective is when things in the distance get lighter and cooler than the object in front.
11. Horizon:
Horizon
is the relationship of the viewer to the subject, vertically. The Horizon is determined by the vertical relationship between the viewers eyes and the level at which the painting’s subject is located. We have to understand that even when we look at a tree we look up at the branches seeing the underside of them, or we look straight at the branches at the same level and see them come at us. And also when we see a tree from above we see the top of the branches beneath our eye level lines. Where we stand in the world has a significant impact on where we are in a painting.
12. Memorization:
When painting on location the light moves every seven minutes.
The location painter must start off with the idea or inspiration before they ever put the very first brushstroke on the canvas. Then with great vibrato paint the painter quickly places in footnotes with color, the light effects, and shadows. Since the location light is moving quickly the first ten minutes, I recommend that the viewer turn their back to the view that they are painting and paint from memory only looking at the model to trigger the memory and get important details of the drawing, all the while working to complete the painting recreating the moment they were first inspired by it.
--
Stefan Baumann
Get It Now! Phone Coaching
Information about coaching is located under the heading Coaching on my website
Stefan Baumann.com
If you are interested in coaching, give me a call at
415-606-9074 (my personal cell number) and we can talk more about how coaching will enhance your knowledge, capabilities, and growth as an artist.
"
The eyes of the world are waiting to see what you have to say."
I have coached many students over the years
. My goal as a coach is to help students discover their own style by instructing with a method that allows them to grow as they are. If you want increase your knowledge and skill to bring your art to the next level, I invite you to watch my YouTube videos, consider phone coaching with me, or attend a workshop in
Mt. Shasta
where we discuss art, passion and life with other artists around the campfire.
All the information is on my website,
www.stefanbaumann.com
.
Call me for information on workshops or coaching 415-606-9074
