Art painting blog

The diffuse light in painting

When we are painting a scene or some characters but we do not mark the contrast of lights and shadows, that is, everything has a smooth tonal graduation and the little shadows are mixed with the objects themselves… then we are creating an atmosphere or diffused lighting deployed and a great source of scattered light. In the absence of a strong focus on linear light power decreases and contrasts the ways that are more integrated and smooth.

Example of diffuse light in a painting:

Diffuse light in a painting by Turner

William Turner, Storm in the snow. The white light and the snow are invading the picture on the top and towards the down side where we see the characters.

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Understanding the positive – negative space inside the images

In our visual alphabet, we’ll add another element. The negative and positive space, dealing with space and the ability to perceive the shapes within a space.

In the world of photography negative and positive concept is also used, but is not the same, and this has created a lot of confusion …

In photography white become black and black becomes white …

Picasso ´s Guernica

When we turn the image inside out, there are not white citizens in Guernica who are being bombed. In it´s mirror image, they are black!

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Basic rules of human perception in relation to the forms

Here are some basic rules of psychological behavior of human perception to better understand the mechanisms of the images. You need to understand how our brain decodes reality, and how synthesizes information or how the mind fills the information.

For us, the visual artists, it is important to know that the forms that are equal will generate an internal force in the picture, by the tendency of our minds to unite and relate, which affect expression of the work.

So do the lights, the shapes, the lines and the directions, and many other visual elements, because they do not play alone, but in the whole.
Not only do the colors affect each other on the canvas. So do the forms and, thank to the study of them, we can better understand their role in the image.

Image Reconstruction

* Example of image reconstruction by the brain, which clearly sees a letter A. (Experience rule, because who learns to read even recognizes the fragmented letters)
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Pastel painting

The Pastel is a dry painting technique with excellent quality. The sticks are composed of pigment and tragacanth gum as a binder. The pastel has a velvety appearance on the paper, bright, attractive, and also, it´s a very grateful technique ideal for practicing with color, as being a dry technique it doesn´t need solvents or brushes.

Advantage

  1. It is a fast technique, closely related to the drawing, so this allows you to paint with speed and spontaneity.
  2. Pastel allows representation of reality. We can create very realistic works.
  3. The pastel brings vibrant and alive color. The last layer, not fixed with fixative, is a detached powder over the paper, and this way the color pigment has not been turned off with the binders.
  4. We can be combined ot with watercolor, acrylic, oil, collage, and other dry and wet techniques.
  5. The technique allows the additive method: gradually add layers of color over the painting.

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Creativity and meditation with Meera

Meera Hashimoto is an artist who stands out as an art teacher that knows how to use dynamic meditation in our creative process, how to know ourselves better with it, and even, how to internalize the creativity of other people with whom we connect.

Dynamic Meditation frees our mind and our spirit. This way, you connect with yourself and do not need to copy anything from the outside. So you can develop your own creativity, which usually we do not trust because of social pressure.

On the other hand, the artistic activity inside a group expand our creativity, thanks to the contact with the other person´s creativity. And creativity or spontaneity of other people is so different from our own that is very a shocking experience for many people, it is like traveling from one universe to another, when we thought there was only our universe.

Creativity and meditation with Meera
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Oil Paint Recipe

The oil paints recipe is the manufacture of a medium or oily binder. Once we have the binder, with this and pigments we will join it with a spatula or a crutch leather on a good support. The oils can be stored in empty paint tubes that we can close at the bottom.

Virgin of Van Eyck, painted in oil

Virgin of Van Eyck, painted in oil.
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Zoltan Szabo watercolors

Watercolor by Zoltan Szabo

This watercolor painter paints natural subjects with a very great wisdom. It uses all the tricks and techniques that must be known if painting with watercolor.

Even a subject as simple as a tree trunk just being spectacular in the hands of Zoltan Szabo.

Basic techniques used:

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Contemporary watercolorists

Some watercolor painters today made ​​some excellent works that I keep in my blog. For example, artists like John Blockley, Philip Jamison and Richard Bolton, alongside some more.

Watercolor is a difficult technique but with spectacular beauty. Water has the ability to represent itself, but also water represents the nature that feeds and all the things that the water touches and that gives it life.

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Painting styles. Aztec style

One of the most important artistic styles, which is part of the art of pre-Columbian culture. In the pictorial style of the Aztecs is the creation of the characters (mostly Gods) and impressive symbolic creativity.

Tezcatlipoca
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Egyptian Art Style

One of the most amazing artistic styles is the Egyptian Art. The paintings of Egyptian art have many fans and it´s still very popular today and it inspires new artists.

Nakht tomb. Egyptian Art Style

Courtesans, Egyptian Art painting.

Egyptian style configuration . How is the Egyptian style and why it is so effective and beautiful?

Simplicity is very important in the Egyptian Art Style and it´s achieved with the following elements:

1. The lines and contours.

The configuration is made with a type of line drawing and with spot colors. No volumetric development, nor atmospheric, nor three dimensional. The line outlining the forms begans the most important graphic element.

This type of drawing brings clarity to figuration, which is more defined. Moreover, in this art style the symbols are very important (of gods and pharaohs) and the thematic narrative, so they sought clarity on the message, not ambiguity, as in other styles.

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