THE FIRST of 3 faxes, posted to Melanie
in response to questions she had about art and the creative process , for research she was doing for a writing course.
An artist being the subject.
Hey Mel,... hallo Darryl/Darrel?..nice to meet ya. hope this arrives. OK...
heres a straight go to woah of an oil painting.
----------------------------- first..the canvas ------------------------
most artists stretch their own, so as to suit the size that best portrays the subject. you can buy the canvas already primed with a chalky white acrylic known as Gesso.(said jesso) You can build a stretcher frame, to your specifications...fairly easily. the corners of the frame are usually supported by triangles of timber to stop the canvas going out of square, while you pull and staple the canvas in place. To ensure the canvas is stretched evenly(tension-wise)...you start by stapling the canvas in the middle of each side, then gradually going around , one staple per side untill all are done. The primer, gives the surface "tooth", and the even stretching gives it "flex". Tooth" is so the paint has something to grip on to. "flex" is so the brushstrokes can be varied in thickness and texture, and also so the metal tip of the brush that holds the bristles doesnt scratch of tear the surface. nuff canvas?
------------------------------- next... the research ----------------------------
every painting usually has an idea, that is a result of wanting to make a mood become tangeable. to do this... you need to have seen or experienced something, that makes YOU feel this mood. People like paintings of flowers in sunlight , because the focus on something inactive, in a lovely light, makes you automatically romanticise your own thoughts and feelings. SOOO...first you need to either photograph the moment....OR if youre a fast worker ..attempt to capture the moment live. An artist spends most of their time wandering about doing the shopping, or noticing scenery , on the way to something totally UN art related. The images sneak into the subconcious........and while your weighing up the difference between the green and the red capsicums.....the image pops up from nowhere and throttles your brain. at which point you pay far too much for the capsicums, meet an attractive woman on the escalators and do ANYthing to avoid going home and painting the picture. Why this is, is anybody's guess. suffice it to say , its a wondrous and fabulously curious part of the painting process. Later on, while you are actually painting....all this secret brewing, culminates in an explosion of inspiration, that once completed, leaves you with the feeling, that you had nothing whatsoever to do with what just happened. THIS phenomenon, is what keeps us coming back, One day we hope to catch the subconcious at work and ask it a few leading questions. such as "who are you?".... and "where are my slippers?"
-------------------------------- the paint ------------------------------
Oil paint is a combination of pigments from nature, or natural minerals and such. blended with usually linseed oil. basic pigments are Phthalocyanine (blue) Iron oxide (reds and browns) Cadmium (yellows) Quinacrodine (magenta) and varying degrees of Titanium (white) ALL colours can be mixed from combinations of these pigment bases. You can do your own mixing as you go , as I do. OR spend megabucks on premixed colours, which in the long run are still going to have to be mixed to match the subject anyway. Impressive words to use for colours are as follows. for Blues... Cobalt Ultramarine Phthalo(thallow) Cerulean(light blue) for Browns... Raw Umber Burnt Umber Raw Sienna Burnt Sienna for yellows... Naples Ochre Cadmium Chrome AND Lamp black Titanium White Zinc white Paynes Grey Cadmium Red Alizarin Crimson ORRIGHTY THEN moving right along as this is becoming a 1000 worder of its own. The paint is thinned... and brushes cleaned....with Turpentine. BUT while you work...the paint is mixed, with either pure refined Linseed oil.. OR a range of Acrylic polymers or Alkyd resins. (just say linseed) this is so the paint flows evenly...and can be mixed thinner or thicker as required. Most paintings are first sketched in either pencil...or charcoal...or pastel. And then simply painted over the top of.
-------------------- brushes -------------------
The choice of brushes has to do with what its for. long blades of grass... a long thin brush.(liner brush) Tiny weeny details...tiny weeny brushes...(rounds, or filberts) huge open skies... big fat housebrush called Barry(or Flats) Pig bristle , for ruff texture Sable (imitation) for most work and big soft fluffywuffy ones like mums makeup brush for blending. Paint is mixed on a pallette with a pallette knife, before being picked up with the brush and applied. Either like a jeweller fixing a clock, or like an Orangutan hurling pooh at a tourist. Red wine or Harveys Bristol Creme sherry is used as a social lubricant for meeting women on escalators, and painting while ignoring other peoples pathetic complaints about the dancing. hope this isnt information overload....its the first time Ive ever had to lay it out for someone. Quite fun it was. thangyouverymush....youve been a wunnerful audience...no really....thangyou. *runs around room waving bum in the air* Greg