Читать книгу Collins Artist’s Little Book of Inspiration - Hazel Soan - Страница 9
ОглавлениеFuture Expectations, 43 x 56 cm (17 x 22 in), watercolour
How do you decide what makes a good subject for a painting? You can rely on tried and tested themes, the timeless stalwarts that historically make good pictures: the bowl of fruit, the vase of flowers, the seated figure or portrait, or the classic view. But what about other ideas? Much around us, the details and small corners, the events that move us emotionally – these too are visually interesting, but not always immediately obvious to us as inspirational subjects for paintings.
‘Do not seek—find!’
Picasso
In the Beginning 71 x 102 cm (28 x 40 in), oil on canvas
Learning to see, learning to feel
‘… the artist has only to trust his eyes.’
Rodin
Most people probably accept there is nothing the artist cannot paint, but, even knowing this, still find it difficult to pick out from the view in front of them the inspiration for a good painting. They may go in search of a subject but find it wanting in some way, or compose their picture without real conviction because they are unsure of its worthiness as a subject for a painting.
In practice there are times when the desire to paint is strong, but it is difficult to find a satisfactory grouping of objects or a perfectly composed view to act as the catalyst to get started. What is it that actually kindles a painter’s interest?
Painting starts with seeing. We are easily attracted to pleasant groupings of objects: a setting in the landscape, the colours of flowers, a charming child or an interesting face. We are often struck by the effects of light and shadows.
The less tangible, such as atmosphere, mood, or an unusual incident, also engages the eye, while pattern, repetition and contrasts have strong visual appeal. Familiarity with the subject, a face we love, a memorable room, or food, can also stir us to reach for the paintbrushes.
Finding inspiration
Sometimes, however, inspiration is not forthcoming. Then, instead of looking at the subject itself, you will need to look for the two-dimensional qualities sought by the picture plane: the nuances of light, line, shape, colour and incident.
The aim of this book is to show you the elements that make up paintings, so that you can see them all around you and find a never-ending supply of subjects – in effect, to create your own inspiration.
Through an artist’s eyes
Painters lay colours, lines and shapes upon a flat surface and these are transformed into landscapes, people, objects and feelings. If you can view the world through eyes that fluently translate three dimensions into two dimensions you will be overwhelmed with painting ideas.
Painting starts with the eyes. There is a threefold pleasure and purpose in painting – the act of looking, the making of the painting, and the response to the outcome by others – but it all starts with seeing. Training the eye to see is the first step to a successful painting.
Thinking two-dimensionally
The things that make interesting paintings may not be subjects that attract the eye per se, but groups of elements that form a particular set of shapes, colours or tones that the artist recognizes will make a successful composition or colour scheme upon the flat picture surface.
The Studio Chair 122 x 91 cm (48 x 36 in), oil on canvas This painting is composed around the shapes of the spaces between the wooden rungs of the chair. To make it easier to draw shapes in proportion use the length of an outstretched pencil to compare the widths of the space-shapes with their heights.
Getting in shape
The simplest way to train the eye is to look at shapes and outlines. On the flat surface of a painting it is easy to understand that the shapes of spaces between parts are going to be as important as the shapes of objects themselves. The proportion of those space-shapes is also crucial to determine their outlines.
Look at the spaces under chairs and tables, the gap between an arm and the trunk of the body, the space inside the handle of a jug, or the spaces under tree canopies.
Digging for Treasure (detail) 76 x 65 cm (30 x 22 in), oil on canvas The overall shape of the silhouetted group is as important as the shape of each figure and the spaces between them.
Long Shadows in Parsons Green 71 x 46 cm (28 x 18 in), watercolour, gouache and conté crayon on paper Once you start to see in shapes, drawing becomes much easier. Perspective falls into place because the lines are found from the angled sides of the shapes they bound. Use the length of the pencil to find relative proportion between near and far objects.
The shape of things
Now start observing the shapes of the items themselves. See their height and width, their overall proportion, not the surface features.
Try to outline the correct shapes, or block them in with flat brushstrokes from the inside out. Alternatively, create their shapes by painting only the shapes that surround them.
Next look at group shapes – a cluster of trees, or perhaps a knot of people. Do not limit your eye to individual items; look for shapes of the same tone or colour. For example, there may be a dark shape under the eaves of a house that includes a door, a window, a shadow and half of a bush, or the skirt of a seated woman may merge with the chair and both may merge into the shadow on the wall. For the artist these united shapes become one item on the flat picture plane.
‘La Cuenta, Por Favor’ 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 in), watercolour Idling over a cup of coffee on holiday I noticed how interesting the money looked upon the plate – a tiny fragment from amongst the whole scene of the marina, but it provided a delightful subject for a 30-minute sketch.
Assume nothing
A bobbing head is the mark of an observant eye. Constantly refer to the source of your visual information. Never presume you know what anything looks like, no matter how familiar – on few occasions will the light falling on your subject be repeated in exactly the same way. Observe it as you have never seen it before and that freshness of vision will translate into your paintings.
Simplification
When you look at the world you do not notice or see every detail. You pick out that which interests you and catches your eye. A camera cannot be selective about what it sees, but the artist can be. It is this very selection of what really matters to you that makes a painting original.
If the shape of a group of objects has attracted you – a huddle of buildings on a skyline, perhaps – it is this that becomes your subject. If you forget this and get carried away with putting too much detail in the brickwork, for example, you run the risk of losing the essence of your painting. The more you can synthesize the particular elements that interest you the stronger your painting is likely to be.
Day by Day 20 x 28 cm (8 x 11 in), oil on canvas In reality this particular stretch of beach on Lake Malawi was more cluttered. I simplified the scene to impart the spirit of the task I had watched performed day by day along the lake.
Homing in
When observing the view let the eye roam back and forth, left and right to find scenes within scenes within scenes. Clarification may involve homing in on tiny features, and sometimes your subject is a fragment of the whole.
Everglades 38 x 56 cm (15 x 22 in), watercolour It is the artist’s prerogative to pick and choose from any subject whatever inspires them. Other things were happening in this view, but I included only the elements I wanted to paint. The resulting image has a stronger impact, and makes it clearer to ‘read’.
Fragments of the whole
A tuft of grass on a dune can say as much about a beach as a painting of the entire shore; a pair of shoes may hint more at a person’s character than a full-length portrait; and a corner of a table in an interior may be more interesting as an image than a picture of the whole room.
Distilling the subject
Sometimes the desired subject seems just too daunting to tackle. It may be a vast panorama, a busy street scene, a complicated building or a detailed fabric. To resolve this, stand back, half close your eyes and look for the most obvious lights and darks, and the main lines and shapes. Concentrate on portraying these; you will find that simplification will strengthen the painting, not weaken it.
In the course of painting you may get carried away with details and forget to see the image as a whole. Holding on to your subject can sometimes be as hard as finding the right subject in the first place! Be single minded and purposeful. Ask yourself, ‘What did I first notice when I was drawn to this scene?’, ‘What makes it exciting?’. Keep this initial inspiration in mind to prevent yourself from overworking the painting and losing your way.
Getting involved
We all have different passions and emotions. Do not be afraid to record visually the objects and incidents that provoke your interest. The seemingly obscure statements made by small details may be far more meaningful in the end than a fully composed view.
Through painting you become acquainted with your subject. After you have finished painting a landscape or interior, walk into it and enjoy the familiarity of it. Touch the tree you have lovingly painted for the last hour, handle the objects on which you bestowed your time. This intimacy is an added bonus that many painters forget to enjoy as they pack up their paints and walk away.
PROJECT
Training the eye
Training the eye to see does not happen overnight. Practise by observing and drawing shapes and distilling the elements of a subject to its essentials, using any medium you wish. Do not judge yourself on results – remember you are learning to see, not making paintings.
MATERIALS USED
acrylic
charcoal
watercolour
THE SPACES IN BETWEEN Pick a group of objects from the bathroom cupboard. Place the items in a line with gaps between them. Paint just the spaces in between and around the items. Be aware of the distances across each item to the next space. Aim to describe the items only by the spaces around them – and the items will appear as if by magic!
THE SPACES WITHIN Observe and draw the spaces inside cups and jugs and their handles. Draw the shape of the spaces rather than drawing the items or handles themselves. I have used charcoal and white acrylic on stained paper.
FINDING THE ESSENCE OF THE SUBJECT Find a picture of something that stirs your emotions. I chose a photograph of a father leaning down to his son; the guiding link of hands seemed to represent fatherhood. Draw the image onto your paper looking only at the subject and not down at the page. Use lines back and forth over areas until you feel you have familiarized yourself with the subject. Resist the temptation to look at your drawing. When you have finished you will probably be horrified at the muddle on the page, but now start again.
This time you can look at your drawing while you try in a few meaningful strokes to distil from the image the lines you think best describe its meaning.
postscript
Follow these exercises by drawing the spaces under chairs and tables, the intervals between tree trunks and spaces under tree canopies. Always check that the height, width and proportion of the space corresponds to what you see.
View from the London Eye (detail) 43 x 28 cm (17 x 11 in), acrylic on canvas
Discovering composition
‘The composition is the organized sum of the interior functions (expressions) of every part of the work.’
Kandinsky
Every picture has a boundary that is determined by the limits of the surface on which it is painted. The actual painting takes place within that perimeter, though it need not fill the area, and the effect of the painting may be to extend well beyond its outlines. Good composition is fundamental; it is inspired by the subject matter, but not ruled by it.
Naturally good compositions occur all around us, though they are not always readily apparent. Somewhere within the scene is the painting-in-waiting; and recognizing it and translating it onto paper is the art of composition. This simply means being aware of a workable set of shapes, lines, colours and tones that, grouped together, make an inspiring pattern on the picture surface.
Finding the painting
Obviously picturesque views would appear to make good paintings, and often there is a sense of obligation to paint them, but they may not immediately have what a painting needs to be interesting. The artist must therefore either jiggle the view around or perhaps take a small part of the view that provides a more satisfactory composition.
Readymade compositions
A satisfying, asymmetrical, but balanced, arrangement of elements usually ensures a successful composition. If the shapes, colours and tones are well arranged you will find it easier to make the painting work, but this does not mean that it has to be harmoniously balanced, or overly planned. Jarring or obscure arrangements make interesting compositions too. All you need is to recognize what will work on the two-dimensional picture plane.
The morning after the night before, 1. 1. 2000 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 in), watercolour and ink The composition is unbalanced, but the sentiment is strong and the sketch remains as a good New Year memory. Is that not a good enough reason for a painting?
The source
If you have control over the physical elements you are painting, as in a still life or portrait, you can move parts of the actual subject around until the whole arrangement pleases the eye. It is easier to glean your shapes, colours and tones direct from the source than to make wild guesses about what might look better.
In the landscape you cannot always find perfect compositions – few of us can move mountains! Sometimes you must sacrifice literal truth for pictorial success. Always remember the painting lives on independently of its source of inspiration. Even if your painting intends to be a truthful record of the view, you may have to make alterations to the composition; move trees closer together or leave out a few fields perhaps. Free yourself from the obligation to paint everything in front of you; that is not a recipe for success.
Sketching
Filling a sketchbook with ideas before embarking on a painting enables you to respond quickly to the inspiration of your subject and to find out what really interests you, without having to worry about planning your composition. These immediate unplanned images are often the most exhilarating work of an artist, and it is worth remembering that it is also possible to over-compose a painting to the point where predictability kills off its life. Pay heed to your sketchbook; it can teach you much about how you see and what excites you.
How to compose
To find the two-dimensional layout of the three-dimensional world look through a viewfinder. I often use my index fingers and thumbs to make a frame, but the best way is to hold two L-shaped pieces of card together. You can make any rectilinear shape to suit the view or the painting. As you look through the viewfinder move it around until you find the best layout within the rectangular space. Half close your eyes so that you can see tonal balance and relative shapes.
Transition II 20 x 28 cm (8 x 11 in), oil on canvas The division of a sky-meets-land composition is a good starting point. Here, the horizon is placed above the centre line to avoid dividing the painting in half, and the line of rocks is balanced by the line of surf and the reflection.
Breakfast on the Terrace 43 x 58 cm (17 x 23 in), watercolour A lot is happening in this painting, but by organizing the composition of the items in the foreground the background activity could be painted in with more abandon.
The focal point
Usually the subject of your painting will be the focal point, the place in the painting you wish to draw the viewer’s eye towards. Sometimes, of course, the subject is intangible – an atmosphere or an emotion – but there may still be an area of the painting, large or small, that you wish to emphasize.
If the subject of your painting is a particular feature place its position within the boundary of the composition before drawing the peripherals. There is nothing more dispiriting than drawing a picture starting from the edges, only to find the main feature is too far over to one side and you have to start all over again.
The picture plane
To simplify drawing the composition imagine there is a pane of glass held vertically in the viewfinder. This is your picture plane. Trace the main shapes and lines onto this imaginary glass. Point your finger into the middle to find a central reference and work out from there.
Flow lines and repetition
Within your view look for lines that lead the eye from the edge of the composition towards the main features or focal point, or that lead the eye out from the centre of the painting to the perimeter and beyond. Notice other lines that repeat or echo the lines of the main feature. These emphasize your focus of interest, though you may not even realize that they have attracted you until you start to draw the composition. Examples could be the direction of a pathway echoed in the rhythm of some branches, the edges of items on a table converging to a common point, or the position of limbs paralleled in the folds of clothes. Repetition of a shape can also be visually interesting.
There are no rules in painting, but generally horizon lines are better placed above and below the centre line, and main features not placed dead centre. A subject’s power to convince will rely on shape, colour and tone. Think two-dimensionally; use shadows and spaces to help define solid forms.
PROJECT
Everyday inspiration
Now it is your turn to discover the potential compositions in your immediate vicinity. Use a viewfinder if it helps and do not be embarrassed to be seen looking through your framed fingers. Any medium will do. I have used oils on paper and a size 9 brush.
MATERIALS USED
oils
paper
BALANCE OF LIGHT AND DARK TONES A contrast of tones can be used as a strong compositional device in a picture. Light coming through a garden gateway can look more dramatic than a quiet, even light.
ITEMS IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER Go round your home and garden and find some readymade compositions. Draw quickly, but place the items accurately in relation to each other on the page. A pile of ironing provides interesting shapes.
WIDE VIEW Now take any view, inside or outside; I picked the sitting room. Hold up your viewfinder as near to your eyes as possible so that you see the largest view. Using a brush, sketch the main elements of the image. Does it make a good composition?
CLOSING IN ON A DETAIL Finally, go in close on a detail within the view, and make a quick sketch noting the balance of light and dark. I chose the pile of magazines on the coffee table.
NARROWING THE FIELD Next take a section of the view, not quite as wide as the first, and by moving the viewfinder around try to pick out an interesting group of shapes. Make another quick sketch with your brush.
postscript
You can check the strength and balance of your composition by looking at the sketch reflected in a mirror. If you are unhappy with it start again.
Voyeur (detail) 28 x 20 cm (11 x 8 in), watercolour
Responding to colour
‘Give me mud and I will paint you the flesh of Venus.’
Delacroix
Colour, with all its cheerful connotations, is often the inspiration for a painting. But it is not just the bright colours of flowers, clothing or sunsets that attract the eye. The muted colours that play across a landscape, the subtle nuances of a person’s complexion or the greys of urban drizzle are equally enthralling for the artist, and even the contemporary colours of the plastic world have a garish charm. So with all this wealth of colour around how can you choose what will translate well into a painting, and how faithful do you need to be to the colours you see?
Your painting may look like a view across a valley or a group of children at play, but in reality it is a collection of colours on a flat surface. It needs to work as a painting first, separate from its inspiration, to truthfully tell the tale of the interest you felt in the subject.
Under a different light source, such as sunlight, cloud cover or artificial light, colours may vary quite dramatically. This fact alone frees you from the obligation to copy colours exactly. You can take what you see and exaggerate or mute colours to make the painting stronger. Many subjects that lack immediate appeal are no longer ruled out if you can see the tiny differences between variations of colour.
Interaction of colour
All colours, except the primaries of red, yellow and blue, are made up of two or three of those primary colours; and a colour that contains just two of the primaries looks stronger if placed next to the third. So if you want to bring out the richness of an orange flower, say, or a wonderful head of auburn hair, paint a bluish colour next to the flower or head.
Natural opposites
Opposite colours, such as orange and blue, are called complementary colours because added together they make up the full complement of three primaries. In the natural world we can find numerous complementary colour contrasts.
A dialogue of two contrasting coloured areas dominating the picture, such as beach and sky, make a strong image. Look out for contrasts when the colours are more subtle too: yellow-ochres, red-browns and blue-greys, for instance.
The Patio 23 x 28 cm (9 x 11 in), watercolour The Burnt Sienna of the patio looks very orange. By adding blue, the complementary colour, into the shadows, the orange can be muted. There is a wash of Burnt Sienna and touches of Cadmium Red under the foliage to dull down the greens and prevent them making the pots look too red.
Using colours
In painting we can use the interaction of opposite colours to enhance and detract. By mixing a complementary colour with its opposite we can gradually turn it towards browns and greys.
A colour will push an adjacent colour away from itself towards its opposite. This comparative effect is common to most things in life; for instance, a tall person next to a short person will make the tall person appear taller and the short person seem shorter. A red next to an orange will force the orange to look more yellow, pushing it away from red around the colour circle towards green.
When we look for the effects of comparisons around us colours leap out from their surroundings. Red flowers, for example, look richer on dull days than in warm sunlight as the surrounding cool dull greens push them deeper into the warmth of red. A mauve cloud will make the sky around it appear more blue.
Altered colour
The perceived colours of objects are altered by tinted and reflected light. The white of a boat hull lit by the yellow-orange light of sunset is tinted a golden yellow, while the shadows cast by ropes and fenders take on a complementary blue. Light or shiny-surfaced items reflect brightly coloured adjacent objects. A red tomato on a white kitchen top shares its colour with the surface beneath.
As you paint you will notice more subtle effects. Look for painting ideas on polished wood, crockery against white cloth, or on newspapers and alongside any reflective or wet surfaces.
Coloured light may be fleeting, so keep hold of the inspiration in sketchbook notations or on camera.
Colour and mood
Colour also has temperature; for instance, red is warm, while blue is cool. Reds, yellows and oranges, light bright tones and energetic brushstrokes bestow a cheerful mood on paintings. Subtler warm colours and tones tend to be uplifting rather than vivacious in their effect. Jarring combinations of vivid colours combined with brusque marks can even suggest anger.
Cool colours, especially blues, evoke calm, restraint, or melancholy. If you wish a subject to be peaceful look for the blues within the view, and if you want joie de vivre seek out oranges, warm yellows and reds. Emphasize these with their complementaries.
To assess temperature look carefully at each colour in relation to the next. Ask yourself, ‘Is this colour redder or bluer than that one, even by the tiniest amount?’, ‘Is it colder or warmer?’. It is these differences in colours, one against another, that build any subject into an interesting painting.
In the Morning Light 38 x 28 cm (15 x 11 in), oil on paper This painting is almost all blue with just a few dashes of yellow in the areas of light. The mood created by the blues is easier to read in paint than to put into words; it evokes both tenderness and vulnerability without being in the least depressing.
Christmas at the Ritz Club 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 in), watercolour Lamplight and firelight bathe the room with a warm yellow glow. Yellow Ochre is the perfect colour for this warm light.
