My 'lost' Panda

There's a puzzle doing the rounds on Social Media at the moment (well it may have been going for some time, but I've only noticed it since returning home) that is relevant to most artists.

The puzzle consists of an awful lot of snowmen in various poses and with or without various adornments; along with one solitary panda. The task is to find the Panda. 

But of course the human brain fills in the gaps, so to a varying degree (that is the time taken by different people to find the single Panda), the brain makes the onlooker see only snowmen.  

This is worth remembering as an artist, as colours and patterns can be made up that the brain interprets as a single block of colour or primarily as a shading (or tone) of a single block of colour.  This idea works well with pastels, as the pastelist can hatch over two colours to create a third colour that the human eye interprets as a single effect, when in fact it's simply hatching.  The concept is not restricted to colour, it also applies to lines and shapes. These lines or shapes can be formed or extended as broken edges. This works with 'wet in wet' and 'wet to wet' techniques using watercolours.  These 'lost and found edges' will form a building or a corner edge of a building when no straight line has been run the whole length of that part of the painting. 

Of course there is a lot more that an artist can do with this 'making good' interpretation that is subconsciously achieved by the human brain.  This could be the forming of a 'black' colour by using several other darkening colours, that the brain picks up as shading and shadow, but the lovely colours used to form the dark area also become visible on further scrutiny by the observer.  The artist can also fool the brain into joining up lines when dealing with perspective, maybe by having detail in a boat in the foreground, some less detail in some boats further back, and then some occasional detail at the rear of the scene. Size, detail, and missing lines, all get formed automatically as we search for that 'Panda'. Happy painting and drawing folks! 

How to No.5 Painting 'Cadiz' in Acrylic on Canvas Board

It now seems like a nice time to paint an image of Cadiz in acrylic on an Artist's Canvas Board.  This canvas board is roughly sized 10 x 12 inches and was picked up in Poundland.  It's not the greatest quality, but it will serve our purposed.  The biggest problem with canvas boards (even the expensive ones) is that they can warp over time.  So the board needs to be laid flat and eventually fixed and backed in a frame, or stored flat in a drawer.

SCALING AND TRANSFERRING OUR REFERENCE PHOTOGRAPH 

We begin by scaling the reference image with a marked out pencil grid on the canvas board.  Our image is then transferred across using pencil.  The good news with the 'grid' method is that we can rescale the reference photograph larger or smaller on our painting surface (support).  When we're happy with the drawing, it's time to erase some of the construction lines.  Well, at least to try to erase these lines as far as is possible.  They good news is, we're going to use acrylic, and acrylic paint tends to cover well.  So eventually the lines that are left should be obscured.  

It's important to draw grid lines lightly and only in the specific areas where they are needed.  Do not draw grid lines all the way across your support!  The squares created by the grid lines can be further divided if you need more detail or accuracy in that particular area.  It's also important to draw lightly when constructing the image over the grid lines.  If you're using watercolours then you can use watercolour pencils to construct grid lines and to draw the image and most of these will gently wash away during the painting process. Alas, today we're using acrylic and canvas board.  The canvas board likes to hang onto the pencil.  I have deliberately pressed hard with both the grid construction and the drawing phase, because I want the method to clearly show up in the 'how to' photographs.  But I may end up paying for this later in the day.

STARTING WITH THE SKY

Cadiz is in Spain; so we are talking warm vibrant colours.  The first task is to lay down the sky colour.  On this occasion I have gone for Lefranc 'Louvre' Deep Blue.  The photograph shows a second layer of blue being applied from the top of the board.   I took the photograph having painted half way down, just to show you the difference between one and two coats of paint.  It's my intention to move swiftly back to the painting and take the second coat of Deep Blue all the way down to the buildings.       

Take care around the edges of the buildings where they meet the skyline, so that you don't create obvious brush strokes, going up and down that replicate the building shapes.  I'm using a Daler Rowney 'System 3' No.12 Filbert brush.  If you handle this brush carefully and are not afraid of turning it, then you can get in quite close while trying to keep the brush strokes left to right, or at the very least finishing them left to right while the acrylic paint is still wet.  It's a bit like watercolour; in that you need to work quickly.

IMPROVING THE SKY COLOUR

I wasn't overly convinced with the result from the two layers of LeFranc 'Louvre' Deep Blue, so Winsor & Newton 'Galeria' Ultramarine was mixed with Deep Blue paint and layered as a third coat of acrylic across the sky.  To try to give the sky an extra punch, while that third layer was still wet; I introduced neat Ultramarine low down in the skyline to the right of the buildings.  The Deep Blue and Ultramarine mix was also introduced into the painting to form the sea.  Two coats of paint were applied to the sea. The first coat deliberately left the white lines that will form the light reflections later in the painting process.  When dry, a second 'wash' coat of the mixture was applied all the way across working left to right and going over the vertical white stripes.     

BLOCKING IN THE LAND

Having blocked in the sky and sea, it's not time to turn our attention to the land sweeping from the right hand side of the canvas board, across the middle and running down to our foreground.  I went for Daler Rowner 'Cryla' Yellow Ochre as my base blocking in colour.  

In all stages so far with this painting, I've just using water and have not used my favourite 'System 3' Flow Enhancer manufactured by Daler Rowney.  Flow Enhancer will show less brush strokes and retain more pigment colour in the image.  But the product comes in at circa £6.50 for a 75ml jar, so it's not something to waste.  When you do use Flow Enhancer, I recommend that you decant a very small amount to a smaller jar.  I use cleaned out small jam jars (the kind that you get in a coffee shop with your toast).  You can use a pipette (if you can get your hands on one) to transfer the Flow Enhancer or even use a medicine syringe.  Although with the latter, I recommend that you keep the syringe securely locked away out of the reach of a small child and labelled to remind yourself and other adults that you have used this particular one to transfer paint substances and not to use for medicine! 

CHOOSING SOME BUILDING COLOURS

There are some lovely Mediterranean colours in the buildings shown in the Reference Photograph (and I've visited Cadiz at least twice), so I've opted to using and mixing the following paints (in no particular order): Rowney 'Cryla' 501 Cadmium Red, 308 Bright Green, 612 Cadmium Yellow, 221 Burnt Sienna, 651 Lemon Yellow, 513 Crimson, 123 Utramarine, 527 Light Red Oxide, 352 Hooker's Green.  I mention visiting Cadiz not as a boast, but as an important aspect of painting.  I think that it's quite pompous when people refer to 'En plein air' or 'Plein air' painting.  What they actually mean is; painting outdoors at the scene.  There are some good points and some drawbacks with this outdoor malarky.  People are bound to approach you, take an interest in your work, and in the main; praise you.  Unfortunately this interaction opens up a sort of social contract with the viewer; you don't want to let them down.  So there I was in the centre of Cardiff while everyone else was enjoying the NATO Summit shenanigans, nicely positioned in the middle of a closed road with only the Police horses to worry me, and what did I go and do?  Well, I'll tell you what I went and done, I simply drew a superb drawing of Cardiff Castle.  Which attracted lot's of praise and would have course have been the perfect outcome if I had intended to do a pencil drawing of Cardiff Castle.  The thing is, that was not my intention and I was instead armed with superb (gifted) handmade watercolour paper and watercolours.  So here I am with my lovely pencil creation, created to prove to my Social Contractors that I could draw, and I then promptly painted as if I was colouring by numbers.  It was a dreadful outcome, and I was so cold, that I promptly debunked to my favourite coffee shop in Cardiff and sat at the back to whittle up a lovely Summer beach scene in watercolour from memory.  

So lesson number 1; don't draw it (you can do a swift sketch, but get on and paint it).  On my second outing in Aberystwyth, I settled for painting a nice sky to frame my subject and then got on with the nitty gritty.  My social contract part was to immediately show that I could paint, while thereafter enduring the turmoil of working the image to completion.  The thing is; both of these experiences left me with something far beyond what happened on each day.  These attempts were in many ways intense events.  As a result of that intensity; I can sort of feel the shape of the castle walls, and see the darkness in the corners.  Whereas with the Aberystwyth image I can hear the sea, and see the waves crashing, and see the many colours of those who settled and walked on by.  And this folks is what painting outdoors truly means.  Lesson number 2; you see the true colours that a camera will only settle for as an average, you also feel the wind, and or the beating of the sun, and many other things that allows us to 'connect' with the scene.  That connection can be transferred back to our studio.  Not just for the painting process in itself, but also because the memories add to the joy of the painting.  And if we're not enjoying it, then we sort of have to ask ourselves why on earth are we doing it. 

For this photograph I have also added another layer of Ultramarine to the sea and close to the tops of the buildings and also swept brush strokes of Ultramarine randomly across the sky.  The buildings have had two layers of paint.  The secnd layer applied after the first one had dried.

           

Another enjoyable hour passed with the 'Cadiz' painting.  This time it was a case of paying attention to the sea wall and the rocks that make up the sea defences.  The main colours used for the rocks was 'Cryla' Prussian Blue mixed with Cryla Cadmium Red and then lightened to various tones with Winsor & Newton Mixing White.  Most of the darkened marks were achieved with undiluted 'Cryla' Burnt Umber, and to add some interest 'Lefranc' Burnt Sienna and 'Galeria' Raw Sienna were added in part, including some dry brushing of the Raw Sienna over the lighter tones.  The sea wall base colour from earlier photographs was overpainted almost to its top edge with a mixtuure of 'Cryla' Light Red Oxide and Cadmium Red, followed by some dotting of the lightish purple colour that was used for part of the sea wall. 

To finish off the painting; 'Cryla' Titanium White was applied to the sea for a reflection and then each colour was immediately applied, before going on to paint the next reflection.  The orange was a mixture of 'Cryla' Cadmium Red and Cadmium Yellow. The green is 'Cryla' Bright Green. The blue reflection is a mixture of 'LeFranc' Deep Blue and the Titanium White used for the base of each reflection.  It was a case of moving quickly, constantly cleaning the brush, and having plenty of water spread over three jars (one for waste, one for use, one with clean water to top up the 'use' jar).  Some over painting with the same colour mixtures was added at the end using a fine brush.  The street lights were dabbed in 'Cryla' Titanium White and then Cadmium Yellow. 

So there we are, a nocturnal Cadiz scene.  The only thing left to do is to paint the image with acrylic gloss varnish.  I've signed the image on the rocks so that the letters and date are less obvious. 

Happy painting everyone! 

Turner; 'Fishermen at Sea', Oil on Canvas

Well, I've now finished my attempt at copying Turner's astonishingly good "Fishermen at Sea", and if there's one thing that I have learnt from the process; that is the huge amount of rubbish and inaccuracies that have been published on the Internet regarding this particular painting.  So in a humble attempt at trying to tidy up the online mess, I've written the following essay:

"Fishermen at Sea" was painted with Oil Paint on Canvas by J.M.W. Turner and exhibited with the Royal Academy in 1796.  The painting is an atmospheric night scene, which we could describe as Nocturnes or Nocturnal.  The catalogue entry for this 1796 work, notes a contemporary account commenting that 'the figures, by not being more distinct and determined, suit the obscure perception of the objects, dimly seen through the gloom of night, partially illumined.'  

In many ways it must be harder to paint with vagueness in mind rather than the distinct shapes of detail and replication.  If anything it becomes pleasing to the eye, and thereby allows us to join up our own lines and to create our own shapes.  This of course means that the onlooker may never 'tire' of this painting, and see or perceive new things each time that they view the image.   

Many of the online reproductions of the Turner painting are of poor quality.  The lack of clarity and in part over saturation of colour, means that it is therefore difficult to use these online images as reference material to determine such matters as the figure poses and the details of the boats.  The image is also reproduced in many books, but the quality of each reproduction is wholly dependent upon the quality of the source material that was used as well as the quality of the book printing.   

'Fishermen at Sea' is also shown full page and in colour in: 'The Paintings of J.M.W. Turner; Plates', by Martin Butlin & Evelyn Joll.  Published for The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and The Tate Gallery by Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 1984.  The image in this particular book allowed me to make five observations that had not been made by reference to a flurry of online material and a plate of this painting that appeared in another book.  A copy of this book should be held by a Deposit Library (you can access the book onsite, but not remove it from the premises).  There are five Deposit Libraries in the United Kingdom.  Each Deposit Library will have it's own rules and processes for obtaining what is usually referred to as a 'Readers Ticket'.  There are two versions of this book, the one with corresponding text, and one that is also titled 'Plates' and which thereby contains 572 full page images of Turner paintings and drawings, of which 'Fishermen at Sea' happens to be Plate No.1 in the sequence.  The 'Butlin & Joll, 1984' Plate is certainly not the best image, and there are other online reproductions that show other parts of the image with improved clarity, but in the absence of being able to view the painting in person, it is recommended that this Plate is viewed in conjunction with online material.  

Returning to the painting; the nocturnal scene is illuminated by a full moon and cloud cover with light bouncing off various clouds as well as directly entering the area of the canvas containing the main theme.  There are two boats.  For the purposes of these notes; the boat located on the left of the canvas will be referred to as being the main or primary boat.  The reason for determining it as the primary boat is that it is draped in greater light and hence there is greater clarity of the figures onboard, and this boat is somewhat larger than the one on the right hand side of the canvas, and which we shall refer to as the secondary boat.  Turner has loosely followed the 'Rule of Thirds' and placed the primary boat in the left third and lower third of the canvas, and the secondary boat roughly in the right third and lower third.  The same composition technique has been used to place the Moon, that appears roughly one third from the left, and two thirds from the bottom of the support (canvas).  These values aren't spot on; in fact the primary boat and the representation of the Needles combined, are one third up from the bottom, but of course you should be able to grasp the idea and the intention of the artist.     

The composition is completed by the sea, the clouds, the distant mountains and shoreline, representation of 'The Needles' (Rocks with that name, off the Isle of Wight), the fishing net with it's associated paraphernalia, birds and light source.  There is a distinct swell taking place with the sea, and two visible wave areas have been formed.  The improved clarity of the 'Butlin & Joll, 1984' Plate, links the cloud formation (or maybe it is sea mist) to form almost one block of cover with the moonlight shining through.  The same Plate identifies three floating objects (higher up on the crest) to the left of the lefthand barrel that is floating in the water, that in turn suggests that the fishing net from the primary boat covers an area of the image that is more extensive than first thought.    

The primary boat has a taught line running from its bow (front).  The tautness of the line suggests that it is attached to an anchor or a dredging anchor that allows the primary boat to move.  But as these are fishing boats, there is also a possibility that the line is attached to somethings that weighs down part of the fishing net.  The primary boat has a fishing contraption attached to a small mast at the stern (rear) of the boat.  The light cast into the sea from an onboard lantern being held by one of the figures, illuminates the cork buoys that keep the uppermost part of the fishing net afloat.  We can safely assume that the net is further connected to the two sealed wooden casks (or barrels) that are located to the left and right hand side of the canvas.  But in the night gloom, and the sea swell; the linking lines are not obvious.  Along with ageing cracks in the original oil paintwork, there are lines in the sea that form parts of the submerged fishing net.     

The secondary boat has crested a wave from the main sea swell that forms part of the central theme.  But of course this does not necessarily mean that this fishing boat has pushed on through that particular wave.  The sails are down and the oars are not in place, so the crew have not made any obvious attempt at sailing through.  The secondary boat, like the primary one may have cast a static, dredging or weighted line.  It is simply that it cannot be seen in the painting.  Low down beyond the bow of the boat is a contraption that looks attached.  It is a flimsy and not too dissimilar version of the battering ram from an ancient fighting ship.  It's purpose is unknown, but the contraption is probably something to do with feeding out or retaining the net in position.

There are three birds shown in the scene.  Two of the birds are in flight and the third is resting on, landing on, or taking off from the right hand fishing barrel that supports the net.  These three birds illustrated in white are well contrasted to the darkness of the sea swell in that area.  Although unlike other online and book images, the 'Butlin & Joll, 1984' Plate shows the dark sea as not being quite as dark as the photography has defaulted to (that's the problem with a camera, it tends to search for the average result) and that the darkness is in fact made up of numerous black lines, that Turner added to the painting to suggest movement within the dark area of the sea swell; as opposed to the distinct lines of the submerged fishing net.  Reference to the the 'Butlin & Joll, 1984' Plate shows with clarity the difference between the sea movement 'lines' and the ones forming the fishing net.  They cannot be confused, and Turner's intention was clear.

There appear to be five figures in the primary boat and four figures in the secondary one.  The central figure to the theme is the fisherman sat in the primary boat and who is holding an illuminated lantern to provide light beyond that available from the full moon.  To his right at the stern of that boat is a figure hard at work, whose arms are illuminated from the lantern light. To the left of the lantern holder is a figure looking away from us and with their right arm extended.  On the other side of the boat are two figures leaning over the and looking towards the horizon.  The weather causing the swell is reinforced by the full moon (denoting high tide) and the coat tail of one of the figures flapping in the wind.

The figures in the secondary boat are less distinct.  The main interaction being the figure towards the bow of the boat; who is holding onto a line with both hands.  But of course we do not know if that figure is lowering or is about to raise the sail.  The act of lowering would of course suggest that the secondary boat had deliberately crested the sea swell to take up its position in the composition.  Although as a neutral onlooker and without the benefit of additional evidence, we cannot be certain.  There are certainly at least four figures in the secondary boat, but there may be a fifth to the left of the chap holding the sail line.  If there is a fifth figure then it is to the edge of the raised side of the boat and is helping to weigh the boat down on that side.  The two central figures on the secondary boat appear to having a dreadful time.  Rather than being involved in the fishing process; they appear instead to hanging on for grim life.  The figure at the stern of the boat can be seen in two poses.  In one pose it is facing you and in the other it is holding onto the tiller arm and facing the figure who is working the line.  Maybe this vagueness was a deliberate mechanism employed by Turner.

There is a possibility that there are paint marks to suggest two ghostly ships, just beyond and almost in line with Turner's representation of the Needles.  The first ship appears as if with sails down almost at the top and to the right of the mast of the primary fishing boat.  The second one, but with a hint of sail, appears at the top and to the left of the rear fishing mast of the secondary boat.  Was this a deliberate ploy by Turner?  In that he added colour and marks to suggest something else, or even to suggest something that is not truly there?  We know from his other work, that he developed a fondness towards suggestion and not pure representation.  Of course these ghostly additions may be down to poor reproduction of the original painting.           

The inclusion of numerous dark marks beyond the bow of the secondary boat (again shown with clarity in the 'Butlin & Joll, 1984' Plate); suggest the existence of floats holding a fishing net that has been cast from that boat as well.  We can assume from the manner in which the scene has been painted, that this is early into the fishing process, otherwise dead fish and or their entrails would be on either boat and the sea birds would be swarming that area rather than the darkened sea swell to the lower right hand side of the painting.

The oil on canvas painting is sized 914 x 1222mm (another source puts the measurement at 915 x 1224mm) and was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1796.  The painting is also known as 'The Cholmeley Sea Piece' and was the first oil painting to be exhibited by Turner.  The variations in metric sizing may be down to errors in translating the Imperial measurement of the original canvas.           

Roger Bennett, August 2016

    

How to No.4 'Transferring an image'

For those of you who struggle to draw; here are some ideas to help you kick start your creative process.

There are several methods for transferring an image to our painting support (paper, card, canvas board, stretched canvas, plywood etc.,), These methods include (a) simply drawing the image Freehand, (b) using an Overhead Projector, (c) using a Grid, (d) using a Lightbox, (e) tracing paper, and (f) using mirrors.  

Drawing freehand without any aid [an example amongst my work would be the sunken boat drawing].  This detailed pencil drawing, was drawn freehand on A4 sketching paper.  My strongest advice for drawing freehand, is for you to try to draw what is actually there and not what you think is there.  It is so easy to make assumptions rather than constantly checking the detail.  It is also prudent not to make the marks too heavy until you are certain that those marks are in the correct location. 

If we have the equipment then we can print the originating image onto laser or inkjet acetate, and then use an overhead projector to project that image onto our support [my example would be oil on canvas of a Rangerover set in a snow scene].  We could also project an originating image direct from the source (laptop, PC etc) using a projector.  In both methods you simply draw in the detail, where it is projected onto the support.  You would think that this is the perfect method, but alas there are several problems: the image can create a keystone effect (wider at the top than the bottom and other angles out) when projected onto the support and you have to be aware of this possibility and adjust accordingly, and the detail can be lost as the resolution may not be as good as that shown on a small screen.  

Although drawing a grid on the originating image and on the support and then trying remove the grid lines, can be slow and laborious, this method for transferring an image to our support does have some distinct advantages.  As long as the number of grid squares on the originating image and that area of the support where we are transferring the image are equal, then the grid dimensions can be varied and this allows us to accurately rescale (both increase or decrease) the originating material.  Some of the grid squares can be further marked out to provide a grid within a grid for increased accuracy.  [my example would be the Galleon in the mist that was created using watercolour pencils].  For an iPad you can upload the 'Split the Photo' App free of charge.  This particular App allows the user to vary the number of grid lines and to change the grid colour.

Using a lightbox is also an old method.  Although a modern equivalent would be to darken the room, and place the paper support over a laptop, PC, or an iPad, all with the screen brightness increased.  The originating image will show through the paper and you just lightly pencil in the detail.  Although care needs to be taken with an iPad as the originating image can resize when pencil movement is mistakenly interpreted as screen pinch [my example for this method would be some of my pen and ink and watercolour studies of antique fountain pens].  Providing the glass table is sturdy, you can place paper over a photograph on the table and use a lamp underneath.  But always leave the lampshade on, and keep the electrics out of reach of babies and small children as light bulbs can become ridiculously hot.  Remember to put it all away when you finish.  You could of course buy a purpose made lightbox as that will remove risk and provide a sturdy platform.   

Using tracing paper has some limitations; it can be a slow process, there can be a loss of detail and just like the lightbox method, the originating image and the final image will be the same size.  The tracing process is slow because you need to trace the originating image twice!  You trace the originating image, and then reverse the tracing paper and redraw the same lines and shapes on the other side (to avoid the image being flipped).  You then place the second drawing onto the support and lightly use a pencil on the top of the tracing paper to get the pencil underneath to transfer across [my example of this is an ongoing pastel study of one of my grandchildren].  

I don't have an example for the mirrors, but will refer you to the self portraits of the Old Masters.  Recent research suggests that by using two distinct types of mirror, which are positioned at the correct angles; it is possible for the artist to project their image onto the support for completion of the self portrait.  Pretty sneaky really; because if they were using mirrors, then there must be an inference that they could use this mirror technique for far more than just self portraits.