Pointillism was invented by Georges Seurat in the late 1800s (see the Art-I-Fact of the week for more information). The technique is really self-explanatory - painting or drawing is done with the tip of the brush, pen, or pencil, not with brush strokes, but dots. You can imagine it could be time-consuming, though there is a lot of diversity in how the technique can be done. If you look up "Pointillism images", you'll see the wide variety of options. Some work is done with larger dots and some with such small dots it's difficult to tell that it's actually Pointillism. You'll be amazed at some of the images. I recommend starting with a simple form, such as a cube or cylinder to practice and try using a paintbrush, a pencil, pastel or other implement to see which you prefer. You can even try an unconventional tool such as a Q-tip, toothbrush, or toothpick. Once you feel you have the technique mastered to some degree, start your drawing or painting. For beginners, it may be easier to start by lightly sketching an outline prior to starting the actual technique.
Thank you for reading and have a great time!
-Katy
October 26: Public Art
Again, hand-in-hand with the "Art-I-Fact" for the week, the art technique follows in the same genre. Public art is just as it sounds - art done in a public setting that can be viewed by all passersby. It must be done in a way, however, that respects protected lands, private property, and any other locations where it wouldn't be legal to leave your signature piece. Unless you own property elsewhere, typically the best location for your public art is in your front yard or driveway.
Public art can be either temporary or permanent; large or small; done as a group or individually. In the winter, public art is commonly on display in the form of snowmen and ice sculptures. There's a home not far from my own that displays metal sculptures in the front yard - I enjoy jogging past to see the new sculptures that show up now and then.
Public art is such a broad category, really the sky is the limit (quite literally!) in planning and creating your own piece of public art. What materials would you use? Wood, metal, snow or ice, plastics, rubber? Do you already have some scraps of something at home that could be easily manipulated into something artistic?
Would you prefer to have your artwork be an individual project or a group endeavor? Public art projects can be a great way to bring the family and/or friends together and have some fun. Each participant could have a pre-designated role or it could be done freestyle.
Would your art be permanent or temporary? Temporary pieces can be done in the driveway or maybe a park (with permission). Brainstorm a few ideas and plan first, so you'll know if there will be a cost involved and how much time it may take. You may need to budget both cost & time.
Public art projects are great for getting out of the home to unleash your creativity and even bring others into the fun. Prior to your planning, it would be a good idea to look up some images of public art to see the diversity of artwork that's been done in various locations around the world. Seeing the extraordinary ideas that are out there could even serve to spark your own creativity to help you get started. Enjoy!!
-Katy
October 19: Abstract Expressionism a la Jackson Pollock
Hand-in-hand with the "Art-i-Fact" for this week, I thought it'd be fun to practice some abstract expressionism ourselves, especially before it gets too cold outside. Take a look at the "Art-i-Fact" page to see two examples of Pollock's work and for a bit more of an explanation of this style of artwork.
It's best to practice this style outside because, when done inside, it can lead to accidental redecorating. Pollock mentioned that he loved doing this style of artwork because he could get on the floor, and really get engaged with the painting:
On the floor I am more at ease, I feel nearer, more a part of the painting, since this way I can walk around in it, work from the four sides and be literally `in' the painting.
-- Jackson Pollock, 1947.
Before starting, put an old sheet or drop-cloth out in the driveway or lawn and choose a heartier type of paper or canvas. If canvas is too expensive, you can buy a few sheets of giant watercolor paper or use cardboard. Higher quality paint would likely be too expensive for the mass quantity that you may end up using. I made my own out of inexpensive poster paints mixed with some acrylics, drawing inks, and even some food coloring to get a very high resolution to some of the colors. Adding some metal powders (found at craft stores) can add a whole new dimension. Making your own paints can be part of the fun too. You can also collect a variety of 'paint brushes' to get different sizes and effects on the paper. Sponges, sticks/ branches, leaves, feet, hands, anything your imagination will allow. I don't recommend hair (my daughter tried it when she was young) ... or pets!
The goal for the week is to let go of expectations and judgements and just have a blast. Try expanding on Pollock's ideas and see what you come up with. We also tried inks in squirt bottles to see how it would look. I'd love to see how your masterpieces turn out, so if you'd like to e-mail them to me, my address is kathrynorthrop@gmail.com. Have fun!!
-Katy
October 12: Gesture Drawing
I believe most think of drawing as making lines with the tip of a pencil (or other drawing tool), usually making outlines. My whole world opened up (artistically anyway) when I learned about gesture drawing! It was really difficult and frustrating at first because it was so hard to get past the way I'd drawn for my whole life up until that point, and gesture drawing required a complete paradigm shift. Give it a try ... and be patient with yourself:
Get an object that has good 'planes' to it - good surface areas. If you use a human model, choose only one section of the body, like an arm, side of a face, etc. and just do that area. If you use a pencil, shave off some of the wood so more of the graphite is exposed. The tool I prefer for this type of drawing is a conte crayon, which is a cross between charcoal (so messy!) and a pencil.
Take a minute to just inspect your model and allow yourself to shift away from noticing lines ... to noticing the planes - see the shadows and light spots, then begin to use the side of the pencil or conte crayon to just shade the shadowy areas. Really see the areas and mimic the shadings of the planes.
Gesture drawing is usually done very quickly, sort of like 'gesturing' shadows on the paper, but I gave myself permission to go slowly at first, which was helpful. If you start to feel like you're moving toward drawing lines again (it is tempting), move your focus back to the planes. It's a meditative activity, in a sense, because drawing lines is a habit (like thinking), and drawing planes is not something to which our system is accustomed (like letting go of thought).
If you can resist the urge to judge your end-product, or how your progress looks, you can just allow yourself to get caught up in the activity itself and it can be quite fun. Maybe just tell yourself you're not going to start off making drawings that look gallery-worthy for a while and try to convince yourself that making wierd-looking pictures is the goal, then you will spend less time being critical/frustrated, and more time just having fun.
If you do it enough, you may just notice one day that your drawings actually look really good. I got pretty good at it after spending a semester at WSU working on it.
Thanks for reading today and enjoy your gesture drawing!
-Katy
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