Assignment #2: 4 Approaches to Painting the Still-Life

Four different Approaches to Painting   ART130

Stevenson, Professor

Due Feb 26

This series of projects is to be worked on both at home and in class over next several weeks.  You are to use the big 18x24 sectioned-out canvas board in class, but at home you are to use two of your 9x12 canvas boards from your supply list.

During class I will introduce you to each of four different approaches to constructing an observational painting.  In class you will go through the steps taken to implement each approach by making a painting of one of the simple still-lifes that we will set up in class.  You are then to bring home your supplies and newfound knowledge to choose two of the approaches to make two simple still-life paintings that you set up at home.  There are four approaches that we will do in class, but you must choose the two that make the most sense to you and make a painting utilizing each of those two approaches. 

Though you will make a total of 6 still-lifes, only the two that you do at home will be graded by more than just pass/fail.  The in-class paintings are therefore “practice paintings.”  These home paintings are due three weeks from now on Feb. 26.

1. The Approaches

Approach #1--Indirect painting

You are to make a grisaille (pronounced grizz-eye) of the still life.  Use only ivory black and titanium white.  Mix a middle gray (err on the light side) to be the darkest value, and render the still life using the tonal range from that middle gray to white. Be sure to keep your values on the high side, and keep things simple.  Detail can be articulated later.  When the grisaille has dried fully, glaze over each object with the appropriate color.  Using this stage as a point of departure, seek to finish the painting by finding areas that need more of a mixed color or direct approach.

Approach #2—Direct approach using directly mixed color

This approach is very simple.  After making a detailed drawing using a hard pencil (this should take you much longer than the other drawings, and works best if you think of it as a “paint by number”), simply mix and paint the still life directly. There should be one layer of paint—not two or three as in all the other approaches.  There is no restriction on the use of white or any other color.  Simply determine what the final perceived color is by taking into account the local color and the color of the light.  I suggest starting somewhere in the middle of the composition and expanding out from there.  Simple, but not easy!

Approach #3—Direct approach on imprematura ground

Cover a clean panel with a layer of middle gray oil paint (get it into ALL the nooks and crannies of the panel). Do not cut the paint with any mineral spirits, though you may mix in a tiny bit of Liquin to speed the drying time. When the panel is covered, wipe off as much paint as possible.  The result will be more of a stain than a layer of paint.  This is called a ground color, or imprematura.  Do not start this approach until the gray imprematura ground is completely dry.  Loosely block in the drawing using a hard pencil.  Then, using a warm, dark color, block in the general dark shapes.  This approach demands that the painting be separated into darks (usually warm), middle tones (usually cool), and lights (usually warm).  Once the darks are blocked in with transparent warm colors, mix the more opaque middle tones and lights and block them in.  Wherever the color of the ground is correct just leave it showing through.

Approach #4—Indirect approach using “custom” imprematura

Using a hard pencil, loosely block in the drawing on a clean, white panel.  Then, making sure to USE NO WHITE PAINT(because it makes colors opaque and grayish looking), directly block in the appropriate colors using mineral spirits washes (hint: be sure to be accurate, taking into account reflected light as well as local color, but always err on the colorful side.  In other words, if you see a hint of a color, bring it out as much a possible).  If a color is very light, make the wash very transparent, using the white of the canvas instead of mixing tints.  Once all the white of the canvas is covered and the washes are finished to your satisfaction, then you may mix opaque colors to cover the parts of the washes that do not work.  Be sure the let the wash color show if it turns out to be the right color.  Note the way the wash color seems very luminous and intense compared to the mixed opaque colors.  Use these relation-ships to your advantage!

2. At Home Still-Lifes

For each of your at home paintings, like our paintings in class, you are to set up a simple, colorful subject.  Think of these as serious paintings though; not as mere class exercises.  Your goal is to make successful paintings that you would want to look every day.  To that end, you are to follow the list of rules below as a roadmap to successful paintings.

The Rules:

• The objects that you choose to paint (also called the subject) must somehow be related
• You must make sure that you paint LIFE SIZE or larger
• Set it up so that you have a strong light source, and always paint at the same time of day.
• Your subject must be at or just below the viewer’s eye level.
• Do not crop (or even crowd) your objects, though they may overlap each other.  Choose a subject small enough to fit easily on your 9x12 support, and arrange the subject to justify your rectangle shape.
• Before you begin each painting, you are to make a fully rendered value drawing in your sketchbook.  This must fill a sketchbook page while keeping consistent with the shape of the painting.  Your composition should be well balanced.  In this format you can solve many problems before the first brushstroke.

Helpful hints

• I’ll show you some images, but take some time to research some artists on your own that specialized in, or otherwise mastered, still life painting.  Try to paint like them. Fairfield Porter, Janet Fish, William Bailey, Chardin, De Heem, Caravaggio, Emil Carlson, Tom Buechner, Manet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Georgia O’Keefe, Picasso, Giorgio Morandi. . .all come to mind.  Ask yourself: “How would they do it?”

• Feel free to bring your partially finished paintings into class for feedback before the due date (which is Feb 26).