Not all papers are created equal

Recently, I treated myself and bought a couple of sheets of handmade 640 g/m² (300lb) watercolour paper made in Canada. The paper is made of cotton rag and has double sizing (internal starch and surface non animal gelatin) and it has lovely irregular texture.
 
I was excited about this paper, and without trying it out first, I jumped in to create full sheet landscape for an old window frame that I have.  I wet the paper to apply the sky and this is where I started running into problems. The 300lbs paper buckled quite a bit which was a surprise since I use 300lbs paper from other brands all the time.  The paint was drawn in the paper like a sponge. Then when I tried lifting the paper, the surface produced small balls of paper.  It was pilling like an old sweater.

Maybe this was a bad batch of paper, I don't know.  I certainly will be cutting up the other sheet of paper into smaller pieces and using them for paintings that will require less paper handling. 
 
I guess that some handmade watercolour papers are tougher than others and this is due to subtle variations in the way they are made. For instance, the fiber selection used, the pressure used to consolidate the sheet and the concentration and method used to harden the gelatin size, will all affect how the paper reacts. 
 
Therefore, since the quality, properties and prices of these papers depend on where they were made, some experimentation is advised.

My biggest disappointment is that I was hoping that I could be using a Canadian product.

This week's artist find is David Taylor.

Have a great week,
Danielle

Are you process or product oriented?

There are several ways to approach painting and neither is better than the other.  Some artists approach their paintings from a process perspective while others are more focused on the end product. In all likelihood, artists have a combination of both with one style being dominant.

How do you recognize each approach? Which is your dominant approach?

The process approach, focuses on creative aspect of making art. The point of these paintings or exercises is not in an end result, but in the experimenting and exploring that goes into the making art. During process approach, artists are not constrained by what something “should” look like; instead the focus is on exploring a medium, technique or idea. Here are some hints of those who use more of a process approach

• ideas as starting point;
• experimenting with colours and techniques with no purpose of creating a painting;
• more than one attempt;
• more global, focus on purpose and theme;
• emphasis on creative process.

The product approach focuses on creating a specific finished painting. While the process is important, it tends to be more constrained by the end result. Here are some hints of those who use more of a product approach:

• emphasis on end product;
• controlled approach;
• one attempt at a painting;
• organisation of ideas is more important than ideas themselves;
• imitate style or photo or other painting.

Today's artist find is Carrie Waller:

Have a great week

Danielle

Shadows Make or Break

I don't think I'll ever get over my nervousness about painting shadows.  I normally add them at the end and afraid that I will ruin the painting with shadows. Shadows can make or break a painting.

When you read about painting, you'll find so much about creating light. In addition, almost every artist bio will mention how they are "capturing" the light in their art. The intangibility of light has been a special point of attention for many artist.

It would be easy to draw conclusions that painters need only focus on the light and let the shadows fall where they may. This would be a major mistake since light is nothing without shadows. Shadows are not simply a dark mass that borders the light. It is better to think of shadows as an entity as alive as the light. It is the shadows that help shape the light, that draw attention to the light, and that often ground a subject, e.g. tree to its surrounding. 

Consequently, it's important that we think as much in terms of mastering the shadows as we do of mastering the light.

Once you get to shadows, you'll notice that some people use black or gray - there is an absence of color. These instances are missed opportunities because shadows are full or bright colorful, transparent shapes. All the surrounding "objects" reflect light, the sky is reflected, the flowers reflected light also the leaves and so on. All these colors can be found in the shadows. Seeing and grasping the characteristics of colours when painting shadows, cannot be overstated.

Have a look at this streetscape from Thomas Schaller. The shadows make the painting.

Have a great week
Danielle

Art Quotes

For today, here are a few quotes related to art.

The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.
― Pablo Picasso

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
― Scott Adams

Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.
― Jackson Pollock

I dream my painting and I paint my dream.
― Vincent van Gogh

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
― Thomas Merton,

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.
― Edgar Degas

Creativity takes courage.
― Henri Matisse

Today's artist find is Robert Hagan

Have a great week,
Danielle