Painting Tips
Harmony and Color Dispersion
by Alana Knuff | Aug 9, 2017
There seems to me no greater challenge to a painter that bringing together a clear balance of color dispersion and harmony. What do I mean? After one plans the color palette and executes the composition, what remains is the ‘icing on the cake. How do you disperse color throughout the painting to give it visual unity? I find this to be the greatest challenge and am still working on it. Needless to say, as you paint dabbing a bit of what is left on your brush in correct and multiple value blocks livens the visual experience. It is like pixels of every color you used dispersed throughout the painting. Easier said than done.
En Plein Air
by Alana Knuff | Oct 25, 2016
The term, en plein air, originated with the French Impressionists. It refers to painting outdoors and capturing the colors of the daylight. Though most of my work is done in the studio, the subject and composition are captured from life, painting a small plein air piece, painting a model study and/or photographing my experience. There really is no substitute for painting from life. A visual memory of the first-hand experience is one of the tools we rely on while painting.
Oil Paint Hues
by Alana Knuff | Sep 18, 2016
Often artists will ask what oils I use. And the answer is different manufacturers. The manufacturer that has the hue I like and puts little else besides pigment and oil in the paint, usually is the one selected. For example, Yellow Ochre varies among oil paint makers. The same is true of Naples Yellow. A good way to consistently get the hue you desire is to know the pigment code. Here is a good reference. http://www.artiscreation.com/ColorCharts.html
Reusing Canvases
by Alana Knuff | Aug 4, 2016
We agree that not all our paintings turn out as planned. And some artwork just does not seem to sell; perhaps it lacks that emotional connection needed by the viewer. If the canvas is of good quality, it makes sense to reuse it. The first step is to lightly sand the surface with a fine grain sandpaper taking out oil ridges where paint is thick and leaving a fairly smooth surface. Dust with a micro cloth. It you are comfortable with the results, apply two coats of oil gesso. Allow each application to dry and then lightly sand the surface before adding the next application.
Imaging Your Art
by Alana Knuff | Mar 26, 2016
Sometimes taking time off from painting brings a fresh return. Painting in my head, creating compositions and envisioning a completed work are pre-requisite for applying paint to a canvas. This is daydreaming for artists. If a clear vision is imagined before starting a painting, the results are usually pleasing. The key word is “clear.” Foggy ideas, for me, result in poor execution.
Limited Palette Artist – Anders Zorn
by Alana Knuff | Mar 13, 2016
An outstanding artist, a contemporary of John Singer Sargent, was Swedish born Anders Zorn. A friend of Isabell Stewart Gardner, Zorn often received commissions through her and came to America for extended periods of time. He painted three American Presidents – Grover Cleveland, William H. Taft and Theodore Roosevelt. Impressive was his skill creating such wonderful portraits using a limited palette comprised of ivory black, titanium white (possibly lead white), red (probably cadmium red) and yellow ochre. Some speculate he sometimes added ultra-marine blue.
Portrait Painting
by Alana Knuff | Feb 7, 2016
Portrait painting is often looked upon as too difficult to undertake. It requires the same observation of form and value that is in all realistic art. However, to achieve a likeness, one must measure and compare to locate the eyes, nose, chin, tilt of the head, rotation creating foreshortening, etc. “Measure, measure, measure!” From initial sketch through finish details, the artist is required to measure, compare and adjust.
Patience
by Alana Knuff | Jan 10, 2016
I have been working on a large portrait which is several months from being finished. What I have come to realize is that one must be very patient. After an initial layout, work begins on small areas keeping true to the overall values and shapes of the original layout. I step back every few brush strokes and consider the whole of the piece (grand picture of values and shapes), then return adjusting and focusing on the likeness of the individuals (details and fine measurements). If as artists we do not exercise patience, our efforts will fail us.
