I’m very influenced by Quang Ho right now. I love how he’s able to completely obliterate an image almost to the point of abstraction yet it still represents what he’s painting. I love the energy and power within it. I attempted the same today. I began drawing with a brush rather than a pencil and tried to let go as much as I could.
Drawing: Take the time that it needs. Focus on each brush stroke to improve control, drawing, shape design and speed. Speed is all about efficiency not how fast I move. Landscapes are not the best for improving drawing. Simple shapes are enough to describe most objects.
Perspective: Keep practicing linear and atmospheric perspective. Research how perspective effects landscapes without any man made objects.
Value > Color: Value first, hue and saturation second. High contrast and high saturation near focal point. Test all the major color mixtures and when you’re unsure. Try to make the sky glow.
Form: Continue to think of each object as existing in space. Make it feel like it takes up space. Increase the angles of the shapes for a more dynamic look.
Shape Design: Practice and begin to understand what shapes are pleasing and why. Simplify complex shapes always. Squint all the time.
Composition: Simple subjects for now. Rule of thirds. Edges. Value. Color. All emphasizing the focal point. Use the direction of the brush strokes to emphasize the focal point as well.
Brushwork: Practice creating as much as possible with one stroke. Improve my ability to soften an edge with a brush. Try to be more expressive with brushwork. Look at Quang Ho. Expressive brushwork is often executed carefully, not fast.
Other: Stand up at least every 30 minutes.
Drawing: The initial drawing with the brush went well. This is a simple subject with three major colors and simple shapes so we will see if the same is true for more complex subjects.
Perspective: Again I could have made the far distant values much lighter.
Value > Color: I’m happy with the color and value in this painting. I didn’t have to check much because it’s so simple.
Form: Most of what I painted is flat with no form. The backlighting of the trees and the figure lends itself well to flat shapes.
Shape Design: I spent some time really studying how the computer generated the shapes in the snow in the foreground. The layering technique worked well. Where you put down a stroke in the shape of the brush then you use surrounding colors to cut into it. With this I’m able to create some really dynamic shapes.
Composition: Not much change here in the composition other than the shadows to pop the figure out a bit more.
Brushwork: All about not caring about accuracy and trying to be as expressive as possible with the brushwork. I still need to master the control of the brush and drawing with a brush. Only then can I truly let go and be as expressive as I want to be.
Keep doing
Stop doing
