At today’s meeting Christine E. (new) Joanne T, Anna, Tom K,
Loretta U, Tedd, Tom D, Tim, Jerry, Mike, Lisa, Diane, Vicki, Kathy L, Kathy J, Jeanie, Loretta L, Ward, Genie, Jim, Dave, Sharon, Eunice, Joanne K, Kristina, Elo, Kristine and me Celeste.
Todays suggested table topic: Composition and the 60/40
ratio or 80/20 ratio or one third/two thirds ratio. Do you think about this
while you’re painting? Do you have any examples?
Celeste: In Za’s workshop she talked about something called
“Mama, Papa and baby”. We were asked to look at paintings that incorporated big shapes and big values and find the “Mama, Papa and baby” in
each painting. (Planning elements like this will create the 60/40 ratio). I
sometimes don’t think about the ratios when I’m paining and that’s when I can
unwittingly divide the canvas in half. Recently I changed one of my plein air
paintings to relate to the 60/40 ratio.
Ward: The first photography book I read was all about the compositional rules. And I think most books are like this --in the very
back of the book you find a passage that says something like now forget
everything you learned about the rules. (Laughter)! Composition is knowing all
the rules (and then often throwing them out).
There is a ratio that
exists in nature that is also referred to as Fibonacci or the Golden Mean. Many
believe that the numbers of everything relate to everything else (like the
seeds in a sunflower, for example, relate to the rest of the universe).
There is something called sacred Geometry.
I am showing recent plein air paintings from my trip to
California to remind you that there is sunshine!
(Laughter)
Loretta L: I don’t
think that I “get” instruction well from books! I do better if I can watch
someone do something and then do it! I like learning about composition from
in-person teachers.
Genie: I did not bring anything today. I did bring some
papers that I printed after researching some of this on the Internet. I found
it really interesting to read about.
Kathy: I am showing a
painting that I did in Jennifer Diehl’s class. Her still life set up is
carefully designed.
Vicki: I don’t want
anything to do with math! Laughter! I really couldn’t find any good examples in
my own work. I am showing a grid that I use to decide where a focal point might
be.
Diane: I am a former graphic designer, so I learned a lot
about composition. However, it does not come as easily to me as an outdoor
painter.. I am showing two paintings. One is how I would normally paint a tree
out of doors. The other is painted how I would like to paint the tree outdoors!
I like thinking about how division and
ratio can make for a better painting.
Lisa: I do put a mark in the middle of my canvas to avoid
the middle! If I don’t do that I might actually place something there. Recently
I used a friend’s photo reference to do this painting. I think that it might be
a pretty good example of 60% 40%.
Mike: I am back from a trip to Seattle. What I learned was
when you drive the speed limit everyone passes you. (Laughter)! People are all
going to the same place but some are breaking the rules! I took a workshop with
Eric Weigant. What he stressed most was to consider dominance. Have dominance
(like with value, color, shape) and the ratio will work out favorably (as a byproduct).
Jerry: I generally will
let my intuition guide me. I am showing a painting that is divided into thirds (with
variances to break it up). In my studio I might think about 3 objects or 5
objects for a painting (to make sure that things aren’t too uniform).
Tim: Friday was national crayon day. I did this crayon
painting. I used crayons and a heat gun. Everything does seem to manage to drift to the
middle. It sometimes works out really well. I am showing a painting where I do
think it worked. (Applause)!
Tom: I have no
specific rules. But! I do see that two thirds sky or vice a versa is a good way
to go. I like trees to penetrate the upper third of the painting. I’m showing a
recent plein air painting.
Tedd: I always think about the one third rule. I am showing
an oil on paper.
Loretta U: I don’t like much that has to do with math! I do
know that humans like symmetry. ..for some reason we like things lined up, but
that can make a dull painting. Still, the
Milky Way is the same distance one Direction as the other. So, so we need to
follow some math rules --it’s galactic
law (laughter)! I will sometimes find something in the center of my painting….
and then I will have to move it.
Joanne K: I have some books on this topic to pass around-- I
think about whether or not I am painting a Land painting or a Sky
painting. I have been doing the 30 day
April challenge on Facebook and I have been working with notan. I have been
doing notan marker designs every day and thinking about the dark in the light
of the painting. I recently did this plein air painting. I will use what I
learned from it to inform my next painting.
Anna: I used to do the tic-tac-toe grid every time before
painting….to determine where I would put a focal point.. I can nearly be
finished with a painting and then realize—oh oh—that big element is right in
the middle! (Laughter)! recently I’ve
been doing 5 x 7 black and white studies. This is very helpful. It doesn’t take
much time and all and makes the color version much less of a struggle.
I’m showing recent paintings.
Joanne T: I really like Richard Schmid. You can take one of
his paintings and change it into black-and-white and wow --it's always
brilliant. He seems to always put a lead-in into a painting. There's just so
much to know. I did bring one paining to show you what not to do (laughter)! I
took it to a critique session and it was pointed out to me that it was really cut
in half. I am showing another painting where I did a better job of dividing the
canvas. (I will be gone after this meeting for a little while I’ll see you in
about a month). Editor’s note: see you when you return, Joanne!
Geri: This is a great topic for me, very timely--! I notice
lately that I will “correct” a composition when I post it online (I’ll crop it
how it looks better). That’s a bad habit and a sign that I should be paying
better attention to get it right the first time. I am showing a painting I did
from a photo reference and a recent sketch.
Tom K: I honestly don’t want to follow any of these types of
rules, but my wife tells me that I am in denial (Laughter)! On this subject, I
got to work with a celebrated film director –in his films, you’d recognize that
he was partial to a 90%/10% ratio. (It all depends on how much drama you
want).
Christine M: My background is graphic design, but I do find
when outside that I can easily forget lots of the standard rules. I use a
sketchbook to remind me about “a lot, mostly and a little”. I have been reading
a book on classical painting and the section on composition almost made my head
explode (Laughter)! I am also showing a pen and ink sketch and it is relevant
to include that we should consider margins and how they might relate to a
frame. (Editor’s note: Sorry, I didn’t get a photo of this).
Kathy L: I brought a painting that employs one third ratios. I think about how to divide the space each time I paint.
Kathy L: I brought a painting that employs one third ratios. I think about how to divide the space each time I paint.
Kristina S: I first consider the horizon line. I painted this
in Rome. I want to show this “hack” (Styrofoam tubing from home depot that when
cut up provides protection for frames). I used this system to transport 30 paintings recently.
Article on tubing for frames: https://sgtarr.com/blog/82154/protecting-paintings-for-transporting
Article on tubing for frames: https://sgtarr.com/blog/82154/protecting-paintings-for-transporting
Elo: I need to work on composition --it is a weakness. I will
focus on it in the future!
Eunice: I use the
thirds vertically, not horizontally. Yesterday I started reading a book that I
got many years ago and I want to recommend that you all read it too--- it’s
called The Art Spirit by Robert Henri.
Dave: if it has to do with math = UGH! (laughter)! The
thing about painting on panels ---you can cut it into a good composition
“later” (laughter)! I’m showing paintings that I did recently in Colorado. I use my hands for a "cropping" tool in the field.
Jim: I need to focus
on composition more. I have been focusing on edges on the Facebook challenge. I
painted these paintings recently.
Jeanie: I am always
aware of the thirds. I do mostly “sky” paintings.
Announcements
Dave McBride will
sell his oil paints (because he has switched to acrylic) watch this page:
Lavender festival
sign up here
Tonight First
Thursday, Kristina Sellers reception 13th and Hoyt at Sotheby’s
Kristina in Cascade magazine: Congratulations!
Tonight First
Thursday at OSA Mark Andreas with a classical guitarist.
Friday OSA Joanne
Kollman class “Surface preparation” starts at 9 AM to 12:30 PM
model session 1
to 4 PM OSA
Art on the Boulevard
First Friday
Tedd Chilless tells
us about a new app called color snap by Sherwin Williams (helpful for all types of painting):
Tedd recommends putting saran wrap over a painting—then paint
on top of the Saran wrap to see how changes would affect the painting.
Jerry tells us that Susan Kuznitsky was featured in “Informed
Collector” (Congratulations, Susan)
Scott Gellatly is
featured in Artist’s magazine (Congratulations, Scott)
Thomas Kitts Aimee Erickson and Brenda Boylan at Olmstead
Congratulations all participating artists for Pacific NW Plein Air 2017 (Maryhill Museum)
Next meeting April 13
suggested table topic: “Capturing the Light” –what is your best advice for how
to represent “light” with paint? Tell us about your experience (painting shining
light on water or objects or figure). Let's discuss!
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