Linzé Brandon's Blog, page 7

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step S - non-painting tasks (part 2: doing art by doing nothing)

 

Doing nothing when creating a painting really comes down to taking a step back and assessing the work done. Being enthusiastic about a project is a good thing, but sometimes, taking a moment can prove to be a very important step.

Painting is a close-up process. I stand at the easel, my hand probably resting on the panel while painting or adding mixed media elements to the surface. Being so close means that I cannot see the whole. The rule of thumb is to stand back at least three times the distan...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step R - non-painting tasks (part 1: taking a break)

 

At this point during the process you might think that I would be in a hurry to finish. Unless I am behind schedule, this would actually be a good time to take a break. Take a breath. Even with limited time, doing a large art project does take a lot from me.

With so many things on my plate, taking a breather is not just a good idea, it is essential for my physical and mental health.

At this point in April, I am already deep into writing the first draft of my next novel. My painting will not be at ...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step Q - action steps (part 4: preparing mixed media elements)

 

Slapping paint on a panel is fun, but adding non-traditional mixed media elements allows me to really let the creative juices flow.

Because of all the planning done beforehand, this is the time to pull out the tools, brushes, paints, stamps, and stencils and do the work. Preparing these elements can take hours or days and should not be rushed.

If I am not sure that my choice of colour or technique achieves the goal of the composition, I will prepare a second one. The leftover item will not be was...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step P - action steps (part 3: painting the first layer of colour)

In the painting shown here, I painted the background first covering the whole surface with a buff titanium (tan) colour, starting in the middle and progressively making it darker toward the edges. Oil on paper

Then came the large coloured areas of the wine, before adding the details of the highlights, shadows and glasses. This was done with oil paint on paper as a group project for my art group.

For the competition I will basically do the same. Paint the background first in the shades of colour I n...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step O - action steps (part 2: outline)

 I am now ready to start on the painting. If I want a dark background, I paint it and then use chalk to draw the outline. If I want a light background, I will use a graphite pencil, usually 2B, to draw the outline.

The outline itself can be tricky because the painting is based on another painting. Since my competition painting surface is larger than the original, I taped several sheets of drawing paper together and trimmed it to the same size as the panel.

Using the thumbnails (See Step I) and too...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step N - action steps (part 1: surface preparation)

 

Since I paint on wood rather than canvas, there are a few steps before I can start the actual painting.

Wood is a natural product, so it must be sealed before applying any paint. You can paint directly on some wooden surfaces. Still, it is better for mixed media work to first seal the surface with a suitable sealant.

Depending on the wood and sealant, it might be necessary to sand each layer before adding the next. I typically don't sand between the layers since a slightly rough texture adds char...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step M - planning (part 4: action steps)

 Welcome to the continuance of my posts about my process of submitting a painting to a competition. If this is your first visit to my blog, check out the competition website and share with an artist friend who might be interested in taking part too.

Now back to my process. In this post I am going to list the steps, with follow-up posts adding more detail or information.

1. Surface preparation

2. Outlines

3. First layer

4. Mixed media elements

5. Painting details

6. Finishing

There will also be three pos...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step L - planning (part 3: schedule)

 

At the time of writing this post, I am still waiting for some final details on a commission of six charcoal drawings. On top of working on the final edits of my next novel, planned for release in December, an increasing workload at the lab, and all the other things I have to do, planning time to paint is essential.

I belong to two art groups, one of which I am the teacher, and I schedule time on my calendar weekly. However, scheduling time is not easy, given the amount of time I need for larger ...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step K - planning (part 2: medium and materials)

 

As much as I like experimenting with paint and other materials, there is simply not enough time to do that when preparing a competition submission. This means that I need to spend more time thinking and planning than I normally would with a painting.

I love mixed media that includes materials not usually found in the fine art section of my local art stores. The paintings shown here were sold in an exhibition last year, and I used diamond dots, fabric, and wooden sticks amongst other things.

Abstr...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step J - planning (part 1: size of painting)

 

Thank you for visiting my blog today. If you are a return visitor, welcome back. I am delighted to see you again!

We now get to the planning stage of doing a painting for a competition like this one. The painting I did for the 2023 competition, was smaller than the original, about 60%. Sticking to the original size would have disqualified my entry because of size limitations set by the rules.

This year the painting I chose is much smaller. The old masters did not have standard sizes for the canva...