Showing posts with label artist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label artist. Show all posts
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Painting of the Day: by Konstantin Novosadov
Konstantin Novosadov, that's a really long and complicated name. Her Art is really good, though. Originally, she had a DeviantArt account, but the link now leads to nowhere. So I had to change this post to a Pinting of the Day. If you have any information on this artist, please tell me in the comment section below.
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Recommended Artist: Alvaro Castagnet
Among the few Artists whom I really look up to and strive to learn from, is Alvaro Castagnet. He is one of my idols in the Art world. Refer to my full list of Art idols here.
He is a waterclorist, and a brilliant one at that. I found him through a book.
Now, I would like to talk about his book; Beyond Technique, Painting with Passion. As I said, I found him through this book, and it was the Art work, his Art work that I saw in this book that caught my attention.
Reviews about the book say that it's nice and all, but that there isn't enough demonstration in the book. May I just turn your attention to the book title: "Beyond Technique". The book does not focus on technique. It focuses on your passion for watercolors. If you look at it this way, I feel there is a generous enough section of photographs of his Art Work to work well.
His paintings have an emotional conection to the viewers, or me, for that matter. There's a sort of rawness to his paintings that I really enjoy. Watercolor is meant to be bold and free, and Alvaro Castagnet does exactly so.
I strive to be bold with my colors like him, and to learn to draw the subjects with as much passion as he does. He made it to "The List" because he has a great underlying understanding of form and structure, and knows how to reduce details for the sake of a great painting. (Something that Artists forget a lot.)
Here is his Art blog.
BONUS!
I looked around the net to get information on him and I might have found an unofficial list of the colors he uses. They are:-
1. Ultramarine Blue
2. Cobalt Blue
3. Cerulean Blue
4. Cobalt Turquoise
5. Burnt Umber
6. Permanent Alizarin Crimson
7. A certain Lilac / Lavender
8. An shade of Light Red
9. Brown Madder
10. Burnt Sienna
11. Yellow ochre
12. Cadmium red light
13. Neutral Tint
14. Cobalt Violet
15. Indian yellow
16. Viridian
He is a waterclorist, and a brilliant one at that. I found him through a book.
This painting Times Square, New York was awarded the 1st prize in 2012 at the
Now, I would like to talk about his book; Beyond Technique, Painting with Passion. As I said, I found him through this book, and it was the Art work, his Art work that I saw in this book that caught my attention.
Reviews about the book say that it's nice and all, but that there isn't enough demonstration in the book. May I just turn your attention to the book title: "Beyond Technique". The book does not focus on technique. It focuses on your passion for watercolors. If you look at it this way, I feel there is a generous enough section of photographs of his Art Work to work well.
His paintings have an emotional conection to the viewers, or me, for that matter. There's a sort of rawness to his paintings that I really enjoy. Watercolor is meant to be bold and free, and Alvaro Castagnet does exactly so.
I strive to be bold with my colors like him, and to learn to draw the subjects with as much passion as he does. He made it to "The List" because he has a great underlying understanding of form and structure, and knows how to reduce details for the sake of a great painting. (Something that Artists forget a lot.)
Here is his Art blog.
BONUS!
I looked around the net to get information on him and I might have found an unofficial list of the colors he uses. They are:-
1. Ultramarine Blue
2. Cobalt Blue
3. Cerulean Blue
4. Cobalt Turquoise
5. Burnt Umber
6. Permanent Alizarin Crimson
7. A certain Lilac / Lavender
8. An shade of Light Red
9. Brown Madder
10. Burnt Sienna
11. Yellow ochre
12. Cadmium red light
13. Neutral Tint
14. Cobalt Violet
15. Indian yellow
16. Viridian
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Inspiration, where does it come from?
It comes from everywhere, really.
Nature, people, objects, places, a season, an event. Sometimes, an emotion or a feeling spurs an Artist to paint or draw. Other times, an Artist draws because he or she wants to make a stand for or against something.
An Artist should NEVER say "I don't know what to draw." because you can draw everything and anything you want.
However, we all have our bad days, so here are 15 ideas on fun projects to do when you have a "down day". They are accompanied by drawings of mine. Some are pretty old, (2010) some are products of experimentation, others are actual drawings that I am satisfied with. But they all serve to show you that you an idea of what you can do.
2. A natural landscape. The country side, hills, valleys, cottages, a stream, lake, or the sea.
3. A man-made landscape. New York, any city skyline.
4. Water. For the adventurous. I suggest reading up on how to draw water correctly. Here's a link to a lesson in drawing water. Or you could try here too.
5. A painting of an interior. One of Van Gogh's famous paintings was of an interior. Do you know the name of the painting? Hint: Heavy brushstrokes and a yellow hue, it had.
6. A close up (macro) of a flower.
For the fun of it, here's my drawing of a macro flower. It's titled "Molee's Flower" because it was given, as a birthday present, to one of my Mum's friend. The white outside the line is the canvas in which I stuck it upon. Done in Prismacolors.
7. A drawing of a single object. A wine opener, a stapler. An object that is simple in shape but has details is a good candidate.
8. Do a drawing in a medium you're not familiar with.
Nature, people, objects, places, a season, an event. Sometimes, an emotion or a feeling spurs an Artist to paint or draw. Other times, an Artist draws because he or she wants to make a stand for or against something.
An Artist should NEVER say "I don't know what to draw." because you can draw everything and anything you want.
However, we all have our bad days, so here are 15 ideas on fun projects to do when you have a "down day". They are accompanied by drawings of mine. Some are pretty old, (2010) some are products of experimentation, others are actual drawings that I am satisfied with. But they all serve to show you that you an idea of what you can do.
15 ideas on fun projects to get your creative juices flowing:
1. A traditional still life. Think of apples, pears, wine bottles, bread, flowers. etc.
Forgive the bad picture and lighting. This is a pretty old drawing. This was done using student grade pencils back in 2010, but I've kept it well, so it hasn't degraded... yet.
(I do not advocate drawing with student grade materials because if you do like your drawing, there's no way to make it last longer than it will.)
3. A man-made landscape. New York, any city skyline.
(I've not drawn any city skyline yet. But here's a drawing with a sort of backdrop. Done in Pastels.)
4. Water. For the adventurous. I suggest reading up on how to draw water correctly. Here's a link to a lesson in drawing water. Or you could try here too.
5. A painting of an interior. One of Van Gogh's famous paintings was of an interior. Do you know the name of the painting? Hint: Heavy brushstrokes and a yellow hue, it had.
6. A close up (macro) of a flower.
For the fun of it, here's my drawing of a macro flower. It's titled "Molee's Flower" because it was given, as a birthday present, to one of my Mum's friend. The white outside the line is the canvas in which I stuck it upon. Done in Prismacolors.
7. A drawing of a single object. A wine opener, a stapler. An object that is simple in shape but has details is a good candidate.
And here's one of my "single object" drawings done on the 31st of May, back in 2010. It's a wine opener. Signed and dated.
I did this small painting in Pastels.
9. Draw a wild animal. Tigers, jaguars, elephants, giraffes. Think big animals.
Initially, I had thought of a background for this painting, but gave up on it at this stage. Blame the low quality paper and the student grade pencils. I know better than that now.
10. Draw your pet. Or if you don't have a pet, your friends'/neighbors' pet(s). They make good birthday gifts too.
Photo reference.
Actual drawing. Again, this is pretty old and was done with bad quality paper and student grade pencils. At that time, I thought it was nice. Now... not so much. Still, I post it up here for you to see.
11. A graphite drawing of a still life. Keep it simple. Also, I might do a step-by-step tutorial on how to do this kind of drawings at a later date, so, keep an eye on this blog.
12. Do a fun "word project". Draw with words. I used markers to write the word "tuscan" over and over again in different colours to create a picture of a tuscan. This is more of a fun project than "real Art", but still...
13. Draw a small bird. Like the ones that my Dad draws. I'm currently doing a "my Dad inspired" painting.
Here's one of his paintings. Japanese Ink on Chinese Rice Paper. 24cm by 27cm.
14. Learn to draw humans. Yes, it is difficult. But just look at humans just as you draw anything else. Learn to see in terms of shapes and shadows.
Here's another of my Dad's painting, cause' I haven't learnt how to quite draw humans, yet.
15. Mix mediums. It's not all that easy, but it can result in beautiful works.
Not my best, but still. You get an idea.
I hope this list has given you an idea of what to draw when you're stuck in a creative down. Leave me a comment below to tell me what you do when you're feeling un-creative.
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Recommended Artist: Bec Winnel
The recommend Artist today is, Bec Winnel. She is a self-taught artist and studied graphic design. She turned into a full-time artist in 2012, and has been exhibiting in group shows for five years. She hopes to one day have her own sole exhibition.
Originally a country girl, she moved to Melbourne for five years. Her new home is now in the Alpine Valley region of Victoria, where she can focus completely on her Art and "be surrounded and inspired by nature and the simple things in life" as she says she is on her website.
Her website is beautifully made and designed with her Art in mind. The site is very easy to navigate, so dropping by and looking around is made very simple.
Her favored medium is Pastel and Colored Pencils, but she's currently experimenting with Oils. Artists that push the boundaries of their comfort zones keep their Art fresh and their ideas new. What I like about her style is the dream-like effect that her works carry.
In an interview with "Element Eden", Bec Winnel has said that the strongest influence she has had was from Sara Moon, and you can see how.
My take on her Art:
She's inspired very much by the female form. Her paintings are soft and have a strong element of design. The colors she chooses for her paintings are well-made choices and work well together. She has a solid foundation in human anatomy and color theory which, in turn, aids her in making beautiful pieces of Art.
Most of her Art is available in prints and some of the originals are up for sale, so do visit her shop to support a budding Artist.
Again, visit her website at: http://becwinnel.com/
What do you think about Bec Winnel's Art? Do you know of any contemporary Artists whom you think should be featured in the "Recommended Artist" segment? Leave your comments in the section below.
Originally a country girl, she moved to Melbourne for five years. Her new home is now in the Alpine Valley region of Victoria, where she can focus completely on her Art and "be surrounded and inspired by nature and the simple things in life" as she says she is on her website.
Her website is beautifully made and designed with her Art in mind. The site is very easy to navigate, so dropping by and looking around is made very simple.
Her favored medium is Pastel and Colored Pencils, but she's currently experimenting with Oils. Artists that push the boundaries of their comfort zones keep their Art fresh and their ideas new. What I like about her style is the dream-like effect that her works carry.
In an interview with "Element Eden", Bec Winnel has said that the strongest influence she has had was from Sara Moon, and you can see how.
My take on her Art:
She's inspired very much by the female form. Her paintings are soft and have a strong element of design. The colors she chooses for her paintings are well-made choices and work well together. She has a solid foundation in human anatomy and color theory which, in turn, aids her in making beautiful pieces of Art.
Most of her Art is available in prints and some of the originals are up for sale, so do visit her shop to support a budding Artist.
Again, visit her website at: http://becwinnel.com/
What do you think about Bec Winnel's Art? Do you know of any contemporary Artists whom you think should be featured in the "Recommended Artist" segment? Leave your comments in the section below.
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Starving Artist Syndrome
Two years ago, my parents had a long discussion with me about what I wanted to do with my life. It took a lot of thinking, but I decided to focus fully on my Art. Thus, I pulled out of public school to give Art my full attention. Yes, it's a huge gamble, but it's one I'm willing to take. Considering that my Dad is a professional Artist, he is, naturally, teaching me the basics and know-how of Art.
The decision to really focus myself on Art was a life-changing one, and when I decided to tell my classmates, it was met with shock and warnings.
"Don't you know, Stephanie? What they say about Artists?"
"No, in fact, I don't know what they say." (Whoever "they" are.)
"The Starving Artist Syndrome. And how your Art won't be worth any money unless you pass away."
Sundenly, the Art history I read came back to me. About the life story of the now famous Vincent Van Gogh. Was I heading towards the path of madness, being dead broke, slicing off a part of my ear, and eventually committing suicide?
That was two years ago. Today, I'm doing what I love to do. Drawing and writing. I never work for a day in my life, because my work is something that I love, and thus, isn't work at all.
But, what's up with all the misconceptions associated with Art, though? "It doesn't pay well." they say. True. But only because an Art education will put you heavily in debt. Also, because there's too much supply and not enough demand. (It's difficult to sell to someone, something which has absolutely no use yet costs so much.)
"You won't get famous." they say. Most of us do it for the passion of Art. And even more of us know that we cannot simply get by just purely selling Art. We sell prints, some of us have a day job, (It's quite sad really, to have to juggle your passion with a job that pays for the rent and food.) we teach Art classes, some of us write Art books. We do what we have to to survive.
"It will not be easy." This is something that one of my classmate, whom got wind of why I was pulling out of school from another person. It's a pretty silly thing to say to a budding Artist, considering that nothing in life is easy.
And horror of horrors was when an acquaintance, whom overheard me talking to my best friend, "But you're not even good at Art." To her, I quoted my late Grandfather; "If you don't have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut and you'll keep a good relationship with others."
That was two years ago. I've improved by leaps and bounds due to sheer hard work and determination. It's not that I was gifted in any ways. My Dad was gifted, but he still worked hard. That's how he got to where he is today.
It isn't all just about talent, it's more so about hard work and practice. So, go forth and chase your dreams, cause dreams don't chase themselves. Have a goal and stick to it. That's what I'm doing right now.
If you were curious, here's just one of my Dad's paintings:
The decision to really focus myself on Art was a life-changing one, and when I decided to tell my classmates, it was met with shock and warnings.
"Don't you know, Stephanie? What they say about Artists?"
"No, in fact, I don't know what they say." (Whoever "they" are.)
"The Starving Artist Syndrome. And how your Art won't be worth any money unless you pass away."
Sundenly, the Art history I read came back to me. About the life story of the now famous Vincent Van Gogh. Was I heading towards the path of madness, being dead broke, slicing off a part of my ear, and eventually committing suicide?
That was two years ago. Today, I'm doing what I love to do. Drawing and writing. I never work for a day in my life, because my work is something that I love, and thus, isn't work at all.
But, what's up with all the misconceptions associated with Art, though? "It doesn't pay well." they say. True. But only because an Art education will put you heavily in debt. Also, because there's too much supply and not enough demand. (It's difficult to sell to someone, something which has absolutely no use yet costs so much.)
"You won't get famous." they say. Most of us do it for the passion of Art. And even more of us know that we cannot simply get by just purely selling Art. We sell prints, some of us have a day job, (It's quite sad really, to have to juggle your passion with a job that pays for the rent and food.) we teach Art classes, some of us write Art books. We do what we have to to survive.
"It will not be easy." This is something that one of my classmate, whom got wind of why I was pulling out of school from another person. It's a pretty silly thing to say to a budding Artist, considering that nothing in life is easy.
And horror of horrors was when an acquaintance, whom overheard me talking to my best friend, "But you're not even good at Art." To her, I quoted my late Grandfather; "If you don't have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut and you'll keep a good relationship with others."
That was two years ago. I've improved by leaps and bounds due to sheer hard work and determination. It's not that I was gifted in any ways. My Dad was gifted, but he still worked hard. That's how he got to where he is today.
It isn't all just about talent, it's more so about hard work and practice. So, go forth and chase your dreams, cause dreams don't chase themselves. Have a goal and stick to it. That's what I'm doing right now.
If you were curious, here's just one of my Dad's paintings:
Thursday, 5 January 2012
What's in a name?
"Everything is Art". Or so that's what my blog's URL is. Question is, why did I name it that?
For one, I don't really "get" abstract Art. Sure, it's a movement, but I just don't "get" it. I gave this blog the URL it is now because I believe everything can be an inspiration to Artists.
From nature, to man-made things, to other Artists. Inspiration is everywhere. Art is in all, and all is in Art.
Art is because the Artist was inspired by something. Be it a still life, a landscape, a human being, an animal, a colour, a mood, an emotion, a thought. Thus, everything is Art, because everything is a source of inspiration for an Artist.
For one, I don't really "get" abstract Art. Sure, it's a movement, but I just don't "get" it. I gave this blog the URL it is now because I believe everything can be an inspiration to Artists.
From nature, to man-made things, to other Artists. Inspiration is everywhere. Art is in all, and all is in Art.
Art is because the Artist was inspired by something. Be it a still life, a landscape, a human being, an animal, a colour, a mood, an emotion, a thought. Thus, everything is Art, because everything is a source of inspiration for an Artist.
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