Artist Checklists

When I was at the Portrait conference this year, they talked about how every artist should keep track of the critiques that they receive and compile a list based on the mistakes that they seem to keep making. Actually, this reminded me of when John K made very specific checklists for us Ren and Stimpy BG painters to actually physically check off before he would even look at our backgrounds, and to my surprise when I started doing it I started doing some decent backgrounds, which finally started getting approved;) Anyway, so here’s my current painting checklist:

Most Frequent Mistake Checklist:

- not looking long enough at the model before making a brushstroke
- don’t mistake the area of highest contrast as the brightest/darkest
- seeing warm in the shadows, but not comparing it to the warm in the lights, so making it too chromatic
- cast shadows should be sharp(ish)-edged, dark, often cool, and united with the contained shadows
edge of a warm object gets cooler, and colours get warmer at the edges of a cool object
not so loose at edges (treatment inside a shape can be loose, but refine the edges)
usually darken at edges (so it wraps around the form)
in painting trees, use careful strokes, like calligraphy (actually, this applies to almost all brushstrokes ideally:)
working without enough paint
leave some brushstrokes!
don't put in detail highlights before the big form modeling
don't over do it with the highlights!
shadows should be transparent

Capturing a Mood in a Portrait

Matthew Innis sent me a bunch of articles, essays, write-ups and soooo much other great stuff, and I was reading through it the other day, and came across this really cool article called “The Difference Between Genius and Talent in Figure Painting, by an artist.” It had some really cool ideas about doing meaningful portraits and figure paintings.

First the artist should conceive of what it is that they want to express with their painting. What they want to capture or to say about them. Perhaps an inner emotion or feeling, or an “elevated form of a genuine human character.”

Then select a pose, gesture and expression that embodies that theme.

Then, the REALLLYY interesting part was that when you are painting, get into the mood that you want to convey in the piece. When we are in a certain mood, we naturally create brushstrokes and shapes that express that feeling!

Anyway, I just thought that was really interesting!

K:)

Interview on CBC Radio

Eee, I manged to track down the recording of THIS INTERVIEW that I did on Tuesday with CBC radio's Adrian Harewood for All in a Day about the Juror's Choice Award that I just won for Easter Sunday at the Orillia Museum of Art and History:)
















































































"Easter Sunday," oil on linen, 20 x 16 inches, 2007

Painting on The Edge

I just found out that my painting, "Fiberglass Venus," was accepted into Painting on the Edge at the Federation Gallery!

There were 700 entries to the show, so it's an honour to have been among the 50 selected artists.

The award ceremony is August 21, 2008 from 6pm-9pm at Federation Gallery on Granville Island, in Vancouver. I doubt I'll be able to make it (being on the other side of the continent and all), but my Dad'll probably be there, so any of you who can make it should look out for the guy with a thick Scottish accent and glasses that are supposed to automatically turn into sunglasses in the sun, but instead stay half darkened all the time - he's my Dad:) Anyway, I love and miss Vancouver so I always love it when I'm in shows out there:)



Fiberglass Venus, 12 x 9 inches, oil on panel, 2007

Ava Triptych

With my fancy new Canon 40D digital camera, I was finally able to get decent photos of the Ava Triptych! Yay! What a difference a good camera can make!
I had done a post earlier with the step-by-step to this painting, but I was never really happy with the final picture that I took of it.

Time's Running Out

Well, there's officially only five days left to vote for my Ogrant!! Thank you soooo much to everyone who's already voted and left all theat really sweet feedback!! and yeah, for those of you who maybe haven't heard about it or havent had a chance yet to vote.. any Canadian Student in college or university can vote!!

click here http://www.ogrant.com/ActiveVote.aspx?aid=259 (in the top right corner), then, after you've verified your email click "SUPPORT" (also in the top right corner, kinda under the registration/login area) to vote for me!!

THANKS EVERYONE!!!

I'm a Winner!

I just found out that I won Juror's Choice Award for my painting "Easter Sunday," in the Traditional Category of the Third Annual Juried Art Show at the Orillia Museum of Art and History, which is on now until August 3, 2008.

















"Easter Sunday," oil on linen, 20 x 16 inches, 2007

Interview

I just did another interview with Jason Anders for Fulle Circle! This one focuses more on technique!