Some good posts on some good blogs

 Here are some extremely helpful - short and excellent  - blog posts on the use of color:

http://stapletonkearns.blogspot.com/2011/02/licking-and-divisionist-color.html

http://artandinfluence.blogspot.com/2011/01/three-sources-of-light-in-outdoor.html


http://underpaintings.blogspot.com/2011/02/words-of-wisdom-burnet-loomis-and-use.html


http://underpaintings.blogspot.com/2011/02/michael-john-angel-on-youtube.html

Richard Robinson's colour course/DVD is also very helpful.

Bargue part III

After 4 months I'm at plate no. 39!-  time to change method slightlyand see if I've learned anything. What now?

My tools / Mon matos

 Set-up for drawing  /installation dessin

 Pencils etc. / Crayons etc.

Oil paints (box 1) /  Peinture à l'huile (première boîte) - especially:
titanium white (preferably  Lefranc - it's Pebeo in the photo 'cos I ran out and had to buy some)
cadmium yellow pale, naples yellow light,
burnt sienna (Winsor and Nexton) = transparent oxide red (Rembrandt)  / terra rosa (W&N, for portraits),
ultramarine blue deep, cerul. blue,
viridian (= verte emeraude)

OK, I'll leave out the acrylics, watercolours.... / Bon, je laisse les acryliques, aquarelles, etc.

Bonjour!

Copie d'un dessin (exercice donc)  du livre de W. Maughan 'Dessiner la tête' (dispo en français) - un bon livre- comme d'hab je suis d'abord content, et puis après je me dis que ça pouvait être bcp mieux... soupir

 Copy (exercise) from Maughan's 'Drawing the head' - a good book. As usual, initially pleased with it, then later think it should/could be much better.. sigh

Ca fait trente ans que je suis en France ! - depuis mon plus tendre enfance, donc ;) heh, heh - et je me sens coupable de ne pas écrire ce blog en bilingue - le temps presse toujours, c'est ça le problème - mais pour d'éventuels 'visiteurs' français, n'hésitez pas a laisser un commentaire - même un petit coucou - ça me ferait tellement plaisir - Jon

I've been living in France for more than 30 years! - since I was very young, then ;) heh, heh - I feel guilty that I don't write this blog as a bilingual blog - time's always short, that's the prob. - but, for any French 'visitors" - don't hesistate to leave a message - even just a "hello" - I'd be so pleased... Jon

Le nombre d'artistes/ gens qui dessinent/peignent qu'on découvre sur le net est incroyable ! - surtout aux US - ça me fait penser - parmi d'autres, je me pose la question - dans quelle 'direction'  voudrais-tu aller ? hmmm

The number of artists/people drawing/painting you find in the net is incredible! especially in the States - it makes me think -among other things, I ask myself in which 'direction' I want to go... hmmmm

Recent thoughts + the secrets of painting?

I feel a bit embarrassed to say things like this – I’m only a beginner – but I’ve surfed the Web a lot and read quite a few books – guess I’m allowed to have some paltry thoughts :

It’s honesty and passion that matter, not technique

Technique Checklist - the secrets of painting?

Technique for visual art is based on

1)       The study of light

2)       A little  knowledge of how the eye works (how vision perceives things)

And there’s some good checklists out there to help you keep your “work of art” on track. Here’s the five basic pillars I always try to keep in mind:

1)       Composition – what’s the centre of interest/focal point

2)       Drawing = proportions = measurement

3)       Values = a graduated (is it?) range of between 2 and 9

4)       Edges – mostly soft

5)       Colour = temperature (warmer or cooler) – depends on the light. Select a’ gamut/palette – dominant depends on the light

Drawing vs Painting

Is there a difference between drawing and painting or are they the same thing ? Does it matter anyway?

I was thinking that drawing can be line and painting is mass. Or, could say that drawing is no colour and painting has colour.

In these cases, a monochromatic oil painting would be a drawing and a three-colour drawing a painting.