With so many DIY skills I've been trying my hand at recently, I've been thinking about the process of getting stuff done within my capabilities.
In relation to painting, its made me appreciate how overcoming my limitations is so exciting, and it is with this idea that I approach our new courses in September. In preparation for this I wanted to go though some thoughts about my painting process with this piece that I've just started.
I did some drawings at the Museum of classical architecture in Cambridge, through an open invitation to draw their cast collection, and decided that the statues would make good subject matter for a painting. I spend too long looking for things to paint and so quickly seize on an idea that I feel inspired by.
One of the main themes that we will be looking at in the advanced painting course will be how to visualise the painting we want to produce beyond the resource images, which can become a limitation if adhered to slavishly.
Working the big shapes I can get a feel for the composition and visual narrative. The skylights and roof of the building have begun to take on an important role as a contrast to the more organic human shapes. The relationship between the figures and the background is becoming simpler and so the interior space can be defined more clearly.
I'm very mindful that everything in the painting needs to pull in the same direction. It's preferable being ruthless at an early stage and keep on making decisions that keep the visual idea as clear as possible. I find that phases of trying out different colour contrasts and combinations give way to times when whole areas of the painting have to be simplified down again, and this process modifies the feel and mood of the painting.
In the course you will be encouraged to think about your painting process to establish a way of working that produces the kind of paintings that satisfy you. So many decisions that we take over years, form the way we paint, and so it's a great opportunity to analyse the way you construct your paintings and compare it to ways other people go about it.
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