A wintry weekend has given me the bonus of more time to spend on this painting and its moving along more quickly than I anticipated. I've worked more on adding definition to the piece within the wave, reflected light on the water surface and by adding more layers to the sand in the foreground. Its at a point where the work is a bit repetitious and can be monotonous to a degree. The water surface reflections are like a puzzle, but perfect placement isn't a requirement so I have a bit of leaway in that.
Tonight I'm having a little break from water and working on some other things. Its good to have a couple of pieces in progress at the same time as it gives me a chance to go back again with fresh eyes every day or two.
People have asked how I achieve this effect with acrylics. Acrylics aren't a medium I was ever very comfortable using or pleased with the results, but I've played around with them more frequently over the last couple of months and there are elements I like and dislike about them. I may be doing the next piece in oils which will have similar techniques to my current use of acrylics.
For acrylics I sometimes use a slow dry blending medium in passages of the piece that give me more time to blend the values. However, often I simply use a series of thin glazes of paint using just water as the medium. I use a 'scrubby' or old short bristle brush to work a layer of paint and immediately top it with another value, blending the edges. I find this gives me the best control over the paint and not leave hard edges. To the viewer, acrylics or oil use in a finished piece, would be very difficult to differentiate from. As with many different mediums, there are certain mindsets that reject one over the other or deem a finished piece as more or else valuable. This, to me, is part of the art world that I do not like and smacks of some individuals wanting to feel more superior in a claim that one medium is 'better' than another. To me, its in the final product. I don't care what the medium is.
6 comments:
This is coming along beautifully. I agree with your comment about the various mediums. Just had this conversation with someone: if watercolor is supposed to be so hard to learn and control, then why isn't it more valued and expensive than oil? Usually, if something is seen as more difficult, it commands a higher price. However, watercolor never commands as high a price as an oil of equivalent size (note size, not ability!) Oh well, maybe some day.
Thanks Deb. There are veins of superiority and elitism in art that aren't pleasant. The belief that one medium is more worthy than another is one of those elements that seems to have no rationale attached to it.
Oils, being something the masters used, therefore must be classic, is one of the old phrases trotted out regularly. Well the masters also used a variety of other mediums as well. The present day masters are also varied, but still the myths and dismissal of other mediums as less classic becomes a source of frustration. All we can do is keep on putting other mediums in front of the public and educate them.
I enjoy your blog because you seem comfortable with so many mediums. You make them all look easy. I appreciate how you always a number of things to work on. Can't wait to see the completed acrylic Landwash you are working on, its looking great.
Thanks Nancy. I like switching back and forth with mediums as some images just call for one or the other sometimes.
And its a matter of keeping skills sharpened too in mediums. Glad you like the Landwash so far. Not too much more to go I hope. :)
I'm really impressed by this painting Jeanette - I can see the amount of work that has gone into it so far. Those waves look very challenging - well done!!
This is beautiful Jeanette.
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