tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78076907511501448122024-03-05T21:46:38.981-07:00ScumblingsNotes on painting and the art-making process, by TITUS CASTANZATitus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-13683165100281382002018-06-08T12:23:00.001-07:002018-06-11T20:14:50.048-07:00Seeing abstractly and getting past the drag of realism <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sketchbook drawing by Titus Castanza, <span style="font-size: x-small;">©2018 Titus Castanza</span><br />
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*Homework exercises on the bottom of this post.<br />
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Class Notes 06.07.18<br />
Today's class was about developing strategies to help us see more abstractly and to further build a repertoire of pattern making. We discussed how our emotions play an integral part of our imagination. We tried to let our imagination have a say and inform us – rather than just trying to replicate what is physically in front of us. <br />
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Hopefully, this exercise will help build authenticity and introduce more creativity. By refocusing our attention in this manner we’ll hopefully let go of trying to draw or paint <i>well</i> and, instead, refocus our attention on more important aspects of creating – producing better results. <br />
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A large part of painting is about breaking routines and challenging yourself to see things in a new way. This is where the critic can have a positive contribution. The critic has the ability to see thyself objectively and to identify things which do not work. At times, seeing things in a fresh way can be a challenge, so artists have learned over time to develop strategies to help with this.<br />
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It is this internal dialog which builds our individual language and proficiency as an artist. There is no right or wrong here. For some people, painting and drawing realistically may not be the best way to express themselves. I know from personal experience that there is a lot which cannot be expressed if I chose to paint the thing realistically. I'll only borrow certain cues from realism which help contribute to what I'm trying to express. I am more interested in expressing myself than drawing or painting well. I am concerned with being guided by my emotions and how this attitude allows room for making new connections, from an emotional intelligence standpoint. <br />
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Try responding to what you are looking at emotionally and not just simply making a material evaluation based on realism. This has very liberating awareness to it. Maybe a better way of saying it would be: <i>Feel what you see – then paint it.</i> Paint how your imagination and emotions see things because this may be where your true authenticity resides. Admittedly, dealing with your emotions and understanding them is by far a difficult task. However, really try to seek accuracy of these qualities and let go of accuracy of trying to do things well. Let go and trust in your imagination. Takes time to develop further this relationship with your creative-self. It is up to ourselves to understand how to become more intimate with ourselves. This takes trusting ourselves completely, that no matter what we do, it is correct and right, and that it is in every way acceptable. Nothing we do – from a creative standpoint – is wrong. And that, it is up to us to reflect upon the thing we just did. <br />
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Here are some questions to ask yourself to help build a positive internal dialog:<br />
How do I feel in this moment?<br />
How does this make me feel?<br />
Am I relaxed?<br />
What do I like about it?<br />
What does this remind me of?<br />
What do I want express?<br />
What do I have to say, anything?<br />
What do I have to express in the moment?<br />
How does it look to me now, compared to how would I like it to look?<br />
Am I going in to this with no expectations of self?<br />
Am I allowing room for my creative self, my authenticity? <br />
Are my influences high-jacking me?<br />
What are my influences?<br />
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Here are some statements which help your internal dialog:<br />
• Reflect upon my results well after their completion – not during.<br />
• At all costs remain positive. Be positive of my abilities and my overall outlook.<br />
• Anything I do is going to be great! You're gonna' love it. <br />
• I have complete confidence in myself.<br />
• Be the genius I am now.<br />
• Let my imagination have a voice.<br />
• Positivity promotes creativity and negativity hinders it. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">©2018 Titus Castanza</span><br />
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1. Methods which will help you see abstract shapes:<br />
• Simply look for shapes anywhere you see them. Look for big shapes, small shapes or any shapes, really. <br />
• Utilize the shapes made by light and shadow<br />
• See the negative shapes along with the positive shapes<br />
• Keep any construction lines you may have made. In fact, by reinforcing them you're making them in to more needed shapes. <br />
• Create construction lines that aren't necessarily there, but you know logically (from experience) that they are there, you just can't see them. For example: a cube has six sides. Draw all six sides – as if the cube was transparent. By drawing through an object, you help give the object weight and the object a solid foundation. Try it, it doesn't hurt. Besides, you'll end up with some really cool abstract shapes. <br />
• Don't feel like you have to record everything. <br />
• Paint whatever your imagination dishes out, however you see it. The first thing that pops into your head is great – it's probably less conjured and less filtered. <br />
• Take what you see, respond to it emotionally and give it a brush stroke, a texture or a pattern. Look at some of the Masters to see what different mark-making and patterns they came up with: Vuillard, Bonnard, Picasso, Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Klimpt, etc. <br />
• Utilize your internal dialog.<br />
• Look more deeply into the structural forms. For instance with a portrait, look for the side plane <br />
the head and differentiate it from the frontal plane of the head, the three planes of the<br />
forehead, or the circles of the cheeks. See the side plane of the
nose from the frontal top plane<br />
of the, and the bottom downward facing
plane. Slow down, paint these shapes honestly as you<br />
see them from an
abstract perspective – disassociate yourself from the fact that it is a
nose, a<br />
lip or an ear. You may see geometric or organic shapes. Be
accurate about your honesty about<br />
what you see. You'll see things
differently from anyone else. <br />
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2. Give your abstract shapes a texture/pattern. <br />
This pattern may have some rhyme or reason to it, it’s up to you to figure out and what you may want to express. For instance, the sky/background could have thinly placed horizontal brush strokes. Or, the beard might make you feel like it needs swirly strokes with lots of paint. You may see the skin tone made up of small straight paint strokes (think Van Gogh). Don’t think too hard about it, feel more and just put down the first thing that pops in your head, no matter how crazy. The shirt should have a different pattern from the beard, the shirt and the face. Grouping patterns together is a great way to communicate which shapes are in the same family. <br />
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3. Paint from your gut. Appreciate the feel of the brush, the paint and the canvas. Paint with all of who you are in the moment. Paint with your emotional awareness. <br />
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*HOMEWORK (if so desired):<br />
1.We are exploring pattern for this assignment. Compile pattern. Create 10-20 patterns in the form of swatches (squares measuring no larger than 3-4 inches). For example: look at a section of a master painting, specifically paying attention to an area of the painting that has pattern. I want you to replicate this pattern as accurately as possible so that it can be used in the future for your reference. If the pattern was done in paint then do it in paint – if done in pencil then do in pencil. Compile your pattern examples: on a poster sized canvas or board, thick paper, in a folder or three ring binder. Hang it in your studio or somewhere it is easily accessible when you paint.<br />
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Building your repertoire of pattern making with the paint brush is a crucial (and I mean crucial) part of painting. The lack of pattern understanding is often what kills a painting without the novice even realizing what's not working with a painting. A dead giveaway is when a painting is done entirely with the same brushstroke. <br />
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Another way to go about looking for pattern is to investigate nature. Exercise: cut a vegetable (such as a cucumber) in to a slice and draw or paint the pattern you see (looking at the face of the slice). Do you see the seeds and the skin? That's a pattern. Paint it. It's inspiring. <br />
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2. Draw or paint abstract shapes from anything – utilizing all of what we talked about today in this blog post. <br />
<br />Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-40543258760037556182018-05-18T14:17:00.003-07:002018-05-19T08:33:34.753-07:00Thursday's class – Emotional Intelligence<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ei65g4To8L1TrArL_B9EEEc7BCFpTDbM4KCr1p0swkotCDWpwX46XgDDB_fdl4LgamZ6HINzRYUP1Vr0kxgHFNBZQnqPaPPXNWdieT8_2GcL95q1kiVdRDaMuD0MJyNsnCKUMwqYD4IS/s1600/Bill+Scott.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="980" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ei65g4To8L1TrArL_B9EEEc7BCFpTDbM4KCr1p0swkotCDWpwX46XgDDB_fdl4LgamZ6HINzRYUP1Vr0kxgHFNBZQnqPaPPXNWdieT8_2GcL95q1kiVdRDaMuD0MJyNsnCKUMwqYD4IS/s320/Bill+Scott.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Painting by Bill Scott</span></td></tr>
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Yesterday in class we talked about approaching art-making from an emotional perspective. We discussed, as a group, using our emotions with our art and creating strategies to do it. Hopefully, this practice will help you go deeper into your imagination and will help develop a stronger artistic process.<br />
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Developing our emotional selves will incite a more profound hunger for if, and when, the fundamentals are ever needed. Invest more intention in the emotional evolution of oneself and have it be a source of inspiration. It is my advice to you after myself having had experienced these failures personally in my career as an artist. It will help guide you in your process as an artist and you will experience a more profound journey. You will create a better line of questioning so that you may dive more deeply into your creative self. And ironically, it will render better art by paying less attention to technical skill and more attention to the emotional self. <br />
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Often I find, this emotional approach to art-making a commonly avoided one. Perhaps, technical skill is easier to obtain than dealing with our complicated emotions about things. Maybe this is why many of us ignore the difficulty altogether and preoccupy ourselves with what's easier. Perhaps it's easier to objectively observe and represent the physical world only as it is, than it is to deal with our messy inner emotions about how we perceive ourselves.<br />
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Look, technical skill is pretty simple, to an extent. The more you do something the more you get at it, through repetition. It, in a way, will develop itself as long as you simply just keep doing it – hence, the catchy Nike slogan, "just do it.". Well...that's not to say you shouldn't be thoughtful when doing something. Being thoughtful could have helped Nike out with their campaign. That's ok, we'll use it for us artists, "Just be thoughtful". [Sorry, I digress.]<br />
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Repetition may work for technical acuity, however the same does not apply to figuring out how to develop as an emotional painter. So elusive is emotional intelligence these days, that many of us haven't even heart of the subject. Well then, I suppose it really is the burden of the artists to teach the rest of the population about who we really are.<br />
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Understanding your emotional self as a creative artist takes time and quite a bit of on-going self reflection. But if you stick with it, you'll have a better chance at understanding who you are, your authentic self. And your art will be loads better. You'll learn that your emotions and vulnerabilities as a person are important art making tools. And best of all, your focus won't be on how to go about marketing yourself, making money or how to impress your piers. Your concerns might shift from acquiring technical skill, toward something of much greater use to humanity – how to live your life and how to improve the quality of experience within it. <br />
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It may also be helpful to dispel any preconceived notions we may have about ourselves or who we think we may be as artists. In other words, allow ample room for the notion that we may not know fully who we are as artists – as we don't see ourselves as objectively as we should. Getting to know one’s expression is a lifelong task. The whole point is to express yourself as a human being. If identifying as an artist complicates the matter for you, then don't self identify with the title, <i>artist. </i>Simplify the matter and don't call yourself anything, be without titles. Doing just this thing might help you be that much less self-aware. <i><br /></i><br />
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Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." Perhaps, as artists, by examining ourselves more deeply, we are getting closer to realizing how critical this quote really is. Perhaps this is the purpose to art – to help us better know our emotions, which in-turn get us to better know ourselves. Maybe all we are are expressions. Know thyself. <br />
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Formulate your feelings from your experiences, make visual sense of them the best you can, then find the appropriate means to express it.<br />
Emotional Awareness –> Visual Intelligence –> Creative Intelligence<br />
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Opening-up Your Creativity – Creating helpful strategies to tap in to the emotional side of art-making (surmised by our group discussion, 5/17/18):<br />
Please feel free to add to this running list as it may occur to you (you can write your comments in the comment section below each blog post). This is in no way academia, it is simply our educated opinions based on our being human. I’ll post them on the student blog and periodically update it. <br />
scumblings.blogspot.com<br />
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I categorized the exercises in to two parts: Psychological and Physical.<br />
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Psychological<br />
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• Brake your currently exhisting loops and thought patterns. You know the ones. They often sounds like a broken record and hold you back from effectively resolving issues. <br />
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• Identify narratives we may have created for ourselves, all of them. Keep only the ones which work. Keep in mind, what may have been useful yesterday may no longer be useful today. Be truthful with yourself – make sense of what thoughts are positive and negative, and what's useful and what’s not. <br />
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• Practice being in the moment when creating. You can’t do this if you’re painting for the future (hopes of where your art might go, or stuck in the past (your idea of who you think you are, idea of old self).<br />
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• Be very mindful of the language you use with yourself and others. Don’t be self defeating. <br />
• Reject any negative thinking. Have zero tolerance with this. <br />
• Positivity promotes creativity and negativity stifles it<br />
• Be simple, it’s often easier said than done<br />
• Get out of your own way<br />
• Embrace change, change is good and acknowledge that you are always changing. <br />
• Be purposeful and simple with what your ultimately trying to achieve, strive for richness and depth, and be authentic<br />
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Physical<br />
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• Make a list of subjects that have emotional power to you (relationships, mortality/death, disparity, extracting meaning from the mundane, portraiture, etc.) <br />
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• Write down a list of all the on-going projects you want to engage in. For example: a daily practice of drawing in your sketchbook, recording your dreams when you wake up, doing paintings from wooden blocks, paintings of chairs or houses or faces, daily drawing in sketchbook of paintings from artists who inspire you, paintings or drawings of your already existing photos, draw from pausing the DVD player (movies), write down and compile inspiring phrases, infusing mundane objects with emotion, etc.<br />
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• Practice activities which help you build authenticity. For me, it’s investing time in my studio, listening to music, organizing my mess, drawing in my sketchbook, writing, or being out in by nature and just spending time alone. <br />
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• Harboring your environment: Do things that build your own personal power, that make you feel joy and appreciation for being alive. Take note and write them down or draw pictures (notes to self). Use these feelings to express yourself creatively <br />
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• Meditation, yoga and exercise, all work. Focus your creative energy<br />
• Express feelings through the way you see<br />
• Thank your mind for sharing and come back to breath <br />
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• Learn to accept the accuracy of your mistakes. They are not mistakes at at, leave them, you’ll learn from them later. This takes the pressure off of performing. Think of other things you can do to make things informal. I feel, informal is more honest. I feel that drawing in my sketchbook is more honest than a fancy large canvas. I work to make my finished paintings as easy, free-flowing and honest as my idea that are in my sketchbook. <br />
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• Spend more time in the blocking-in or drawing phase of a painting. Stay abstract and imaginative, regardless of how representational or real you intend the painting to be at the final. Really explore this stage of the painting. Push your imagination and watch the abstract world of your imagination present itself. Let go. Let the brush troll around on the canvas and see what it reveals. Clear your mind. Look deeply in to your subject and abstract it. Try not to paint what you see too literally. If it looks like something, you’re not trying hard enough. <br />
No fear, relax, all this can be painted over later or covered up at any time, or some of it can peek through and end up being part of the design of the final piece. Allow your mistakes to happen, let them be broadcast – make sense of them later. Let the next thing happen. Be authentic. Be yourself. Be imaginative and let your imagination guide you on this journey where time does not exist. Stop trying to paint the object so literally. Instead of reiterating the usual fundamentals in your head while you are painting, brake that loop and maybe instead ask yourself, “How do you feel, exactly? What do you like, why? How are you going to use your brush (or whatever else) to best express these things?”. What you have to say about something is often what makes it visually interesting. <br />
<br />Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-88349361654841659212018-05-08T10:30:00.000-07:002018-05-08T12:12:20.180-07:00OIL PAINTING CLASSES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Photo taken by David Olsen, Zocalo Magazine</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Class Description: Oil Painting and Art Fundamentals</b></span><br />
The class explores oil painting techniques and art philosophy in a
comfortable environment. Located in Titus' private studio on the top
floor of Citizens Artist Warehouse building. Free parking. Class size is
small and limited. <br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Where:</b> Citizens Artist Warehouse, 44 W 6th St 85705 </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> (NE corner of 6th St/9th Ave) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>When:</b> Two separate classes. Each class is once a week for four weeks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Mondays (10:30am - 1:30pm) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thursdays (10:30am - 1:30pm)</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">Fee: $135 (four classes, each class is three hours)</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">For students who are intermediate-advanced skill level. You may join at any time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: magenta;">To enroll, please email direct: tituscastanza@yahoo.com</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: magenta;"> </span> </span>Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-61040004574954072082018-05-08T10:26:00.005-07:002018-05-09T10:48:12.042-07:00Simplicity with Portraiture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last class we discussed how to go about seeing simply as a painter. Simplifying what you are looking at is an acquired skill and takes considerable practice before it becomes second nature.<br />
Why simplifying helps:<br />
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• It helps you identify what’s important and what’s not important (to you, the artist). This may help the artist immediately identify what he/she likes, or what he/she doesn't like about something, or what is meaningful about what’s being observed. <br />
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• It helps you identify when you are done with the current task and when to consciously begin the next task. This will have you identify the stages of a painting more easily, making short-order of them and – while doing so – exposing the process in which you’re working. It simply helps you identify when you have finished what you set out to accomplish before moving on to the next task. <br />
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• It helps you identify your issues. It keeps you clear and honest with yourself so that you may clearly identify your issues and strengths as as a painter. Learning how to solve your own problems is an integral part of discovering your process as an artist.<br />
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• It helps you make honest and clear decisions. <br />
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No matter which way you slice it, there is a good argument to be made for simplicity and its uses. Aesthetically, it's an age old philosophical argument as to what makes something more beautiful – simplicity or complexity. Ultimately, it is up to you the artist. But it is without question that simplifying works from a painter’s perspective and that it is a tactic employed by many of the greats throughout history. The next time you look at a master painting, see if you can detect how the artist may have gone about simplifying what you are looking at. It’s not too hard to do – but if you can, you’ll begin to decipher the language of painting. <br />
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Here's some philosophy on Simplicity & Complexity (if you’re interested):<br />
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/simplicity/<br />
<br />
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor<br />
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Occam's razor ("law of parsimony") is the problem-solving principle that, when presented with competing hypothetical answers to a problem, one should select the one that makes the fewest assumptions. The idea is attributed to William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347), who was an English Franciscan friar, scholastic philosopher, and theologian.<br />
In science, Occam's razor is used as an heuristic guide in the development of theoretical models, rather than as a rigorous arbiter between candidate models.[1][2] In the scientific method, Occam's razor is not considered an irrefutable principle of logic or a scientific result; the preference for simplicity in the scientific method is based on the falsifiability criterion. For each accepted explanation of a phenomenon, there may be an extremely large, perhaps even incomprehensible, number of possible and more complex alternatives. Since one can always burden failing explanations with ad hoc hypotheses to prevent them from being falsified, simpler theories are preferable to more complex ones because they are more testable.[3][4][5]<br />
<br />
principle (or law) of parsimony<br />
<br />
phrase of parsimony<br />
1. the scientific principle that things are usually connected or behave in the simplest or most economical way, especially with reference to alternative evolutionary pathways.Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-88818358598133111412018-04-27T18:22:00.003-07:002018-04-28T15:42:19.877-07:00Building meaningful value<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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LESSON: Drawing without lines, Giving objects weight & Giving values meaning. <br />
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Let me just first point out by saying that I didn't begin this drawing by plotting contour lines around the outside edges of the blocks. <i>Contour lines</i> have a tendency to look flat, much like how an illustrated map of
continents emphasizes borders. Remember, we want to have the object to have weight and to look as 3-dimesional as possible. Because of this, I began by drawing the blocks from their insides, filling them in – much like filling-up a glass with water. I also simplified what I was looking at – I saw the shadow of the object and its cast shadow as one flat shape. <br />
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Afterward, I rendered two different value scenarios using computer.<br />
<br />
These value studies are about exploring relationships. In the first sketch, the background and foreground are similar
values – linking them together, like siblings or cousins. The viewer's attention is now focused on other elements which are perceived as being different from the majority (the light side and shadow of the blocks). The second sketch groups the foreground with the shadow. And finally, in the third sketch the background is merged with the shadow. Notice how I kept my values to only three (dark, mid-tone and light). <br />
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What if we matched the foreground value with the light side of the object? What would that communicate? Where would your attention shift? I think of the thing that stands out the most, the thing that is not like the others, as the ugly duckling. Look for the ugly duckling. <br />
<br />
Use this as a tool to help express what may be important to you. Hopefully, you can see that drawing the object well is not as important as understanding overall value structure to communicate an idea, elicit an overall mood, or express an emotion. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-7122467944232081442018-04-27T08:30:00.000-07:002018-04-28T14:17:14.732-07:00What makes something appear heavy?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What makes something look heavy? <br />
Lately, I’ve been a bit fascinated as to why and how objects appear to be heavy (dense, solid, weighty, massy etc. Much of the time you can’t physically lift up the item to get a sense of its weight, especially in the case of a building. All you can do is use your eyes and brain to make an assessment, an assumption. This is the conversation. <br />
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What gives an object weight:<br />
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- Paint only the details that help describe the weight of an object. Paint these details in a way which helps describe/capitalize on their weightiness. For example, make a light post slightly thicker in width or a weight-bearing post thicker or bigger. Think about the structure of things and how they work. If you make what holds up the thing thicker, then the thing it is holding up might look heavier. <br />
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- Do everything you can to make the thing look 3-dimensional.<br />
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- Try building your objects using constructive anatomy. For instance, when constructing a house, the concrete foundation is first set, then the framework, and then the roof. Try to see things as there parts and how they might fit together – kind of like an explosion chart that only you hold the directions to. The delivery truck is first a large rectangle, then the rectangle gets four smaller wheels (two of the wheels you may not be able to see but draw them anyway.) Show your lines of constructive anatomy even if you won't see them later. Approaching things with this attitude will give the your painting more substance and weight. <br />
<br />
- Also, combine the shadow side of an object with its drop shadow and make them the same value. Keep this shadow shape flat and make sure no white of the canvas is poking through. Ignore the details inside this shadow area as much as possible, or just keep them mysterious. <br />
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- Paint blocky shapes. Blocky shapes imply mass and better describe the planes of objects as being flat.<br />
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- Don’t use contour lines to draw the outside line of an object. Instead, think in terms of painting objects from their center, their core, working your way to the outer edges of the object. See the object, feel the object as a deliberate heavy mass. Contour lines on the outside of the object do not help make the object appear as a solid 3-dimensional mass. Quite the opposite. Using contour lines is a great approach to making objects appear flat, not heavy and 3-dimensional.<br />
<br />
- Don’t use contour lines to draw the outside line of an object. Begin
blocking the shape in by painting from within the shape, its center –
not from the outside contour line. <br />
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- Make deliberate, confident marks. Psychologically, strokes made with confidence carry more weight than those made from insecurity. <br />
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- Physically, messy/sloppy paint can sometimes exude weightiness. Think, Ivan Seal. Thick paint definitely is heavier – visually and literally. <br />
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- Larger strokes carry more weight. I’ve noticed over the past week, painting things smaller in size (like thumbnail pencil sketches, 2x2 inches) simplifies what you’re doing. It also makes the strokes appear much larger. This can help to focus on weight, not detail or other non-contributors. <br />
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- Details of Materials: Make certain materials look less see-through (such as windows). You can see through windows which gives the viewer a clue that the building is hollow inside. And things that are hollow don’t look as heavy. So, maybe make the windows less shiny, less transparent, and instead make them opaque. Another heavy material are rivets. Rivets are a detail that make an object appear heavier. Why? We associate rivets with steel and steel is heavy/dense. Just having rivets around make things look heavy and durable. We traditionally associate durability with heavier materials. Our younger generations will build different associations with this. So, you may want to include that detail if its placement or size could look like a rivet, psychologically.<br />
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- Try mixing the paint on the canvas. This <i>marbling </i>effect can help make things look solid. <i>Marbling</i> of the paint can be achieved by slapping a color on the canvas and immediately putting another color over it. They will mix together on the canvas, as long as you don't over mix or play with your stroke. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-69313106858164485202018-03-26T10:10:00.003-07:002018-03-26T10:10:32.212-07:00The Art of Organization<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My pencils were scattered all over my studio and I could never quite find this or that when I needed it. So what did I do? I put them all in one place. In an old box I inherited from my mother -- a box she had used in art school in the 70's. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-73056405427789847812018-03-10T14:25:00.000-07:002018-03-26T10:15:23.851-07:00Expression vs Fundementals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's a painting done in class by artist, Becki Fink. It's a good example of how a portrait can be powerful. Not due to how realistic it is painted but, instead, due to the choices being made regarding other issues in art. Perhaps a balance was struck between emotional awareness and the logical brain to help inform decision making. After all, art is an expression of ourselves the same way dancing and music is. Expressing yourself comes first and not the worrying about how well it should be done. <br />
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Personally, if I had to choose one over the other (between fundamentals or expression) I would certainly choose expression. I would throw-out fundamentals and create without rules, without limitations or constraints on oneself. Especially when those limitations may have been conjured-up and handed down by teachers, institutions or the World of Art at large. <br />
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It certainly helps to have something to say about yourself as an individual. Express your ideas, your experiences, your feelings or life in general. Push your imagination and let your imagination realize your path.<br />
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If you think too hard about it, you may lose the point entirely. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-25539789886370244572018-02-19T06:43:00.003-07:002018-02-19T06:46:56.386-07:00Cabin in the Woods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oil on canvas, 11x14 inches. By Titus CastanzaTitus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-79983968200782285722016-11-05T09:30:00.000-07:002016-11-05T11:41:48.557-07:00Color and Value<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">When
learning about color you need to be concerned with how value <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a</span>ffects
color. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When
mixing: </span>
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1.What
color is the object ? (red, green, blue or orange, etc) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. How
much value (gray) is in that colo<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r?</span></span></span><u><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style></span></u><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><b>color
+ value = the color of the object</b></u> </span>
</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How does value <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a</span>ffect color</span>? </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Tone</b> is used </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to lighten or darken a color<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> to</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> make it less colorful,<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> or, less intense.</span> Keep in mind that each individual color is naturally light<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">er or darker<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> as it comes out of the tube. For <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">stance, cadmium red is darker <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">than</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cadmium yellow<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> T</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">v<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">alue </span>gray used will be d<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">etermi<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ned by <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">how light or dark <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the color</span>. I<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">f you don't want to <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lighten or <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">darken <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the color <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and only want to <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sub<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">due (make less intense)</span></span></span></span>, then <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">can <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mix a gray that is the same value as the color<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. T<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his will <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">subdue</span> the color without <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">aff<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ecting its value. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Tone</b> <span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">refers t<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o</span> the gray<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> within a color. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tone is gray<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (</span>m<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ade<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-up of white and b<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lack</span>). </span></span> </span> </span></span> </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>tint </b>(white)<b>
+ shade </b>(black)<b> = tone</b> (gray)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">(tone, or gray, is just another word for value) </span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> (<i>white
+ black = gray)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><b>The
basics to understanding color is that simple! Don't make it more
complicated. </b></i></span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-78860289137162446452016-10-09T03:00:00.000-07:002016-10-09T15:32:38.090-07:00Portrait process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Class painting demonstration by Titus Castanza – explaining how to go about building a portrait. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZ4D2xcxw6n5oMwP-0HR5n5uIBwKJxxzJcKB5aw0m3LIk3I7U_k0tQDvzv0g7CPQ4KFaD0UrCA4SCVJCOV43SmltVapnR9e07I4EgzvQIxVNon-I6MoI5_usMc5tqmiI_vAOxyKH8Y_1s/s1600/fig+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZ4D2xcxw6n5oMwP-0HR5n5uIBwKJxxzJcKB5aw0m3LIk3I7U_k0tQDvzv0g7CPQ4KFaD0UrCA4SCVJCOV43SmltVapnR9e07I4EgzvQIxVNon-I6MoI5_usMc5tqmiI_vAOxyKH8Y_1s/s320/fig+1.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Tu8Aa-8GBYgHe7SSGrvajno2nbgLyqNYivVrdkN8Xp5BuebKId6AZloheMZde25-Th9zQVrQmOhLoioJ2ZlvdhQ5aAthBJN0en85RtC-k8wKXpgfS7ucPTi_XZBK4UsQjklD4f8qM0rM/s1600/fig+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Tu8Aa-8GBYgHe7SSGrvajno2nbgLyqNYivVrdkN8Xp5BuebKId6AZloheMZde25-Th9zQVrQmOhLoioJ2ZlvdhQ5aAthBJN0en85RtC-k8wKXpgfS7ucPTi_XZBK4UsQjklD4f8qM0rM/s320/fig+2.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlTgFgK28sx8P4IZlbuIzpnh4sXqwrSVV7rl1NGpACkz9DTF1_2Z9y0RDB85O0XxV5S95kG4BasE085arbmf3NHL2px-pxaZH3GpfJp064LLN9VVG8JHvGQbvtcRPDPYEWIB3Ktrpkk7S/s1600/fig+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlTgFgK28sx8P4IZlbuIzpnh4sXqwrSVV7rl1NGpACkz9DTF1_2Z9y0RDB85O0XxV5S95kG4BasE085arbmf3NHL2px-pxaZH3GpfJp064LLN9VVG8JHvGQbvtcRPDPYEWIB3Ktrpkk7S/s320/fig+3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvGupnzKdsAmuXqSOcM3r-NJjH5Tpqh1Qm3QEh2bb4KRN3cEX_ltTGgDwXJOE6-TeF7n9A7wukg1QVUpl2vjnVwh4fhzLzCg88Jwr-fiKR6-OGa7ESh0tnjioWBhO4HmOJL68Wq4p3DAE/s1600/fig+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvGupnzKdsAmuXqSOcM3r-NJjH5Tpqh1Qm3QEh2bb4KRN3cEX_ltTGgDwXJOE6-TeF7n9A7wukg1QVUpl2vjnVwh4fhzLzCg88Jwr-fiKR6-OGa7ESh0tnjioWBhO4HmOJL68Wq4p3DAE/s320/fig+4.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-64062238526359697032016-04-01T18:40:00.004-07:002016-04-01T18:50:37.945-07:00Low key painting–5 value <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-G-lfqwOtnF2aDcTofBbnm867DvL-tFA633DEgbfLaZV2kJjVIGl3rqzRAdIzVo1_k8hixZnqWjzM-Ln0NOcQtiJcBhN77wIB5ZGbvHVEVE8Yk3p2W_VKN88VX5bbSHFRnvvZFGkp6M_v/s1600/step+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-G-lfqwOtnF2aDcTofBbnm867DvL-tFA633DEgbfLaZV2kJjVIGl3rqzRAdIzVo1_k8hixZnqWjzM-Ln0NOcQtiJcBhN77wIB5ZGbvHVEVE8Yk3p2W_VKN88VX5bbSHFRnvvZFGkp6M_v/s320/step+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
You can flip through the images by clicking on the first image then using the scroll button on your mouse to witness the building of the image!<br />
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Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-71670648872310769282015-12-12T15:47:00.002-07:002015-12-12T16:58:10.649-07:00Today's Class Demo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21W_5AwyBGA58GnSD5lkcn1OBW9qbTqHfWUiOzSbBORNhtzJEPIxucuUs75jxrnomiZpdp9nxI2No1U4e8_YtCx3tFL6gztBlWVI_9xVwMeCETkvRycAXNpFVZyE34i0euES7HOoWo6rA/s1600/IMG_1022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21W_5AwyBGA58GnSD5lkcn1OBW9qbTqHfWUiOzSbBORNhtzJEPIxucuUs75jxrnomiZpdp9nxI2No1U4e8_YtCx3tFL6gztBlWVI_9xVwMeCETkvRycAXNpFVZyE34i0euES7HOoWo6rA/s400/IMG_1022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Today's lesson was about how to create washes and transparent paint...and, knowing the difference between the two.<br />
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Washes are done at the very beginning by diluting the oil paint with turpentine; this is done to tone the white of the canvas or to establish a loose drawing. Typically, you can use "transparent paints" or "opaque paints" to do this. This stage is nearly identical and feels just like using watercolors–instead of water, we are using turpentine. It may help to know that turpentine degrades the paint, it breaks down the paint. This will leave
the paint looking flat or "sunken" after it is dry because turps strip the paint of its
luster and integrity. Turps will also cause cracking over time if the paint is applied any thicker than a wash. Linseed oil doesn't do
this; linseed oil gives the paint elasticity and gloss (or semi-gloss). <br />
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For applying transparent paint, transparent paints can be applied anytime during the painting process and is typically used with linseed oil or stand oil (thickened linseed oil). You may also use Liquin Original by Windsor & Newton. If any turpentine is used at this point, it would be in very modest amounts and only in addition to linseed oil (as if to slightly thin the oil). Too much turpentine in the mix and it will reactivate the previously applied layer of paint or wash. The previous layer must be dry, or "sticky", before a transparent layer can be applied. <br />
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Transparent paint can be applied thin, semi-thick or thick–unlike a wash. The key to applying transparent paint is to use only the transparent colors; such as, Viridian, Alizarin, Transparent Brown Oxide, Indian Yellow, etc. Know which paints are transparent and which ones that are not! Cadmium colors are not transparent, for example. Also to further complicate matters, know which paints are semi-transparent and semi-opaque. You should know every color in your box and whether it is opaque, transparent, semi-transparent or semi-opaque. Many manufacturers list this information on the paint tube. If not, then go to the manufacturers website and look it up. <br />
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Please post any questions you may have so that I may post the answers for everyone to see. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-29576187577858613842015-11-07T18:53:00.000-07:002015-11-07T18:53:14.770-07:00Here's a great drawing by Be!The emotion! The energy! Viola! Magnifico!<br />
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Just look how awesome this drawing is! I would just be repeating myself if I said that I continue to be inspired by my students.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFvJSd-6aJPR_8IOQQ2n-vuEohCNg2qd8RduS0fX7ri1XPrNkk86E_Qbt3yZDA7iiH-NQ7XT5IVyNXYHFrcFnoztKDPFoSoXkS7EBIur5Thuj-nGPyfPSEKElU7RwbnU224kdAgJyF7Zr/s1600/IMG_0952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFvJSd-6aJPR_8IOQQ2n-vuEohCNg2qd8RduS0fX7ri1XPrNkk86E_Qbt3yZDA7iiH-NQ7XT5IVyNXYHFrcFnoztKDPFoSoXkS7EBIur5Thuj-nGPyfPSEKElU7RwbnU224kdAgJyF7Zr/s640/IMG_0952.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-56590919266823796892015-10-29T18:27:00.000-07:002015-10-29T23:44:32.918-07:00Building A Simple Painting–The Red PaintingHere's a digital reenactment of an oil painting of a still life using the color red as the main influence. The red will be used throughout the painting and certain amounts of it will be added to all of the colors, as I go. This illustration shows the process of working dark, midtone and light... then, adding the darkest darks and the lightest lights at the very end of the painting. <br />
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To begin, I started-off toning the entire surface with Red. I then let it dry for 20 minutes. I then sketched-in the drawing using mixtures of Red and Black (Black=French Ultramarine Blue & Transparent Brown Oxide). Turpentine is used to create these washes.<br />
Tip: Do not use white paint just yet. During your washes, use transparent color and the white of the canvas to achieve a lighter tone. Using white paint in your washes may result in an undesirable or chalky affect. Think of this washy stage as if you're using watercolors. <br />
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At the beginning, I'm concerned with large shapes, medium shapes...then, small shapes. After my child-like shapes were sketched-in, I painted the bowl and zucchini, using nearly full-strength, "full-chroma" red. Later on darker colors will be painted over it. See, I know that red is intrinsically a dark color, and, it will be a good under-painting for a darker color. It functions well beneath the blue of the bowl and the dark-green of the zucchini. Tip: the red and grays in this stage were painted with slightly less washy paint. In fact, you may want to add a touch of linseed oil or Liquin Original.<br />
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I could have painted the gray shapes of the foreground (triangle) and background in this manner. However, by just going directly to gray I saved a step by I mixing red directly with gray (And, I knew there was already an under-painting of pink/red toned canvas.).<br />
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Next, I blocked in the DARKS. I showed restraint by not painting them quite as dark as I could have (for the most part)...oops, maybe a little too dark on that zucchini, oh well. Let's move on... <br />
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Now, I'm focused on painting-in the MIDTONES. As I did with the bowl, if the shape is blue, then I paint it blue. If the apple is red, then I paint the apple red. I'm looking for overall impact, color and value of the apple. The next three steps I continue to block-in midtones, or, the overall midtone color of the objects.<br />
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I veer on the side of painting a slightly darker tone than I
want to end up with. Later on, I will paint a lighter more accurate value
over it. But for now, it helps to see things simply, in
generalizations. Painitng light tones over dark tones is called, "light over dark". A handy principle when painting with oils. <br />
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Basically, I want to understand and see more simply the basic color and value (tones) that these shapes have to offer. Really, this is their major contribution and function to the painting (not their details). I am evaluating their size,
location, color and value (tone)–in respect to the other shape relationships. It will help make more clear their contribution to the painting overall.<br />
I may choose to play-up or play-down the values and colors (based on my own preferences) and based-on what I am trying to say about the relationships or about the painting as a whole...<br />
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After my mid-tones are in, I paint-in the lights. These are not the highlights (please don't confuse). They are the simply the light shapes that I see. They just represent the next level of going lighter in the process. Simply, paint the light shapes.<br />
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Even with these light shapes, I didn't forget to mix-in the red
color that is present through-out all my color mixing. I also took in
consideration the warmth of the light source and made sure it was
included in my mix, as well.<br />
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Next, saving the lightest-lights and darkest-darks for last, I painted the lights on the cut apples (bright yellowish color) and the slight green and orange/pink highlights on the background apples. Then... <br />
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Finally, I added my darkest-darks and my lightest-lights to finish-off the painting (not necessarily in that order. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-36850015634383650192015-10-20T18:11:00.002-07:002015-10-21T09:20:01.519-07:00breaking-down shapes and valuesHere we have a painting done by Ken Howard. Let's break down the basic shapes with a quick sketch that measures about 3-4 inches. You'll see, by drawing the largest shapes first you will achieve very accurate results without trying that hard. You can take very complex compositions and simplify them down to one, then two and three shapes. Then, draw the progressively smaller shapes within the larger shapes. It's that simple! <br />
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<br />Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-41995566990142429472015-10-05T14:38:00.000-07:002015-10-06T20:40:32.128-07:00Simplifying Values and Shapes to Create a Composition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This exercise shows how to simplify values and shapes within an image. Here we have a black/white photo
of a basic head sculpture made from clay. In figure1 I took the photo and applied a filter to it using Adobe Photoshop. Using the filter, I broke the image down to the most basic 3 values (dark, mid-tone and light). Notice, I did not go as dark as I could have...or as light. I
held-back (for now) from using my darkest darks or my lightest lights. You can do this as well by going to the "cutout" filter in the drop-down Filter menu in the menu bar: Filters>Artistic>Cutout. Try doing this in your sketchbook. Practice looking at complicated subjects and quickly sketching them in their most simplified reduced state. This skill will later help you with painting. It will help your brain more quickly identify the larger basic shapes. It will train your eye in seeing as an artist. <br />
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By simplifying what you are looking at (in terms of basic
value and basic shape relationships) you
are able to make better sense of and quickly get at what is
important vs. what is less important. If done quickly and sketchy, not much time or effort is wasted for if/when things need to be adjusted. It helps to establish
placement of objects within a composition and a value key you'll be working within. (In this case, the value key is rather dark and dramatic, much
like Caravaggio.) <br />
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It helps to see things as being abstract. I'm
drawing/painting abstract shapes. I'm not identifying this thing as a
head, or anything else for that matter. It is an abstract thing. The
image is a collection of abstract shapes. I
want to get to know these basic shapes, what their function might be and
how they relate to one another. I'm looking to understand
their relationships. I can decide whether or
not I choose to make them larger or smaller, darker or lighter and so on. I
can, in a sense, warp reality and fashion it based on my likes or
dislikes; to play it up or play it down based on what I think is
important. Or, I can choose to accurately depict what I'm looking at as
objectively as possible, without bias. <br />
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Look to how you might arrange your composition into large, medium and small shapes. Arrange these shapes much like how a choreographer would go about orchestrating movement; or, how a curator might go about arranging the display of visuals; or, how an orator might go about presenting thoughts. The goal is, you are committing yourself to the placement of these shapes and where they are going to be located on the canvas–they are bigger or smaller, darker or lighter, to be moved up or down, they will run off the canvas or be contained within... and so-on.<br />
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Since you're in the business of arranging shapes, you might as well consider using foreground, mid-ground and background to your advantage. It is important to be aware of using shapes to express an idea or to strengthen a composition–whether it be a landscape or, in this case, a portrait. The portrait in the photo happens to have a foreground, mid-ground and background. However, think about how it would change if one of them were not there. You may make use of all three of these or leave one or two of them out (for example the mid-ground) and how that might express something different regarding the overall impact of the piece. The feeling you are trying to express, and what you are trying to say about your subject, will help guide you in your decision-making. These factors will influence you even at this stage in the art-making process. <br />
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Tip: It is important to have confidence and commit to your decisions.
Once you have finished sketching-in these basic value/shape relationships and you
are finished adjusting them to where you want them, it is now time to
fully commit and move-on to the next step. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdtw2TuR1uDMs45CA2TwCcJ1pCEkZ8edZzQI7Y5vi-iW5nsZscVOC4bu3G92q18kBVTiARE2Nj6Iwu2t-1meIvbzgQ57hG7EPTKcn2ayY-T81gv0TjRHJly_7_479pwRXxAqVSVBeIuP1/s1600/Simplifying+Values+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdtw2TuR1uDMs45CA2TwCcJ1pCEkZ8edZzQI7Y5vi-iW5nsZscVOC4bu3G92q18kBVTiARE2Nj6Iwu2t-1meIvbzgQ57hG7EPTKcn2ayY-T81gv0TjRHJly_7_479pwRXxAqVSVBeIuP1/s320/Simplifying+Values+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Once the placement of shapes are decided and the 3-value field established, I can now commit to the decisions I've made and move-on. In figure 3 you can see that I've added my darkest-darks, now making it a 4-value drawing. Figure 4, I've added added my lightest lights, making it a 5-value drawing. I'm always considering which details are important and which are less important. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-60409742837559443762015-09-16T11:30:00.000-07:002015-09-25T13:24:21.270-07:00sophisticated simplicityWhether drawing or painting, first and foremost, an artist should be thinking of how to simplify what he/she is looking at. To simplify is to do-away with distracting details in order to see the larger sum. A helpful approach to simplification is to use, "the rule of 3’s". The rule of 3’s is a method used to simplify the infinite amount of possibilities for purposes of efficiency–to reduce what is complex down to it's most simple state, to make clear important relationships. It is a helpful approach for an artist to better understand the subject of design and image making.<br />
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With drawing, it is helpful to reduce the object (or image) to 3 values (dark, mid-tone, light). Later on, you may decide to add another value (or two) to help better strengthen the image or idea, if needed. However, for the sake of efficiency I suggest getting directly to-the-point of what is important vs. what is less important. Leaving out certain details is much needed in order to play-up a feeling, attitude or emotion. Besides, why spend time rendering every value when it’s not necessary.<br />
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The core of what you are looking at is not in the details. It is in the major shapes held together by their relationships to one another. It is boiled-down and reduced to, “what is necessary” vs. "what is not necessary”. From an aesthetic standpoint, if the image doesn’t hold-up with 3 basic values then it’s most likely not going to hold-up with 4 or 5 values, graphically or philosophically speaking. A stronger image and a stronger idea will be achieved. <br />
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When observing an image from life, an artist can see that it is made up of an infinite amount of information (colors, tones, values, textures, details, etc.). Without simplifying, the artist will make complicated work and will lose sight of what’s truly important. There's a certain honesty and sophistication obtained through simplicity. If something becomes complicated, in a sense, it becomes less sincere. Mistakes are covered up. Weaknesses are masked and revisions make heed for filters. Or, instead, what needs to be said can be revised and reduced to it's basic meaning–to be more poignant, efficient. A certain simplicity of beauty is attained. Poets and writers do it. They understand the efficiency of words and to only use the amount necessary to achieve what needs to be said. Musicians know this. And so, some of the most beautiful well-known songs ever made, at their core, are made up of only three cords. <br />
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Of course, this is just an approach and it could be argued that it is only one perspective. To say that what needs to be said with as few words as possible can be argued and, notably, that it can become a contentious argument. Beauty can be however <i>you</i> define it. Socrates would be proud of us if we were to think independently, creating our own definitions–to be an outlier, a fringe element and question everything. An artist may sometimes prescribe the opposite effect of simplicity. And, in which case, beauty may take on a different definition, one that is chaotic or complicated. But to pull even this off, I believe the artist would have a certain mastery and understanding of simplicity–an intelligence to hold all the chaos together, as a heart is to the cardiovascular system. This doesn't necessarily mean that what is simple isn't sophisticated and, by the same tolken, that what is complicated doesn't automatically have sophistication. Nonetheless, this is a good point to be aware of as an artist. <br />
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However an artist goes about creating values through line-making (or brush stroke), is entirely up to the artist so long as the artist retains the correct 3 values from afar. You may use chaotic strokes, edgy strokes, hatching, cross-hatching, or smoothed-out tonal strokes to build these value planes, so long as they read from far away as being within a prescribed value. No matter how complicated your line-work, it is ultimately held together, and made sense of, by-way-of the hierarchy of values.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMGpVzdHlq2I3m16JpmSORb89ZkAOkoweJYMC0Cebh5iBuD8mpozisuRwPljuiGYAVEJxFOqQJ0V02cTxB0kgXIT0M08bBvFEJiTfTnnpjX5fVEAtunQTZPX_0CLL1q6qt09kpEb1nwoe/s1600/538718ae9095d7423dcb5058e0ef1670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMGpVzdHlq2I3m16JpmSORb89ZkAOkoweJYMC0Cebh5iBuD8mpozisuRwPljuiGYAVEJxFOqQJ0V02cTxB0kgXIT0M08bBvFEJiTfTnnpjX5fVEAtunQTZPX_0CLL1q6qt09kpEb1nwoe/s640/538718ae9095d7423dcb5058e0ef1670.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Drawing done by artist, James Dietz</span></td></tr>
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This example is by James Dietz (illustrator). He makes deliberate hatch-mark lines to build shapes and, ultimately, the image. When he thinks about building an object, he's thinking in terms of how dark to make a line, how hard of an edge it will have and how long it will be. Collectively, he knows the build-up of many similar lines next to one another, having slightly different shades, ultimately bundle together to represent a single shape. From a distance, these smaller shapes merge together to create a larger shape, compounded exponentially in this fashion. <br />
<br />
So when you squint your eyes or step back from the image, what do you see? I see an image made up of three basic shapes and 3 basic values. A foreground shape (jeep and people), a mid-ground shape (plane), and a background shape (sky). The foreground shape is the mid-tone value, the mid-ground shape is the dark value and the background is the light value. Basically, that’s 3 values (lights, mid-tones and darks). <br />
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His foundation began with an understanding of 3 basic tonal values and how they read from a distance. Technically, he added a fourth value (probably toward the end) to the wheel-well and grill of the jeep. By doing so, he helped bring the foreground objects closer to the viewer and create more interest. Where the artist ends-up and how dark to ultimately go will be dictated by the artist's needs. These needs will have the artist constantly pushing the parameters of the rules. The the
darkest darks added toward the end of the drawing are minor notes, much needed supporting actors, if you will.<br />
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<br />Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-60072321899394563302015-09-16T10:32:00.002-07:002015-10-06T20:33:01.777-07:00A day of sculpting...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2DqeNilJZIJ2e8pXbhHRFmQ05cvevcDyE5AONs2DKJPO54Hk8eUhlYP6F58zR9ig7bKbj3ZKF7FvYmavdQ4gJqUdNqS8X0Z60IM8WHgWFJcRyS6gZgZI6SZBxA_AEuXEd5QwCcjY_4zP/s1600/IMG_20150910_123924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2DqeNilJZIJ2e8pXbhHRFmQ05cvevcDyE5AONs2DKJPO54Hk8eUhlYP6F58zR9ig7bKbj3ZKF7FvYmavdQ4gJqUdNqS8X0Z60IM8WHgWFJcRyS6gZgZI6SZBxA_AEuXEd5QwCcjY_4zP/s320/IMG_20150910_123924.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Here's Helen's sculpture before smashing it.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FJ__R-TA-_rniWq3zExiOFLXqtgOKuSNfj0saFMFZZsB8Na-KifON9uEQjw4LETh9M0doThJjcwwNJREJ4hXX7JdOkMELCOxJxQNqqy8V4WRIGm4Lcb1BtwA9c9DsLX79bgpNoxrlWbf/s1600/IMG_20150910_132603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FJ__R-TA-_rniWq3zExiOFLXqtgOKuSNfj0saFMFZZsB8Na-KifON9uEQjw4LETh9M0doThJjcwwNJREJ4hXX7JdOkMELCOxJxQNqqy8V4WRIGm4Lcb1BtwA9c9DsLX79bgpNoxrlWbf/s320/IMG_20150910_132603.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Helen didn't seem to like her sculpture, as genius as it was, so she squashed it and, by doing so, created an interesting alternative. The squashed version is barely recognizable to it's 3-demensional counterpart (the photo above it). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcRpCAD-CrTtJcvkw3VIKk5kuTnnqWwxtUbMFnc8MBcPm5eb_tLKXAhZje8SXfQdqAXXowmi87oyrD9s5e4bsmHFW9L8AXuViXvR2vboyRBptuTztATVMNOO0CnTc4sD9m1Oi4cGpT3zT/s1600/IMG_20150910_123901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcRpCAD-CrTtJcvkw3VIKk5kuTnnqWwxtUbMFnc8MBcPm5eb_tLKXAhZje8SXfQdqAXXowmi87oyrD9s5e4bsmHFW9L8AXuViXvR2vboyRBptuTztATVMNOO0CnTc4sD9m1Oi4cGpT3zT/s320/IMG_20150910_123901.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Here's me helping Karen see form as a painter would.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcWtZIYkgV0zJlMGnGGit6NPpw_AbE1YZfipf6r68RpdrjbQHHxVNLLKCTqzEN_RyaxRBJA6T7xTZy9p5kw4kBpHQf8jvJtbmNFBqI8oLIyZxEsoXLSl_uhfLtMLmm1Ci8miWvhlzsLUa/s1600/IMG_20150910_124029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcWtZIYkgV0zJlMGnGGit6NPpw_AbE1YZfipf6r68RpdrjbQHHxVNLLKCTqzEN_RyaxRBJA6T7xTZy9p5kw4kBpHQf8jvJtbmNFBqI8oLIyZxEsoXLSl_uhfLtMLmm1Ci8miWvhlzsLUa/s320/IMG_20150910_124029.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">A successful sculpture bust by Emily</span></td></tr>
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This is a painting class. Yes, you got it, we're sculpting during painting class. This was a valuable exercise in seeing form, structure and mass from a new perspective, as a painter. I'm sure the new perspective on seeing three-dimensionally will be invaluable when returning to paint. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-8443545515352700562015-09-16T10:12:00.001-07:002015-09-16T10:12:22.832-07:00Nick bust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUE8-le-KWqN97p___QZfEab3aGpxlUfoRmWPUIdlI5782u2jvtJsQN_2NChwHMlT26x7Kpou_-uGuJ45Jl0qiwL0S9NHR407SDKLENMzqvaw-Vwew2L7MN1yqADhLqwp_3eha1ngF1FR_/s1600/Nick+sculpture+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUE8-le-KWqN97p___QZfEab3aGpxlUfoRmWPUIdlI5782u2jvtJsQN_2NChwHMlT26x7Kpou_-uGuJ45Jl0qiwL0S9NHR407SDKLENMzqvaw-Vwew2L7MN1yqADhLqwp_3eha1ngF1FR_/s400/Nick+sculpture+sm.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-67089098138017805012015-09-11T17:14:00.000-07:002015-09-23T13:47:13.510-07:00Painting with Clay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia14u99Qqu3xUoPYzzV5by5csduA_qvTqAixB3r0JDYEoKkTK-uajdMX-uY-wpq1H012knzbTG5dj-dgU7NAdzVdadcrvqhwIMR5IbWeeNbtSimBp1ALtRSqhabB_0eVNVE-BLmBuO88Eh/s1600/IMG_0869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia14u99Qqu3xUoPYzzV5by5csduA_qvTqAixB3r0JDYEoKkTK-uajdMX-uY-wpq1H012knzbTG5dj-dgU7NAdzVdadcrvqhwIMR5IbWeeNbtSimBp1ALtRSqhabB_0eVNVE-BLmBuO88Eh/s400/IMG_0869.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I sculpted a clay head using only my painting as a reference. I wanted
to explore how painting related to sculpting and how my painting could
benefit from a different perspective. I was relieved from the
tediousness of mixing subtle values. Instead, I was able to concentrate
strictly on the planes of head, mass, proportions and shape relationships–through adding and
subtracting the clay. I appreciated being able to touch and feel the
thing I was creating. I was able to see the head from all sides while
creating it (unlike painting), giving me a dynamic perspective. I could apply the clay or remove it much like I would with paint strokes. The two are
similar in this respect. A clear, deliberate and honest stroke must be made. If it is not preserved, much like painting, the life of the sculpture
will lose a sense of energy and freshness. A stroke is made with conviction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVI4PLlyBA4d3-5zrZCDpkUgVhvSIy31L6Q7-JwVbqraylI6ZSqtYmTdGWOSxLtmvK1oUL1kVJ2Bt3QGFrYiwBxBPH6VHfXJMxjui33wE5qX90WfotMuOQ_OzUuvbA99eG1OU2g5VH3KEm/s1600/sculpt+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVI4PLlyBA4d3-5zrZCDpkUgVhvSIy31L6Q7-JwVbqraylI6ZSqtYmTdGWOSxLtmvK1oUL1kVJ2Bt3QGFrYiwBxBPH6VHfXJMxjui33wE5qX90WfotMuOQ_OzUuvbA99eG1OU2g5VH3KEm/s320/sculpt+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWhGbBeVoO0kaI0akQpeHu_lmL57nDb6K0ENNpjZhEBmWSYOqf_90uBHx3W4Wza_QoIEuyXNY0RzuR24nKbaTNAbTDhRk5KN9S-LfRFn7c5XDZ6M-_dteqQ_GSUJdF6u_4DzidDmokoJ3/s1600/sculp+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWhGbBeVoO0kaI0akQpeHu_lmL57nDb6K0ENNpjZhEBmWSYOqf_90uBHx3W4Wza_QoIEuyXNY0RzuR24nKbaTNAbTDhRk5KN9S-LfRFn7c5XDZ6M-_dteqQ_GSUJdF6u_4DzidDmokoJ3/s320/sculp+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-41944404072149136382015-08-06T08:36:00.000-07:002015-08-27T11:15:56.926-07:00Learning to Unlearn what you have Learned<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Art done by Bea Victoria Cameron, in class, charcoal on paper</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Art done by Bea Victoria Cameron, in class, charcoal on paper</span></td></tr>
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Today's class rendered magnificent results. I am profoundly inspired
by my students who have tapped into their untampered artist voice and, in the process, making us students of one another. Today's summation gives me hope that any conditioning done on one's psyche can be undone or re-corrected, and that, together we may continue to aid each other in our pursuit of those realizations.<br />
<br />
The goal today was to
eliminate any preconceptions one may have had of oneself, to rid oneself of any
ideals of how art should be made or how art has been made, and to not
be conscious of one's byproduct during the act of doing. The idea that
any past-conditioning done on one's psyche, whether it be factors of
environment or impositions of an institution or society or culture, can now be undone by-way-of simply becoming aware. <br />
<br />
Having said, we must now continue and find the inlet (or gateway) where art can be experienced and made from a more revelatory place.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><b>"Do not take stock in public opinion–for these waters, yet traveled, are void of such." </b></span><br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><b>-The Speaker</b> </span><br />
<br />
Take a moment to consider that one must first rid oneself of anxiety and expectations
entirely. Do away with filters, with critic and with any acknowledgment
of a prior foundation. These things were never yours to begin
with and they are no longer of any service to you. They were conditions and definitions imposed on you without your
realizing, through schools and societal learning–such a
convincing argument they've made, at that. Be prepared to lose any stock of which you no longer have use.<br />
Furthermore, expel the idea of right and wrong, good or bad or any other sects, for that matter. Become aware of any constructs that may have
been imposed on us through conditions of environment and upbringing.
Know them. Become fully aware of them. Question them. Expunge them.
Because, one cannot rid oneself of superficial means if one has not
honestly identified and become fully aware of those means which are
superficial.<br />
<br />
This superficial state was never your own. You are not superficial, you never were. You were taught such a thing. And, you'd better believe that an
influence such as this has its own intentions. It was subtly implanted in you at a time
when you were most impressionable and you were not sufficiently equipped
with the knowledge, experience and tools necessary to effectively
reason. So now, use your own line of questioning, become your own
speaker and use your own critical thinking to rebuild all that you had
previously thought was true about art (or life in general). Create from scratch a foundation that is all your own. Because, this
is what reality truly is. Reality is "your reality" based on your own
reasoning and based on your own constructs, no one else's. <br />
<br />
Become aware of
any conditioning done and how it may have impacted one's self-expression. By becoming aware of one's own conditioning one then begins to develop a philosophical foundation built (or is
building) on internal self-examination and self-questioning. This foundation is evolves from a natural law and not laws or norms that are man-made.
You'll see that in this realm there is no right or wrong. There is only you. There are only your answers to your own questions. There is only your way of doing, in the same sense, it can only be done by
you. But to get there, one must dispel the paradigms of right and wrong and good or bad. <br />
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The funny thing about becoming proficient in art, is that what is needed to do it has always been there to begin with. It is up to you to find it again. No one can teach you your art and no one can teach you about doing your hard work of realizing self. All the speaker can do is help you become more aware, to help you undo what has been done and to help show you the state of mind used in achieving it. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-60321094742312434442015-06-02T15:16:00.001-07:002015-06-02T15:16:06.513-07:00Still life study, THE JUICER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-49278736460373887892014-10-29T08:19:00.004-07:002014-10-29T10:18:06.857-07:00Structural planes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a painter, it's important to see objects as being constructed with flat planes, or structural planes. Often, as a student, its a common bad habit to thoughtlessly blend your strokes over and over again. This exercise will help you see the overall structural mass of an object and help you to not over-blend when building an object. It will dictate the direction of your brushstrokes, help you simplify values without blending, realize the source/direction of the light source and help you understand the object as it appears in perspective. In this exercise, I observed an apple and imagined how it would look being constructed entirely of flat planes. To help me do this, I envisioned what it would be like to sculpt this apple out of a block of clay using a knife. By being forced to make edgy deliberate strokes with a flat brush and not allowing myself to blend (especially a round object such as this apple), I could better make thoughtful shapes that had purpose. Now, imagine what it would be like to apply these principles to a face or head. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7807690751150144812.post-42178204871641935232014-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:002014-10-30T11:37:49.964-07:00Understanding how tone affects color<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a valuable exercise that uses only gray with a given color. It is interesting to see how gray (Titanium white and Ivory black) affects color. A variety of tones are created depending on how much black vs. how much white is in the gray mixture. I recommend doing these tone charts with all colors on your palette (primary and secondary colors). I also recommend doing these charts again with using brown instead of black. Also, note how cadmium yellow is light in nature and appears higher up on the value scale. By the same token, Cadmium red is intrinsically a darker color and appears lower on the value scale. Be sensitive to the innate lightness or darkness of a color that comes directly out of the tube. Because of this, cadmium yellow can sometimes be used to lighten a color–just as, Ultramarine can be used to darken a color. Helpful Tip: try printing-out (in black and white) any color, stripping it of its color information to see where exactly it would fall on the value chart. Titus Castanzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237423089646391395noreply@blogger.com0