My personal journey of painting and teaching experiences and of course a little humor.

One-Hour Watercolor Demonstration

1/28/2015

Today was watercolor demonstration day at Mainstreet Art Center in Lake Zurich, IL. I painted from a photo I took while in Alaska – a little town called Hope. In this demonstration I wanted to teach how to continue non-stop by working wet on dry, maintaining edge control, moving from one area to another and keeping your watercolors fresh. This demo took exactly one hour to paint. My Watercolor Class meets on Wednesdays from 10:00a - 12:30p. Next start date is April 11, 2015. Here's a link to all my #DrawingAndPainting art lessons in the Chicagoland area. CLICK HERE

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7 SECRETS TO FINDING GREAT REFERENCE MATERIAL

1/17/2015

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I don't know about you but plein air painting when the snow is flying and it's in the 20's is not my idea of fun. Frostbite and frozen paint is not a pleasant painting experience. What I rather do is collect interesting subject matter throughout the year with my digital camera, download to my iPad and lock myself in my studio with a hot cup of coffee.

How do you get around not being overwhelmed by surroundings?
Try using a 'Viewfinder.' Cut two 'L' shape pieces of mat board and clip together. This isolates your subject matter and will help with your photo reference composition. Keep a pair of these in your backpack because you will eventually use them when you start plein air painting.

What are you looking for in a good reference?
First look for contrast of value. A strong light source is important. Second, having a few large shapes balanced off with some smaller shapes.

Why is a good reference important?
A good reference is important not only for inspiration but structural evidence and good definition.

How do you use a reference to your best advantage?
I identify the the direction of the light source. Decide what to eliminate and focus where the center of interest will be placed.

Capturing scenes with a video camera
Capturing scenes on video with stop action will allow you to see different movements. Whether people, water or clouds, every second can change the movement in the rush of the moment.

CLICK AND WATCH MY YOU TUBE VIDEO
Kakabika Falls, October, 2012
It can also be a historical record of weather conditions. In the case of Kakabika Falls the water flow is down to a trickle exposing a prehistoric beauty. We may never see this again in our lifetimes. With the video I can study the most Intimate details of nature. To view photos of the falls in years past click here and see the astounding difference.

PERSPECTIVE
Talk about aerial perspective
Observation into the landscape will show you about values:

Lights get darker in the distance and darks get lighter in the distance.
Colors are warmer in the foreground and cooler in the background as they recede. The exception - snow. It is reversed.
Details lesson in the background.
Intensity of colors greys down in background.
The secret of a good painting is in the greying of the colors.

COLOR AND TEXTURE
Rocks vs. water vs. leaves, etc.
A favorite destination for Bob and I and our wives is Bond Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Bob and I have been there numerous times over the last 18 years - summer and fall. It never ceases to amaze us that it's always different, ever changing whether it be light, color, temperature of colors. Every time we visit the falls I'm marveled by the different amounts of water rushing over the rocks.

Dale's take away
My advice is simple. Stop, take it all in and just soak up your surroundings. Make a mental record of sounds, smells and the sunlight on your cheek. We have a gift that most people take for granted - seeing and feeling. So get out, explore and take many, many pictures.

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FROM MY PERSONAL LIBRARY

1/17/2015

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PURCHASE BOOK

PUT YOUR PAINTINGS IN PERSPECTIVE
ROBERT J. KRAJECKI IWS
It 's a new year and I can't stress enough the importance of having a solid background in perspective. I highly recommend this book by painter and instructor Robert J Krajecki. Bob compiled his over 40 years of life experiences and knowledge into 101 page illustrated book with over 150 illustrations in full color.

This book is full of everyday easy to understand and practical examples. This is a must have in every serious artist's library. Bob covers:
* Picture plane
* Station point
* Horizon line or eye level
* One point and two point perspective
* Inclined planes
* Measuring systems
* Cast shadows
* Elipses
* And much, much more

Soft cover book sells for $25.00 plus $3.00 shipping and hard cover book is $30.00 plus $3.00 shipping.You can find ordering information buttons below.

BUY HERE

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PAINTING AND DRAWING 101

1/14/2015

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Every painting is a journey and it begins here, your research.
Picture taking, sketches, and finally your painting.
- Dale L Popovich IWS

Before starting to painting, several key steps must be considered. Here's a reminder of general principles in painting or drawing.

There is more to starting a painting than picking up the brush. You must plan - 75% of your work is in the planning. Here are the steps to follow:

Adjust the composition by creating 3 to 5 sketches and simplify subject matter.
Do several value sketches of the subject matter. Study the light and dark pattern.
Create an accurate drawing. Make sure your perspective is spot on, proportions look good and composition works.
Don't rush! Spending time will produce rewarding results.

Rely on your sketch to paint from and put your photo 5-6 feet away from you. This helps you simplify the patterns of light and dark along with the details. Look at the photo only occasionally. Now that you feel comfortable with your value/comprehensive sketches you can proceed to your painting. Here is the procedure for transparent watercolor:

Always paint from background foreground.
Large areas to small.
Values - light to dark.
Intense color to grayed.

Here's a few final thoughts to keep in mind. Always put out fresh color. Dried pigment is considered dead pigment and can only be used to tint. Always put out fresh to get the fluid intensity of the brushstroke. While going through your painting process get up off your seat, step back, take a break and look at what you have accomplished so far. Decide at that point what needs to be done. DO NOT paint from start to finish with your nose on the paper. You are asking for problems.

Following these steps will create a more satisfying experience and stronger painting.

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One-Hour Watercolor Demonstration

7 SECRETS TO FINDING GREAT REFERENCE MATERIAL

FROM MY PERSONAL LIBRARY

PAINTING AND DRAWING 101

Dale L Popovich IWS

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