Surface And Texture (Set-Up)

This is a picture of the setup that I am using for the Surface And Texture painting.  I really like all of the colors that i incorporated.  I have all primary colors, and then shades of the primary colors which is great for me because the color mixing is at my level.  Also, it is pretty easy, and not a hassle to have to mix, and create all of the shadows in the painting.  Also, i pulled down the shade in the art room, and the room is relatively dark, so i am using a light, and directing it towards to objects.  This is helpful because it makes the shadows very clear, and easy to depict where they are in my paining.  I really like that we were able to select our setup, I think that it makes the painting more enjoyable, because we got to paint what we wanted and we were interested in.

Creating The Illusion Of Surface And Texture

In the first painting, the lines are very bold, and you can clearly see the outlines of every shape.  The warm colors of the fruit, make it look soft, while the very bold paint also makes it look smooth.  In the second painting, all of the outlines of everything look very soft.  This is because of the light edges, and how the edges of the objects blend into the background, or what is in the background of that object.  In the third painting, many of the things that the artist wanted to show, are highlighted, and have a very bright white, or color flashed onto them.  They stand out against the background, and they stand out because of the whitish, light color that is reflected.

White Objects Thumbnail Sketches

These are the possible compositions for my oil painting.  I chose the middle one because it was very close up, and i can concentrate on getting the correct shading, and not have to worry about doing many different objects.  I think that it is the easiest, and i am going to have the easiest time doing it, and not have to struggle through it.  It will really help me learn basic techniques, so i can maybe try a harder set-up the next time, and feel more confident about tackling it.

Studies In Smallness: Finished Paintings

These are my three finished paintings.  I struggled with --- because of ---.  I felt successful about 

--- because of ---.

Studies In Smallness: My Set-Ups

These are my three set-ups from the 'Studies In Smallness':

Color Mixing Chart

Using Composition As A Tool

Custard Cascade

Will Cotton

2001

In this painting, everything in the picture is painted so well, it almost looks like a photograph.  I think that the way a lot of the "main" pieces in the picture are laid out is quite interesting.  I find it interesting that many of the large pieces (the cake, and both cupcakes) are not fully in the picture, and are cut off in some segments.  I think that this composition is interesting because the large items in the picture, do not take over, and overpower the smaller objects because of how they are placed.  I also think that because many of the objects are partially cut out of the picture, the eye focuses on color contrast, between the white cake and the vibrantly colored fruits.  I think that this painting is more about color contrast, and shading, that it becomes more then just a painting of everyday objects.  I think that this is a very interesting, and well thought out composition.