Thursday, May 27, 2010

Back in the Groove...But Out of My Comfort Zone




I got some painting done this week. Painted with Cathleen Windham on Tuesday evening in a rain storm and had to fend off hostile donkeys but got the barn above done. Then Anne Blair Brown took me out of my comfort zone this morning. She challenged me to a swap of palettes and technique. I would be Anne Blair Brown for a painting and she would be me. Her palette had a couple of extra colors on it but the biggest issue I had was her painting method. Anne underpaints and she infuses her paintings with a lot of luminosity by the color she uses in her underpainting. When I would try to underpaint I lost my values. Once I got my color down my values were off and as a value painter I just lost it. Came unravelled like a cheap suit. She on the other hand nailed a couple of nice one's with a strictly three color palette. That's either a statement on her ability or my methods.
Ultimately, I think it's good for us as artist's to get out there and try something else from time to time. Out of the comfort zone. If I think about it though, I have been out of my comfort zone every second I have been doing this.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

That's a great painting. I really like the gray quality in the grasses. I have tried the pure color underpainting before and had the same problem with values falling apart.

Chris Ousley said...

Good one. Ditto on the grayish grass. Have you done the Zorn thing any lately?

Kevin Menck said...

Thanks for the comments guys.
As far as the Zorn palette, I haven't but am still carrying the colors around with the full intention of doing it again. I'll post when I do.

Chris Ousley said...

I would cry like a baby painting oils or acrylic on a white canvas. So used to having some kind of stain or underpainting. That Milton Store painting had a bright green stain on the canvas. I hope you made it to the Frist and saw the Sorolla, Dore' and others there. Working on some pen and ink stuff now and more birds.