METHOD OF THE MASTERS

Read a book on Van Eyck the Dutch painter. Very impressed with his attitude. 'As best I can' was his motto. Apart from that the classical method of seven layers was followewd. First they did a drawing - the actual size of painting or smaller. On transferring it to the canvas or board, they did it in great detail with ink. Then the whole canvas or board was given a wash with an olive green or brown sienna like layer mixed from various colours. After this they completed the first layer in a gray scale. Then a second gray scale followed. Then the first colour layer. Then the second colour layer. The third colour layer followed.And finally the highlights and thicker paint followed. Between each layer the painting was allowed to dry and before a new layer was started a dry onion was rubbed all over the painting. Then a thin layer of painting mixture was painted over and the next layer painted into this layer. This secured a good binding. The method of painting from thin to thick was strictly followed but it was done in such a way that previous layers shone through each new layer. So it was done very, very thinly. Various mixtures and formulas of painting mixtures existed at the time. The thing that impressed me is the shine and the good craftmanship. It is very good art. Love to do an art piece following this rigid method.

ON DOING SERIES

When doing a series of paintings one should firstly carefully plan the series. As I have discovered one should 1. Establish the concept out of your sourcematerial. You should have a feeling or passion for it- Write the concept down. 2. Establish the number for the series and start drawings. 3. Aquire enough surfaces to do the series simultaneously. 4. Now only start painting the series. Each painting must be halted so that the other in the same series should "catch up" first. The reason for not completing one fully is that your series might fastly differ in colour or emotional content and it might not stand as a series. 5. My subject matter, size, composition style, as well as manner of execution are more or less the same for all the paintings in the series. 6. The challenging parts are the drawings - redo it if they do dot not tie in with one another. 7. The last challenge is the unique qualifying element for each in the series - alike yet different! The concept must also be true to each painting in the series. That is the challenge!

ON PENCIL DRAWING

Draw with AM today. I have done the same drawing now three times. The first time from a photo that I have taken on A4 size. The second time on A2 size where I have divided the drawing into large blocks - trying to analyze the underlying structure. Today's drawing was completed from memory on A2 size - remembering the areas that influenced me and also now freely adapting the drawing in areas where the photo did not fit in a nice flow. Now I am trying to create the same flow or rhythm throughout the drawing by refining or removing or simplifying certain areas. I also worked a bit on the tonal values as a preparatory study for a painting. Maybe will do another drawing - more detailed comparing again with the reality and correcting some shapes that might be too distorted. AM's view is that I should consider studying German expressionist's like Franz Marc, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and others in my drawing and painting style since my art is now moving in a definite direction.

OIL PAINTING SURFACE

Painted with my friend AM and just worked on a masonite board that I sanded down slightly because I have used it previously. Previously painted surfaces are very nice to paint on. While I was painting AM saw some of the previous painting and the texture it left behind. And her comment? Leave the nice stuff that's already there and add the rest of your composition without throwing away everything - sometimes leave a whole piece like in a outline or silhouetted background. She also suggested that one can scrape/sand down again and get a nice overall effect that is very different especially on smaller boards. I am still busy with it but a textured surface like that is very nice to work on - the feel is better than canvass or newly prepared boards

AMERICAN ARTIST

Joined the online art forum of American Artist on www.myamericanartist.com and commented on some blog entries. The entry that I really like is "En Plein Air: A Conversation With Clyde Aspevig" - an amazing American artist. His working methods and style is exceptional. I cannot copy the interview but it is good stuff.

ON EXHIBITIONS

Went to an exihibition at the Pretoria Art Museum. Looked at some drawings in different mediums from Croatia. Some very good and well executed and some almost childish but what is clear, is that this country went through some difficult times and it is clearly shown in their art. The rest of the museum and an area I allways liked is the South African masters - I allways study what they did. Good stuff. Pierneef, Sekotto, Preller, Pemba and others.

FINISHING OIL PAINTINGS

The Free Sate Farm painting is nearing completion - it is done in lines and dots (like big pixles). Decided to take a photo and to digitally enhance or just look at it on a photo. Since I loaded it I noted that the colour key is too bright at certain places. Must include more dots and lines and tone it down in some areas.

REFLECT ON ART PLANS

Rewrote my website and thinking of the past year and reflecting on my art and my plans for 2009. Wanna learn more from AM, exhibit my work, paint at a higher level and make some money...mmmmm

COMPOSITION AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Discussed the whole idea of composition and interesting spaces and forms in paintings. JDB says students should just take photos for a year every day - it will correct your view automatically with regards to composition. Maybe a good camera is a good investment?

REFLECT ON ART PROGRESS

Summarize my experience with regards to my art with AM. She and I came to the following conclusions -
1. Work on the composition - find the sweet spot and don't let something else steal that attention.
2. Keep in one consistent style throughout the painting - restrict brush strokes to only a few.
3. Paint on a more professional surface - start a new series on a better surface.
4. Break monotonous lines and make every little area interesting.
5. Drama - seek some sense of mood or drama especially in clouds - communicate feeling or mood.
6. Trees - each have a personality or character of their own - make them so - study them.
7. Exhibition date commits oneself to finishing a serie or a body of work that is presentable - commit to an exhibition...

GREAT ARTISTS

I like the following artists and study their lives, methods etc. For what reason? Simple - I like their stuff and most of them were born near my birthday...although I do not believe in fortune telling. Well they are Diego Velasques, Paul Gauguin, Millais, Thomas Sully, Courbett and Constable. Some common traits amongst them but quite diverse artist. Nevertheless interesting.

ARTISTS'S BLOCK

Thought my discussion with RR and the subsequent research I have done on an artist's "block" i.e. if you just cannot paint draw, create whatever; what should you do? Ok, my solutions - 1. In oil painting you work with some variables:- your palette, your brushes, surface, and sources. Change some of the variable! 2.Do a self-portrait - you to look at something familiar very intensely and then reinvent it in a new way! 3. Copy a great master as an exercise. Somebody you like. Learn his techniques! Steal from the rich!!! Maybe something different that you are not used to. 4. Paint with another artist - push yourself into another level!