After a course at the Sydney Community College (SCC) on the basics of life drawing, I enrolled at the National Art School (NAS) for a short summer course on life painting. Applying colour, is really quite difficult as it is not as instinctive as one is led to believe.
The course was for 5 days and held at Darlinghurst. The campus was really quite an oasis in the middle of an otherwise rough neighbourhood. The buildings were old sandstone buildings originally constructed as holding cells for prisoners about to attend court (courthouse is next door). The campus has many old fig trees which cast a beautiful shade, which was most welcomed as that was a very hot week. Alas, there is also no airconditioning at the NAS so the studios heated up considerably, despite the thick sandstone walls.
Day 1:
We were instructed to attempt an image of our own hand and to mix the colours inherent. I made a mash of it and saw that most of my class mates were really good. Sue, a very nice art teacher from Nelson Bay gave me some tips but all I got was a peachy flesh colour which was flat.
Day 2:
Eric, our male model is over 60 he confides. He thinks it is hilarous that he is paid to do a nudie. At the SCCC, all the models had perfect bodies. Most were in their early 20's. This is rather a change from the norm! Eric was very generous in allowing us to take photographs of him but I will refrain from publishing these...
The instructor, Chelsea was keen for us to focus on a good composition, ie: making decisions on what to keep in the picture and what to take out. It is true that previously I was so focussed on the actual form that occasionally a foot or hand extended out of the paper unintentionally. The SCCC course didn't really worry much about the context for the figure either, most of it was merely indicated or left out. She is right, of course. A picture is so much more intriguing if one
composed it.
My first attempt got the composition okay but the skin colour continued to elude me. I continued to make further attempts the rest of that day and half the next, results of which were unsatisfactory and I threw them out.
Day 3:
Thankfully, Chelsea gave us tips on colouring and whilst it was a fanciful combination, I had no hesitation in adopting it. I had nothing to lose! The secret is to paint shadows in violet and light in cream (warm yellow + white). Then use an orange (warm red + white) as mid tone and green in the shadows. Here is a portrait of Eric which uses this combination.
Day 4:
We had Linda, a female model next. She is voluptuous and is a fantastic model because she keeps still and is able to get back into position quite easily. She is an artist herself and appreciates what artists want. The pose was a langurous reclining one, and we all had great difficulty in accurately capturing it as a result.
I had many talented classmates, I wish I could show their interpretations of the same pose because they are so diverse in style!
It was also the hottest day of the week, the temperature reaching 38d and we were sweltering in the studio. Quite frankly I was exhausted from the heat and the way the acrylic paints dried and required remixing.
Day 5:
Last day of the course. Today's lesson is on broken colours. Chelsea showed examples of its application, the most notable I think was Xenia Hausner, who used the most amazing undiluted primary colours in her work. In acrylic, apply the colours as layers and this way, the underlying primaries can still be seen. I think this technique suits me and was happy with the final result.
The studios were open for inspection from 3:30pm and my friend Catherine came along to see the works of art. By far the most amazing was the results from "Drawings from the Zoo". Very realistic images, there was a drawing of a gorilla which looked menacing. Catherine also pointed out how Lucien Freud used to not compose his pictures very well and had to tack on extra canvas to include a foot or hand. And charged lots of money regardless...
We had Linda, a female model next. She is voluptuous and is a fantastic model because she keeps still and is able to get back into position quite easily. She is an artist herself and appreciates what artists want. The pose was a langurous reclining one, and we all had great difficulty in accurately capturing it as a result.
I had many talented classmates, I wish I could show their interpretations of the same pose because they are so diverse in style!
It was also the hottest day of the week, the temperature reaching 38d and we were sweltering in the studio. Quite frankly I was exhausted from the heat and the way the acrylic paints dried and required remixing.
Day 5:
Last day of the course. Today's lesson is on broken colours. Chelsea showed examples of its application, the most notable I think was Xenia Hausner, who used the most amazing undiluted primary colours in her work. In acrylic, apply the colours as layers and this way, the underlying primaries can still be seen. I think this technique suits me and was happy with the final result.
The studios were open for inspection from 3:30pm and my friend Catherine came along to see the works of art. By far the most amazing was the results from "Drawings from the Zoo". Very realistic images, there was a drawing of a gorilla which looked menacing. Catherine also pointed out how Lucien Freud used to not compose his pictures very well and had to tack on extra canvas to include a foot or hand. And charged lots of money regardless...
