About Brian Simons

Being a self-taught artist, I have derived much of my inspiration from the “Group of Seven”, the French Impressionists and the Writings of Baha’u'lla’h (Bahá’í Faith). My family and I moved to Vancouver Island from Alberta, where I first began to paint approx. 25 years ago. Prior to that time, I focused mostly on drawing and sketching. I began showing my work in 1988 and have been represented by numerous galleries on the Island. From 2006 to the present, I paint on a full-time basis and have had many successes and confirmations in that period, including numerous commissions for a television production company, architects several corporate and private collectors both in Canada and the United States. I also conduct acrylic painting workshops British Columbia, Alberta and the United States….

Follow this link to visit Brian’s Website

“7-STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL PAINTING”

A 125-page, full-colour ebook (pdf) Acrylic Painting Course by Artist Brian Simons. Only $29.95 Can.

This Acrylic Painting Ebook is based on the artists highly successful painting workshops that have been running in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, for the last 6 years. It is an inspirational, thought-provoking, instructional book for both beginner and expert alike.

NO PREVIOUS DRAWING OR PAINTING EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED!

Having seen literally hundreds of people, (many with no experience) go through this course and come out inspired by the works they produced, Brian feels anyone can paint.

A lot of emphasis is placed on the spiritual aspects of painting and helping the painter to get out of the way and allowing the painting to work, as well as diffusing many of the myths that surround art and artists. 7-easy to follow steps from start to finish.

Follow this link to learn more…

The Progress of an Acrylic Painting – Demonstration by Brian Simmons

(Click images to enlarge)

This is the original photograph I used from www.morguefile.com. Thankyou to the contributor! At this step it is very important to study the image and identify shapes, colour etc.

The second step is to underpaint the canvas. Here I used “burnt sienna and a large house brush. The idea is to simply cover the canvas in a “painterly” manner without any regard for the subject!

At this point, using burnt sienna and a large artist brush we simply “map out” and identify the big shapes we see in the image. Squinting is required to see the big shapes. No real drawing, just mapping in a few shapes and breaking up the format of the canvas into pieces of a big puzzle.

Then, before everything dries, we pull paint away from the lightest areas only. If the underpainting has started to dry, we wet the rag. Interesting how the painting is already coming to life!

Once were happy with the “big shapes” and have pulled paint away from the lightest areas, we then start our “value study”, a study in lights and darks only. We do this by starting with the darks and use a bit of dark purple to darken the burnt sienna for the darkest darks. Then with we establish the other values , paying special attention to the value differences. We are looking for 4 or 5 different values.

Once the “value study” is complete, we then start blocking in the colors starting with the darks and working towards the lights. Keep the paint thin, this is only an estimate. Let lots of the burnt sienna show through.

Here the “block in” is nearing completion. We cannot assess any colours until we get them all “roughed in” and see them in relation to all the other colours.

Now, we go back and strengthen any darks we may have lost during the color block-in and begin keying up those lights. We should use thicker paint for the lighter tones and refine things a bit more include a small amount of detail.

Here is the finished painting with all the colours established, keyed up. Notice how you can still see some burnt sienna showing through! I then sign and varnish the painting.

“7-STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL PAINTING”,a complete course in acrylic painting. The book is available in three different formats on this site! You might also consider a workshop!

About Faith

I was born and raised in Wales UK and studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London. I came to Germany to pursue an operatic career as a mezzo soprano and sang over 100 opera roles, including title roles such as Carmen, Joan of Arc and Oktavian in Der Rosenkavalier. Other professional occupations have include voice teacher, chorus director, language teacher and writer.

I have been writing stories plays and poetry, making music and painting for as long as I can remember. Most of my early poetry has been lost. Serious dedication to painting followed from the year 2000 to fill in the spiritual vacuum left from no longer working in the theatre. The empty canvas is like a stage. It’s up to the performer to give it life and light!

Paintings can be seen on my website at http://www.faithpuleston.net as well as numerous other online venues such as my blogs: http://faithart2010.blogspot.com , http://faithpuleston.blogspot.com/ (the main one) and http://fapj.blogspot.com/ (extra for writing).. Enjoy your visits to my online premises, but please remember that all my output is protected by copyright.

“Geometrics” painted in acrylics over collage in August 2009

This is my first attempt at recording how a painting came to life! It wasn’t really difficult, but by next week l might have forgotten! I have lots of paintings which I must have painted in some kind of trance state since do not remember what I did and when! No I wasn’t drugged or drunk! Another omission means that I do not always know exactly when I painted something or how long it took, but mainly because I paint a lot in oils and the drying processes are fairly long. This painting was done in 5 days between 19th and 23rd August. I don’t claim either that this is a guide to abstract painting or that this painting is a work of art! But it was fun and someone might like to read about the “journey”.

After being consigned to recycling and given a good scouring, the canvas (60x80cm) was first painted all over with a thin lemon wash (no photo).

A sheet of tissue paper was painted with the three main colours chosen for the painting: lemon yellow (primary), bordeaux red (secondary) and olive green (tertiary) , then the paper was cut freely into squares and other geometric forms. The pieces of coloured paper were stuck onto the canvas. Since canvas is flexible, you can’t stick too much heavy stuff on it. Cement will eventually crumble! A thin wash of bordeaux and green was added. Sorry I forgot to switch the flash off. It was too late to rephotograph by the time I realized that.

The original three colours were used to bring out some of the design elements.

The shading was modified to provide more contrast and further design elements were added. A light red was used to lighten some of the red areas .

Details were added to various elements.

Black was introduced to give more contrasts, unify the design and unite some of the elements. Some of the elements were tidied up.

Yet another new element was added (can you spot it below?) and adjustments made using all the colours used previously. White was not used in this painting.

Finally, I anchored the floating objects by adding spidery black lines touching the edges. I painted round the edges in very dark Bordeaux and corrected one or two passive areas on the perimeter of the painting. I did not use white in this painting. I think it’s finished now!

After more consideration I made a few more alterations to the painting, mainly smoothing out some of the surfaces. The absolutely final version is shown below! Well, maybe……….

The acrylic painting medium is fairly new and has only been around since the 1950′s. Since then, it has continually been under development and refinement. Acrylic paint is highly favored amongst artists because of its versatility. It can be applied in a thick fashion as an impasto having rich texture or in washes mimicking the characteristics of watercolor. Another likable characteristic of acrylic paint is its permanence. Unlike oil paints, acrylic paint is not susceptible to yellowing or hardening with age. With acrylic paint, the artist does not need to be concerned with the order the paint is applied or other special techniques that ensure the paint film remains free from cracking.

So now that you know a bit more about the acrylic painting medium, I am sure you want to get started. This beginners guide to acrylic painting will provide you with all of the information and resources that you need to get started and improve your painting skills.

Acrylic Painting Supplies

The first thing you are going to need to get started is your painting supplies of course. With acrylics, there is no need to go overboard on supplies. All that is really needed is a good quality paint set, a few brushes and a canvas or other support. Since acrylic paint is a water based painting medium, there is no need for any special mediums. All you need to change the consistency of acrylic paints is plain old water. Clean up is a cinch as well. Your brushes can be cleaned with plain old soap and water.

Paints

I recommend the following paint set for beginners. The paints included in this set are of good quality and contain more than enough colors for beginners:

Liquitex Basics Value Series Acrylic Color Sets set of 36

Liquitex Basics Value Series Acrylic Color Sets offer great value to students and artists looking for dependable quality. The sets acquaint the artist with the essential color palette of the Basics line without having to invest in a large amount of space or money. The sets contain a variety of 22 ml tubes of color that are small enough to fit into compact, space efficient boxes while still providing the artist enough of the great quality, pigment rich acrylic paint to learn color theory or to complete virtually any work of art. Three sets are available – one with 12 colors, one with 24 colors, and one with 36 colors. Click on the camera icons for specific set contents.

Brushes

When choosing your paint brushes, do not buy cheap brushes! It is not worth it just to save a few bucks. Nothing compares to the control and feel of a good brush. I like to work with Robert Simmons brushes. I have been using them for several years now and they never let me down. If you take care of them, they will last for a long time. Below is a link to where you can buy them. These brushes are called ROBERT SIMMONS Simply Simmons Value Brush Sets and just like the name implies, these brushes are a great value. There are a variety of different sets below that cater to different needs and painting styles. Choose one or a few and enjoy!

Robert Simmons Simply Simmons Value Brush Sets In Set

A versatile range of short handled brushes. Artist quality dark tipped synthetic filament with excellent spring, fine point, and sharp chisel edge. The Robert Simmons brush delivers the performance required for the most demanding projects. Individually hand-crafted from start to finish by brush-makers with generations of experience. The seamless brass and aluminum ferrules are permanently bonded to lacquer dipped hardwood handles for dependability. Special Effects Set–flat wash size 3/4, big foot stippler size 5/8, and filbert comb size 10. Bold and Beautiful Set–bristle bright size 3/4, 1/2, 1. Wash and Dry Set–scumbler size 8, filbert wash size 3/4, round wash size 26. Devilish Detail Set–liner size 10/0, flat shader size 4, filbert size 4, spotter size 5/0, script size 1. Work Horse Set–round size 5, flat shader size 12, filbert size 8, angle shader size 1/2. Comb Combo Set–flat comb size 3/4, filbert comb size 6, angle comb size 3/8.Mop-Up Set–oval mop size 1/2 and 3/4, flat wash size 1/2. Everything Set–flat shader size 2, round size 1, filbert size 6, liner size 1, flat shader size 10. Go-To set–liner 10/0, angle shader 1/4, round size 3, filbert size 4, flat shader size 8. Rake-It set–filbert comb size 8, round size 3, flat shader size 6, flat comb size 12. Different Strokes Set–big foot stippler size 1/2, angle shader size 3/8, round size 5, scumbler size 4. Creative Instinct Set–round size 0, big foot stippler size 3/8, angle comb size 1/4, flat shader size 8 and 4.

Caring For Brushes

Learning how to properly care for your brushes is one of the most important aspects of painting. You should clean your brushes thoroughly after each painting session and here is how.

Step 1 – Using a soft cloth, wipe off the excess paint. This is done by gently squeezing the brush from the top of the ferrule toward the end of the brush with your soft cloth. Do not pull too hard as you can remove hairs and damage your brush.

Step 2 – Once you have all of the excess paint removed, wash the brushes in a mild soap and water. You want to wash the brush until you remove as much paint as humanly possible. I recommend using MASTERS Brush Cleaner and Preserver. This is a wonderful product and is very popular amongst the art community. Not only does it thoroughly clean acrylic brushes, but it also helps preserve your brushes making them last longer. Below is a link to where you can purchase this cleaner online:

Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver

Saves time and trouble, as well as your brushes. Works on oil, acrylic, or watercolor brushes. Will not harm red sable or any type bristle. Will keep brushes like new. Also easily restores old, hardened brushes.

Step 3 – Once you are sure that you have removed as much paint as possible and any excess water, dip the brush into a tiny bit of the preserver and shape it back to its original form.

Step 4 – Let your brushes dry at room temperature and do not let them dry resting on the head of the brush. This will cause the brush to dry out of shape. I leave my brushes standing up with the heads facing the ceiling in a large empty coffee can.

Supports

A support is the surface that you paint on. Stretched canvas, canvas board, canvas paper and even wood can be used as supports. Whatever surface you decide to use, make certain that the surface is prepared to accept the acrylic paint. This preparation process is known as “sizing”. Sizing is when you apply a product like gesso or primer (otherwise known as a “ground”) which seals the surface making it less absorbent. Most supports that you will purchase will already be prepared for painting, so chances are you won’t have to do any preparation on your own. In the beginning when you are just experimenting, it is best to use a less expensive support until you become more experienced. Below are some excellent choices:

Discovery Economy Stretched Canvas

Good quality pure cotton canvas with medium texture, stretched on stretcher strips. The acrylic double primed surface can be used with oil, acrylic, and casein paints. All stretched canvases are 11/16 in. deep (except 5 in x 7 in. size which is 1/2 in. deep), and are individually shrink-packed.

Fredrix Archival Watercolor Canvas Board 8 in. x 10 in. ea.

Fredrix Watercolor Canvas Board is a revolutionary new watercolor media made of 100% cotton artist canvas. The unique texture of an all natural woven material in combination with a proprietary patented, specially formulated gesso for all water based paints, delivers a unique new watercolor painting experience and distinctive look that can only be captured on canvas. Will not buckle. Frame with or without glass. Won’t tear like paper so you can scratch it, scrape it, or staple it. Wet and rewet it and it will not damage the canvas. Mounted on rigid, non-warping hardboard core. Acid free.

Fredrix Canvas Pads 9 in. x 12 in. sheets pad of 10

Genuine artist canvas, acrylic primed for use with any medium. Pads contain 10 sheets.

Other Tools & Supplies

Palette

A Palette is a surface that you use to lay out your colors for mixing and application. There are a wide variety of palettes for acrylic paints. Everything from glass to plastic can be used. My favorite palette to use by far is the Masterson Sta-Wet Painters Pal Palette. This palette solves a major problem with acrylic paints and that is their very fast drying time. On a normal palette your paints can begin to dry within minutes and whatever extra paint you have on your palette at the end of a painting session is wasted. With the Masterson Sta-Wet Palette, your paints will stay moist on the open palette for hours. Once you cover the palette with the included lid, your paints will stay moist and workable for days , possibly weeks. I have included a link below to where you can learn more about and purchase the Masterson Sta-Wet Palette:

Masterson Sta-Wet Painters Pal Palette no. 912 Sta-Wet Painters Pal

No more wasted paint… Masterson’s patented process keeps acrylics and other waterbased paints moist on the open palette for hours. Once the lid is closed, the paints will stay in workable condition for days, even weeks. A wet sponge and special permeable palette paper provide the paint with a constant source of moisture. Paints will not dry out. Simply soak the palette in water until it is fully saturated. Saturate the sponge and place it in the tray. Lay the palette paper on top of the sponge, wipe off excess water from the paper, and put your paints on the wet paper. The paints will slowly absorb moisture as needed without changing the consistency or color value. You can mix paints on the wet paper without tearing it. Sta-Wet Painters Pal contains five sheets of Sta-Wet acrylic palette paper, cellulose sponge, palette tray and lid, five paint cups and detachable lids, one solvent cup with attached lid, storage area beneath removable cup holder tray, complete instructions for preparation and use. Overall container size is 13 in. x 12 in. x 1 1/2 in. Palette size is 9 in. x 12 in. Storage cups fits inside Sta-Wet Painter’s Pal for temporary paint storage or use separately for holding various craft items. 1 3/4 in. diameter x 1 in. depth; 3/4 oz. capacity. Solvent cups fits inside Sta-Wet Painter’s or use separately as dripless storage containers for turpentine, brush cleaner, extensors, and other liquid media. 1 1/2 in. diameter x 3/4 in. depth; 1/2 oz. capacity.

Painting & Palette Knives

You may also wish to purchase other supplies to experiment with as you become more experienced with acrylic paint. Brushes are not the only tool that you can use to manipulate the paint around your support. Painting knives, while traditionally used with oil paints, can also be used with acrylics. Palette knives are made specifically for mixing paint on the palette where painting knives are used for moving paint around on your support. You may run into a problem using a painting knife with acrylic paint. Not all acrylic paints are ideal for working with a knife. Some have a thick, stiff and buttery consistency, while others are more runny. If you are using a runnier acrylic paint, and you are interested in working with painting knives, then you will need to use a special medium that will give your paint more body.

Atomizer

An atomizer is basically a spray bottle that you fill with water. You can use an atomizer to spray a very fine mist of water over your palette or canvas to keep your paints moist and workable.

Sponges

Sponges are handy little tools to have available during your painting sessions. You can use sponges to spread out your paint over a large area or to create interesting effects with paint.

Acrylic Painting Lessons & Techniques

So you now have a better understanding of the supplies you are going to need to get started. Let’s put those supplies to good use by learning how to paint with acrylics! As stated in the beginning of this guide, acrylic paints are quite versatile opening the door to many exciting and interesting techniques.

Instead of trying to recreate the wheel so to speak, and discuss acrylic painting lessons and techniques in this post, I thought it would be much easier to just direct you to the many great lessons that are posted here on this blog and my other website Creativespotlite.com:

Acrylic Painting Techniques

A Direct Approach to Acrylic Painting by Greg Biolchini

After Monet – Acrylic Painting Demonstration By Brian Rice

Painting a Mural For a Church By Julie Lamons

Acrylic Painting Demonstration & Tips By Lesly Finn

At The Dock – An Acrylic Painting Demonstration by Brian Rice

Learn Acrylic Painting – Painting Demo by Lorraine Vatcher

Acrylic painting tutorial By Harmony Steel

7-STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL PAINTING

Acrylic Painting Tips & Techniques

Jim Pescott’s Dottalism Process

Acrylic Painting Demonstration – Mystic Past

Animal Portrait Demonstration – Stanley

Follow this link for free acrylic painting video lessons

Acrylic paint, when compared with other mediums like oil paint, is a fairly new addition to the world of painting. It has only been around since the 1950′s . It has been continually under development and refinement since that time. Just because acrylic paint has not been around as long as oils, does not make these paints less important or enjoyable.

Some of the wonderful benefits of using acrylic paints are their versatility, permanence and ease of use. These paints can be applied thickly as an impasto or in thin washes similar to watercolor. Acrylic paint does not yellow or harden with age like oils.

1) The paint will not remain workable for very long, so you have to work fast.

2) Brushes can be ruined if you do not clean them right away.

3) If you plan to paint outdoors, then acrylic paint is probably not the best medium to use, especially on a hot sunny day. When you lay out your colors on a palette or other surface, they will begin to dry quickly forming skins on the surface, making them quite difficult to work with.

Acrylic Painting Techniques

Watercolor Effects

Many artists like to use acrylics in a fluid state, similar to watercolor. There is a notable difference though. With acrylics, washes can be layered on top of one another without fear of disturbing the colors underneath. You must wait for one layer to dry completely before applying another of course. Once each layer dries it becomes insoluble in water. One disadvantage to using acrylics as a watercolor medium is the difficulty in modifying the color. Once acrylic paint begins to dry it becomes very difficult to modify and washes can sometime dry with unwanted hard edges. You can avoid this problem in one of two ways. You can either dampen the paper before the paint is applied or you can use an additional brush dampened with water. Use one brush to apply the paint and immediately soften the edge with the other brush that has been dampened with the water.

Pouring & Dripping Technique

This technique was made popular by the master painter Jackson Pollock in the late 1940′s and early 1950′s. You use a very fluid acrylic paint for this technique. You can pour it directly on the canvas or dip a brush into the paint and let it drip down onto the canvas. You can create some very interesting effects with this technique. Check out Jackson Pollocks work to see this technique in action.

Sgraffito Technique

Sgraffito is a scratching technique. It got its name from the Italian word graffiare which literally means to scratch. Just as the name implies it involves scratching into the surface of the wet paint which reveals either the ground or layer of dry color underneath. There are a number of different tools that can be used for this technique. Tools like screwdrivers or the sharpened end of an old paintbrush handle can work.

Using a Squeegee

A regular squeegee that you can buy at any hardware or auto store has the ability to create some interesting effects. First squeeze out some paint blobs directly along one edge of your support. You can layout whatever colors you wish. Then with one fluid motion drag the paint across the surface with your squeegee smearing and mixing the paint as you go.

Acrylic Painting Tips

Variety

One of the things that makes a painting interesting is variety. Use a variety of different brushstrokes, techniques and values in your paintings. Change the direction of your brushstrokes or mix different techniques in the same painting.

Don’t Copy

Don’t copy other artists. Allow other artists to influence you and paint your own impression of what you see from your heart and soul. This is how your inner creativity shines on the canvas. It is what set painters like Vincent van Gogh and Salvador Dali apart from the rest. They each injected their own style and heart into their work.

Observe Your Surroundings

Spend time observing and studying your subjects and surroundings. Landscape artists spend a great deal of time outdoors studying nature. Figure and portrait artists spend a great deal of time studying the human anatomy. If you aren’t spending enough time observing the subjects that you wish to paint, then you won’t have the necessary knowledge to paint them.

Art Supplies

Are you using quality acrylic painting supplies? In the beginning when you are experimenting, it is ok to use cheaper supplies, but as you become more experienced, you may want to consider investing in better quality. When it comes to fine art supplies, you usually get what you pay for. If you buy cheap brushes, they will more than likely begin to fall apart. The ferrule of the brush can loosen and the hairs can fall out. If you use cheap paint, you will get cheap looking results. The colors will not have the same brilliance or the right consistency.

Don’t Be Afraid To Use Your Paint

Lets face it, good paint does not come cheap, so in an effort to conserve our paint, some artists will use as little paint as possible. This is a reasonable concern, but the truth however, is that your paintings will be more interesting if you lay down the brush stroke, leave it alone, and then reload your brush. Don’t try and scrub the paint into the canvas, otherwise you are just staining, and not painting.

Don’t Over Think

Don’t overly criticize or judge your own work while you are painting. This will discourage and frustrate you. Just relax and let go. Trust yourself and your abilities.

About Brian Rice:

Brian was born on May 25,1958 and his roots are in the small outport of Pilleys Island, Newfoundland, Canada. At the age of nineteen he moved to central Canada in the Sarnia, Ontario area, where he now works in the Petrochemical industry.

His interest in art began in high school, when an art teacher encouraged him. In 1979 he began to paint realistic images of Newfoundland and northern wildlife, using an acrylic medium. He has many admirers of his work and most of the paintings have been sold; many were commissions. In 1998 he did a painting of an old united church (circa 1945) for his hometown heritage society. Prints were made and sold as a fund raiser.

In 1997 he entered an art contest in Sarnia. This contest was held to select a winner to commemorate the new blue water bridge. The painting got an honourable mention and it was reproduced as a limited edition print.

Brian has no formal training in art. He is self taught and learns most from a careful observation of the order and design of the natural world . He believes that “nature is the artwork of a creator/master artist who displays a wisdom and a genius that we have only begun to understand”. His focus is to create art that will cause the soul to search for a deeper meaning in an increasingly chaotic world.

He started striving for a photo realism style in the 1990′s and achieved it to some degree, but, he found the style did not evoke much emotion and set out on a journey to find a style that was realistic but, with a much looser impressionistic approach.

Eighteen of his paintings were on display at his hometown Petrolia Library during the Summer of 2004.

The Painting “The Newfoundland Cabin” appeared in “Guest Gallery “which is a page in the downhomer magazine; www.Downhome.com is the biggest magazine on the Canadian eastcoast with 26,000 subscribers. This magazine also has a gallery and gift shop in St. John’s, Newfoundland which now carries prints of the painting “seasons of life”

Brian’s Websites:

http://paintingsbybrianrice.blogspot.com/

http://sites.google.com/site/paintingsbybrianrice/

This painting has a style that I am after in my own work ; a blend of realism and impressionism. The original painting is 38”x 50” . My version of it is aprox one third of that size, at 14” x18”. It is an acrylic painting done on a canvas covered panel. You can see an image of Monet’s original by clicking onto the link:  Monet original…

The sky is done with color combinations using paynes grey , ultramarine blue, parchment white, and glazes of crimson and blue. The water base color is done with paynes grey, pthalo green, parchment white and yellow ochre.

The patio base color is a combination of parchment white , raw umber and burnt umber . The grasses on the right are done with a light yellow , yellow ochre and ultramarine blue.

The fence is a combination of raw sienna, cad red med, cad yellow deep . The shadows in the fence have a raw umber and raw sienna mixture. At this point I added all those little ships in the background using paynes grey and umber colors. I put the waves in with pthalo green and ultramarine blue. The black on the left was my first attempt at the dark shadows, I used red, blue and yellow to get black, the way Monet would have done. In his later years he abandoned black from his impressionist palette.

Below is a close up of the mid ground sail boat before the final touch ups in the finished painting. At first I wondered why Monet used these dark colored sails . But ,then I guessed that the sails were made from raw canvas and they would tend to darken over time.

One area that I struggled with was the shadow color. The darkest shadow was not a problem . It was the midtone shadows that cast from left to right across the picture plane that I found to be the biggest challenge. In Monets painting the shadows looked almost black . I wanted to get a color that was a little warmer. You will notice that I went from a burnt umber color to a purple at first . I finally got a color I wanted by mixing a little cad red with paynes grey ,raw umber and parchment white.

In the photo above I hadn’t painted in the yellow umbrella. Notice below how that yellow changed the whole look of the young lady. I was also painting the white umbrella at that point. There is more detail in that umbrella then any other object in the painting. I was left wondering why Monet wanted that much focus on the umbrella. Can you guess?

The finished painting.

Click here to learn more about Brian and his work.