Learn Acrylic Painting - Painting Demo by Lorraine Vatcher

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We are revisiting Lorraine Vatcher today with another beautiful painting demonstration. I do hope you enjoy. You can learn more about Lorraine by visiting her website as well as our one on one interview with her here.Lorraine is now offering art instruction classes for all who are interested. Please contact her for more details.

So many times I have heard people comment on the fact that they could always spot an oil painting because of the vibrancy of colours. These are comments as they are standing and looking at my paintings. When I tell them that these are painted in acrylics, they stand in awe. If there is no vibrancy in the colours, it is because the artist has done it that way. In my opinion, as long as they have not been muddied by over-mixing, the acrylic paint out of the tube has the same potential of striking colour as oil paint. This is a painting for medium to experienced painters, however, if you are a beginner, there is no better way to learn than to just jump in! Reflections of Pink and Green will require a good bit of time because you will have to build up the layers gradually. Each layer is fairly thin(a glaze) because the paint colour is mixed with a small bit of water to make it flow more evenly.If you would rather use flow medium, that is acceptable also. Each layer of glaze must dry before the next goes on. Much of the time, you will be working more than one area of the picture at a time because you will have to let areas dry before you put on another glaze. Have patience! It is worth the time to get this technique right.

Step 1Block in the background in shades of Payne’s Grey, Ultramarine Blue on the top two-thirds of the canvas and Burnt Umber mixed with Paynes’s Grey on the bottom two-thirds. Let this dry; it won’t take long. A

Step 2Draw the outline of the picture with chalk onto the background of the canvas. Chalk is very forgiving. You can draw and erase loads of times and as long as you don’t over-wet the surface, it will not hurt the painting underneath.

Step 3Paint Titanium White on the top petal and its reflection on the left side and paint the tulip on the right and its reflection of the tulip also with Titanium White.Then paint a layer of Permanent Rose onto these white areas. Start to colour in the form of the bottom petal and its reflection on the left( there is no white underneath right now).

Step 4As you continue to build up layers of paint, look at the form of the tulip and the reflections of the flower petals. Each petal has a highlight and shadow areas. In the shadows, blend in just a dab of Payne’s Grey. Then layer thin Permanent Rose paint on it keeping it smooth. Keep the brush strokes going in the directions that the lines of the petals follow naturally. Even the Payne’s Grey requires layering because it is partially transparent, as is Permanent Rose. The areas which will be the highlighted will have to be underpainted with Titanium White again.

Step 5Paint the ends of the loose petals with Titanium White first and then some Cadmium Yellow mixed with a hint of Sap Green. Do the same with the center bowl of the main tulip where the stamens will form. Keep glazing the petals in Permanent Rose. You will see as the process continues that the Titanium White will shine through all the glazes and you will be able to control your colour with the number of layers you use. While doing this, start laying in some Hooker’s Green on the area which will be the leaves.

Step 6When you feel that the colours you have used have acquired the richness you wish, it is time to glaze over the reflections with Payne’s Grey. Up until now you have painted the reflections with the same detail as the flower and loose petals. Glaze over the entire area below the actual leaves. Remember that the reflections will not be nearly as vivid as the actual flower and petals. If they were, they would command too much attention from the main subjects. After that layer dries, blend in another glaze although not as high as the first layer, and so on until the reflection gradually becomes darker as your sight pulls away from your subjects. Now you should show some depth in the lower section of the painting.

Step 7Paint in some horizontal lines of burnt umber mixed with a little Cadmium Yellow and Titanium White around the bottom of the vase and in between the lose petals and the flower. These lines will be the bands of sunshine on the surface of the wood and hitting the top single petal on the left, the tulip and the crystal vase.

Step 8Draw in the shapes for the crystal vase with chalk. It is simply a large, skinny X with a line going through from top to bottom, a water line, and a few arcs on the lower part of the vase.

Don’t panic at this time…It is not as hard to paint glass as you most people think!!!Step 9 Use Hooker’s Green, Sap Green, Burnt Umber, Yellow Ocher, Cadmium Yellow, and Titanium White to give shape and form to the stems. Do not fill in that area completely as one large shape. There will be long colours. Remember that glass will distort but cut crystal will distort more. Shapes will be cut off and seeming to start from nothing. So paint in some stems which will follow the normal ideas of being tubes(round in shape) and otherwise let the colours of stems follow the lines cut or molded into the glass.

Step 10Draw the outline of the vase and all the shapes inside the vase over the top of the chalk with a liner brush and very diluted Titanium White with a hint of Sap Green and a dotted line. Make it very light…you want it only for reference and to give an idea where the glass has variations of shapes. When you know it is dry, rub off the chalk. Now you have the shapes in front of you to continue.

Step 11Use Yellow Ocher with a hint of Cadmium Orange to bring up the colour of the stamens. The background will be darker with Hooker’s Green and Sap Green in toward the centre. Make certain you give the stamens a rounded look by highlighting with Titanium White and shading with a little Payne’s Grey diluted. After the shading and highlighting are done, glaze with diluted Yellow Ocher and Cadmium Orange mixed together.

Step 12In the background area of the inside of the vase(where there are no other real shapes) add a few colours surrounding the area. These will be Ultramarine Blue, Yellow Ocher, Permanent Rose, etc.. Do not make any real shapes, just a hint of colour here and there because glass always picks up the surrounding colours. Then it does not look like such a “clear” area. Do not cover all the original background colour. Continue to build up the colours of the stems, both inside and outside the vase. As well, since you are working with the greens, don’t forget the leaves of the tulip. These colours will eventually shine out of the background colour but because they were painted over the dark colour, the will not overpower the focal points in the painting. Highlight with Sap Green mixed with Cadmium Yellow and shadow with Hooker’s Green mixed with Cadmium Red. Save the pure Titanium White for the brightest light on the glass, on the left hand side. I put a sparkle on the side because that is where the light hit straight on. Although I used white on the tulip petals and on the leaves, I went over them with a small bit of Sap Green mixed with Titanium White so they would not compete with the brightness of the glass.

Step 14If you were to look directly and closely at a piece of Pinwheel crystal or any other piece of cut glass, you would be amazed at the kaleidoscope of colours that are reflecting off it. It will also splice the light into the colours of the rainbow if a strong light is shone directly through it. The lines, especially, of the crystal will pick up and reflect.. Look carefully at the painting. I have, no doubt, exaggerated the colours but I did not imagine them. It would be impossible to tell you every brush stroke I did here, however, try to duplicate by letting the colours that are in the stems, in the flowers and shades of the background follow the lines that are cut and formed in the glass. Much of this work is done with a liner brush, and there will be small dots of colours in random areas too. For the straight lines, use a liner brush and Titanium White mixed with just a hint of Sap Green, watered down so that it will be a very light streak on the glass.

Step 15In foreground, smudge some of the greens and yellows which were in the stems of the vase to form the reflections on the wooden surface. With Payne’s Grey and White mixed, use a round brush to put in the semi-rectangular forms directly under the vase.

“Reflections of Pink and Green” Acrylic, 16″x20″By Lorraine Vatcher

Congratulations if you did this painting; you do have lots of patience. If this is a new method for you, you will now know the satisfaction of learning something you will be able to apply to many of your future paintings.

This tutorial is copyright Lorraine Vatcher.

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Beginners Acrylic Painting - What Palette and Brushes to Buy?

Beginners Acrylic Painting - What Palette and Brushes to Buy?
By Catherine Calder

Starting a new hobby can be a bit daunting, don’t you think? There’s everything to buy and no previous knowledge about what to get. You go into a store and the range is huge.

“I’m just beginning with acrylic paints and I only want to buy a paint brush!”

Well, when you’re beginning with acrylic paints there are a few things you need to know before you get as far as the store.

The key thing with acrylic paint is that it dries very quickly which can a blessing when you are ready to tidy away. Or a curse if you don’t know how quickly it dries and it ruins your brush!

When the paint dries it is impossible to remove it from clothing, surfaces and brushes. So cover yourself with ‘painting clothes’ and be sure to clean your brushes before the paint dries on them. Once you have the right equipment this isn’t a problem.

Acrylic Paint Palette

Beginners to acrylic painting should either buy or make a reservoir palette. This is a palette with a damp reservoir with a disposable paper on top of it. You mix the colors on the paper. This means that the paint on the paper remains damp and ready to use.

A ’shop-bought’ reservoir palette often has a separate section for brushes. Usually the brushes will be placed on their sides with the tips of the brushes in some water to stop the paint drying on the brush. There is a cover for the palette that keeps the moisture in and makes sure that the paint doesn’t dry out. It’s all laid out in a nice tidy container.

If you feel that you don’t want to spend money on something when you’re just beginning with acrylic paints there is another choice. Make your own. You can make up your own version of this using a flat dish or tray with a low edge. Place a few layers of blotting paper or a layer of capillary matting (often used in greenhouses to keep the plants damp) in the bottom for the reservoir.

Cover this reservoir with tracing or greaseproof paper. This paper is used as your palette. This is where you will place the paints when you’re using them and mix them on top of this paper too.

Keep the reservoir moist - not too wet - and the paints will not dry out. It is important that in between painting sessions you cover your palette to keep the moisture in. A large plastic bag that is large enough to hold the whole palette is ideal.

The brushes will need their own reservoir too. This will stop them drying with paint on them. If the paint dries on the brush it will stick and the brush will be ruined. Use a long narrow container like an ice cube tray for the brushes. They rest on their sides in the water. If you just put the brushes in a jar of water then the tips will eventually get bent out of shape and the brushes will need to be replaced.

When beginning with acrylic paints it is best to buy nylon brushes as nylon brushes can be left soaking in the water. If you tried that with a sable brush it would be ruined.

OK now you have a reservoir palette and some nylon artist brushes what else do you need to complete your beginners acrylic paint set?

Well there are only two other things - paints and something to paint on. We’ll need to discuss that in other Beginners Acrylic Painting articles.

Catherine Calder is the author of the step-by-step Acrylic Painting Course, the beginners guide to acrylic painting - with a free preview to completing your first painting. Visit http://www.learnanddo.com/acrylic.asp

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Beginners-Acrylic-Painting—What-Palette-and-Brushes-to-Buy?&id=117299

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