The David Hockney exhibition : An OCA student group visit

Notes taken on paper capturing the tutor Voice also:

WINTER TREES

I note the direction of Hockneys paint strokes are uses extensively to create movement and texture as well as rhythm of leaves, trees, branches.

The proportion of his contrasting colours is hugely effective in dramatising, creating light and depth.

In AUTUMN TUNNEL, there is an absolute of purity of colour.

WOLDGATE WOODS, 21, 23 & 29 Nov 2006:

Clear working in the background colour washes and shapes in light colours
The light falls as colour. Not a redundant Mark.

GARROWBY HILL

Violet foreground road that corresponds to the colour the viewer sees in the video. Trees rhythm strong.

Tutor noted that H spent lots and lots of time SEEING
He has his paint mixed in the studio beforehand. 11 tones per colour for watercolour in jars. Uses sizes 35 and 50 Rosemary brushes in sable.

His greens stand in front of green.

Foregrounds are so very well observed and different : marks, tones, textures, shapes.

TREES, THIXENDALE

Many greens, blues for winter. Same brush but Tutor said he use round and flat brushes. An impressionist sky with such cleanness in the middle and foreground.

GRAND CANYON

Glorious colour reds, oranges, etc : uses Total colour theory reverse.

SKETCHBOOKS

Some impressive ink and charcoal drawing that translates into paint with remarkable innovative panache.








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Colour sketch for Drawing from a photo

Upscaling from


a photo is difficult to paint from. I am unsure about how not to become stylised using a photo without undertaking a colour studies now. This is the first go at a colour study twice the size of the original photo from a magazine.

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Composition - foreground object

Want to evaluate what achieved in the composition project especially for the foreground object and cannot quite so am blogging another post instead.

I wish I had chosen a different subject as it threw up issues that I needed to deal with.

If I were to construct this again, I would not have flat background but a space that led the eye into another space. I was trying to keep a 'triangular' composition but I could have re designed it by having a window or a door open in the background.
Not a great picture and I shall probably re- do it later: using oils prevented the change earlier.



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Colour study- see previous post

Interestingly, I found the drawing of shapes from the initial ink sketch very satisfying in a way that I haven t encountered before. The difference is that enlarging the drawing proportionally then drawing it out in SHAPES for colour tone seem to work for me despite the fact that I didn t think it would.

Together with some reading undertaken, about underpainting to add depth, and the work on composition, this has moved my work on by several steps.

Next steps? To look at previous works re colour tone shapes and composition to see how I have improved.
Work using this method again.


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Colour study - process, under painting in foreground

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practical composition- the flexible approach

Painting with the flexible dynamics of composition that has a strong directional force running into and out of the painting.
Started outdoors on the Sandstone Trail at the well know spot called 'Peckforton Gap' November end winter sky with red sunset flooding the sandstone trail.
I think the composition works but I have found that without undertaking preliminary studies, relying on the initial thin paint was fine for the composition at first, but much less so without the information I needed for the tonalities. As a result, the colour shapes are too glib in places as I grappled with balancing the composition establishing a mid ground.

What have I learned?

My strategies are developing somewhat. I constantly look at compositions of other artists work, In particular, I have started to sketch in the proportions colour shapes from their work.

The planned approach to composition is better for me because the scaffolding created for a painting from my studies make it easier and less problematic to take the painting forward. The spontaneous approach is pleasurable but I should it would be successful only with experience.

Considering the underlying 3 dimensional geometry of my two paintings, it occurs to me that both have a triangular composition, though in different ways. However, the figure painting is too near the top edge, and one cannot extend as on paper! The triangular point is beyond the rectangle.

Learnt to draw out the intended composition in thumbnails then if there are problems, I have found that tracing paper has helped a lot.




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Sent off third assignment

Oils still a touch wet but can t advance drying cos of cold!

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