Chiaroscuro

 This is a little demonstration of how I approached painting a ''chiaroscuro'' style still life using some of the tips I got from my book Oil Painting Secrets From a Master .

I first used a mix of Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue to block-in the objects and roughly get a value for the tabletop. Blocking-in is much more effective than drawing because it makes you see in terms of masses rather than linearly (it also makes you save time). I have nothing against laying down a drawing. I used to do it myself but since I started to block-in masses instead, I saw a lot of improvement in my paintings.

Another thing I used to do that was holding me back was to paint one object at the time. That way, it's very difficult to control the values of the whole painting. Here instead, I painted from dark to light. I've put down all my shadows and cast shadows at once so I could judge them better. I painted the grapes from darkest (left) to lightest (right) because I wanted the light to come out of the shadows and lead the eye to the focal point (the white pot).

The next step was to paint my background with a lighter dark than the shadow side of the objects but to keep them at a close value. That way the shadows almost get lost in the background and it accentuates the lights. Once the background value was established, I've put down the color and light of every objects before getting in the details. At that point, I also like to put a highlight to give myslef a sense of the finished painting right away (it can be modified later).

At that point, the painting was pretty much done. All I had to do was to finish the objects and work a little bit of details and adjustments (temperature, value, edges, light effects etc...). I've put the strongest highlights on the pot and the strongest reflections underneath it because I wanted it to be the center of interest and leave the fruits as secondary objects (even though the lime looks like it wants to steal the show).

If you enjoyed this demonstration, I suggest you check out Linda Cateura's book in wich she shares some great notes from David A. Leffel's classes. It really changed the way I approach painting and is helping me to see and think like a painter. Thanks for stopping by!

Click here to buy the painting: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/424683

My Favorite Teachers: Books and Videos

Since I first started to paint a few months ago, I stumbled upon many books and online painting lessons wich helped me in my learning process. Being an introvert person, I tend to prefer videos and books over live lessons because you can take all the time you want and watch/read them over and over.

If you are a beginner like me (and even a professional), I strongly suggest you find a few artists that you like and put your hand on their books and videos. There are so many of them available online these days that I believe we have more opportunities than the old masters had. We live in a fantastic era where everyting is accessible online and wherever you are (or almost), you can learn from some of the best artists of our time with just a click.

Personaly, I fell for David Leffel's teachings on youtube. Once I had watched all of his promotional videos, I wanted to explore his method a little further, so I did some research and found his book and a video library on brightlightfineart.com. The book was a little expensive so instead, I invested in one of his student's book, Oil Painting Secrets From a Master, in wich she shares all the notes she took in David's classes. It was much less expensive and that way I could see if I liked his method enough  (I totally did) to make a full investment.

I am so greatful that as aspiring artists, we have access to all this knowledge and I am looking forward to my next discoveries. Since I started my painting journey, I never once bought a lesson wich I tought was a bad investment. I believe that in every lesson, regardless of the teacher, you can find at least one nugget of information that will be useful to your education. And remember, ''good artists copy. Great artists steal.'' -Pablo Picasso


 

Blue Pot and Clementine

6x9, oil on canvas (unstretched)

​The concept of this painting is to guide the viewer's eye from left to right by using color and light. To do so, I used a very dark and colorless environment and saved my saturated colors for the point of interest. The grapes are almost colorless except for a little Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Red Light to show the light passing through. They also guide the eye as we move to the culminating point (the blue pot), where the color gets more intense. I also used a grape in the cast shadow of the pot to prevent the viewer's eye from escaping the canvas.

 

Click here to buy: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/419441