Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro - " The arrangement of light and dark elements in a pictorial work of art."

 
St Joseph the Carpenter - Georges de la Tour


This piece shows the stark contrast between the illuminated light on the child's face, and the darkness behind the man. The arrangement of light in this image guides the viewer's eye to be attracted to the child's face.

Pentimento

Pentimento (according to the online dictionary) - "An underlying image in a painting, as an earlier painting, part of a painting, or original draft, that shows through, usually when the top layer of paint has become transparent with age."

This painting of Queen Elizabeth I was done by an unknown artist in the late 16th century.

Around her hand it appears that there was originally something other than what she is currently holding. Sources claim that she was originally holding a coiled snake and it was painted over to show the nosegay that she is holding now.

(http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/5028)

Hans Hoffman: The Studio (1950)

"It is not the form that dictates the color, but the color that brings out the form."

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."

This particular piece uses color and basic shapes to describe the space of a studio room. There is a distinct stool in the lower right and a possible corner of a canvas in the top left. 

Hans Hoffman's first quotation reiterates the importance of the use of color in describing shapes. He uses bright colors that contrast one another such that they describe forms around the space. He also uses negative space to describe shapes (such as the stool). 

His second quotation correlates to the simplicity in this piece. The only real distinct shape is the stool, the rest of the shapes are left to interpretation. However, according to Hoffman, the rest of the shapes are the "necessary," and in this piece he emphasizes their existence and allows them to speak. 

Matisse: Reclining Odalisque (Harmony in Red)

In depicting this model, Henri Matisse seems to focus on her interaction with her surroundings. Instead of simply drawing the model and the details in the model, Matisse captures qualities about the surroundings of the model as well. There is not much detail overall, but the scene is still interesting because of the quantity that it contains and the relatively accurate proportion in which everything appears.

One very notable thing about this painting is Matisse's use of color. The vivid red in the background is the most obvious. However, the way in which he used subtle colors of green, blue, purple and gray to capture the woman's skin tones is impressive. Matisse used non traditional bright colors to depict a realistic scene.

Nov 4

Oct 28

Nude Models

Sketching the nude models was a very new experience for me. While I was initially very nervous, I came to realize that this was something unlike anything that I had ever done and in may ways it was significantly more interesting. Instead of drawing the same still life for hours, drawing a person doing different things was a lot more dynamic.

However, because this was something unlike anything I have ever done, it came with its challenges. Adhering to the correct proportions proved to be very difficult, especially with the hands, feet, head, and face. Also foreshortening was an extremely difficult thing to encounter. During one of the sessions, I was in such a position so that no matter what the model did, one of her features was always being foreshortened.

While these difficulties continue to appear with each session, it also seems as though each time gets a little easier. Due to practicing, it seems as though I have developed a more formulated way of approaching these problems. One of which is sketching the surrounds. Another is using the shapes of negative space to form relations between the model and the objects surrounding her.

A quote by Hoffman that could be applied to these sketches is: "Art cannot result from sophisticated, frivolous, or superficial effects." Drawing the figure requires observation and the ability to convey what is being viewed onto paper. Doing this requires nothing but natural abilities, and no extra effects.


Some of my sketches from the different sessions are shown below (and in following posts).
Oct 21: