Explore, Learn & Play!

by Lisa Larrabee

One of my favorite things to do is use my teaching demos for artistic experimentation. In this example, I started with a painting demo that I created in one of my Power of Color classes that used a limited color pallet. I brought the demo into my Creative Pathways class and used it to further demonstrate additional painting techniques.

In my original demonstration, I added colors based on the values of my limited palette, not the color of the subject. The demo was quick and served its purpose, but it became more fun when I made a big mess over it! The second image shows how I used white oil paint with cold wax medium applied with a brayer roller to create a semi-opaque haze. I demonstrated using a variety of tools to create marks and scribbles into the surface (as well as how to smooth out marks you don't like). There was no plan or intention beyond experimenting with the surface texture.

I dipped a large brush into OMS (odorless mineral spirits) and painted a bold "clear" stroke across the top of the head.  The brush was loaded so there were many drips.  I also added additional spatters of OMS. These marks were not initially visible; they just look wet. The OMS dissolves some of the binder in the cold wax medium.  After a few moments, I used a large silicone scraper and drug it across the painting from top to bottom.  All of the cold wax and pigment that had been affected by the OMS squeegeed right off.

Although I did not have a clear plan (and the painting served different purposes for demonstration) I was intentional about not revealing the mouth with the application of OMS.  I felt that it would be poignant to visually silence her.  The effect also has the look of condensation wiped away, creating a sense of vulnerability like being in a shower behind a glass door.  

Through much of my art education and studio experience, I created artwork with a thoughtful plan that was developed before painting began.  Experimenting has allowed me to open up my process to becoming more responsive in my work and I am learning to trust myself in that process.  Even a technique demo on top of a previous demo has the potential to communicate something much greater.  It is an exciting lesson to learn!

~ Lisa

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Changing Direction

 by Lisa Larrabee

Some of my best exploration comes from my teaching demos.  Not always the demos themselves, but the paintings afterwards.  If I am teaching a technique, I tend to keep the demo pretty straightforward. This serves the purpose of teaching the process, but then I have a painting that I can play around with afterwards that I have no strong attachment to.  

I demonstrated a technique on how to use a reductive process in layers.  I discussed this process in a previous post that you can view here: A Reductive Process in Layers.

I love using my technique demos as a springboard for experimentation.  It has been one of the ways I have learned to let go and have some fun with the process.  I was taught to experiment in art school, but also to develop a plan through studies.  Sometimes these are quick sketches and other times I use Photoshop to explore variations.  If you are considering a change to your painting, it can be helpful to test out how it would look.  If you want to completely change the direction of your piece, print out several pictures and try whatever you feel like before committing to the changes on your artwork.

In this example, I printed out a small photo of my painting on regular printer paper.  I used a white pastel pencil to draw over the top.  I find the process of drawing over a print can be more freeing and intuitive than manipulating the image in Photoshop.  Soft pastels work great for changing colors and you can blend them to let the image show through or use them more opaquely to cover areas.

In contrast, my Photoshop version is stiff, but it served its purpose.  I was not trying to create a finished image.  I only wanted to plot out my shapes in advance.  I am working to be more intuitive and responsive to my painting.  Still, having a rough plan gave me more confidence to make a dramatic change.

Above is a picture of my actual painting rather than a print or digital manipulation.  I used titanium white paint mixed with cold wax medium applied very thinly with a brayer roller. Once I transferred the leaves, I used a brush, Q-tip and OMS to remove the paint in a similar method described in the reductive process from the demo stages.  I experimented with rubbing away paint/cold wax outside of the circle using an old cloth once the paint had started to set up.  I was excited to discover that I could remove the paint/cold wax so cleanly, but I didn't like how it felt stiff as though I had cut it out of  vellum.  I might want that effect in the future, so it's important to note the process because it could come in useful elsewhere.

After it dried, I went back in with paint and cold wax medium.  I alternated between pallet knives, scrapers, rollers and a cloth to wipe away what I didn't want. Suddenly, the circle took on a more luminous quality like the moon.  That gave me another direction to follow.

I decided to play up the idea of the moon by glazing transparent blues to darken the background and create more contrast.  Sometimes it is great to have a clear plan to follow.  Other times it is important to allow yourself to experiment, play and determine your direction from one stage to the next.

Art Challenge

When you feel like you already know the outcome and have done it before, change direction and try a whole new path.

• Choose a drawing or painting that you are willing to let go and transform.
• Print out small photos of your artwork onto plain paper and use paint or pastels to make bold changes to your copies before committing to change the original.
• Introducing a completely unrelated subject (like the ivy) can be a great way to shake yourself out of your routine process.
• Respond to each change and see where it goes.  You choose the path forward as you go.
• Have fun!  

~ Lisa

Available Artwork
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Upcycle Your Painting

by Lisa Larrabee

Do you every wonder what to do with old artwork that you feel is kind of meh?  Recycle it.  Better yet, upcycle it and make it better!  There are so many possibilities when it comes to upcycling your artwork.  Allow yourself to respond to what you have while simultaneously letting it go.  

What's Relative?

by Lisa Larrabee

Value is relative.  Temperature is relative.  Color is relative.  There is that word relative again!  To simplify, all of these qualities are affected by their context.  They exist in relationship to their surroundings. When we change the colors or values around a subject, the relationship to the subject also changes.  Being aware of the effects colors and values have on each other can help you create color and value relationships with more accuracy.  Understanding the relationships can empower you to use your knowledge to enhance a color or create emphasis by using surrounding colors and values with intention.

Relative Value

In this example, the background is a gradient from light to dark.  Is the circle also a gradient from dark to light?  No, but it can appear that way.  The top of the circle appears slightly darker against the light background.  The bottom of the circle appears slightly lighter against the dark background.  

Paint with Charcoal

by Lisa Larrabee

Charcoal is both bold and forgiving.  You can blend and smudge charcoal or sharpen it to draw with precision.  Charcoal is a staple in most drawing classes, but did you know that you can also paint with it?

If you mix charcoal powder with water, you can paint using a process that is similar to watercolor.  The charcoal powder often pools and settles creating interesting patterns as it dries.  When the water evaporates, all that is left on the paper is the charcoal.  This charcoal can now be manipulated using traditional dry charcoal techniques.  You can blend, erase and add details using blending stumps, charcoal sticks and charcoal pencils.

Quick & Bold Graphite Studies

   by Lisa Larrabee

Graphite is a staple for any artist.  It can be used for a variety of purposes from doodles to stunning finished works of art.  It is stable, easy to transport and very forgiving.  It is also inexpensive and convenient. There's a good chance you are near a graphite pencil as you read this, so you can join in with the Art Challenge!  

Graphite can be used in a variety of ways.  For the purpose of creating quick studies, I will stick with a medium hardness HB pencil. You can also use a classic #2 yellow pencil with the pink eraser.  Nothing fancy is needed.

Take Risks with Color!

 by Lisa Larrabee

Value does all the work, but color gets all the credit.  That phrase gets thrown around a lot, but what does that even mean?  

We love color!  Colors can be subtle or dazzling.  Colors are powerful and can be used to get our attention or to communicate feelings.  However, value relationships are often the foundation of a drawing or painting.  Values can be essential to providing structure and to creating the illusion of light, form and depth.

Organize Colors by Value

If you want to experiment and take some risks with color, it can help to begin by first considering your values.  In the example below, I began with a black and white photo reference that had a nice range of light, medium and dark values.  I selected colors fairly randomly based on what I thought looked interesting while making sure I had different values.  I then sampled the colors on my gray toned paper in order of dark to light.  

I have been inspired recently by the drawings of Viktoria Maliar and her bold mark-making and color choices.  It reminded me of exercises I did when studying the mark-making of Vincent Van Gogh's portraits back in college.  I approached this study similar to others I have done when experimenting with my color choices.  I focused on placing values where they belonged regardless of whether it made sense for the local color of the subject and with zero regard for lighting color or temperature.