Acrylic paints are very versatile and give you, the artist, the opportunity to create art pieces in different styles. Typically, acrylic paintings do not show the type of brush work that is characteristic of oil paintings. The plastic nature of the binding in acrylic paint tends to 'relax' as the paint dries and this results in a flatter texture. Oil paints tend to have more pigment than acrylic paints and this can also give the finished piece a more vibrant look.
We can, however, give our acrylic work a nudge in this direction by adding a heavy medium, as well as being more aware of colour theory when mixing paints. The intent of this course is to learn how to use and apply a heavier medium in order to paint with texture in a looser style.
You can, of course, add as much of the medium as suits your intention and an important aspect of the course is giving you the opportunity to experiment to achieve your desired results. Any subject matter can be given an extra sense of movement and emotion in this way, either using a brush or a palette knife, and we will explore both methods in the course.
The example below is an extract from a painting by Chris Long (www.chrislongpainter.com), which illustrates what we might be looking to achieve together.
We can, however, give our acrylic work a nudge in this direction by adding a heavy medium, as well as being more aware of colour theory when mixing paints. The intent of this course is to learn how to use and apply a heavier medium in order to paint with texture in a looser style.
You can, of course, add as much of the medium as suits your intention and an important aspect of the course is giving you the opportunity to experiment to achieve your desired results. Any subject matter can be given an extra sense of movement and emotion in this way, either using a brush or a palette knife, and we will explore both methods in the course.
The example below is an extract from a painting by Chris Long (www.chrislongpainter.com), which illustrates what we might be looking to achieve together.
A more subtle approach might be: (www.artbymatthewhayes.co.uk)
Week 4: Below is a short video showing some different styles in using the palette knife. Please take a look...
Week 3 : Painting ideas Click Here. You can use these images as a guide, or find any photograph you wish. Try to think how the photograph can be adapted to the techniques we have used in weeks one and two. Pick something that appeals to you!
Watch the video for a discussion of materials, or just download the check list.
For the first lesson we will be learning how to best mix the paint and experimenting with some ideas. We will then start a smaller painting to get the hang of it. The aim is to finish it in the session. For the second lesson you will be working on a larger painting with a view to developing your own style. For the third lesson we will complete our painting from week 2 and I would ask that you spend a moment to look for a photograph or painting you would like to work on yourself and we will begin that this week. Check here for some examples. For the final week you will continue working on your own painting, with guidance as required. |
Week 2: We will be working on the painting shown in the video below...
Week 1: We will talk about the technique of using a palette knife and practice this doing the painting shown below...
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