Art Style Generator - How to expand your style!

"...a new navigator for contemporary works of art created by Charles Morris, which is designed to highlight the current renaissance of everything, showing how the widest range of human experience is expressed in contemporary art.

Art Style Generator allows you to dream up new works of art with any combination of stylistic elements. You can then commission Morris or another artist to create the piece. Art directors and artists are also welcome to use the site to help envision and plan new works of art."

A friend and I are conspiring on getting a group of artists together and practice this with a model or perhaps we'll combine it with the weekend sketching outings. I'll share what becomes of it! :)

Gesture - Capturing mood/energy and personality

[Slightly] exaggerate features you want to emphasis movement or personality of. Drawing directly what you see in reality can appear stagnant, stiff, lifeless as a realist drawing. The goal is to stay within the limits of believable so to keep this image visually harmonious and balanced. It is a tool for directing attention and communicating whatever is desired.

Harold Speed talks about how line quality and hatching techniques can effect mood as well.

Info source: # Wendy #AAAF

"If the gesture is off, there is no amount of surface details that will correct the drawing." - Inge
Start with your foundation. Without proceeding through the necessary stages/steps, a drawing will follow apart, but with a good eye and adequate knowledge it can usually be corrected. Don't abort ship until you've a least given some effort to trying to save it. Sometimes it is better start with a clean sheet of paper; sometimes it faster and just fine to drastically correct your original drawing. Situational.

Here's an artist info blog I stumbled upon in Google images: Gurney Journey

So, what are you (intentionally or [sub]/unconsciously communicating in your work?

Landscape painting Tips - Color of a city

Each place has its own color, which is why each city has its own particular atmosphere. Assisi has a lot of pink reflecting from the type of stone that was mined there.* Whereas, Florence has a golden light. This naturally effects your palette choice when [plein air] landscape painting or painting a cityscape, in general. The color will create a sense of mood, but also location. Hence, I remember years ago as child seeing a simple painting of a house and instantly correctly guessing Bermuda. It will make a huge impact for your end result.

Florence, to keep to sky from going to blue use: light yellow oxide. Nice and transparent.
Yellow ochre is too dulling.

Start with dry brush-in of your shadow/light shape composition. Fill in your shadow shapes. Pay attention to what time of day it is and what effect that has. Decide and act (aka paint).

*Verify, retelling from memory

Info source: #Llewellyn

Tips on Paint Brush Care

If you have to leave you brushes a long time without adequate cleaning or simple want to reshape them>>

Let sit in linseed oil and wrap in plastic wrap. (I found from previous experience, keeping my palette in the freezer kept my oil paints from drying out as quickly.)

 Work hair conditioner into bristles, reshape and carefully wrap in paper, and let dry. Remove paper form once dry to reveal a nicely reshaped brush.

(Info source: #Savannah via #Jered)