2. USE A GROUND
There are many benefits to working on a ground. One of these is
increased painting or drawing speed. A ground covers a painting or
drawing surface from the outset. It can act as mid-tone, with only black
and white used to apply dark and light areas (as in the examples below)
or be left partially visible in the final work. This results in an artwork
that is much faster to complete.
3. INCORPORATE MIXED MEDIA /PATTERNED SURFACES /
TEXTURAL ELEMENTS
As with using a ground, patterned, decorative or textural items can cover
areas of an artwork quickly. Although this strategy should be used with
care, selecting only materials which support or enhance your project
(usually with reference to a relevant artist model) this can be a great
way to speed up your project and introduce creative use of mixed media.
4. USE MASKING TAPE TO CREATE STRAIGHT EDGES
Masking tape creates straight edges in seconds. Once mastered, this trick can
save you hours – and make your paintings sharper, cleaner and more professional
in the process.
5. LEAVE ARTWORK PURPOSEFULLY INCOMPLETE
Artist work is sometimes purposefully ‘unfinished’. Art students shouldn't feel
obliged to ‘complete’ every item. There are many occasions when a fully
rendered drawing is not necessary. Drawings, especially those in sketchbooks,
can be left with edges trailing away and tone only applied to some areas.
Leaving work unfinished is particularly useful when conducting visual
research, exploring ideas and experimenting with media.
6.
7. INCLUDE PHOTOGRAPHS
While there is a certain quantity of painting and drawing that must take
place within a Painting or Fine Art portfolio, photography can provide an
excellent mechanism for moving a project forward at a faster pace.
8. In addition to helping with composition planning, photography can be
collaged into artworks or used as painting ground. If the photograph remains
visible in the final work, less paint needs to be applied, thus speeding up
the art-making process.
9. USE A BIGGER BRUSH
There is something surprisingly liberating about painting with a bigger
brush – especially if you have previously worked at a microscopic scale,
picking out detail the size of a pin prick. You will soon discover that it is
just as easy to achieve clean edges with a larger brush and that an
unexpected level of detail can be achieved.
10. Be more gestural
Images can be created quickly, using rich, expressive mark-making. Those
who have only produced realist, tightly controlled drawings usually take
some time to adapt to this approach and not all students find it easy;
selection of the right drawing tools and mediums can help.
Charcoal, chunky 5mm wide graphite leads, big brushes and paint applied
with pieces of card all lend themselves to gestural mark-making .
11.
12. Next week’s agenda:
Monday: 1040-1140
• Continuous line drawing of Apple in pencil (15 mins)
• Continuous line drawing of Apple in marker (15 mins)
• Realistic drawing of Apple in pencil (30 mins)
Wednesday: 1040-1140
• Sketch or draw Apple and paint with washes (20 mins)
• Sketch or draw Apple and color with color pencil (20 mins)
Friday: 1040-1140
• Demo on impasto work by Miss Bella 15 mins
• Impasto work of Apple 40 mins
