Trout Base Trials

In each of the previous 6 trials, I used very dark base colors for the trout.  I want the reflected light from the surface to be stronger, so I will use a base color that is lighter and brighter.  Below is the first layer of this fish.

Layer #1 of brown trout base.  Click on image to enlarge.  Acrylic on Blick hardboard with texture.

The second layer of the trout includes a little less orange and more shadowing with lavender and some purple.  The gill area is also a little more pink, building on the colors in the foundation and created more reflected light possibilities.  

Layer #2 on body of brown trout.  Click on image to enlarge. 

Note the additional tones in the gill area and the brighter yellow through the midline of the body.  

This is an example of the need for continued refinement of underpainting when using acrylic paints.  Unless I have the opportunity to mix gesso into a color I am creating, or use a lot of titanium white, most colors of even the best paint, or not opaque enough to carry intensity of color without layering.  With patience and continued layering, it is possible to create subtle gradations of color to create depth and added interest.  The midbody area of this trout, just under the dorsal fin, and the gill area are both examples of this type of layering, making acrylic paint work for the image.

The third layer continues to intensify the colors in the under painting.  Hopefully this will pay off with the additional layers that enhance the spotting pattern of the fish.

Layer #3 - Addition of subtle color changes in the fins and belly.  Click on the image to enlarge. 

Brown Trout Coloring: More Experimentation

Trial #5

I actually think this image is closer to what I am looking for.  Of course it is much more work than any of the previous trials; requiring three to five layers to achieve the desired effect.

Trial #6

There are attribues of this image I also find desirable.  I love the transparency of the layers, and the subtle color variations;  again, much more troutlike. 

Brown Trout Coloring: Experimentation Continues

Layer #2 adding acrylic "blobs" to another base coat sample.  Acrylic on paper.  Click on image to enlarge. 

I started being more deliberate by using a #8 round brush and laying down blobs of color.  I think this is getting closer to the color, but I think the trout community would launch a protest to be depicted with such a messy and haphazard scale pattern.  On to the next trial.

Trial #3 - Layer #2 also has the addition of acrylic "blobs" on the original base-coat colors.  Acrylic on paper.  Click on image to enlarge. 

Same colors of paint in layers 1 and 2, but with a different brush and technique in the second layer.  The brush is a #2 script, and each blob is made by making a deliberate circular or oval motion.  The regularity is more "troutlike," and with a deliberate color pattern application, is an improvement over the first two trials.

On to trial #4.

In the fourth trial, I began by defining the negative space on top of the base-coat, then filled in each of the positive spaces with the potential scale colors. I like the intensity of the base color as it shows through in the pattern.  The raw umber circles look too sketch and watery to be the finished image, however.  I will make a second one of these with the intention of making additional enhancements once it dries.

Trial #4 - Layer #2 is simply raw umber outlines connected together.  Click on image to enlarge. 

The transparency of the layers is very appealing, but the outlining is too "painterly."

Sidebar note:  "Painterly" is a word that Liz Sivertson used in a recent workshop at the Art Colony in Grand Marais.  She strives to have each of her paintings have strong "painterly" quality.

Although I understood exactly what she was referring to, I have not thought about the deliberateness of this style of painting.  At this point in time, I think there is a fine line between "painterly" and "not there yet...." in trout scales. 

Brown Trout Coloring: Experimentation Begins

I want to begin with what seems to be the color of the base fish.  I have tried this technique when painting the spots on dogs (particularly a dalmatian,) and the stripes on zebras. I am not sure scales grow on fish the same way that hair grows on dogs and zebra, but it is a place to start.  I created these stripes by quickly laying down wet-next-to-wet acrylics. 

Base colors for first trout-color trial.  Acrylic on paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

Once the base color was dry to the touch, I coated it with a very wet layer of raw umber, thinned acrylic wash.  Immediately, I covered the wet surface with a crinkled sheet of plastic food wrap in the hopes of creating some subtle texture, and let this layer dry.  Although I like the texture and the pattern it creates, it needs additional enhancement to truly look like the fish I saw swimming; something more deliberate and repetitious.

Acrylic on paper, layer #2, enhances with plastic food wrap, and allowed to dry.

 

Patterns; Continued

I continue to be intrigued by the variations in patterns all around us AND the function that each pattern serves.  For example, I recently had the opportunity to watch a small school of brown trout.  The pattern of the majority of their body seems to be a combination of the pebbly gravel on the bottom of the waterway and the bubbles in the water that they seem to be attracted to.

I tried to capture the shapes of the pattern in a pencil sketch, but will need to experiment to land on a brush technique, with acrylics, that does it justice.

Scale pattern in body of brown trout.  Pencil on tan Strathmore sketch paper.   Click on image to enlarge.

Exterior tail shape of brown trout.  Pencil on Strathmore tan sketch paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

 in an earlier post, I shared the rocks I had painted as part of a riverbed;  also acrylic on canvas.  There are parts of this image that are very close to the colors and texture-look of the brown trout.  I will keep this in mind as I do some experimentation.

Patterns with a Purpose

As I was driving along the expressway on my way north, the repetition of the vertical patterns in nature were  everywhere.  The towering birch stands along the roadsides, deliberately planted in rows, to provide a windbreak.   The lodge pole pine stands also flanked either side of the roadway for miles and miles south of Duluth.  They almost appear to be trimmed by a Dr. Seussean barber who left the full, fluffy topknot, but removed almost all greenery and branches from the bottom 95% of each tree.

We have had just enough rain to support lush growth in the ditches between the paved roads and the fence rows of trees.  The spring-green spikes of wild grasses, clover, sumac, and dandelions dance in the back-draft created by massive semi-tractor-trailers, pick-ups pulling campers, and speeding sedans.

Towering above these natural vertical beauties, there was the systematic placement of even taller vertical poles (although once tree trunks, as well,) anchoring announcements and enticements to stop, spend, eat, lust, divert, and spend again.  These signs, too, presented a pattern of sorts; a rhythm known well to all roadway travelers.

A hundred miles into the journey among the verticals, and there she was.....a brown image, blending into the verticalness of her surroundings.  At first it looked like a tree trunk, and then a flick of her ear to remove an irritating fly, gave her away.

A cautious deer added another vertical pattern to the roadside landscape.  Her ear gave her away.   Quick painting; acrylic on sketch paper.   Click on the image to enlarge.

 It wouldn't surprise me at all if a very small fawn was nestled down in to tall grasses, staying hidden from view.  The added marking of each fawn make them even more difficult to "spot" than the parents.  This was the first of almost a dozen deer sightings between Hinkley and Grand Marais.  

Perspective: Day and Night

A small stand of pine trees, surrounding a grassy knoll, seemed like the perfect location to spot local animals.   The roadways heading north were frequented by deer taking a midday stroll.  We watched the Grand Portage meadows with the hopes of seeing a doe and her fawn in this safer location, or perhaps a solitary moose. 

I continued to watch for deer making their evening runs in the meadows and wooded areas around the campground.    The picturesque pine stands in the daylight...............

Pine stand, midday.

  .......took on a mystical quality at night.

Star light, star bright.....

......all of the stars I see tonight.........

Even the grasses and meadow flowers glistened in the starlight.  The shadows of the trees added a rich, purplish color to the ground below.

Perspective on Trees

As we walked the tree-lined path to the High Falls in Grand Portage State Park, the intensity of the rich  greens and the height of the towering pine trees was powerful.  If I stepped off of the path just a few feet and looked straight up, the tree trunks appeared to be converging toward a center directly overhead.  To step back twenty feet and look at the same patch of trees looked very different.  From this point of view, the trees presented a line of rigid, straight sentinels guarding the depths of the forest. 

Photograph on the path, walking toward the High Falls in Grand Portage State Park.

So, I was curious about what it would take to paint the image of the converging trees.  Below are examples of my first try.

Looking up, this in the pine tree to my left. 

Looking up, these are the tops of the pine trees to my right.

Looking about half-way up the trees straight in front of me, the light was much more filtered and subdued. 

This tree study was a good reminder for me that when capturing an image to use as a reference, it is important to be very aware of perspective, highlights, shadows, and point-of-reference. 

The Awe of Exploration

What a curious and brave nature our forefathers and mothers must have had to look out at the rugged wilderness before them and say, "Let's move forward and explore this place."   A recent visit to the High Falls at Grand Portsge State Park, in northern Minnesota, provided a great opportunity to drink in the beauty and power of nature a reflect on the courage of our ancestors to discover this place.

High Falls at Grand Portage State Park.  The park is in the Grand Portage Indian Reservation and borders Canada on the north and east.  

The heavy rains from the night before created a raging river through the valley below.  

There's nothing like a great bike ride!!!

June 20 -

As far back as I can remember, riding a bicycle has been a wonderful thing.  I can still vividly remember my first "cruise" on a two-wheeler, without the training wheels down the sidewalk.   "Thump, thump, thump..."  at each crack dividing the sections;  music to my ears.  I had watched the big girls, Martha's older sisters, fly their Schwinns down that strip of sidewalk, all Spring....it was our turn!!!!

 If you haven't been on a bike ride for a while, strap on your helmet and take a ride down your street, bike path, or driveway - don't forget to check the air in your tires!!!

Strathmore mixed-media paper, painted with acrylic ink, stenciled, and stamped with purchased stamps. 

Pattern and repetition everywhere....

June 19 -

It has been interesting to watch how repetition and pattern, developed in the Zentangle process, has crept into some of my work.  When I think about the brain research done by Howard Gardner, he refers to pattern, duplication, and repetition all of the time.  In fact, these words are the essence of his definitions for each of the 8.5+++ intelligences he has identified.  I think he might be on to something!!

Sea grass at the aquarium.  Acrylic on gessoboard.  Click on image to enlarge. 

After a visit to a wonderful, research aquarium in Sarasota, Florida, I wanted to capture the tropical colors of one of the fish in a new aquarium.  Dave said that he had caught several triggerfish in the Gulf of Mexico, but in the sunlight, they look are a shiny, silvery-gray color.  In the lighting of the aquarium, this beauty takes on the vibrant colors of the tropics, with shimmering teal, aqua, lavendar, and lime green.  Above is the sea grass in the tank of the new exhibit.  Notice the similarities to the grass in the ink-line drawing of the Zentangle.  

The textured bottom of the Triggerfish tank at the Mote Aquarium.  Acrylic on gessoboard.  Click on image to enlarge.

I am curious to know if the colors used in the display tank at the aquarium represent the filtered sunlight as it looks under the water in the Gulf.  Notice that the rocks on the bottom of the tank have a similar look to the rocks under the grass and the river.   Don't be thrown off by the shadow of the plant, there is still just a pattern of circular shapes in a pattern to form a textured flowing, surface.  I see patterns and repetition much more readily now, and hope to continue putting these tools to good use. 

 

 

Freedom leads to......

June 18 -

I started to think about the possibilities of adding color to the graphic nature of the Zentangle process.   I needed a way to cover the electrical box in my studio, and thought a canvas might do the trick.  I used the organic nature of the grassy drawings to create portions of the box cover. 

All images are acrylic on canvas and part of the same painting.  Each image represents a portion of the larger painting.  I have always been intrigued by the composition of both conglomerate and igneous rocks so added some details to represent both in this layer.  Click on the image to enlarge. 

The purple represents the flowing, underground, mineral-rich stream.  Click on the image to enlarge

In the ink drawing, the layers of grass still looked very two-dimensional.  I wanted to add depth in the painting, so each grass color is a darker and more subdued color.  Click on the image to enlarge

Instead of clouds, I turned the wavy element into two distinct groups of images.  The first is meant to suggest more powerful, growing elements springing forth from the growing energy below.  The second is the fluidlike motion of the air moving above.  Click on the image to enlarge.

I liked the contrast of a night sky, as opposed to a sun-filled sky, and artistically, I like the balance of color in the sky with the river below.  Bravo for "artistic license."  Click on the image to enlarge.

Please google ZENTANGLE if you are interest in learning more about this process or giving it a try!

Variations on a Theme

June 17 -

The steps in the sequence in my June 16th post are all part of one final drawing.  It is possible, in a fairly short amount of time, to create variations.  I kept experimenting until I found the elements I liked.  Although Zentangle is not intended to be more than ink on paper, with a little pencil shading for depth and enhancement, it can prove to be inspiration for other creations.  More about this in my Thursday post. 

Variation on a theme.  This image uses all Zentangle elements to create another version of grass over a rocky, underground riverbed.  There is only one layer of grass, which makes the location seem more barren, and the stars imply a night scene.  Line drawings with ink and pencil for shading.

Yes, this really is a variation on the same theme, but now the straight lines of the grassy blades are replaced with jagged, branchy shafts.  Notice there are still only three layers of "blades."  The spirals in the "sky" suggest an alien environment OR invasion, instead of a calm night sky.  Are these images that we have assigned to the "alien" connotation, or have we learned that connection?  Good question!

No Pencil or Eraser allowed?

June 16 -

Another drawing trend that is very popular right now is Zentangle.  It was developed by a couple; a former monk and a calligrapher, who have some very specific rules about process.  I have found the technique to be very freeing because you cannot make a mistake.  Basically, you begin with small, images that you can repeat over and over, with or without variation (depending on the image and the application,) until you have fill the predetermined area.  Oh, one more rule:  NO pencil and NO eraser allowed in the process; pencil may be used for shading at the end ONLY!  The images below represent part of the progression of steps in the process.

All pictures in this series are built on the image that was created before.  All are created using a Micron black fine tip pen on acrylic-coated paper.   The first step is simply lines draw to form blades of grass with roots going below.  Click on image to enlarge.

The rocky area where the roots are anchored is also formed by simple line drawings and dots.  Click on the image to enlarge.

Below the upper rock foundation is the river bed to feed the roots above; also a very simple line drawing repeated four times. Below that, is the lowers, rock layer, made my making simple rocks and giving them "weight" with short, repeated lines.   Click on the image to enlarge.

The rich texture and moisture layers below the root level could certainly support additional grass, so look carefully to see the two additional tiers of grass blades, added one at a time, behind the first.  The key to layering in Zentangles is to stop drawing at each overlap, and continue on the other side.   Think ahead - remember no erasers.  Click to enlarge the image.

Those open blades of growing grass needed "something", so I began to add some hearts to suggest natures way of growing passion, care and love.  Again, in keeping with the spirit of Zentangle, the key is in the repetition.  Click on the image to enlarge.

If you investigate Zentangle, you will discover that there are many, many standardized patterns that Zentanglers all over the world, recreate for their own images.   Most of the images above, including the twisted cloud shape, are part of the Zentangle library.  Click on the image above to enlarge. 

Continued repetition and layering result in a fairly complex image that use only simple lines and a little shading to complete.  Remember, no pencil or eraser allowed in this process. 

Sketching to Painting, continued

June 15 -

It just isn't possible to draw and paint one dog without doing the same for his "brother."  The second dog presented two challenges for me.  First, he is predominately black and second, his shiny wet nose is also black.  I could capture the curvature of the top of the nose and the nostrils with simple line drawing, but needed the help of both the highlighting pastel pencil and the dark, soft graphite to get the contour I was looking for.  I learned from painting the first dog on gessoboard, that changing the background color can help the image "pop" as well, so tried that with brown graphite.  It helps with the top contour, but really just adds some texture.

Pencil sketch of 2nd dog with pencil, white pastel pencil, brown pencil and 6b graphite pencil on tan paper.  Click image to enlarge.

I still had to tackle the biggest challenge; Rocky is almost all black.  I have observed many painting, photographs,and drawings over the years that turn  black cats and dogs into inky blobs of dark mush.  I wanted to be sure that the energy and vitality of this dog is refected (yes, pun intended,) in his painting.  Adding his actual white markings on the sketch of the muzzle helped me see the dimension of the snout more clearly and think about ways to create energy and depth.

Acrylic paint on gessoboard.  Click on image to enlarge.

Adding a little pink where the actual skin color was visible around the mouth opened the window for me to add more color.   I think the color also helped define the top of the muzzle better than the shading, alone, in the pencil/pastel sketch.  Although the pencil sketch had added background, the intensity of the background color here not only adds to the dimensionality of the dog, it also help convey his personality and energy.

Acrylic on gessoboard - cropped.  Click on image to enlarge.

In addition to his natural, white markings, adding addition color to the otherwise solid black coat, help bring Rocky's vitality into this painting.  Is he really blue, purple, green, hot pink and ......well not really, but his energy comes through loud and clear!!

Sketching to Painting, continued

June 14 - 

If I take the time, I have found that adding shading and highlighting to my sketches helps me transition to creating the image I want with color.  For example, flat, ALMOST two-dimensional qualities of a dog's ear presented a challenge.  After sketching with just a pencil, I went back into the sketch with a white pastel pencil and a very soft, dark graphite pencil.  It really helped me see the subtle differences in both texture and depth.  

Pencil sketch reworked with white pastel pencil and 6b graphite pencil.  Cropped pencil, chalk, and graphite drawing on tan paper.

I actually did two different color renditions of this image.  I wanted a bright, bold, high contrast image for my first try and used acrylic paint on gessoboard.  Both the highlight and the extra darks I was able to add with the soft graphite pencil helped with the contrast work when moving to paint.  

Acrylic paint on gessoboard.

I think the added bonus to make the image "pop" is the choice of color for the background foundation.  That is part of the image I did not alter in the pencil sketch.  I also tried to enhance the feeling of hair in the painting.  It seems to work the best above the eye and brow where the actual dog has layers of hair that are different colors.  The darker hair is underneath and the lighter, courser hair is on the surface.  That was helpful for my work!

The Importance of Sketching

June 13 - I am trying to be disciplined enough to increase the number of sketches I do in a week.  If I let go of the notion that all sketches need to be frame-ready, I do a much better job of both sketching and creating a painting.

Sketch at the beach - flying willet.  Click on image to enlarge

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While visiting the beach on a particularly windy day, the willets and sanderlings were enjoying a bountiful meal; the waves pounding the shoreline must have been filled with small shells that were just vulnerable enough to be dinner.  I took this opportunity to try and catch the motion of the birds, and returned home to do a small painting.    Above is a portion of the quick sketch and below is the way I used the sketched image in part of a small acrylic painting.

Willet in flight - Acrylic on gessoboard - cropped.  Click on image to enlarge.

June 12 - Since I have been focusing on "eggs" and the critters that hatch from them, it seems fitting in an image discussion, to make a comparison to the "chicken and the egg" question.

In creating a painting, what comes first, the idea, the photograph, the sketch or the painting?  If you asked four artists, you could get four different answers.  I would love to claim that I had this great idea to seek out the perfect robin's nest to represent Spring, followed by the exploratory quest.  That, however, is not how the image presented itself.

As we approached the garage door, there it was...the 2015 nest atop the sensor lights.  Since the nest, in that location, presented a fire hazard, Dave took it down, and set it on a nearby table (hmmmm - idea.) I quickly did the sketch (below), with the nest sitting on a white tabletop, which was actually the first step in this process. (Had I been able to use the camera on my phone, I could also have snapped a picture at this point in time.)

Quick sketch of four robin's eggs in nest - click on image to enlarge

Quick sketch #2 - Protesting from afar - So "robin-like!"

This image was not visually interesting, so I looked around the yard for potential enhancements.  The new apple leaves seemed like a logical Spring addition, but how to include the irritated and watchful mother robin???

 Although she is crucial to the entire nesting and parenting process, the posturing in the middle of the yard, as we violated the nest, was a significant part of this image.  Later I captured another quick sketch to help me document the importance of her actions stomping and squawking around the yard - so "robin-like!!"

I used both of these sketches to plan the painting (see June 8th post for a cropped portion of the final painting.)

So, which comes first?  This time it was:

1.  The discovery (resulting in the idea)
2. Sketching
3.  Research (Retrieval of some previous photographs of apple leaves AND robin's nest) 
4. Research - grass study
5. Color testing - how many different shades of green am I able to mix with the paints I have?
6. Paint
7. Re-paint, re-paint, re-work, etc.............

I wonder what the other three artists that were asked used for their production process!