What did I do to pursue excellence in my art?
In the past couple of years, I’ve decided to pursue excellence in my art.
I told you in part 1 how I decided that I needed to quit being good enough, and pursue excellece.
Once I recognized the need to improve myself and strive for excellence in my art, I needed to figure out what I was going to do to be the best I could be.
So what did I do to pursue my goals of creating better paintings?
I Explored
I looked at other artists. I checked out my local peers, some departed legends, and some internet sensations. I rediscovered Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran. I tried to paint the dramatic light and atmosphere like they did.
I discovered Renato Muccillo, who is self taught like I am, but way better. I went on YouTube and discovered Michael James Smith, a realistic painter who has some excellent videos! At the other end of the spectrum I found Scott Naismith and his semi-abstract landscapes.
I went to Instagram and discovered more great artists like John Pototschnik and Mark Maggiori.
One of my favorites is a Spanish artist named Fermin Garcia Sevilla. I love the way he blends realism with a dash of smoky abstraction.
I Experimented
I wanted to paint realistically, but with a little abstract flare. So I painted a couple of more realistic pieces. I painted a couple of wild pieces. Then I painted some things in between. I figured out where I wanted to be on the realism scale.
I slowed down and took my time
I paid attention to detail. I painted the granite specks on boulders, and little pebbles on a trail, and individual blades of grass. I painted better waves and ripples in the waters. I painted the roughness of tree bark, and individual needles on a red pine. I focused on the little things that would make a better painting.
I tightened up my brush and knife work.
Painting in a loose fashion is fun and conveys energy, but I wanted to limit those wild strokes and create deliberate and purposeful elements in my compositions. I focused on painting with intentional brush strokes to convey proper form and shape. Every now and then, I’ll let a few crazies show up to keep the painting lively!
The Painting to the near right, ” Above Bandelier” is one of my favorites. There is depth, detail, and even some loose brush work in the sky.
I paid closer attention to lights and darks
No more dull, flat paintings. I wanted light! I wanted shadow! I wanted drama!
I wanted contrasting patterns and rhythm that would capture your eye and lead you into the painting. I created these elements by juxtaposing light areas and dark areas.
I got my colors right, then pushed them
I started working to match colors better. I started with a limited palette, mixing my paints so they closely represented what I was seeing. I especially practiced my greens, so they weren’t too intense.
Later, I played with new colors, like quinacridone magenta, thalo violet, and cyan.
The painting at the lower far right is more or less accurate color, but with some hot reds in the foreground, conveying heat!
The Results are In!
My oil on canvas piece, “The View” marks the culmination of my process and progress. This small work perfectly represents my goals. It’s realistic, the depth is perfectly conveyed, the foreground tree is detailed, the lighting is dramatic, and when you look at the foreground, you see the bits of colorful abstraction, playfulness in an otherwise straightforward painting.
“The View” was awarded Best in Show at the 2019 Superior Art Association Members Show!
I’ll share more wonderful results of my pursuit of excellence in Part 3.
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