 I have been watching Turner Vinson's plein air YouTube videos. He is the most enjoyable plein air painter to watch because his approach is so direct and spontaneous. He smears, drips, and brushes color onto the canvas in a way that appears out of control and wild, but he is always studying his subject carefully. His marks are intentionally spontaneous, which is what makes him interesting to watch. Plus, he sometimes paints very large paintings outdoors, and the complexity and difficulty of carrying and managing canvases and supplies shows tremendous intention. He often uses very thick paint. I noticed that he uses the cheapest brands he can find, which is smart since he's using so much paint. See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbZ5P-KyqRs
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  Oil painting by artist Mickey Culver [email protected]
Culver's painting blends realism and abstraction, offering a unique visual experience. The foreground stripes make us respond to the piece as if it were abstract. The abstract effect is accentuated by the seemingly disconnected landscape to the left and right of the vehicle in the upper part of the painting. However abstract this painting may seem, it is actually a realistic painting. It is an illusion on a highway. A mirage in which shimmering pools of water seem to cover the roadway far ahead. This mirage occurs when the air near the ground is much hotter than the air above it. This temperature gradient causes light rays to bend (refract) as they pass through layers of air at different temperatures, creating the appearance of water or a shimmering, blurry effect on the road. This is specifically called an 'inferior mirage', as the mirage appears below the actual object. As artists, this painting may inspire us to look for unusual phenomena in the world around us that would create a dynamic and thought-provoking composition, challenge viewers' perceptions, and invite diverse interpretations.  Visual Color Memory Before I discuss the chart below, let's discuss visual color memory. Being able to create the exact color you want for a painting is a wonderful challenge and good skill to have. The first step is to know what colors you already have. And by "knowing" your color, I am saying can you see them in your mind without looking at them physically? You can probably see in your mind the difference between blue and red. But can you envision the more subtle difference between Cadmium Red Medium and Cadmium Red Light? When you look at the colors on your pallet, look at them with the intention of remembering what they look like. There's nothing special you have to do, just give the colors your attention for a moment and you will be committing them to your visual memory. Make Your Own Color Chart It can be helpful to make your own chart that has the colors you own. Next to each square of color, have the same color with some white added. That way you will see the pure color plus each color as a tint. Do this with each new color you buy to increase your visual vocabulary, and soon you will easily see in your mind, for example, the difference between Ultramarine Blue and Phthalo Blue. Or between Quinacridone Red and Quinacridone Magenta. The Color Mixing Guide The chart below (brought to my attention by one of the painters in my program) can help you, if you are new to color mixing. It shows all of the basic colors and what they look like mixed with each other. I found this chart to be very useful for my students. However, I must add one caveat. While the color mixtures are accurate on the chart, what the chart does not tell you is that there is a little bit of white added into each mixture of color. Nevertheless, I am recommending this chart as a very useful color matching aid. I believe it will help you on your journey to master full color matching. Where to Buy I found this chart on Blick Materials website for around $14. There are other cheaper charts that look similar, but they don’t have the same level of detail as this one.   Your Painting and Copyright Law
In my studio, I sometimes provide reference photos of paintings by other artists. But the images I provide are intended for educational purposes only. And copies painted of them are not meant to be sold or presented as your original works. Can you paint a picture of another person’s painting? Yes, but you cannot sell the painting. Or promote it in public/online as if it were your original idea. Can you post your copied painting publicly online? Yes, but: 1. You cannot offer it for sale. 2. You cannot sign it as if it were your original painting. 3. You must attribute the painting to the original artist and provide a link to the artist, if you know who it is. For example, you would specify in your post: “This is a study of a painting by Joe Smith at www.JoeSmith. com” If you want to be extra courteous, contact Joe Smith first and ask him if you can paint a copy of his painting. If you are unaware of who the artist is, you could do a Google image search. And if you still cannot find who the artist is, then state in your post: "Image found on line, artist unknown." Can you share images of your copied painting with friends? Yes, but technically, you cannot sell it to them. Can you give your copied painting away? Yes. However, best practices would suggest that you credit the original artist, if you know who it is, on the back of the painting along with all the other important details of the piece, like the title, dimensions, and medium. Can you paint a painting that is a dramatically altered version of another painter's painting? Yes, if it is altered sufficiently. The criteria is that if you paint an alteration of say Joe Smith's painting, it shouldn’t look like any specific painting by Joe Smith. This is a gray area in copyright law, so I can’t say exactly how altered it must be from the original. Can you paint in another artist's style? Yes, an artist cannot own a style. Artists can only own specific physical or digital works. In other words, you could paint in Van Gogh’s style all you want and sign it as your own, but you could not paint a copy of any specific Van Gogh paintings and claim it as your own. Are there copyright-free images to use as reference photos? Yes, do a search for copyright-free photos and lots of options will come up. Can you use AI-generated images as reference photos, which are cobbled together images of other artists artwork? This is a new topic, and precise rulings have not been made yet about copyright ethics and AI-generated images.  There is no universal standard for what a wall label should look like, or the information that it should contain. Art galleries and museums will have their own stylistic preferences. However, here is what a typical wall label may look like if you are making your own: Label dimensions: 3” horizontal by 2” vertical Font: New Time Roman, or Arial, or Aptos Font size: 11 point  Here are the items your wall label must contain:
Title: Artist: Dimensions: Medium: Price: Contact info: About the Title If your painting is from your own reference photo, then you can title it whatever you wish. However, if your painting is a copy of someone else's painting that was found online, then it is not an entirely original work of yours because you are copying somebody else's work. In that case, your title should say: "This is a copy of a painting found online, artist unknown.” If you do know who the original artist is, then for the title you would say: "This is a copy of a [Artist name here] painting" Dimensions Indicate the width first. The dimension is for the artwork only and does not include the frame. Medium Oil on canvas. Or Oil on board. Or whatever the medium is. Price You can have any price you want. There is no universal standard. But naturally, if you are new to painting you would price your work on the lower side. If your painting is a copy of another artist’s work, you must put ‘NFS’ for the price. Because it is unethical to sell a painting that is a copy of another artist work. NFS means Not For Sale. Your Contact Information If you would like to be contacted about questions or for a possible sale, you must put your email address on the label. However, if you do not want to make your email address public then do not put it on the wall label. Printing Your Wall Label After printing your wall labels, draw a 2" x 3" box around it, then carefully cut it out with a blade or scissors. Make sure the cut lines are straight and cut carefully. You want your label to look professional. Back of Painting Information All of the information on your wall label, except for price, must also be permanently applied to the back of your painting. That way, people hanging your artwork can associate the information on your wall label with its specific painting. Do not use a felt tip pen to write on the back of a canvas because, over time, it may leach through to the front of the painting. I typically use a soft lead pencil. Write legibly, clearly, and dark enough so no one has to struggle to read it. The price is never included on the back of your painting because it can change. |
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Patrick Howe, Artist, Author and Educator Seattle, WA. Contact: [email protected] |
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