This past season in my art classes I have developed a new series of classes
designed to train an aspiring artist to become an astute draftsman ready to begin composing ones own paintings. As one of my students would say....to orchestrate a composition rather than slavishly copy a photograph or a scene in Plein Air.
For those students who have chosen to follow my instruction in doing the preliminary practice of sketching and planning their values and shapes in their composition before they begin painting, it has been exciting to see how students have grown.
Key Factors to Growth1.) Training to observe CAREFULLY
Start slowly, observe, ALWAYS check and recheck
2.) Think composition......first consider the value pattern and shapes you design more than the "objects"...... consciously creating interesting and powerful compositions.
To improve the composition of your given source material sometimes alter what you have carefully observed.
This summer I plan on offering some plein air painting instruction utilizing the sketching principles we worked on developing this past year.
After looking at values in drawing and working on a the problems of drawing a still life from life. Jeff attempted his first still life in acrylic paint on his own.
Careful observation of shape, value combined with conscious awareness of the composition of light and dark pattern over the entire canvas including both positive and negative space here demonstrates how careful observation and thoughtful composing of light and dark pattern structures a beautiful painting.
I have two suggestions for Jeff. One is regard to the cloth texture. In acrylic it can be very challenging to create smooth blending. A Golden or Liquitex blending medium can be very helpful to slow drying time and allow for smoother transitions in the folds. That said without using the medium Jeff did an amazing job working at getting at smooth folds, even without blending medium.
Secondly look at lost edges. Especially the middle pear. I receding edge should be softened as in the the case of the shadowed underside of the pear. Also the cloth edges in the rear could be softened to suggest that they recede behind the pears in space.
For a first still life however, this is a great beginning to be proud of in every way. You said you worked on this first still life for 10 hours. Something you should know about Jeff is that he was an Olympic Speed Skater and now trains Olympic Speed Skaters. If he applies the same disciplined training that took him to the Olympics to painting he will be an accomplished painter before he knows it.
