Reference image gallery

SESSION 1

Abstracting from source images. – Simplifying and modeling volume with a limited palette, warm and cool hues. Handling light and dark

 

Winter Painting Program – Week 1 – Monochrome Paintings

Boats reference (PDF)

Summary

• Abstract is a part of all images
• It’s the image without the context – it’s reality or context that’s optional
• All images can be formed by only 3 values
• Forcing a pure light or dark schema – positive and negative space – drives an image to become abstract

SESSION 2

Winter Painting Program – Week 3 – Principles of Composition

Setting rules and abstracting within constraints:

Westgate Street Then and Now 2

 

Summary

• There are (surprising) only 5 (or6) real elements of images: line, shape, value, colour and texture
• Working predominantly with 2 elements/ideas (e.g. line with colour) helps in creating so that result does not get muddled
• Creating a sequence of images, one from the other with increasing abstraction is a great exercise
• Abstraction (and creativity) thrives on constraints – straight lines, curves – setting rules

 

SESSION 3

Winter Painting Program – Week 6 – Colour and complements

 

Still Life – Chardin + photo

Summary

• Colour is all about complements
• Placement is key over mixing
• Human vision is dynamic, moving, tuning out colour maps as it goes – probably in the brain too
• Colour effects can be no-colour too (lack of colour)

 

Levels of Abstracted colour

1. Matching
2. Artist’s palette
3. Exaggeration
4. Swap

SESSION 4

Paint in Acrylic and Oil – Week 6 – Impasto brushwork and expression

Abstraction (pdf)

Links used in the session:

https://mymodernmet.com/palette-knife-painting/

https://www.nga.gov/features/mark-rothko/mark-rothko-classic-paintings.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Square_(painting)

https://www.wikiart.org/en/alphonse-allais/first-communion-of-anaemic-young-girls-in-the-snow

Pure Abstraction, Three Ideas:

1. Start with a random base and respond – like the tiled floor above
2. Play with repeating structures and forms – squares, cones, curves, any kind of construct
3. Minimalist interaction of shape and colour – a la Abstract Expressionists

SESSION 5

Reference Lesson: https://www.breakabrush.com/on-line-courses/creating-vivid-compositions/creating-vivid-compositions-week-5-designs-in-space/

Session Recording:

9 Abstract Ideas

Abstraction means so many different things to different people: to a traditionalist an Impressionist painting might seem abstract. To a modernist painter an abstract painting might seem more real than a traditional landscape.

Don’t get hung up on the word, take an active roll in modifying, simplifying and playing with reality. Have a scheme and imprint it on your work. Keep things simple: choose one (or two) ideas and stick to it!

1. Reduce an image to geometrical aspects, then add or remove elements.

2. Eliminate curves or straight lines from an image;

3. Blur areas so as to be out of focus and emphasize others;

4. Recreate an image with squares, dots, perhaps eliminating some of the parts;

5. Recreate in a scheme of positive and negative shapes;

6. Colour switch: change colour from one object to another in your source image to suit your vision;

7. Exaggerate colour, proportion and other features for effect;

8. Use a monochromatic palette to set a new emotional tone;

9. Modify scale: take a detail from an image and blow it up or reduce it in size; You could also do this within the same work for impact.