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Archive by category "pastel painting"

Inside the Sketchbook of Yiwei Xu

Yiwei Xu is a Chinese-born artist based in London and Kent whose work explores the sensory power of nature and the peace found in its impermanence. In this article, we take a look inside her vivid and expressive sketchbooks, where she finds freedom in unhindered self-expression. Yiwei discusses how her sketches evoke memories, the tactile process of selecting her materials, as well as her philosophy of approaching creativity without being bound by the burden of expectation. Inside the Sketchbook of Yiwei Xu Sketchbooks used to be my biggest comfort zone in my practice. There are no limitations, no specific methods to follow, no standard of what’s right or wrong – I’m free to mess things up. Flipping open a sketchbook, I don’t have to be skilful or professional; the only thing I need to think about is being myself – what I want to see, what I want to record, what I care about. During that time, my sketchbooks were full of random, personal subjects. I don’t have a specific preference when choosing sketchbooks, but I do enjoy picking one in person. That way, I can feel the texture of the paper and imagine the feeling …

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Sponging Techniques for Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking

Using sponges for painting may initially bring back memories of using poster paint in primary school, but they’re also a valuable tool for artists working in painting, drawing, and printmaking. In this article, I explore the sponging technique by looking at examples from antiquity to Dutch botanical painting, as well as Degas’ prints. Articles in the Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them. Sponging Techniques for Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking Definition: Sponging is the application of paint or ink to a surface using a sponge. This could be a natural sea sponge or a manufactured one. What is the Effect of Sponging? Sponging adds texture to paintings by printing the impression of the sponge onto the surface. Sea sponges generally have defined holes which will appear when dabbed onto a painting. Whereas manufactured sponges have tiny holes which make the sponged mark appear more unified. The artist may manipulate a sponge by cutting it into a particular shape for their purposes, or compress or twist it in their grip to make a specific printed mark. Sponges may also be swiped …

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Pointillist Techniques for Painting and Drawing

In this article, I explain the pointillist technique by looking at works by the artists who created it – Georges Seurat and Paul Signac – and others who embraced it, like Anna Boch and Lucie Cousturier. And then I demonstrate how to achieve the pointillist technique in your own work, using oil and acrylic paint, pencil, and pastel. Articles in the Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them. Pointillist Techniques for Painting and Drawing Definition: Pointillism is the application of small dots of pure colour that form a complete image when viewed from a distance. The technique relies on optical mixing, where instead of combining colours on the palette, our eyes merge the adjacent dots to reveal form, value, and space. What is the Effect of Pointillism? When pointillism is executed well, it conveys to the viewer that the artist has a deep understanding of colour. These works often use complementary colours to create contrast and visual interest. And they have soft transitions between tones by diffusing the dots of one area with those nearby. Since these artworks rely on optical mixing, the …

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The Blocking In Technique for Painting and Drawing

In this article, I explain the blocking in technique, by defining its purpose and demonstrating how to use it to plan the placement of tone, colour, and composition in artwork. I refer to art history by looking at examples of unfinished paintings from the Renaissance to the pioneering approach of Cézanne. Through my demonstrations, I show how blocking in can speed up the art making process, in acrylic, oil, pencil, and pastel. Articles in the Painting Techniques series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them. Blocking In Technique Definition ‘Blocking in’ refers to media that has been applied broadly with minimal detail, to give the artist an idea of the placement, form, tone, size, or colours of the imagery. A resolved artwork may be completely ‘blocked in’, or retain some areas from the blocking in stage. Although it more commonly functions as an initial underpainting or underdrawing that will later be developed further by the artist. What is the Effect of Blocking In? When you block in the early stages of an artwork, it provides a foundation to build from and allows for any necessary …

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Blending Techniques in Oil, Acrylic, Pencil, Pastel, Charcoal, Watercolour, and Ink

In this article I explore the technique of blending, referring to examples from Sfumato paintings in the Renaissance, through to Symbolist pastel drawings. Followed by practical demonstrations for blending in a variety of mediums – oil, acrylic, pencils, soft and oil pastel, charcoal, watercolour, and ink – and give tips for achieving a seamless finish. Articles in the Painting Techniques Series define the meaning and context of art making processes and give practical tutorials on how to work with them. Blending Techniques in Oil, Acrylic, Pencil, Pastel, Charcoal, Watercolour, and Ink Definition Blending refers to the mixing towards, or transition between, two or more different colours or values, to create a smooth gradient between them. A successfully blended area will have a consistent, melded-together finish, without any hard edges, lines, or random marks. What is the Effect of Blending? The visual effect of blending may help to achieve realism, or simply add a pleasing gradient to an artwork. Whether a work is naturalistic or abstract, areas of blending often provide a sense of depth, be it blended tone across a glass on a table or blending between bright colours. It’s a technique that’s doable in all …

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