Coursework: Britta’s Present
Right for christmas I found Britta’s acrylic work that probably made somebody very happy. Finding the fitting value for light, shadow and glistening surfaces is not easy, but Britta managed that quite well.
Prepared for the Workshop
You never know how the weather would be like when you announce a workshop for summer and especially in the garden.
Better you prepare for sunny and for rainy weather or better also for a day full of rain. How? I must confess I’m so lucky to have a kind of panorama window to the garden. That makes a relieving feeling when it comes to weather.
So, I got prepared and did some sketches in advance not knowing with which materials the girls would turn up. So, I mixed them, coloured pencils with watercolour pencils and fineliners, always the real subjects in sight.
In the end I was well prepared with some paper to remember learned things and some goodies that are nice to have as well as being of big help when you paint or draw outside or from the garden atelier with a great look outside.
Some Advice (1)
A sea friend showed me some paintings lately. He was not that satisfied with them. In this case it is of big value to ask someone else. A fresh new view that doesn’t stick to the painting, and you know quite quickly how to go on:
This Shrimp has wonderful hights and depth. You see where the shell gleams and where the tail and eyes are and where the shells overlap.
However, this background… sometimes less is actually more:
- Die color comes directly from the tube and is very saturated. It takes the importace from the shrimp.
- There are already (because of some used salt) very many contrasts in the background. That makes the filigree “drown”.
Conclusion:
This Background does the painting no good.
Advice:
With good paper you’ve got the possibility to get some of the color off the painting with some papers of the good old kitchen roll – please, very carefully so that nothing happens to the shrimp.
If that is successfull it would be useful to change the color to reduce its saturation and give it to the shirmp. I’d advice a grey nuance that you can get with adding with watery red.
Ulrike Miesen-Schuermann
I’m Ulrike Miesen-Schuermann, fine artist, tutor and full of ideas for me and for you maybe. Some times just a word or a picture is needed to take us to old and new worlds, where we have collected and still collect treasures, places and memories – with a whole lot of love.