Step-by-step demonstration
I told you earlier that I had been asked to do a step-by-step demonstration for an article, and now it is out and published! It is a bonus features E-newsletter for the Painters-Online, the website for Leisure Painter and The Artist magazines based in the UK.
Here is the link to the whole article online where I together with several other artists speaks about our art: http://www.painters-online.co.uk/Information/Bonus-Features-June-2014#Jenny
But as it now is out, I thought I would share my part of it here as well!
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Step 10.
Here is the link to the whole article online where I together with several other artists speaks about our art: http://www.painters-online.co.uk/Information/Bonus-Features-June-2014#Jenny
But as it now is out, I thought I would share my part of it here as well!
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Jenny Moed-Korpela
Step-by-step article for
Painters-online, May 2014
Nature and wildlife has always been
the most important inspiration for my art. My ongoing passion for painting
birds started when I was a girl at my grandmother’s kitchen table where we
would sit and watch the birds at the birdfeeder outside the window while
drinking tea. Birds have fascinated me ever since with their different
personalities and beautiful colors.
6 years ago I started experimenting
with mixed media, and it changed my way of painting completely. I wanted to
find an alternative approach to realistic painting, because my art did not feel
like it was completely ‘me’. Through experimenting I found that changing a
realistic background to an abstract background behind my subject was the trick.
I like the combination of the abstract and ornamental elements with the
realistic and more detailed subject that my art has now. I like to think of it
as a combination of playfulness (the background) and seriousness (the
bird/subject).
To create my abstract backgrounds I
play around with colours and different acrylic gels/paste for texture, and
lately I use more and more different kinds of tissues and papers, book pages,
music sheets and so on. Sometimes it is just a few papers with the canvas still
showing, and sometimes it is like my demonstration piece here that I totally
cover the canvas with an abstract collage before painting the bird on top of it
all.
The painting below is ‘You are
beautiful’, a light-vented bulbul that I was able to photograph just around the
corner from where I live at the moment. He was kind enough to pose for me, and
there will be more paintings from this beautiful model!
Step 1.
I have two ways of approaching a new
painting. One is where I just begin playing around with paint and papers and
create an abstract painting/background without any particular bird in mind. I
usually always find a bird that fits sooner or later. The other is where I have
a reference picture of a bird ready, and I paint the background with it already
in mind. Today I am sharing the second approach with you. First I chose a 30x30cm canvas, and
selected some papers, book pages and music.
Step 2.
I like to use acrylic gel medium,
usually matte gel for the layering of paper. I use a lot to cover the paper
first on one side, and after gluing it down another layer of gel on top. I use
a big flat synthetic brush for this.
Step 3.
This is how it looks when I have all
the layers down. Here are now 2 layers of papers, the book pages underneath,
and the music and the handwritten poems on top. As you can see I made some
changes to what papers I used as I went along. Make sure to let the gel dry
completely between the layers, it becomes much stronger and gives you a
beautiful hard surface to paint on.
Step 4.
When the gel was completely dry
(usually needs one night, but it depends how thick you use the gel) I started
to paint with acrylic Payne’s grey. I diluted the acrylic with a little bit of
water, put on a fair amount over the whole canvas and then wiped it of again.
Next I pushed some of the letters and text more to the background with white
acrylic, dry- brushing it on. I let this layer dry overnight before the next
layer.
Step 5.
For the second layer of colour I
used the acrylic paint straight from the tube, dry brushing it on the canvas.
First I darkened the background in some places with more Payne’s grey, and then
I added some cerulean blue, white and gold, letting each colour dry to the
touch before applying the next. Background ready for the bird!
Step 6.
I drew the bird on the background
with charcoal. It is important that the drawing is as exact as possible,
because otherwise every error will show as I will paint the bird in oil, and
not touch the background any more.
Step 7.
Here is the first blocking in of oil
colour. No details, just dark and light. I use Raw umber and Payne’s grey for
the darks and white with some yellow and green for the rest.
Step 8.
With the second layer of oil I start
to outline the details of the bird, and I try to get the eye to come alive
already in this early stage, so that I have someone to ‘talk’ to while
painting…
Step 9.
More details. I always try to work
with the whole bird and branch at the same time, making sure that the colours
match, and that the same amount of focus and care are applied to the whole subject.
Almost there. Here I have worked
with the areas that I want to have a little more detailed, like the chest,
wings and the head. It is not that visible the changes that I have made to the
head, but especially the eyes has gotten some more layers to get the reflection
right. I paint with very thin layers of oils so that it dries fast in between
layers.
Step 11 - The final painting.
The wings got the final details and
I softened the chest feathers a little as I thought them too rough. Now the
only think lacking is some varnish to make the colours really pop after the oil
is dry and cured.
If you like my approach to painting
you can follow me on my blog: www.jennymoedkorpela.blogspot.com
or visit me on my website: www.jennymoedkorpela.com.
I also have a facebook page that you can like: www.facebook.com/JennyMoedKorpela
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I hope you enjoyed it!
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!
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