Table Of ContentPAINTING BEYOND FASHION
Basic painting and drawing principles and techniques from the Renaissance
to the present
by John Hagan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Intro - Learning to look 5. drawing texture design-6 lessons
1. aerial perspective -6 lessons drawing and proportion [2][3]
perspective - the basics pattern and texture
perspective - lets go outside design and golden mean [2]
veils of atmosphere 6. analysis -5 lessons
sunrise and sunset what to paint and why
reverse sunset and night analysis of 'girl with pearl earing'
clouds, mist and other veils depth of field
2. color - 2 lessons abstract and texture work
color the hows and whys chaos and disorder
color a different approach 7. practical application -31 lessons
3. looking harder - 3 lessons practical painting [2][3][4][5][6][7]
painting waves[2] portraiture [2][3][4]
shadows and transparency demo Alexander [2][3][4][5][6]
4. light and shade - 4 lessons demo nude [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
backlight works its magic framing and selling [2][3][4]
side light and turning points 8. personal paintings used here
front light, and artist's light press [here] for giclee prints
cascading light and shade advanced art lessons
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FIRST THE PEARL - A LESSON IN HOW TO LOOK AT
THINGS
An apprentice painter might learn how to hold a brush, mix colors or how to use a palette knife, but it matters
nothing if the same person does not learn how to 'look' at things, and to look with the eye of someone who
wants to explain the world in terms of paint. After many years of learning to 'look' we come to understand
the nature of things and how they relate to each other.
This first lesson is an entertaining introduction to give you some idea of what I mean by 'looking'. Don't be
too worried if the world I now introduce seems alien at first, because as you progress with the lessons, you
will begin to understand that the real joy of painting is not so much occupying your hands, as truly
understanding the laws, the lights and shades, and the memories of all the things around you.
OK, I think I remember what a pearl looks like. Ah, its been so long between pearls. I will try to construct
one from memory, first principles and logic.
To begin, let us imagine the largest pearl in the world sits on a red table in a room with a blue ceiling. I am
the viewer and I view the perl from the front while behind me is a window. Outside it is a fine bright sunny
day.
Now if the pearl was someone elses 'eye' we must imagine what it would see!!.
It would see me, basic and a little crude - but that dosen't matter at this stage?
The window in the same condition.
Together ...
Add a blue ceiling, some walls and a red table (this is roughly what the pearl would see if it could see). Next
we squeeze it into a round shape (with a computer this is easy, in a painting you would work backward.) I am
a little disappointed at this stage as it looks rather raw and nothing like a pearl. But, staring failure in the eye,
we must proceed (forever faithful to our logic).
So lets us rid ourselves of the black edges. Then, since a pearl is not a perfect mirror, I will blur everything ...
Now we can and add a little milky screen (I somehow remember pearls are a little milky, aren't they?)
Still too much saturated color and dark values - so maybe another yellowish screen (glaze) ...
OK ; Now let's cut it out and give it a hard edge ... as it is not made of fur! (later we will look at a lesson on
how edge effects texture) ...
That's looks better. Now for the suggested table and ceiling
But can't I have a string, seeing I made it myself?
Why, I'm virtually rich! So why can't a pauper have a millionaire's imagination? I expect any artist can
always be rich beyond the dreams of mere mortals, the difficulty becomes one of keeping reality in plain
view.
PS. I am concerned you may think I am confusing computer graphics with oil painting. I am not as this is a
lesson about 'looking'. In either case we must still learn the essence or nature of things before we can make
them - using paint or computers. With our 'pearls,' as with the world, that is the starting point, and remember,
everything exists in relationship to light and other things nearby. The rest is simple logic - either with a
brush or computer. OK, lets look some more into the world of the painter.
STUDENT ACTIVITY: Draw and color your own string of pearls using oil pastels or crayons. Hint ... use a
toned paper for background. Allow 40min.
GO TO ... looking into a deeper, deeper world
.....or back to lesson list
1-1 TO CREATE THREE DIMENSIONAL SPACES
The rendering of a three dimensional landscape, portrait or still life on a two dimensional surface is to some
people a trick, and we know tricks are mostly magic! As with magic some people are content to just observe and
wonder at the skill of the magician, others want to know how the trick is done, while a few want to do it
themselves.
If we lived in a yellow two dimensional world and a blue ball passed through
we would experience something like this:
Fortunately we don't, instead ...
Let us imagine we live in a giant room where the floor is the ground and the sky is the ceiling. I have drawn
the room with two rectangles and four lines.
Add a door and a window... and we create a space.
I shall add some lines to help put tiles on the floor and suggest cornice around the ceiling.
Please refer to the lesson in the 'drawing' section called 'room interior CVP' for a more detail and practical
instruction.
Let us extend a few lines and add some detail. You will note that if you extend the lines forming the top and
bottom of the open door they will meet on the same level as the other convergent lines.
Given the basic structure you could practice adding things yourself.
This example is called 'two point perspective'. Complete the 40min. lesson called 'room interior two point
perspective' in the 'drawing' section and keep this page as an introductory theory sheet. Now let's now go
outside ...
GO TO ... perspective - let's go outside
1-2 SOME 3D SPACES ... CONTINUED
Let's go outdoors.
Extend a few lines and the blue line now becomes the 'horizon line'.
add a few visual clues ... try it
Description:An apprentice painter might learn how to hold a brush, mix colors or how to use a palette knife, but it matters nothing if the same person does not learn how to look at things, and to look with the eye of someone who wants to explain the world in terms of paint. After many years of learning to look
