Painting Imaginary Flowers: Beautiful Blooms and Abstract Patterns in Mixed Media

373 Pages·2018·46.14 MB·English

by  Sandrine Pelissier

Painting
Imaginary
Flowers
Beautiful Blooms and Abstract
Patterns In Mixed Media
SANDRINE PELISSIER
artistsnetwork.com
Contents
Dedication
Who Are You Becoming?
01: Gathering Materials
Surfaces for Painting.
Demonstration: Mounting Yupo Paper onto Board.
Mediums You Can Use.
Making Art Is Fun, So Enjoy the Process.
02: Painting an Abstract Background
Selecting Acrylics, Watercolors or Inks.
Choosing Your Color Scheme.
Demonstration: Dropping Paint and Ink.
Demonstration: Making Adjustments.
03: Let Your Imagination Do the Work
Tips to See and Outline Shapes.
Painting the Negative Space.
Adding More Color.
Adding New Elements.
04: Make Your Paintings Stand out with Patterns
Tools for Making Patterns.
Create Complex Patterns from Simple Shapes.
Demonstration: Translating Inspiration to the Canvas.
05: Finishing Your Painting
Assessing Your Work: Is It Done?
Before Varnishing.
Hanging Wires and D-Rings.
Tips for Applying Varnish.
06: What Can You Try Next?
Demonstration: Drawing Flowers.
Demonstration: Working in a Series.
Demonstration: Working on a Larger Scale.
Demonstration: Blue Abstraction.
Demonstration: Technique Variation.
Demonstration: Landscape with Zen Doodles.
A Technique for Kids and Teens.
Gallery
About the Author
Acknowledgments
In Granada • Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
12" × 12" (30cm × 30cm)
DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this book to all the artists who choose to live a
creative life even if that often involves a bit of financial uncertainty. When
your work is your passion, it’s not work anymore—it becomes fun.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
SURFACES
canvas
paper
watercolor paper, 190-lb. (400gsm)
PIGMENTS
acrylic inks
alcohol-based inks colored pencils or Prismacolor Art Stix fineliner
pen, blue fluid acrylic paints full-bodied acrylic paints including white
markers
oil marker or paint pen watercolor paints
BRUSHES
brushes, assorted (stiff and medium sized, soft, large and small,
flats and rounds, etc.)
OTHER SUPPLIES
acrylic gel medium box knife or craft knife brayer
containers for paints and water Conté pencil
cradled boards dipping pens
droppers
gel medium, heavy or extra-heavy masking fluid
pencil
rubbing alcohol ruler
scissors
spray bottle of water spray fixative varnish for water-and oil-based
mediums
INTRODUCTION
Who Are You Becoming?
For many years I could not even think about starting a painting project
without a reference image. I think this is probably the case for many
artists.
Over time, I got frustrated with that approach; it felt like I was always
trying to copy a picture. My goal became to paint in a style that was more
personal—a style that would leave space for intuition and imagination. I
wanted freedom from reference images!
Confronted with a blank canvas, I was faced with the question of how
to start a painting without a reference. My answer was to look for ways to
trigger my imagination. Do you already have a method for breathing life
into your imagination? My favorite is one I will detail in this book. It
consists of painting an abstract background, adding visual textures and
looking for shapes in those textures.