Kick the Bucket

My first ever attempt at painting a landscape. I picked up some acrylic paints at the end of December and decided to take a shot at doing something to broaden my artistic horizons. Not too broad though, there is actually a severed head inside that bucket.

This took about 7 hours total painting time.

THE FORM PRINCIPLE AS A BASIS OF APPROACH

Starts on Page 21.

• THE FORM PRINCIPLE: The Form Principle is the rendering of form as to its aspect at any given moment with regard to its lighting, its structure and texture, together with its true relationship to its environment.

• The rendering of light on a form is the first way to present a convincing illusion of existing form. Without light, form ceases to exist. It must be determined at once what kind of light we are working with, for it's nature and quality and the direction from which it comes will affect the entire appearance of the form.

• If it is impossible to render form without light, then it follows that the nature of the form becomes visible because of light.

• A brilliant light produces well-defined light, halftone, and shadow.
•A diffused light (light of the sky on a grey day) produces an effect of softness and subtle gradation of light to dark.

• The direction or position of the light source determines what planes shall be in the light, halftone or shadow. Texture is more apparent in a direct or bright light than in a diffused light. The planes of the form are also more apparent in brilliant light.

• The lightest area of the form will be within those planes lying most nearly at right angles to the direction of the light. The halftone planes will be those obliquely situated to the direction of the light. The shadow planes will be those planes lying in or beyond the direction of light so that the light of the original source cannot reach them. The cast shadows are the results of the light having been intercepted, and the shape of such intercepting form is projected to other planes. In diffused light there is little or no cast shadow. In brilliant light or direct light there is always cast shadow.

• The kind of light immediately has to do with the approach to your subject. Diffused light has less definition and is more difficult. For "snap", take direct light. For softness and simplicity, use sky light. Direct light produces contrast, sky light produces closeness of value.

• Direct light produces much more reflected light, and this is most apparent within the shadow. The amount of reflected light reaching the shadow will determine its value. Everything upon which the light falls becomes a secondary source of reflected light and will light shadow planes in the same manner as the original source, being brightest on the planes at right angles to such reflected light.

Creative Illustration by Andrew Loomis

This is where I will post the things I have learned from studying the book "Creative Illustration" by Andrew Loomis.

FROM THE "OPENING CHAT" SECTION (pages 17-20)

• Anyone who can draw or paint can do it better with more knowledge to work with.

•Illustration is life as you perceive and interpret it.

•Drawing, for the most part, is setting down contour in correct proportion and spacing.

• Real drawing is an interpretation, selection, and statement of a contour with the greatest possible meaning.

•Even a poor drawing exhibiting inventiveness and some originality is better than a hundred tracings or projections.

•Method and procedure are the only sound basis of teaching, for without them creative ability has no chance.

•Select the teachings that are of use to you, and discard those teachings that you don't agree with.

•The art of illustration must logically begin with LINE. Line enters every phase of pictorial effort. Line is the first approach to design, as well as the delineation of contour.

• TONE comes next Tone is the basis of the rendering of form in it's solid aspect. Tone is also the basis of a three-dimensional effect of form in space. A truthful representation of life cannot be made without a clear understanding of tone. Line and tone are interdependent, and this relationship must be understood.

• To line and tone is added COLOR. Again, the relationship becomes inseparable, for true color depends almost entirely upon good tonal or value relationship.

• Line, tone, and color must be united to a pictorial purpose. Arrangement and presentation are even more important than the subject matter.

• Experiment and study: these can contribute so much to your ultimate success. This can assure freshness and progress in your work as nothing else; it is the the thing that lifts you out of the rut of daily routine, and places you head and shoulders above your associates. IT IS THE BIGGEST SECRET OF SUCCESS.

THE FORM PRINCIPLE (workable truths)- They are the things which are present in all good art, and should be a part of all that you do. They spring from the laws of nature.