As in the last exercise I decided to look at specific images from my series of photographs taken on site. Final Paintings: Painting #1: Enamel and acrylic on canvas board (50 x 40 cm) Painting #2: Oil and acrylic on canvas board (50 x 40 cm) (remark: the photograph doesn’t show the complex luminosity of the painted surface completely) Preparatory…
Tag: exercise

Project 3 – Exercise 1: Abstraction from study of natural forms
Abstraction: In the context of this project of ‘Abstraction’ I wanted to understand a bit more of other approaches in painting and looked already some time ago into the Korean movement ‘Dansaekhwa‘, also called ‘Korean monochrome painting’, that evolved in the 1970s. I find it intriguing how the artists look at painting as ‘an act of physical movement and interaction with the…

Project 2 – Exercise 2: Mixing materials into paint
Continuing with experiments paint and found materials. For this exercise I decided to go through a more methodological series of materials. The materials I choose are linked to my subject matter of residential building, interior, living on countryside as well she more linked to painting as suc: Salt Ground Coffee Tea Leaves Earth ground Rabbit hide gue Bee wax …

Project 2 – Exercise 1: Preparing a textured ground
Moving ahead with the exercises I let my ideas and site experience for my personal project inform my experimental exploration of materials and painting approach. In previous exercises I already uses some textured grounds for paintings (e.g. Part 4 – Project 4 ‘Painting a landscape outside‘ – ‘Artefacts‘). Therefore not totally new to me. In scope of this exercise I will…

Project 1 – Exercise 2: Dripping, dribbling and spattering
Another exercise I couldn’t image how to embed this into my personal project. Thus another fresh run with fun and experiments with different media. I was hopeful that I will be able to build some ideas for my project while experimenting ‘the deterioration of a residence building – an uncanny experience’ Contextual research: Looking up some information about Pollock’s painting approach, the paint…

Project 1 – Exercise 1: Impasto
The last part of the course is me setting out on a series of experimental and rather abstract painting approaches. I haven’t decided yet how to included those as part of my personal project or to keep them strictly separate. Thus I decided for this first exercise just to look at it with fresh eyes, not to be bothered with my…
Project 5 – Exercise 3: Working from a photograph ‘Sublime cloud’
My reference photo: Final Painting / Works: ‘Sublime Cloud #1’: Painting Acrylic and and found objects on primed canvas (37 x 63 cm) Contextual research: For the painting I envision a rather atmospheric painting I can relate back to my site experience as well as using my painted support on site with encapsulate found particles as the starting…
Project 5 – Exercise 2: Squaring up – ‘Memories’
The course material suggested to look at townscape or individual building that involve perspective. This method can be applied to drawing and photos. I was looking through my collection of picture and found eventually a good image for this exercise. The squaring up method is to ensure accuracy of scale and proportions and to consider as a guide that should…
Project 5 – Exercise 1: Painting from a working drawing ‘Presence’
This exercise asks to follow a certain method in three steps: linear study with focus on main shapes tonal study with focus on values and tonal contrast color study with focus on color relationship, dominant colors and light effects. I understand that making those studies would have a couple of benefits (to be confirmed at the end): Isolation of different…
Project 4 – Exercise: Painting a landscape outside
This exercise will require some time and some efforts especially as it was getting cold outside. I decided to paint a place not far from my Swiss home in Bern. Close there is the ancient river Aare. In summer time the river is full of water but in fall time the water is low and one river bed is dry.…

Project 2 – Exercise 1: Linear Perspective ‘InsideOut’
The course material mentions shifting perspectives and the focus on line. Using colour and tonal contrast as an additional visual element not necessarily relate to the objects and form. Colour to create “a sense of indeterminate space that is structured just by line”. Contextual research The rules of linear perspective as a mathematical based perspective around one central vanishing point from…
Project 4 – Exercise 2: Simple perspective in interior studies
This exercise is about creating an illusion of space in a painting with a limited palette, rather like a drawing with paint. Focus is an accurate depiction of perspectival space and measurement of proportions. In the previous exercise of quick studies I chose the initial sketch #8. But as it needed a more elaboration I did a few more sketches to incorporate more…
Project 4 – Exercise 1: Quick sketches around the house
Quick sketches to spend not more than one hour, more a visual note taking to see interesting linear feature and lines that can emphasise illusion of space. With graphite and pencil in A4 sketchbook. My standing view My sitting view I was thinking how I could take the learning from my contextual research on interiors into these quick…
Project 3 – Exercise 5: Still with color used to evoke mood
Continuing with my same still life scene but how being free to explore colour and colour interaction in a way that it evokes mood. balance, serenity and calm atmospheric. My final image: Oil on unprimed canvas (40 x 60 cm) The relationship of colour and mood was articulated some centuries ago. JW Goethe explored the in his color theory the…
Project 3 – Exercise 4: Still life with complementary colors
I decided to go for same still life set up and viewpoint as for the previous exercise. I already had my sketchbook studies, my tonal and colour studies. I hope that with this prep work this exercise will go a bit quicker. As this exercise asks for two complementary colours plus white I was curious how this would look like with dry…
Project 3 – Exercise 3 – Still life: Color Accuracy
This exercise is about matching color and tonal values as close as possible. In the previous still life exercises I already practiced this and found the following approach as very helpful: Tonal value study: in pencil / charcoal etc. for Matching tonal value: Starting with a colour with a hue that is close to the target hue but with higher saturation as…
Project 3 – Exercise 2: Successive contrast
Successive contrast means the phenomenon whereby a sensation such as lightness, colour, or warmth tends induce the opposite perception. It works best if the colour field is of high saturations and brightness and the afterimage typically let the complementary colour appear when looking at a white paper afterwards. But is also works on other coloured grounds. The following image demonstrates how the…
Project 3 – Exercise 1: Exploring Contrast
About simulataneuous and successive contrast: effect of an inducing fields onto a test patch. The higher the saturation of the test field the stronger the effect. Comparing visual colour perception of juxtaposed colours close to each other: => Colour perception is strongly impacted by the surrounding space. Close to each colours are muting each other. The complementary colour of…
Project 2 – Exercise 4: Still life with man-made objects
For my third still life painting in this project I decided for a ‘man-made objects’ on which I can improve my painting approach in a loose and more expressive manner. I will skip due to time constraints exercise 3 (natural objects). This exercise ask for a simple, compelling arrangement (max four objects with a common use), and creating a visual drama through tonal…
Project 2 – Exercise 2: Still life with flowers
Looking at flower painting makes me somehow nervous. What I know is either expansive detailed flower pieces or Emil Nolde like watercolour paintings. I tend to dislike both for whatever reasons. The first one maybe because of the incredibility detailed work that I would have to out in, the latter maybe because of the – for me – ‘nice’ but not…

Project 2 – Exercise 1: Drawing in paint
While searching for an appropriate still life scene without too much hassle I went to the bathroom and felt intrigued by the shape and bright colours of commercial cleaners. I happened that I placed an empty bottle of turpentine on the same board. I thought about my researches on still life and rhapography, the beauty of common objects came to…