Here is our website for our group Please come join us if you love to paint and love the Lord! http://www.dawgteam.spruz.com/

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Persistent Green: Daily moment: childlike play

Persistent Green: Daily moment: childlike play

Play is always good right along with laughter.

HOpe you feel totally recovered soon.

Paula....I have a question about art journals....what size are they? I have always been curious about that. Thanks.

You can post on my blog with that answer if you would like.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Fabric painting




Fabric painting instructions

When I start any fabric painting I usually sketch out my outline on paper with a transfer pencil
that way I can erase if I need to without ruining the fabric.

Next step is to transfer this outline onto the fabric using an iron. With this image I chose to use a light colored fabric so that you can see what is being done easier. When using a darker fabric it is a good idea to just start your painting right out on the fabric, Because the transfer pencil does not show up very dark, I was going to show you a picture of the outline transfered onto the fabric but it is so light I cant get a good picture so I will just show you the start of the painting.

When painting on fabric I use Cameo fabric paint it is a great fabric paint it becomes part of the fabric it will not chip crack or peel off the fabric you can wash as you would normally wash the fabric.
Ok Next step is to place a board or something hard between the fabric so that I am only painting on the front of the shirt. If you do not put something between the paint will go all the way through and you will have an interesting design on the back of the shirt as well as the front. My board has a fine sand paper attached to it so that the fabric doesnt move while I am painting.

Ok now for the fun part the painting. I always start on the left side of the painting so that I dont rest my hand on my artwork and mess it up. I started painting the back of this cat with a dark color and then went back and blended in the white to show the parts in the hair.

Now I start with the white on the bottom of the cat the legs and this is where I use the blending tool blending with fabric paint is much like blending with acrylic as the paint drys very fast so you have to work quick and in small sections. I start with the dark color in small sections and then put in the wite and blend and keep going until I get the whole section blended and then if you need to go back later to make adjustments you can just add more wet paint. Then I continue to the right side and end with the head. The face is the most important part of this painting because as with painting any portrait if the face isnt right then you might as well pack it up.
I started with the ears again blending the dark color with the light in small sections always blending in the direction of the growth of hair.
Then I work on the eyes blending again the color in the eye and I do not put the highlight in the eye until after I paint the rest of the face as I want the eye to be completely dry before putting it in so it doesnt blend in with the rest of the eye. Then I paint the nose I always start with the shadow first and blend the medium and the highlight always last. then I put the highlight in the eye.
Now I just do some final touches adding highlights and shadows here and there and its done. And this painting will stay on this shirt for as long as the shirt lasts. The shirt you see here was given as a gift to a friend.
You can see more of my fabric paintings in my Etsy shop here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5639032

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Conceptual Art Painting a Tribute to Lucio Fontana

All art is in a sense conceptual, all art relies upon images and utilises the imagination.
Lucio Fontana was born in Rosario city, Argentina in 1899. The artist left Argentina for Italy to study at the Brera Academy in Milan.
Soon after he was taking part in shows and competitions in Italy, Spain and Argentina, including the Triennale, Milan, the Venice Biennale and the Quadriennale in Rome.
He also began to work as a ceramicist, winning various competitions for his sculptures. In 1946, Fontana collaborated with young artists and intellectuals in Buenos Aires on a draft of the White Manifesto, which signaled the birth of Space Art in 1947.



I was born and I live in Rosario City, Argentina. The city were Lucio Fontana was born. And he has left to the rosarinos artist a way to follow.

As a sculptor, he experimented with stone, metals, ceramics, and neon; as a painter he attempted to transcend the confines of the two-dimensional surface. In a series of manifestos originating with the Manifesto blanco (White Manifesto) of 1946, Fontana announced his goals for a“spatialist” art, one that could engage technology to achieve an expression of the fourth dimension. He wanted to meld the categories of architecture, sculpture, and painting to create a groundbreaking new aesthetic idiom.
From 1958, Fontana purified his paintings by creating matte, monochrome surfaces, thus focusing the viewer’s attention on the slices that rend the skin of the canvas.

'Concept Spatiale', 1959 painting by Lucio Fontana, 100 cm. x 125 cm.

The evolution of art is something internal, something philosophical and is not a visual phenomenon. Lucio Fontana 1972

The following painting is my tribute to the Rosarine Artist Lucio Fontana. I have titled my painting: Cosmic Couple.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Mystery of Paper

When I first decided to get back into producing art I stood in the store in the paper aisle totally bewildered by the choice available. All the different papers were a mystery to me and the terms even more so. I really didn't know what the differences were or how to make my choice. I stumbled around and made some bad choices in the beginning. I have since learned a lot about paper and how to choose the best kind for the project I have in mind. I found the following descriptions and they are very helpful if you are just beginning and find yourself as confused as I was. These terms are also helpful if you are buying art as most artist refer to these terms in their listings.

Acid Free Paper - Acid free papers are buffered with an alkaline reserve, such as calcium carbonate, to neutralize acid compounds absorbed from the atmosphere or formed through natural aging.

Archival Paper - Paper manufactured to provide the ultimate resistance against natural aging. The most important characteristics are: no groundwood or unbleached pulp, a minimum pH of 7.5, and additional alkaline reserve of 2%.

Basis Size - Sizes based on traditions/customs which represent the industry standard for a specific paper grade. For example, the basis size of watercolor paper is 22" x 30".

Basis Weight - The weight in pounds of a ream (500 sheets) of paper in a given size. A 140 lb. watercolor paper will be one in which a ream of 22" x 30" sheets actually weighs 140 pounds. For comparison typical copy paper is 80 lb. For Watercolor the heavier the paper the better as it absorbs more water. I do not like to use any less than 140 lb paper as the finished product is not as desirable. A 300 lb paper gives beautiful results.

Bristol - Artist Bristol generally describes drawing paper that is pasted. Two or more sheets are pasted together to form 2-ply, 3-ply, etc. Sheets are pasted into Bristol to achieve stiffness, strength and to form a sheet with two identical useable (felt or top) sides.

Cold Press - A term used to describe the medium surface of certain textured paper used for watercolor work. This is my preferred choice as the surface is slightly rough and it absorbs water well.

Picture is on 140 lb, cold press paper. Medium used is watercolor pencil.



Felt Side - The side of paper known as the “top side,” it is considered the preferred working side of a sheet of paper.

Grain Direction - The direction in which the majority of fibers lie in a finished sheet of paper corresponding to the direction the wire travels on a papermaking machine. Handmade papers have no grain direction.

Hot Press - Used primarily in describing watercolor papers with a very smooth surface. This type of paper doesn’t absorb the watercolor as easily as cold press.

Lignin - An organic substance which acts as a binder for cellulose fibers in wood and certain plants, adding strength and stiffness to cell walls. Lignin is undesirable in the production of fine, permanent papers because it reacts with light and/or heat to produce henols (alcohols) and acids, which cause deterioration and embrittlement of the paper. Choose lignin free paper for your artistic endeavors.

Mould (Mold) Made - Although originally describing a handmade process, today “mould made” papers are produced on a Cylinder machine. Cylinder machines differ from Fourdriniers only in the way the pulp is applied to the wire.
Rough Surface - A term used to describe a coarse, textured paper. Often used by artists when discussing the surface characteristics of watercolor paper.

Smooth Surface - A paper with a very smooth, hard finish. Ideal for pen and ink, marker, airbrush and mechanical layouts.

Vellum Surface/Medium Surface/Regular Surface/Kid Surface - A term used to describe the finish of a sheet of paper, with a minimum to moderate tooth. Ideal for pencil, charcoal, airbrush, pastel, crayon, and pen and ink, (not requiring a solid line).

Watercolor on 140 lb. Cold Press Paper

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

What's the story?


Yes it is...Morning Glory! Yet another watercolor greeting card, measuring 5x7 and blank inside. Mail it to a flower lover or mat and frame and keep it for yourself.

Monday, October 5, 2009

It's beginning to look alot like Fall around here!

Hello all your loyal followers, sorry we are a little behind on our blogging! Thought I would share a few things with you that is going on in our Art Group First we are voting on our September Halloween or Black Cat Quest, We need votes!!!!! Please take the time to follow this link below and vote for your favorite pc. of art and leave the number in the comment box.

It ends on Friday evening, so we need your votes!
We have so many talented artists in our group that is on etsy here is some of their artwork. Great Art and Great Deals!!
These would make wonderful Christmas Gifts!!



Etsy
Buy Handmade
DAWGTeam