Digital Abstracts

I found a new passion towards digital painting, and all thanks to a program called ArtRage and its tools that give it that same traditional feeling that I enjoy.

Prints are available on RedBubble!

Colorful Koi Fish

The step by step of my Colorful Koi Fish painting!

Summer Art Sale on ETSY!

A bunch of fun and colorful paintings are on sale at my Etsy shop!
All must go so I can make some space to create new stuff :)

Paint off!

I'm going to be one of the artist, I bet it will be just so much fun!

Bird Practice - Acrylic Painting

I used the craft quality acrylics because they are more opaque, more liquid, less glossy and I find them easier to work with.

I started with the background and it wasn't too hard to get smooth blending effect, but it had to be done quick while the paint is still wet.

I enjoyed working on the bird itself but I couldn't get the feather detail that I wanted because the painting is really small.

This painting was also supposed to be photorealistic looking. As I said before (on the oil painting post), I think it would be best to leave that look to the actual photos, but it is rewarding to know I can create something that looks so similar to a photo.

I prefer the acrylic medium over other mediums because it dries fast and it's easy to repaint and fix mistakes.

Time: 2 hours

Fun level: 8/10

Difficulty level: 8/10

Success level: 9/10

I liked that it didn't take a lot of time and I got really used to painting fast, so the no waiting time for it to dry is a plus in my book.

I was engaged with working on this painting for the full 2 hours and I enjoyed that.

I gave it a high difficulty score because for many people, the fast pace is a problem and getting close to photorealism does require a lot of skill and practice.

I gave myself a high score because I really like the end result, subtracted 1 because the grey feathers could look better.

Bird Practice - Collage

Fun fun and more fun!

I found it very exciting assembling a bunch of different colors and textures and patterns together to make this image... I guess flipping through a clothing magazine looking for the colors I wanted, added to the fun as well :)

There was a lot of mess to clean up at the end though.

Time: 2 hours

Fun level: 9/10

Difficulty level: 4/10

Success level: 9/10

-1 point in fun for the aftermath clean up.

It wasn't too hard to make and I even did similar collages with my younger students and they made wonderful pieces, even if the colors weren't matching too much the reference image, overall it looked very interesting and expressive.

I gave myself a high success score because while it's not perfect, I really like how it turned out.

Bird Practice - Colored Pencils Drawing

I have pretty cheap colored pencils so it could look better with higher quality pencils. I couldn't get the colors to be as bright as I wanted.

I personally didn't enjoy this drawing as much, it's not a very forgiving medium, hard to erase.

I enjoy mixing colors, and with colored pencils it's better to pick the closest color pencil to what you need because they don't blend as well as paint does.

Time: less than 2 hours.

Fun level: 5/10

Difficulty level: 7/10

Success level: 6/10

It wasn't one of my favorite practice pieces, but I definitely didn't hate it. I found it kind of tedious to look for that pencil that had the color I needed.

I rated the difficulty level at pretty high because there is very little room for mistakes.

Overall I think I did an okay job considering what I had to work with.

Bird Practice - Watercolor Painting

I love watering down every paint type that I use (make washes and glazes), but for some reason I never became good friends with watercolors.

This was my 2^nd attempt for this practice because I made the first one on a different kind of watercolor paper, lower quality I assume, and I didn't get even close to the effect that I wanted.

So please note, the quality of the paper is really important.

I wanted to keep it simple looking and not do a lot of details.

Watercolors require a lot of layers and some waiting time between each layer application.

Time: 1.5 hours

Fun level: 6/10

Difficulty level: 9/10

Success level: 5/10

It's a simple painting but still had to wait for it to dry, I don't like waiting.

The painting part itself is challenging which makes it pretty fun.

While this painting wasn't difficult to make, I find that watercolors are the hardest medium to master.

I did get it close looking to the reference image, but I'm not really satisfied with it. I could do better but that would require a lot more practice.

Bird Pactice - Pencil Drawing

Working on this piece, made me remember just how much I loved drawing and realize how much I missed it.

Overall it was a very fun process that I really enjoyed.

Pencil drawings have this almost instant satisfaction effect since as soon as you finish working on a small area, like the eye or the beak for example, it's already visible how good it looks, while as with most painting techniques, that feeling only comes at the end.

So as I was adding each of the feathers, it already looked good and kept getting better.

I made the background a little more abstract looking because I just enjoyed it too much and got carried away, in retrospect it would've been a lot better of a practice to do the background a lot smoother and more similar looking to the photo reference.

Time: Around 3 hours

Fun level: 9/10

Difficulty level: 5/10

Success level: 7/10

I would give it 10/10 in fun, but I reduced a point because of the background, I assume that if I had to make it better blended and realistic, it would take more time and not as fun.

Difficulty level at 5 because I found it rather easy, once you get enough control over the marks you can make, it becomes pretty simple. It was all done with one simple mechanic 2B 0.7mm pencil.

I gave myself a pretty high success score because I didn't smudge anything and I have loose and free lines here and there that keep the drawing interesting looking, I took 3 points away for the background.

Bird Practice - Oil Painting

I made this painting on heavy paper. Oil paint gets absorbed into the paper and dries up really fast, on canvas it dries a lot slower. I can't exactly say what is better, paper or canvas, it depends on personal preference.

It being painted on paper worked with me on some sections and against me on others. For example it was pretty hard to get a smooth blend on the background because it was drying fast and I had to keep reapplying paint. I found that it's a lot easier to just add not really well mixed paint and then smooth it up with the finger instead of a brush, that was fun! Who can say no to finger painting, right?

On the bird itself, it was to my advantage that it dried quickly. I made a thin layer of paint as the under color and built up the smaller and thinner brush strokes to get the light feathery effect.

It's a rather small painting (5x6.5”/12x16 cm) so I couldn't get the amount of detail work done that I wanted, at the end I was working with a brush that has like 3 hairs and even that wasn't thin enough.

I was trying to make this painting photo-realistic looking and I think I got close to it. I am still against the photorealism paintings, because I could get a much better picture if I just printed the reference image, it wouldn't be as time consuming and I think it gives more value to the art of photography.. but... seeing that I am able to create something like it is rewarding.

Time: 3.5 hours

Fun level: 7/10

Difficulty level: 8/10

Success level: 8/10

The process wasn't as fun, I didn't really enjoy how much I had to rework the background, but I really enjoyed the way it looked at the end.

While oil is still one of the more forgiving mediums, every mistake costs a lot of waiting time. When paint is still wet, it's hard to cover it up without the colors mixing, this painting being on paper did help but still took time. Trying to remove the paint by adding more oil or mineral spirit and wiping it off, put the rest of the painting at risk since the painting is small.

I gave myself a high success score because I think the end result looks pretty good.

Bird Practice

For those who know me, I mainly do abstract work... And the figurative works from TooMuchColor project are very stylized and somewhat abstract looking as well.

So I decided to challenge myself and see what I can do with other styles and different mediums.

I documented my impressions of every piece that I made so far and will be posting them every day.

Process

Have you ever started a painting with the thought “where on earth am I going with it?”

Lately that has been part of every painting I make. No finished image in mind, just dive into the process without over thinking it.

So I made this little painting of 12x12" and recorded the process of creating it.

 

I break everything into steps that makes sense to me. I often change my mind.

Practice in Repetition

A few days ago I pushed myself to paint as much as I can in one day. Something repetitive but every time trying different color schemes and compositions.

                                                                                        Click for bigger view..

Doing something over and over again is a great way to master the used technique or really learn the subject matter.

One of the more famous examples of repetition was Van Gogh's haystacks. He painted them in different time of the day, different weathers, different seasons, different compositions and slight change in styles.

For me it was interesting to feel my imagination stretch, visualize what the end result might be while just picking the colors, and of course sense of accomplishment for doing so much in so little time.

I feel I'm getting better at achieving the playfulness of the brush strokes that I want, and I now have ideas that can be used for bigger pieces.

All these pieces named Star Dusts, they are letter size (8.5x11” / 22x28 cm) on thick paper, and are available for purchase for only 50 USD (shipping included).

If you are interested, you can message me here or on Facebook.

Happy Holidays! :)

Artistic Block

A couple of days ago I was asked “What do you do when you're blocked? “ as one of the questions I had to answer for the upcoming book "A World of Artist Journal Pages" for which my art journal was chosen to be featured in.

It really got me thinking of what a block is and analyze my reaction to it and the end results.

I must say, I gained a whole new perspective on the matter!

It is important to note that this approach won't be as effective for everyone.. but as a professional artist, I just can't afford to sit doing nothing and dwell in it. Keep in mind, there is a difference between artistic block and a need to take a break for what ever reason.

Artistic block for me usually starts as lack of desire to do anything.. then morphs into more of a hunger to do something but not knowing what.. and ends with me doing something interesting and new!

I came to the conclusion that it is a very important part in artistic growth. It symbolizes the fact that I'm bored with what I'm doing and that it's time to move on and open a new page. Growth doesn't always come easy, just need to persevere.

Most of the time I just do what I want to do.. and not that much of what I need to do - practice! The trick is to take that moment of frustration and force yourself to do something.. anything!

Waiting for the block to just go away, sadly isn't that effective and it can take ages while your skills slowly begin to rust.. You need to take control and get rid of it!

Here are a few things that you can do:

• Try new style
• Try new medium
• Try new tools
• Make lists of interesting things you want to try and when you are blocked, start checking those things off.
• Copy something that you like
• Think outside of the box – paint the music/sound/smell/weather..
• Take an art class – You'll have a personal commitment to do the assignments and you'll be surrounded by other creative and inspirational artists.

Artistic block is natural and happens to everyone, it is okay and by no means a reason to get stressed over.

First Stage Frustration

I noticed many people go through a frustrating confusion at the first stages of creating something.. No matter what the subject matter is, there is always something that isn't perfect.

But remember, good things don't come easy! Stick around and see what it can grow into.

This is mostly true for artists that work in a similar way like I do... I dive into the piece with no clear direction to see what will happen. I love struggling through the visuals till I get it all solved to the point that I find it complete.

It might sound like a cliche, but my paintings are a journey for me. I paint for the process of it, not so much for the end result.

I have my moments when nothing works, pushing through it sometimes makes it even worse... but unless I give up, at the end it is all worth it.

Here is an example of my painting “Oasis of Serenity” that is now displayed at UGM's Rotating Gallery. My only clear direction was that I wanted to make something both calm and uplifting.

1st photo was just to point out the texture that I had to work with.

2nd photo is when I got the feeling that I have no idea where I'm going with it.

3rd photo I found the color that seems fitting and the rest went as smooth as butter.

4th photo is the end result.

My advice is not to treat your piece as something precious, it is ok to fail. If you learned anything from it – it was worth it. Mistakes can turn into something amazing!

It is hard at first, just don't ever give up!

Let your work rest

We all have surge of inspiration or just desire to create sometimes, many pieces are created easily, without any problems or delays... but, some pieces just don't work. At the point when we feel frustrated, it can be very beneficial to just leave it alone for a while.

Few days ago I was going through some of my old practice paintings that I've done about half a year ago. It was easy to see how my style changed since then and I got many ideas on how I can change them, make them better.

Even thought it looks completely different, I did preserve some of the elements I liked in the under layers.

Sometimes I also look at my painting as I'm working on it, in my eyes it's not finished, but I simply don't know what else can I do to it. I had few pieces that I left for a while, and was working on them through out a long period of time, a touch here, and a touch there... Now, those paintings became my favorites.

When nothing works... painting over it and reusing it is also a great idea!

What being an artist is all about

Here is a very short summary of quotes from the letters of Reiner Maria Rilke to a young poet (1903):

Your work must be independent from others' work.

You must not compare yourself to others.

No one can help you. You can only help yourself.

Criticism leads to misunderstandings and defeatism.

Work from the necessity and your compulsion to do it.

Work on what you know and what you are sure you love.

Don't observe yourself too closely, just let it happen.

Don't let yourself be controlled by too much irony.

Live in and love the activity of your work.

Be free of thoughts of sin, guilt and misgiving.

Be touched by the beautiful anxiety of life.

Be patient with the unresolved in your heart.

Try to be in love with the questions themselves.

Love your solitude and try to sing with its pain.

Be gentle to all of those who stay behind.

Your inner self is worth your entire concentration.

Allow your art to make extraordinary demands on you.

Bear your sadness with greater trust than your joy.

Do not persecute yourself with how things are going.

It's good to be solitary, because solitude is difficult.

It's good to love, because love is difficult.

You are not a prisoner of anything or anyone.

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 – 1926) was born in Czechoslovakia and died in Switzerland. Considered the greatest modern poet in the German language, Rilke counseled the young poet over a period of five years. No evidence exists that they ever met.

There might be things that we will disagree with, but to some extent, I feel that they are true. It's important to learn from others, but we need to be ourselves first, and what we create, needs to be our own.
I find it amazing that we can learn till this day so much from advices that were given more than a century ago.

Photographing Art Work

Taking a traditional painting and trying to turn it into a well presented digital image can be tricky. To get to the best representation there is a need to get a good photo of it and do the right editorial work.

In this blog, I'll cover the photography part.

Here are 2 examples (click to view):

Window – It's better to take photos outside, but it was cold during the winter, so I took some photos of my paintings near a window. The biggest problem is that there is a gradient of light, lighter by the window, darker further away.

Shade – Taken outside in the shade. I personally believe that is the closest to the original look of the painting.

Sunlight – Direct sunlight fills the painting with very bright colors, sometimes brighter than the actual colors. If the painting has glossy areas, they will shiny. If there is some texture in the painting, it will cast shadows.

Flash – A big no no. The focus of the light usually in the center, darker around. Glossy areas pick up most of the light and make the painting look as if it is covered in plastic food wrap.

No flash – In rather dark place it will be really hard to get the focus right, most of the times the photos come out very blurry and with a slight color change.

Room light – Most of the room lights have a touch of yellow in them, the yellow can be clearly seen in the photo.

Additional tips:

1. Take photos of your paintings before you varnish them, the gloss is very often hard to deal with.
2. The best time of the day to take photos is around noon, the later it gets, the more yellow – orange the light becomes.
3. Some paintings photograph better in direct sunlight (if there is no gloss or texture), but from my personal experience, the closest colors to my paintings, are in the photos taken in the shade.
4. Take at least 3 photos, there is always a chance for something to go wrong. Look through all the photos and pick the best one.
5. The easiest way to know that the light source is good enough is when your camera is set on auto (flash when needed, no flash when not needed) and it doesn't flash.

Your work deserves a good representation!

I hope it helped..

Can't Be Unseen

Our mind is programed to try to make sense of things.

In this post I want to bring to your attention the potential damage in expressing what you think you see when it comes to an abstract piece of art.

I know I am guilty of it myself. I remember when I was a kid, we had a very interesting abstract painting with a lot of fabric fibers to create the textures and a lot of different colors. To me, it was like a trip to the jungle, I saw a tiger in there, lizards, dogs, cats, every time something different.. But it was all in my imagination, not what the piece was really about or intended to be.

Even not that long ago, I visited a gallery and saw a big piece, which to me looked like a very comical scene of a huge elephant running through a city scape in the night. The title of the painting was “Tyranny of the corner bowl set”, taking that into consideration, one might think it actually had nothing to do with elephants. Looking at that painter's other pieces, the elephant shape kept repeating itself, so it might have been about an elephant after all...

There is the element of a painting being text, and once the artist is done with it, it is an open text for everyone to read the way they want or can read it. So in a way it is out of control.

What I want to talk about, is somewhat different. From a personal point of view I'm not trying to abstract any narrative shapes, and when someone says to me about my piece “hey! There is a cat in there!” I can't not see it and it makes me want to erase it, paint it over, cover it up... make it disappear.

So I believe such things are better to be kept to yourself. In most cases I can easily not even pay any attention and give them the full freedom to see and imagine what they want... But in extreme cases it can be somewhat annoying and it will bug me till I do something about it.

I'm going to give a few examples from my own work that pretty much failed in that aspect.

One of the older ones.. The clown.

When I finished it, my mother said to me “I see a clown in there, look at that big red nose.. oh! And he is sticking out his tongue, what an amusing piece”... What was to me a very interesting use of different shapes in a composition, became a weird face of a clown, and I am not a big fan of clowns.

Deep Rift

Here I was my worst enemy, no one noticed or said anything about it so far... but, I looked at it and saw this yellow fish. I display the painting upside down from how it was originally made, so it won't jump out so much, but I am still very bothered by it. At this point I feel that it is beyond the option to repair since it has so many other areas in it that I love.

Consuming Fire

Sometimes in the early stages, things can still be fixed.

 So in one of the first layers I found him.. Can you see him? Well, I called him the cookie warrior... 

About 4 more layers later, I'm glad to say he is gone. 

So the next time you see something that might have not be intended to be there, think twice before pointing it out... In one of my classes we were forbidden from saying anything of that sort to our fellow students. The painting can mean anything you want to you, see what ever you want in it, but don't always point that out to the painter.

And if you are an abstract painter like me and wish to avoid those "obvious" objects being in your paintings, consult with someone with good imagination before your piece is complete.

Randomness!

Randomness was a very fun project that I began doing for myself, but after created the 3^rd complete image, I really wished them to become posters for sale... and would add a vibrant unique splash of color to any room.

Today I made that wish come true and they are now available on my Zazzle store!

They are set for 20x28” size, but the size can be changed.

I don't usually use this blog for self promotion, but I am really excited about this project and wanted to share.

I would really appreciate if you check them out and like them as much as I do!

Randomness on Zazzle