Archive for category Painting
Pop Art Paintings – Art Pulled From Popular Culture
The visual art movement known as Pop Art began in Britain during the middle of the 1950s. It later moved into the United States culture by the end of this same decade. Pop Art paintings are usually of characters that are popular in advertising, comic books, and anyone else who plays a large part in mass culture. Irony tends to be used extensively in Pop Art design. Even the most mundane objects can be painted or drawn in such a way that they are truly a work of art.
Sometimes the most intriguing paintings are of images that are common in everyday advertising. A prime example of this would be the painting of cans of soup that Andy Warhol made. Each of the 32 cans in the painting depicted the type of soup offered by a certain company at the time the painting was created. Andy Warhol played a large part in boosting the movement. His painting titled Eight Elvises, which is also considered Pop Art, brought 100 million dollars.
Paintings done in the Pop style varied between Britain and the United States, even though this movement was referred to as the Pop Art movement in both locations. In Britain, the paintings reflected what was popular in America and also added onto some aspects seen in Abstract Expressionism. Read the rest of this entry »
Portrait Painting Tips & Techniques By Ralph Serpe
Being able to capture the likeness of a human being on canvas, using paint, is certainly a sought after accomplishment for many new painters. It can also be somewhat challenging. This article will cover some of the more basic portrait painting tips & techniques and help lessen some of the confusion many beginners face. With practice, you will soon be painting portraits like the masters.
If at all possible, I highly recommend you paint your portraits using a live model as opposed to a photograph. There is simply no substitution for painting from life.
Painting a successful portrait is all about how you observe the subject. You want to study the subject as a whole. Study the bone structure and try to see shapes and planes. Do not try and paint every little detail exactly as you see it.
For beginners, it is probably best to start out with a lighting effect where light and shadow are in high contrast. This will make for a much easier painting.
Focus on one section at a time. Finish each section before moving on to the next.
Keep the darks of your portrait at a thin consistency while your lights should be painted on thickly. Read the rest of this entry »