How I Paint - A Process for Creative Flow w/Patrick Lee

Workshop : How I Paint – A Process for Creative Flow and Authentic Style

Get to the heart of your authentic work and your personal style by:

- Making a lot of work (Quantity over Quality) - This quiets the internal critic and gives our unique ideas a chance to breathe.

- Having a deadline: The best antidote to procrastination and “waiting for inspiration”.

- Focusing on process over product: See the first two points…

Topics will include:

-Contour line drawing and memory

-Value and its use in design and pattern

-Use of the Notan in design and creative thought (improvisation)

-Solid drawing and values as a basis for “looseness”

-Keeping things simple

-Subjective color

-Breakdown and building back up of the image Other topics that will be addressed and discussed:

Interaction:

-Initial observations of the subject.

-Drawing the subject – a lot, in different media and techniques (contour line, value plans, notans, etc.)

-Consideration of the major design qualities of the subject, i.e. formal design aspects (line, shape, value, color, texture, edges, etc.)

Idea:

-“What is it about this subject that makes me want to paint it?”

-”What is my intent?”

-”What feeling do I want the final piece to convey?”

- What is the creative concept?

Process:

-Play and improvisation

-How will the painting (or drawing) be approached, technically?

-Blocking in

-Breaking down and building back up

-Abstraction

-Edges

Notes:

-I'll do a demo of a painting for the first half of each day, with the students painting the second half of the day.

-Attendees may use oils or acrylics

-***Students should bring their own photos or still life objects to work from, unless we are doing plein air work. ***

Workshop : How I Paint - A Process for Creative Flow and Authentic Style

Supply List:

My standard palette of colors – students are not required to use these colors: All colors are by Gamblin

-Alizarin Crimson (or Quinacridone Red)

-Cadmium Red Deep

-Cadmium Orange

-Cadmium Yellow Deep

-Cadmium Lemon

-Titanium/Zinc White (Mixture)

-Pthalo Blue

-Ultramarine Blue

Other colors I sometimes use – students are not required to buy or use:

-Yellow Ochre

-Viridian

-Cad Red Light

-Ivory Black

-A small tube of black acrylic paint for notan studies and improvisations - recommended Brushes/Knives

-I primarily use flat and eggbert bristle brushes for brushwork (sizes 4-12 for flats, sizes 4-8 for eggberts) – students are not required to get these brushes.

-I use small (cheap) round watercolor or oil brushes (sable type) or small detail marks.

-A large teardrop shaped metal painting knife (o?set handle) for painting and scraping

-a metal palette knife (straight handle) for mixing color and palette cleaning

-cheap Hardware store type “chip” brushes (2-4”) size – once again, not required Medium

-Liquin (Standard formula)

Palette

I use a wood (plein air) or glass (studio) palette, but any type will really do. You just need ample room to mix a lot of paint.

Other

-Metal Brush tank with locking lid for odorless mineral spirits

-Viva Paper towels

-Any apron or rubber gloves that you want if desired/needed

-Sketchbook and soft pencils (2B, 4B, 6B)

-Collage Materials:

-Glue stick(s) and/or Mod Podge (good stu?!) or Acrylic medium (Matte) or something similar.

-Magazines, newspapers, old sheet music, photos, pieces of old paintings, various colored construction papers and card stocks - anything you can collage with!