Acrylic Painting
Title: Swings in a Park
Size: 91 cm x 61 cm Medium: Acrylic paint on canvas Completion Date: September 12, 2023 Exhibition Text:
My piece, Swings in a Park, is a painting of a picture taken showing me and my partner having fun on swings at a park. I made this piece to showcase the beauty of love. I have taken influence from André Derain and his Fauvism paintings that have a brush stroke pattern. I got the canvas for free and then used my acrylic paint on it. I am using Derain´s brush stroke pattern in my piece to give it more color and beauty. The pattern allows me to make the area more open and vary the value of colors. |
Inspiration:
Artist in Focus: André Derain
André Derain was a painter who collaborated with many other artists and was thus influenced heavily by them. His art style is based around Fauvism as well as some Cubism. In his earlier work, which is what I am looking at, he uses this brush stroke like pattern in his pieces. When making my piece, I feel as though it would be a good idea to incorporate this style into my piece to help it stand out and create emphasis all around my subject. It also just looks nice and pretty in general which helps emphasize my overall theme. His intent behind making his pieces was usually to offend other people. Later on in his career, he would also just paint random scenes of the world which show how beautiful the world can be. In these specific pieces, you can see Derain capturing the beauty of this terrain in a colorful, simple art style. You see these big scenes painted with layers. I think that incorporating his layering technique could help get me what I am looking for as well. With Derain's art style, he emphasizes every little bit together as a whole. He chooses to make his pieces very calm and soothing. He creates this calm vibe in combination with the crowded piece to create that contrast and have them emphasize each other. Every element of his pieces come together to form a big, beautiful painting. When seeing Derain's art, I was always stunned. Something about his style was so appealing to my eye. His style really emphasizes the entire piece and it's beauty which keeps me admiring it, I would hopefully like to give viewers of my piece a similar experience. I wish to allow my viewers to feel calm and relaxed. I wish that they can take all of these subtle elements to form the one big picture about beauty
André Derain was a painter who collaborated with many other artists and was thus influenced heavily by them. His art style is based around Fauvism as well as some Cubism. In his earlier work, which is what I am looking at, he uses this brush stroke like pattern in his pieces. When making my piece, I feel as though it would be a good idea to incorporate this style into my piece to help it stand out and create emphasis all around my subject. It also just looks nice and pretty in general which helps emphasize my overall theme. His intent behind making his pieces was usually to offend other people. Later on in his career, he would also just paint random scenes of the world which show how beautiful the world can be. In these specific pieces, you can see Derain capturing the beauty of this terrain in a colorful, simple art style. You see these big scenes painted with layers. I think that incorporating his layering technique could help get me what I am looking for as well. With Derain's art style, he emphasizes every little bit together as a whole. He chooses to make his pieces very calm and soothing. He creates this calm vibe in combination with the crowded piece to create that contrast and have them emphasize each other. Every element of his pieces come together to form a big, beautiful painting. When seeing Derain's art, I was always stunned. Something about his style was so appealing to my eye. His style really emphasizes the entire piece and it's beauty which keeps me admiring it, I would hopefully like to give viewers of my piece a similar experience. I wish to allow my viewers to feel calm and relaxed. I wish that they can take all of these subtle elements to form the one big picture about beauty
Planning:
For my painting, I originally started off just looking through my photos for something that I can transfer into a painting. I found a couple different options that I could do, so I did little sketches based off of each picture to start along with their theme connection and relation to beauty. Once I had those done, I realized that one image stood out compared to the others and connected to my theme and motifs better. I then took that image and did a big sketch up of it. When doing this sketch, I had some trouble drawing two specific portions, so I took some time to practice drawing the swings and the see-saw’s spring. The sketches helped me understand the shaping of the object better. When making this piece, I plan on making it in layers. This would allow me to capture the look of my inspiration much better. To do so, I thought of splitting it into three main layers of tan, light blue, and a dark green. The colors would help set a backdrop for everything. Along with the layering, I wanted to use the brush stroke pattern so I grabbed a small brush to make the strokes, but also keep them smaller in size to help make the composition of it all look nice. From there, I had everything basically planned out.
Process:
After getting the layers all done, I penciled off the areas that would be grass from the areas that would be woodchips and got to work on the grass areas. When making this brush stroke pattern, I wanted to be sure I was using small lines very frequently in different colors. When specifically doing the grass, I made sure to keep all of the grass moving vertical to make it have more of a grass look. For the grass I would use many different shades of green and leave some spaces of the tan open and visible to show an underlying layer of dead grass or patches of dead grass in some areas.
After working on the brush stroke pattern of the grass, I looked into doing the wood chips. Unlike the grass, wood chips could go in any direction. To capture this feel, I decided to paint the lines in every direction randomly. I also had a much bigger area to fill, so I used a couple more shades and colors to fill up the entire area. I started off with my first color, painting the lines in random places all over in every direction. Then I moved to the next color, and the next, and so on. When making these wood chip areas, I also made sure to make them more dense in the top bit where the swing would be while I would make it more open in the bottom part. This created some kind of shading feel to it.
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I then worked on the playground equipment, starting with the slide. I painted it all up really quick after I had learned some layering techniques. I then used those same techniques to work on the brush stroke pattern of the trees. After finishing that, I was done with all of the brush stroke patterns. I then worked on the final bit with the swings and the people. I used layering once again and finished up the piece
Experimentation:
When it came to my experimentation for this piece, I mainly looked at how to layer. I noticed that while painting the slide on, it was a bit difficult since I had the colors beneath it already. It was painted on the canvas in a thin layer and it allowed the colors that I wanted to paint over show through. For this, I simply just added multiple coats, but eventually I got to the trees. The trees would be more difficult to do since I was not only painting with lighter colors mainly, but I was also painting in a very dark area. I would have had to paint many many layers to get a solid color on it. This would have been okay, but I had to create a bunch of tiny little lines of different colors and that would just be too much work.
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I then remembered that I can use white paint over areas, and then paint over those areas to make sure that the color was getting on solidly. To test out this idea, I started to continue working on the see-saw. I first tried to just paint yellow, however it led to no success. I added on a layer of white, and then tried to add on a layer of yellow to see if it would work but I was a bit too impatient and the yellow mixed slightly. I then had to add on multiple layers of white and eventually I painted over it. The colors went on perfectly without worry.
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I then had to actually put this technique onto the tree's leaves. I started by just drawing the brushstrokes as I would normally for the tree leaves in white. I eventually got all of the leaves marked out with the white. After that, the moment of truth came, and I had to try out the greens on these white paint markings. I started to paint over them and they worked perfectly. I was now able to layer colors on my paint. I also used this technique again on the pole next to the slide, as well as the main center scene with the swings and the couple.
Critique:
My piece and my inspiration are similar to each other. The biggest similarity can be seen in the technique. I decided to use the brush stroke-like pattern in my piece like Derain uses. There is also another similarity in the technique with how it is constructed in layers. Derain uses layers of colors on top of each other to help create spaces filled with color in other areas. I attempt to do the same thing in mine, adding in many layers. The subject matter of this landscape scene is also similar.
My piece and my inspiration also have some differences with each other, One difference is the medium used. I am using acrylic paint for my piece while Derain is using oil paint. This changes the process and techniques that we both use making them more different from each other. There is also a difference in the main point of emphasis. While we are both painting these landscape scenes, I am putting more focus on the couple in the middle surrounded by all of these colors and surrounded by nature to emphasize the beauty of the couple's love.
Reflection:
Working on this piece, I developed my painting skills and techniques. I explored more with layering colors on top of each other, using unique patterns, and painting in general. My inspiration for the project of André Derain does connect to my piece since I am using his brush stroke pattern in my piece. I am also painting a similar subject matter being this landscape. The biggest challenge I faced was trying to figure out how the layering works. The painting connects to previous works of mine by also analyzing beauty and specifically here, showing the beauty of love. There is also a continuation of nature being present as well. My favorite part was seeing everything come together with the brush stroke patterns. At first I was unsure of how it would look but the more and more I added to it, it looked better and better. My least favorite part was the last bit I did being the people and the swingset. I think it turned out okay but I was having some troubles and was getting very nervous about messing up and having to recreate colors to fix the mistakes. I hope others view my work and just see the beauty in it, and notice the lovers in the middle.
Connecting to the ACT:
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
There is a cause and effect relationship between my work and my inspiration. This can be seen specifically in the art style of my inspiration. I attempted to replicate that brush stroke pattern in my work and that can be seen in the trees, grass, and woodchips. There is also a cause and effect relationship with the fact that I used a lot of layering techniques in my piece which can be seen in my inspirations work as well.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Derain is trying to show these landscapes and scenes in the moment to let it’s beauty be drawn out.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I made the conclusion that in order to show off beauty, a simple scene of a landscape with some people is all you need. There is also great reward in using bright, vivid colors.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my inspirational research is beauty. I am expressing that through this love scene with me and my partner.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I made some inferences about Derain's true intent of capturing the beauty of a landscape to show off.
There is a cause and effect relationship between my work and my inspiration. This can be seen specifically in the art style of my inspiration. I attempted to replicate that brush stroke pattern in my work and that can be seen in the trees, grass, and woodchips. There is also a cause and effect relationship with the fact that I used a lot of layering techniques in my piece which can be seen in my inspirations work as well.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Derain is trying to show these landscapes and scenes in the moment to let it’s beauty be drawn out.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I made the conclusion that in order to show off beauty, a simple scene of a landscape with some people is all you need. There is also great reward in using bright, vivid colors.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my inspirational research is beauty. I am expressing that through this love scene with me and my partner.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I made some inferences about Derain's true intent of capturing the beauty of a landscape to show off.
Citations (MLA):
“Andre Derain - 144 Artworks - Painting.” Www.Wikiart.Org, www.wikiart.org/en/andre-derain. Accessed 26 September 2023.
“André Derain Paintings, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist/derain-andre/. Accessed 26 September 2023.
“André Derain Paintings, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist/derain-andre/. Accessed 26 September 2023.