Busy with projects

I have been busy, yes I HAVE been busy. Took a trip to Sydney and the south coast for 2 weeks. Australia is beautiful... I had been to Perth... but its the first time to Sydney... beautiful people... beautiful landscape, beautiful sea and beaches.... Ok now back to work.

ARThaus has expanded to the Upper Paya Lebar and I have new paintings to show... I would love to show what I have progressed but I will not show till February 2015 as I want it to be a surprise. Yes, from what my previous blog have documented I would do a painting base my study of aluminum foil... And it is gonna be... only a a bit different... just wait for it. I am gonna show you a sneak preview tho since I need to document this... its a close up.

Unfortunately I am cannot show you my progress for this particular work. But probably I will show you a preview of close ups anytime soon. Cheers

Project 15. Journey, experiment and trials part 5 ( Oil on canvas 30"x 24" unfinished )

A bigger painting of the foil I paint from observation; 30"x 24" oil on canvas, took me 3 sittings which accumulated to about 6+ working hours. There was only so much I can do with oil before highlights and low-lights get blended in. So I had to wait a few days before I can do the dry brush techniques which I love.

The top half was dry enough ( from 2nd sitting)  for me to add the details, illuminate highlights and colors and draw contrast.

To paint when the paint is dry enough is such a pleasure. I love it thoroughly. Seeing textures from the canvas I am painting on and the texture marks my dry brush gives is just superb. I feel so fluid and at ease working on the image.

*The foil I placed for this project is without any color interference, I just paint it how it reflects at the given moment.

Foil: Yellow and red. Oil on canvas 18"x14". 2014

 Finishing this painting is joy as all the main structure and color is there. What's left for me to do is glazing a bit of dark tones to add more depth and stronger highlights. 

As I said the the beginning of this project, my study of foil is observed real life. The day I completed this, the window was right behind me illuminating the highlights; sparkling. By now because I have to store my foil, it didn't look exactly the same. But I use the idea of how the light reflect and shine on the folds of the foils and try to express that on this painting. I absolutely love this ever changing quality. 

a warm up sketch

I absolutely loving my journey in this project. I've tried painting my observation of foil in both acrylic and oil, and I've discovered and learned many things. When I compare my oil painting and acrylic one, I like the acrylic one better. I approached both paintings differently and progressing in acrylic is a bit more challenging but I love the more expressive brush strokes and texture the acrylic gives. Whereas the oil one looks softer. 

My next work is going to be on a bigger canvas and I can't wait although I have not decided on the medium yet. Well see when the time comes.

Project 15. Journey, experiment and trials part 4 (oil trial)

Had my second sitting on my oil painting base on real life observation of my aluminum foil set up today. Did some glazes of yellows and reds on my initial under painting of cool greys.

Such a pleasure to glaze over warm colors over cool greys. Thin almost transparent colors gives way for the under painting to project itself through that layer and compliment each other. Also added darker even cooler greys to bring out the colors and some warm white for contrast.

PROBLEM:
Light changes instantly without me knowing. The moment I look again, everything is different.

SOLUTION:
Keep on adding what I see at the moment. Areas that I feel is sufficient for today's sitting will be left alone for next time.

As this project is about change and fleeting moments, I feel excited and privileged to observe this things closely and try to portray that fleeting moments in a blink of an eye. Pure beauty of life.

Project 15. Journey, experiment and trials part 3 (oil trial)

After my acrylic attempts on painting aluminum foil from real life observations previously which took 3 sittings to be completed on a 14x18" canvas, I feel the need to attempt it once again in oil. 

This time in oil, definitely more relaxing due to easy blending qualities but the fear of starting is still there. I planned out what I should paint and how I could be more productive in one sitting as I know eventually I can't do anything but to let it dry a few days before second layer.

I decided on grissaile underpainting of cool grey and ignore all colors reflected. Which is quite difficult because I always have to fight the urge to paint the tempting colors. I will place objects around the foil to reflect colors that I want for the particular painting. Example below:

I put a big tube of red and position it anywhere around the foil to give a reflection that appealed to me at that point of time. It will definitely change every minute or even seconds due to light changes from the window.

*Please note that this photo of aluminum foil does not reflect what I see in real life. Just an example of how I set up my subjects.

This too shall pass. Acrylic on canvas. 14" x 18". 2014

Added, "This, too, shall pass", what a wise word for ever changing world and ever changing life.
Embrace change, cause whatever material and physical shall falter in the end and only spirit shall live forever.

Project 15. Journey, experiment and trials part 2

Finished my first study of reflection on aluminum foil that I observed from real life. Done with acrylic on canvas.

The one below was what it looked like previously.

As it is quite impossible to finish the painting in one sitting due to high details, the painting took me 4 sittings of about 1-2.5 hours each time before eyes crossed and go out of focused or probably my brain runs out of gas with trying to figure out which part is which.

I painted by sections, if you have seen previously how I started, every section I painted, document different lighting as I sometimes paint in the afternoon and sometimes evening to sundown and also changed my positions in the studio so the direction of light from the florescent also alters. So it differs every sessions and my crumpled aluminum foil doesn't stay the way it is every time i store it. So I juxtapose each sections by estimation but each section is true to my observation and impression at that point of time.

I finished the whole painting with highlights I observed at that point of time regardless that it might differ in lighting and reflection previously when I started. But that's what still-life painting is all about; adapting to changes, problem solving and documenting the changes in the painting itself.

Really enjoyed this... looking forward for the next one in oil. Cheers!

Project 15. Journey, experiment and trials part 1

Project 15 is a documentation of an my artistic journey towards an exhibition organized by ARThaus which is probably going to be held somewhere around Mar 2015.

My aim is to create a narrative work about my personal worldly and spiritual views, my aspirations and desirable objects. I will not share yet what how I visualize my work outcome would be... but I will share my thought and technical processes.

Non of these documentations is edited except for cropping. The lighting is mainly from natural lights through the studio's windows and florescent lighting in the ceiling.

This is done with acrylic on canvas. I painted this from real-life observations on light reflections on still-life crumpled aluminum foil on the right, which is not shown in this picture. My purpose of this is to study reflective surfaces and contours according to different lighting and reflected color of objects around it.

This was my first step on starting this journey. I only use primary colors and I achieved this colors only through mixing.

The best things I realize from this first steps of my project is the constant light changes through the windows. The foil becomes a perfect documentation of mood and lightings, constantly reflect change. So it makes my painting process ever changing according to the object's reflections.

As I got on with it, the next thing I painted is never consistent of what I've painted just a few minutes before. Challenging, but super fun as I got to exercise my observational skills as well as paint characteristics as I move along.

Guess what I've found while clearing my closet...

I'm so pleasantly surprised at what I've found while clearing my closet, which desperately needed to be cleaned, my sketches from 5 years ago which is in 2009! How awesome is that? And I found my first 2 watercolor paintings when I just started to learn it which I assume is from the same year because they were piled up and folder together, hence the middle crease on the paper.

The portrait sketches, if I can recall, were done during boredom sessions when I was working in a shoe shop. Yes! I worked in a shoe shop part-timed while teaching art in another studio P/T as well previously before full on art-teaching ARThaus.

My watercolor works are amateur and quite embarrassing but I was learning, so, no fault in that. Cheers!

 Guess who?

 Guess who too??

Portrait sketch

Had an itch to sketch a portait. Base on a reference picture.
I have yet to fin my Afghan girl portrait... yes I know!

Just managed this, at the moment ya... cheers!

The Afghan Girl realism painting project part 2

Got some time between classes so might as well get on with it. This time adding second layer mostly on the right side and correcting areas that needed to be corrected. This was done yesterday.

Today, did some glazing and dry layers to add texture to skin. I find that it works pretty well and I have a new found respect to acrylic paint. Even though its a nightmare to blend, even when I used flow medium, some dry layering actually gives much better texture effect than using oil.

I've added more details on the eyes, eyebrow, lips and hair. Still need to edit some tonal values on the face and give it more layers and texture. Head scarf on the right side still mostly undone. Maybe I'll tuck in the chin a bit more. Its great to see my painting though a photo. Helps me look at my painting more objectively and can clearly see areas I need to improve. Lips too dark I think... she looks like a heavy smoker. Will add some color soon. To be continued...

The Afghan Girl realism painting project part 1

Who doesn't know the Afghan Girl photo by Steve McCurry. One of the fine example of how a picture can say a thousand words. A young refugee from a war-ridden country, opened a window for us to take a glimpse at her life, though those green piercing eyes.

Been busy teaching people how to paint, but its been awhile since I have painted. So I think its about time I should refer, reflect and realize. Decided to paint photo-realistic of The Afghan Girl. To challenge myself further, I decided to paint it with acrylic.

There's many ways to approach this work. Alla prima method, grisaille method... but I decided this way...

On a 16"x18" canvas, I started with a sketch then glaze a layer of sienna. Once dried, did an under-painting of almost flat colour. Only hints of tonal values applied so it would give me a rough hints as to where the dark areas are. Once I've finished this, I can get a clear view of areas I need to adjust.

 I continued the second layer a few days later ( which was yesterday) when I had spare time after teaching. Now I gave it a little more details on the tones on the left side of the painting. As you can see the right side have not been touched yet, except for the eyes. I love painting eyes... when it turn out well, it gives me the motivation to move on... like I can't wait for it to be finished. Just painting this portion took me 2 hours. Blending is a nightmare with acrylic. I know I know .... I can use the retarder. But I didn't use it on purpose just to see how much I can do without it. Just be simple, add water.... and super hard. Maybe I'll use the retarder next time to save my frustrations.

I don't know when I will continue again but hopefully anytime soon. To be continued...