The Painting of "Dressed to Chill"
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The Painting of "Dressed to Chill"
Sometimes I like to simplify the shapes and colors in a painting as much as possible, and in this case red, black, gray and white was the answer for me. I love this classic color combination. It goes with everything and never seems to get old.
I am working on a 36x36 Gallery Wrapped Linen covered with gesso. The Golden Heavy Body Acrylic Colors used are:
Cadmium Red Medium Hue
Mars Black
Neutral Gray 4 (N4)
Neutral Gray 6 (N6)
Titanium White
I wanted a composition that was heavier on the top to create tension, so I decided to use a mixture of Neutral Gray 4 and Mars Black at the top. It is the darkest value and creates a look of “weight” at the top of the painting.
I then added my red accents. Cad Red Medium Hue is a very warm red and I decided to use it straight out of the jar for a real punchy accent. The rest of the painting is simply a light middle value mixture of Titanium White and Neutral Gray 6.
I put the paint on the surface rally thick, so I was able to make some really interesting textures by scraping through the paint with an old brush with the handle cut off at an angle. This scraping, called sgrafitto, shows the thickness of paint and reveals colors underneath the top layer of paint. I use this in nearly all my paintings as a way to introduce line work.
Simplification works for me, and I hope you try it to see how it works for you.
If you'd like to learn about abstract painting and making your own authentic work, then please join me for a painting workshop: (You can view a list of workshops HERE)
October 8-10, 2021, “Abstracting the Coastal Landscape “ Fort Walton Beach, FL
Arts and Design Society (ADSO). Click HERE for Information and Registration.October 26-28, 2021 “Bigger, Faster, Fresher, Looser Abstract Painting” Daytona Beach, FL
Art League of Daytona Beach, Click HERE for Information and RegistrationNovember 3-5, 2021 David M. Kessler Fine Art Studio, Winston-Salem, NC. This is a Studio Workshop in Abstract Painting. Click Here for Information and Registration. Only 2 Seats Left!
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As always, thanks for your support!
David
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