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Will I ever be able to paint? (1 Viewer)

A very nice portrait psilo,never realized how many birdforum members painted to such a high standard.

Ruth..you deleted your pics :eek!:

Was going to say how I enjoyed your blackcaps and kingfisher!

Those watercolours were very nicely controlled,I don't dare touch em yet ;)

I'm busy going through an old note pad with a blue bic ''finding my lines''.

Matt
 
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i am going to suggest a link as well artpapa.com
its a very diverse site and large, and also under a bit of construction,so a bit unreliable as for as getting in...ack..
but there is a section/forum moderated by Mike Sibley UK, an excellent wild life artist,his book is a gem for learning how to render textures.

the color forums are a great diverse source for painters using all mediums for all subject matter.

the ~gift~ that is commonly thought of as one being touched on the forehead and bingo..now your an artist is rather untrue....artists like many craftsman, must practice and study, research and live their craft ..

Robert Bateman is an excellent master to study, his work is realistic yet has brushstrokes that are magic when depicting fur,feather or any other texture.

maybe its not you but the medium your using...what do you use?
acrylics can be a bit unforgiving with the quick drying properites vs oils that permit one to blend beautifully.

try experimenting with another medium...you might find thats enough to inspire you..
 
Tranquility Base said:
Ruth!!!!!!!!
Put your pics back up! You should be proud of them!
Sorry.....I lost my confidence in them!!!!!
Just for you and Matt then......thanks everyone!!!
I've a chance to go on a 10 week painting course starting in January...I think I'll give it a go??? Do you think I'd benefit from it? Can't do any harm can it?
Best wishes,
 

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Give it a go Ruth,you'll love it!!!

Genuine enthusiasts are more often than not modest,generous people,i'm
sure you'll pick up some great tips and advice.

Glad you've put your pics back btw :clap:

Matt
 
Ruth Daniel said:
Sorry.....I lost my confidence in them!!!!!
Just for you and Matt then......thanks everyone!!!
I've a chance to go on a 10 week painting course starting in January...I think I'll give it a go??? Do you think I'd benefit from it? Can't do any harm can it?
Best wishes,
I like the way you're approaching your watercolours, Ruth - looking for the large, simple shapes and not getting too fussy. Your colours are good and clean and, I think, the work is very good. With regard to classes - please attend them (even though I run my own drawing and painting classes, I still attend classes run by other tutors - you can never know too much, or get too much practice).
 
timwootton said:
I run my own drawing and painting classes, I still attend classes run by other tutors - you can never know too much, or get too much practice).


I'm just a beginner when it comes to sketching and I find that getting the basic shapes of any object is the hardest for me. I've tried sketching the head of a bald eagle several times, but it still never really looks right - the head is either too thin or too fat and the beak doesn't even resemble the picture that I've chosen as a reference, etc. Do you have any suggestions?
 
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timwootton said:
I like the way you're approaching your watercolours, Ruth - looking for the large, simple shapes and not getting too fussy. Your colours are good and clean and, I think, the work is very good. With regard to classes - please attend them (even though I run my own drawing and painting classes, I still attend classes run by other tutors - you can never know too much, or get too much practice).
Thanks Tim....you've made my day!!!! :bounce:
 
timeshadowed said:
I'm just a beginner when it comes to sketching and I find that getting the basic shapes of any object is the hardest for me. I've tried sketching the head of a bald eagle several times, but it still never really looks right - the head is either too thin or too fat and the beak doesn't even resemble the picture that I've chosen as a reference, etc. Do you have any suggestions?
Oddly enough I find the sketching bit not too bad it's when it comes to putting down the paint that my problems begin!! All I can say is just keep practising and you will one day get a sketch and painting that you're pleased with.
Good luck,
 
timeshadowed said:
I'm just a beginner when it comes to sketching and I find that getting the basic shapes of any object is the hardest for me. I've tried sketching the head of a bald eagle several times, but it still never really looks right - the head is either too thin or too fat and the beak doesn't even resemble the picture that I've chosen as a reference, etc. Do you have any suggestions?

I started off some time ago by tracing the shapes from photos, and after only a little time, you get a feel for just how wide/short/long/thin parts of birds are and it becomes easier to sketch them freehand.
Another thing I do is to hold the pencil at the same angle as the lines that run through parts of the bird (body, head, tail) and then to add ovals to these lines until they get the right shape, then fill in the details.
It now takes 10-40 min for a sketch (first one 10 min - don't ask about the coke can on the beak..., second 40min).
 

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breaking down images into recognizable shapes is the first step for anyone trying to begin..
learn to change your way of thinking and seeing..
circle square triangle rectangle become sphere cube cone cylinder...learn to see in 3dimension instead of 2...then try to identify these shapes within the image your attempting to draw..its a bit odd at first but soon ya get the hang of it..repetition and practice is the key...just like riding a bike.. ;)

soon you see the long neck of a heron as a cylinder, the two halves of the beak as elongated cones, the body as an ovoid, a 3d oval..
the next thing to master? isnt color...its values..the lights and darks...if the color gets in the way? turn the image into a greyscale and its a bit easier :bounce:

pst? tony? beautiful website!
 
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Ruth Daniel said:
Oddly enough I find the sketching bit not too bad it's when it comes to putting down the paint that my problems begin!! All I can say is just keep practising and you will one day get a sketch and painting that you're pleased with.
Good luck,

I agree about the painting bit, which is one reason why I have bought a book called 'Watercolour Artists' Colour Mixing Bible' by Moira Clinch and David Webb. It cost £17.99 from my local art store this morning, but I should think you can get it on Amazon (and it's probably cheaper there, too). It talks about mixing colours as its main subject, but also colour and tone as well and for me at least, that's helpful as colour and tone are not among my stronger points.


colonelboris said:
I started off some time ago by tracing the shapes from photos, and after only a little time, you get a feel for just how wide/short/long/thin parts of birds are and it becomes easier to sketch them freehand.

I've never traced because the sketching bit has always come fairly easily to me - I seem to be able to get proportion and perspective just fine, but the painting bit's my sticking point probably because it takes much patience, which is something I have, until recently, lacked.

As I mentioned in my artists block thread, another problem I have had is somewhere to paint. I have either been forced to sit on the sofa with materials on my knees (annoying and uncomfortable), sit/lie on my bed with materials (even more annoying and uncomfortable) or I have had to sit at a poorly lit dining room or kitchen table with the prying eyes of relatives looking over my shoulder (something I can't stand! Out in the open with few or no people around or in a darkish hide, while birding, no problem but at home, forget it).

So, here at my aunt's house, where I'm currently living, I have, with my aunt's permission, cleared a space in the spare front room - this used to be my late uncle's 'study' where he made his model ships so there are desks and all sorts of lamps as well as windows on two walls and storage spaces but is now used as a dumping ground for stuff destined for car boot sales or dumping - and this will improve things no end.
 
Vectis Birder said:
As I mentioned in my artists block thread, another problem I have had is somewhere to paint. I have either been forced to sit on the sofa with materials on my knees (annoying and uncomfortable), sit/lie on my bed with materials (even more annoying and uncomfortable) or I have had to sit at a poorly lit dining room or kitchen table with the prying eyes of relatives looking over my shoulder (something I can't stand! Out in the open with few or no people around or in a darkish hide, while birding, no problem but at home, forget it).

So, here at my aunt's house, where I'm currently living, I have, with my aunt's permission, cleared a space in the spare front room - this used to be my late uncle's 'study' where he made his model ships so there are desks and all sorts of lamps as well as windows on two walls and storage spaces but is now used as a dumping ground for stuff destined for car boot sales or dumping - and this will improve things no end.

Oh yes, I feel that pain...
I'm in with parents, which is a cross between Steptoe's yard and a jumble sale. They honestly cannot throw anything away. I have a measly square foot of the dining room table to work on and a very dim energy-saving bulb. There's a load of stuff under the table so I have to sit at a funny angle as well.
Oh, what fun.

I only did the tracing to get started, but don't now - found it gave a feel for the curves involved in a Mr Miyagi 'wax-on, wax-off' kind of way - you didn't realise you were getting used to it, but then you try and find that it's there.

(and thanks, Bettyann!)
 
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