The sensible artist knows that a still life is born long before the brush touches his hand. In this genre, it all starts with an idea, namely with the ability to compose a composition of objects that can effectively complement each other.
Many learn the art of drawing, trying to write a still life. Painting is a much more accurate craft than it might seem at first glance, so let's look at the basic tenets for working in this genre.
Drawing composition
Having decided to write a still life, you need to consider several rules:
- come up with an idea that could connect all the components of the composition into a single story;
- pick up objects that are different in size and shape that could balance a still life. Painting can add mood to a boring pencil drawing, but no color can save the work if all the compositional elements have the same look;
- it is advisable to select all objects in a suitable color scheme, in order to subsequently avoid misunderstandings in the mixing of colors during reflexes;
- the experience of many artists allows us to conclude that the pictures look much more spectacular, where the elements differ in texture and material, for example wood and ceramics;
- special attention should be paid to the background. Drapery should harmoniously fit into the general idea of a still life and not attract special attention to itself. This is especially true in cases where the color scheme of all objects is in pastel colors;
- space should not be overloaded with an abundance of elements;
- the light should fall in such a way that it is convenient for the drawer to display the volume of objects using the game of chiaroscuro (sometimes it is appropriate to take a photo).
Oil still life
Oil - the central material in the hands of the artist, which allows you to fully reveal the concept of "painting". Still life with oil allows you to vary the texture, creating a surface amazing in its smoothness, or quickly apply bulk strokes.
Observing the general principles of composition, they first prepare the idea of a still life, and all the elements involved in it are built on a flat surface. Next, a pencil sketch is performed on the canvas. The uniqueness of oil paints is that they can be mixed directly on canvas. They will die for several hours, so at any moment there is the opportunity to make adjustments, the ideas of which can arise when considering work from different angles of view.
An essential attribute of oil paints
It should be remembered when deciding to write a still life that painting with oil paints implies their constant dilution with turpentine, which has a pronounced smell, so it is better not to paint pictures at home, so as not to suffer from a headache later.
Turpentine must be added to the palette every time paints are mixed. To do this, before applying a new color, you need to rinse the brush in it and then wipe it with a cloth. At first, it is better to avoid working with very thick oil, preferring more liquid options.
Another fundamental difference of this art material is the ability to mix paints by applying them to each other on the canvas itself, bypassing the stage of working with the palette, however, for this you need to stock up with fan brushes.
Watercolor painting. Still life
Watercolor technique is significantly different from oil, not only technically, but also in mood. Light air, a subtle haze, a unique gradient - this is a small fraction of the associations that watercolor painting evokes. A still life made using these paints is not inferior to oil in its beauty, and can even surpass it in terms of aesthetic component, although this is just a matter of taste.
Watercolor paints dissolve in water during operation, forming a transparent pigment that gives the image weightlessness and sophistication. The technical feature of this painting technique is that it depends on the topography of the paper on which the paint is applied.
Watercolor significantly expands the aesthetic horizons of people studying art, allowing them to comprehend the full depth of the surrounding beauty.
The first strokes of the art of comprehending the ideology of watercolor are ideally done by drawing a still life. Painting through these paints is distinguished by their ability to transmit light, and not to delay it, unlike oil. This factor implies the need to do without building a detailed drawing, which will be visible under a thin layer of pigment. For beginners in the artistic field, this rule is most easily fulfilled by depicting flowers than voluminous
geometric shapes. The buds do not require careful construction, but need an optimal comparison of warm and cold shades, allowing them to give volume.
Watercolor still life - painting, flowers on which seem to be illuminated from the inside. This effect is due to the ultra-high transparency of the ink lying on white paper. The sun's rays fall on the picture and are reflected from its surface. Any watercolor sketch requires the observance of the sequence of steps, so that the final work is correct:
- drawing is written at an angle;
- Before you start working with color, you must perform a composite sketch on paper;
- when the artist began to work with paints, it is worthwhile to carefully monitor the tilt of the picture to avoid unwanted drips and color mixing;
- when writing flowers, it is very important to maintain the concept of "from particular to the general." Here we have in mind that you need to register each flower separately, but at the same time portray it as a whole, which is achieved by working with chiaroscuro;
- in bouquets of flowers, regardless of their partial role in the overall drawing, it is important not to miss the personal compositional center in order to properly direct the viewer's attention;
- when the whole work is written, it is necessary to generalize it, which is sometimes achieved by drawing individual details, additional touches.