(td)squared

Here i am again! It’s Friday and the last day of class this week.

Today we focused on how to shade and shadow an object.
The most helpful advice I can give you is this,
Make your objects local color the base color
Make a shadow out of burnt umber and a dark blue, water it down so it is a little translucent
Make the objects shadow a color that would be the compliment of the source light (that’s how it occurs in life!)
Make your highlight out of your local color, add white and some of the source lights color
To create the “zinger” or hot spots you take white and the color of your light source and apply them sparingly
Then you add bounce light (from surrounding objects or surfaces) in your shadow. The most important part is that they appear in the shadow of your object. It’s best to do this with dry brushing, without thinned paint
The last step is to add the cut line, or line of shadow that occurs at the point where the object hits the surface, or is touching it’s cast shadow, this line is a very dark color, even black.

Follow this and you will have spectacular shading! sounds simple… But once you try to do it with a fled sashes and ditches to get just the smallest line ever – you discover that it can be quite the challenge. My favorite discovery was learning about the bounce light, that small addition really makes your painting come alive! I saw examples in the studio and I was marveling at how the artist included pops of color in their shading, and it went together so perfectly. Now I know how it’s done
Alright world, I’ll see you again on Monday!

Today began with everyone once again at their flat, the one we made the gradated wet blend and the stumble on. We then proceeded to test various tools on this surface, by dividing the flat into four sections we were able to work with three main tools.
Those were slinging, rags, textured rollers, and combing.
We then experimented with some other tools on the floor. My personal new favorite is a mop head connected to a handle by a wire, which enables it to swing around. You soak this with paint giving an amazing spatter effect. Even when you soak it in water you get another spatter effect when you rink it out.
After that we had a lesson on proper spattering (the irony). It is not proper to bang your brush against another item (or hand), instead you manipulate your spatter by how thin your paint is, how much paint is in your brush, and where in your brush the paint is resting. You then flick the brush with your hand, and control the direction by pointing where you want to spatter. It is important to keep the wide edge of your brush (we were using 4″ lay-ins for spattering) facing down. Otherwise you will end up with lines of spatter instead of a uniform spatter. We also worked by doing wet spatters and bath spatters, which is playing with how much water is on your surface prior to spattering.
Following the spatter lesson we began lining. Properly built lining sticks are key. They need a beveled edge and a concave base, making the bottom of the lining stick only touch the surface in two locations. Angled Sash brushes are ideal forlining. We also used fiches and created soft edged lines.

A quick lesson on how to clean brushes:

1. Put brush in clean bucket with water, bristles face down. Best way to do this is to have a bucket under running water where you then swirl the brush around, empty the water when it becomes colored. Repeat until water is clean (ish).

2. Stick brush in Murphy’s Oil, much like a dish soap. Make sure it is diluted. You don’t want the soap to be too hard to rinse out.

3. Scrub brush as you would your hair. Get between the bristles and down to the base.

4. Rinse under running water.

5. Get a plastic toothed scrub brush (metal ones damage the bristles), and scrub in one direction from the base of the bristles to the end of the bristles. This is to remover any
Ain’t that is stuck in the base of the bristles. You should do this step under running water.

6. Store your brushes horizontally on a metal mesh shelf. This allows the brush to dry without any leftover paint getting caught on the end of the brush. If any paint was left it will collect on the side of the brush, which is a lot easier to clean than the tip. The metal shelf also gives it a way to breathe.

Today we did a lot of work wit bamboo. Starting out with drawing exercises and then moving on to a large scale replica of a Mucha painting before lunch.
After lunch we used our ,iced paint from yesterday to do some wet blends, graidation and scumbling. Afterwards we learned about proper use and maintenance of sprayers.

Today was the first day we used paint! And boy is rosco worth it, the paint is so thick and the color is so intense. Basically after you thin the paint you really aren’t paying much more for it, because a gallon goes a long way.

The day began with some basic geometry skills, and knowing how to bisect lines and create right angles on the floor.

Then we began to starch our soft good flats we made yesterday. Who knew you could starch a flat for a fraction of the price of primer?! Tomorrow were going to do the final layer of sizing ( a glue mixture ), which will completely seal the fabric

We then learned about the parts of paint, and created the ol’ color wheel. Then came the fun part: color matching.
Now the best trick I learned today was to figure out a recipe for your color using the fewest steps possible. You start with straight paint and then add white or a good color shifter like raw umber. From there you can really figure out only one or two more dabs of color will do the trick. I was able to color match two swatches exactly in less than 2 hours. Can’t wait to paint more tomorrow!

So here I am laying in my bed, in a giant farm house along with 8 other scenic artists for 3 weeks of learning, painting, and overall just having a great time.

I am currently at Cobalt Scenic Studios. It is everything I could ask for and more.
I will do my best to make a post for each day I’m here but forgive me if some days have shorter posts – sometimes I procrastinate ( gasp).

So today is my official first day stepping in the studio. Yesterday I moved in to my own room in a farm house that can sleep up to 12 people!
My day began with a general discussion on what a scenic artist really was, venues you could find employment in, from backstage jobs.com to painting houses and commercials. Then we moved to the studio where I was blown away by the sheer numbers of supplies in stock. For example, every can of paint was rosebrand – a gallon would run you upwards of $70. I’m not trying to brag, just trying to give you the lay of the land. I was given a list of items a paint shop should have in stock, and what cobalt keeps in stock. The list went on for three pages.
Now you may be thinking I was in this highly monitored store room with white walls and locks on every door… But really it’s just a giant barn. And I couldn’t feel a y more at home. Everything may be organized neatly but all the labels are hand written, the shelves are either a conglomeration of your kitchen wares or hand made contraptions, there are silly pictures and decorations, the paint sinks are old bathtubs, and to top it all off there’s a cat named Winnie, who loves to say hi by rolling on her back.
Aside from the mixing and supply room I just described there is also a lounge filled with visual research, an office that maintains any backdrop rentals or commissions, and a huge studio. The studio is large enough to fit two 60×40 drops stapled on the floor.

You had me at farmhouse and barn/studio.

Cobalt is in a town called White Lake, basically the nearest Starbucks is an hour away. And I love it.

Aside from our tour of the facilities we began a lesson on cartooning, or on enlarging line drawings. Today we learned how to use a grid system. We also learned how to make soft good flats.

While we were working there was a graduate of Cobalt painting a drop of the Saringhetti. It’s just so much fun seeing something come to life as you step back. The artists name is Brian, and he just got accepted into the scenic painters union! No small feat at that!

I should note that I am learning under Rachel Keebler, Kimb Williamson, and Hannah Joy (a recent cobalt grad).