Adding Tattooing to this blog

I have been a professional artist since 1996.  So far my career has been mostly about painting.  I have worked on many different forms of painting before I decide to solely focus on compositional abstraction as expression.  I have sculpted wood, stone, metal, ceramic, and all or them were rewarding toward my career.  I have worked as a tattooer off and on for money my entire career, and now I have decided to focus solely on tattoo for a few years while I clean my mind and prepare for my next large painting "The Peloponnesian War."  

My series of works "BitTorrent" took everything out of me.  I need to clear my mind in order to be fully prepared for the stress of the The Peloponnesian War painting.  So Athena and I decided to move to Maui Hawaii to do just that.  I am going to tattoo and watercolor classically until I am ready for the coming oil painting.  It is going to be a few years, and more then likely it will be 5 or more years before I am ready.  

I know that 5 years is the longest time I have gone without touching my oil brushes in my entire life.  However, I am completely drained from my last series and the planned works will take everything out of me again.  To become what I need to become to make that painting is going to be difficult on every part of my life.  So Athena and I are gong to simply live and enjoy our work, each other, and see what happens.

We chose Maui simply because it is beautiful.  And I mean it is stunningly beautiful.  Perfect for us to prepare for the coming storm of my new work.

As to tattooing, well I am rusty as hell.  It is going to take some work to get back into the game.  We are at Sweet Trade Tattoo where my friend Trevor Kennedy has supported our move and our decisions.  Trevor opened this shop in 2009, and he has promised to sell the shop to me when I am ready.  I am not ready at the moment, and really it will be 2 years before I am.  

So now I am going to be adding tattooing to this blog.  This is going to be fun, and ridiculous, and the perfect way to clean my mind of the last personality I took on (personalities really, the last series was multi individual focused) and once again find the self or at the very least recreate the construct that I think is me.

Aloha, and here we go...

Today I am getting Married!

Today, February 29th, 2012 leap-day,

I am going to be Married to Athena A. Capen.  

(I pre-wrote this and had it scheduled to post today.)

My life is vastly different with Athena in it.  You may have heard this and just rolled your eyes, but I am twice the man now because of her.  In fact, I actually see myself as a man now.  I love Athena, she is beautiful, well educated, and completely herself.  

Athena is my best friend, we do everything together. 

Athena is completely loyal.

Athena is honest to me and to all the world. She has nothing to hide and no regrets about who she is.

Athena is absolutely beautiful beyond words.  

She is tough, don't mess with her or she'll kill you.

Athena supports my career as an artist, loves my work, and is not afraid to tell me when she doesn't like what I am working on.

She stands behind my decisions in life, as I do hers.

Together we have been through personal tragedy, hard financial times, and of course way more good times than bad.  I have more good memories of the last 4 years than I can post in a single blog.  Through everything we have seen, we always came out on top, our relationship always was strengthened, and our understanding of who we are and what we are capable of increased.  

I am probably standing in front of my family and friends right now putting a ring on Athena's finger.

This is Athena, the woman I am getting married to as you read this.

At times she is an intergalactic gangster.

...she makes a pretty bad-ass princess Leia...

Chris (my best man), Athena and Philip.

Athena is a dog trainer, and she is good at what she does.  Her love for dogs, giving them the best life possible, and getting them to do cool stuff astounds me every time our pups learn a new trick.  I have no idea how she does it.

Here she is on her last birthday, we went to her favorite restaurant, had her favorite drinks, and ate her favorite food.  I am not telling any of you where her favorite place is, it's silly American food and decor. 

Here we are at the State fair.  It's only fun when I go with her.

yep, you guessed it, the butterfly tent.

Athena is almost has the wingspan of an eagle... 

...or a trumpeter swan.

My vows to you:

I will do my very best to always make us happy...

...to always work to improve the quality of our life...

...as together we build a life based on our love and care for one another.

Getting married to you is the coolest decision I have made to date.

Right now as you read this I am getting married.

Then I am off to my honeymoon...  

...I will see you all in a few weeks.

Progress has been made on my new painting

I was able to get some serious work done this evening.  I started painting at 5:30 PM, and finished working around 3:30 AM.  Quite a productive night.  I expect my formal work on this piece to be complete by the end of March.  Albeit, there is a huge amount of work to do simply to establish the overall composition.

Minneapolis #? "Penitent Magdelene"

All of these new color-forms will have to be strengthened once they dry.

Here is my Subject-matter, an oil painting I have been observing for almost a year at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

"Penitent Magdelene"

Bartolome Esteban Mutillo    c. 1650-1665

Thanks for reading...

...More to come soon.

New painting in progress

I have been working on this painting for nearly a year now.  I started with an academic study of the subject-matter, the artist that painted it, and then realistic details.  Over the last 6 months I have worked on the abstraction of the original composition with a heavy bias on the content of the narrative.  

I am fairly far along, but the real work starts now as I begin to truly work the composition.

Minneapolis #? "Penitent Magdelene"

This painting at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is my source material.  I have admired this work of art for many years.  I am very happy to present the subject-matter as I see it.

"Penitent Magdelene"

Bartolome Esteban Mutillo    c. 1650-1665

I hope to have this painting completed by the end of March or the beginning of April.

Thanks for reading along...

...I will post more about this painting as I work on it.

Minneapolis #7 "Milk Bubbles"

Slightly behind schedule, I finished another painting in the Minneapolis series.  The Minneapolis series of paintings is really just a chance for me to explore color-form ideas and relax.  There is no real artist statement other than I am testing out some of my ideas before I move on to my next major series.

I was not able to resolve the minimal composition of this piece; and for some time it sat in the corner of the studio waiting for me to understand it.

Minneapolis # 7 "MIlk Bubbles" 

oil on linen

12" x 24"

Thanks for checking in...

...I hope to complete another painting soon.

On the Paintbrush: Part III

On Paintbrush:  Part III

Some artists simply use a paintbrush, they don’t clean it, and the oil-color will harden and ruin the brush.  If you can afford to do that, bravo, you are a wasteful consumer and probably not a very good painter.  Taking care of paint brushes to keep them supple, resilient, and like-new is essential to increase their longevity and to extend their usefulness.  This is the single most important part of paintbrushes.  

It is unwise to leave a paint brush sitting bristle-side down in a solvent for days on end.  This will cause the brush to lose its original shape as the bristles will splay out from time spent soaking and softening, making them weaker and more susceptible to the weight of the handle.  Ideally the oil painter will want to clean paint and solvent residue off his brushes immediately after each use, however that is fairly unrealistic.  I have left my brushes in solvent for a few days if I am feeling lazy or really busy.  It has never destroyed my brushes.  

Most artists will simply use soap and water to get their brushes clean.  I prefer using liquid dish-soap.  I tried many brush cleaners, and found that simple is best.   I have used Dawn liquid dish soap to clean oil and pigment out of my paintbrushes for over ten years.  It’s true, Dawn does cut through grease, and it doesn't damage the bristles at all, where most brush cleaners can cause split ends in the bristles of your brush from the harsh chemical clean.    

It is important not to use the same paint brush for different mediums, or even different colors.  Different kinds of paint and the solvents used to clean them affect the bristles differently.  Using the same paint brush with different kinds of paint will rapidly destroy the brush.  An oil brush should never be used for acrylic or water based paints.  The bristles of a paintbrush become slightly coated with the medium and oddly accustomed to the original medium used.  Going back and forth between oil based and water based paints with the same brush will literally clog the ferrel with pigment and quickly destroy the brush.  

There have been many questions as to what kinds of brushes I use. 

I use a wide variety of brushes including: brights, flats, filberts, and selected rounds.  I own (and regularly use) 6 brushes of each size and type for the basic color wheel.  I can work with no less.  

I purchased a complete set of brushes in 1998 and now they are finally wearing out and will become unusable in the next year.  Those brushes lasted over 1000 paintings and twelve years only because I took care of them.  I intend to still use the set I have now in the future, but as first layer brushes, scrubbers and varnishers.  When my brushes wear from use, I simply find another use for them.  I keep my brushes in use until they fall apart.  They can still last another three to five years for those purposes. 

I have six classifications of each brush type and size, based on color usage because I am picky.  Separating brush use by violets, blues, greens, reds, oranges, yellows, whites and blacks (but I rarely use black, I substitute a very dark violet or blue for black) is important to me for many reasons.  Even though the painter will always mix and blend colors of different hues together, each brush should almost exclusively be used with one color hue.  There will always be a small amount of paint left inside the ferrel of the brush, and using a freshly cleaned brush that was first used with a different color causes unintentional mixing and color changes within a painting.  Even after the cleaned brush is dry, a trace of the previously used color can and will show its face when you use it again.  Sometimes the result is disastrous when the paint color turns to a grey green mud as a result of poor cleaning.  By keeping brushes separated by color use, the oil painter extends the lasting usefulness of his paint brushes.    

As brushes naturally degrade from use, they can be downgraded to other uses, again extending their life by years.  Turn scrubbers into old worn-out brushes, varnishers and glazers into old brushes with spring left to it, but the hairs have all split.  Under-painters become fairly good brushes, and over-painters become the best and newest brushes.  Other artists buy special brushes for each task; I just use what I have and keep a brush in use until the hairs have almost totally fallen out and are split beyond repair.  I also repair my brushes by trimming them with a scissors or a razor-blade.  Brushes are so expensive that I have never had the luxury of wasting them. 

I use Princeton Art Brush Company brand brushes.  They are not the best (according to other artists), but I feel they are of the highest quality, and last the longest.  I have used many different brush types.  I take great care of my brushes because of their expense. 

Well there you have it...

...some of my opinions about the paintbrush.

On the Paintbrush: Part II

On the Paintbrush:  Part II

In the hope that I won’t bore you to death, I am going to try and keep this interesting; as technical works always seem dry when we read them.  All paint brushes can be used for any purpose that you see fit.  Be it fine detail, soft transitions of color, or painterly brushstrokes, paintbrushes are the tool for you to decide what use they have.  Albeit, all brushes have an intended use, and when used with that intent in mind, the paintbrush can work magic.  

There are a number of paint brush types varying from size, shape, and body for many different purposes in working with oil paints.  The most common brush types are:  flat, bright, fan, filbert, egbert, liner, round, flat wash, mop, and the angular.  They are named for both their appearance and use with paints. 

The flat brush.  With its flat rectangular body and square chisel edge, the flat brush is perfect for applying large amounts of color both quickly and evenly.  Its width is typically half its length.  It holds plenty of paint for applying thick amounts, and it creates long straight brush strokes.  The flat brush is excellent for softly defining compositional elements that have a straight edge to them.  I find the flat brush most useful in applying the underpainting when clarity and precision are not too important, but applying a large amount of paint is.  

The bright brush has the same chisel edge as a flat brush, but with shorter bristle length, and comes to a fine chisel edge when loaded with paint.  Its width is typically the same distance as its length, giving it a relationship with the flat brush.  The short, square head of the bright brush makes it ideally suited for straight lines, applying broad strokes with a controlled edge, and well-defined brush strokes.  The bright brush is capable of finely detailing forms, making it perfect for overpainting and finial editing.  I use the bright brush for all geometric forms and the overpainting of large areas of negative space to redefine positive spaces. The bright brush is my personal favorite, my paintbrush of choice.  I tend to use it for most everything.  The bright brush gives me more control over oil-paint than any of the other brushes.  

The fan brush is shaped into a flat profile with a curved edge spread out like a hand-held fan.  The fan brush is designed for delicately blending color and softening edges, creating dusty-like strokes when painting objects such as clouds and distant foliage.  I consider the fan brush a gimmick, and believe it should not be used by the professional oil painter.  The professional can reproduce the brushstrokes the fan brush creates with a filbert brush.  I say do not buy a fan brush; save your money and buy filberts instead.  The filbert brush has some real purpose to it.

The filbert brush has the body of a flat brush with a slightly rounded edge point.  The filbert is extremely versatile and is used to create long painterly brush strokes.  Just as a flat brush can make broad strokes or more delicate and tapered strokes, the filbert excels in both of these purposes.  I use the filbert brush for softening the edges of forms and fading small areas of change in color value.  The filbert brush is the macro lens of oil painting with its dual ability to focus a finely detailed stroke and fade oil color, softly blurring its appearance. 

The egbert brush is similar to a filbert brush in that it has the same rounded edge, only with much longer bristles.  Its flat ferrule and long bristles can carry more color than a filbert brush.  It is as long as the liner brush and is most commonly used for thick, long tapered lines, and blending value changes.  I have no personal use for the egbert, and I find it lacking in self-control as a result of its unnecessary and excessive length.

The liner brush has a slender round head with very long bristles that comes to a thin tip that makes it ideal for working with tiny details.  The length of its body holds a lot of oil color allowing it to deliver color continuously in a single stroke when painting long lines.  The thin tip creates fine lines like no other brush type.  This brush is commonly called a "rigger" for its common use in painting the thin lines of rope rigging on ships.  I have used the liner brush previously with well worked oil color to achieve the immediate effects of small detail.  I simply do not like this brush type.  Although it has its uses, none of them coincide with what I do.  

The round brush has a thick round head with bristles that taper to a fine point at the end. It is used for precise strokes of fine detail work.  Like the liner brush, the round brush holds a good deal of paint and is best used with slightly thinned paints.  However, thinned oil paints fade away, crack, and slowly become transparent with time.  I have taken to beating down my oil paint on the pallet prior to use with the round brush, so as to make the paint more malleable.  I use the round brush for detailed lines.  It is better to simply work the oil color on the pallet until it is soft enough to achieve the desired consistency so it can flow from the bristles evenly.

The flat wash, flat shader, and stroke brush types are extra-large, extra soft, blending brushes intended for watercolors.  Even though they are primarily used for painting with watercolors, they are useful to the oil painter as a dry brush to remove all trace of brushstroke after the establishment of oil color has been finished.  I use the flat wash brush with oils as a dry-brush for soft surface color blending and smoothing.  The flat wash brush is ideal for blending surface area and applying a smooth transition between color and value changes without disturbing the wet underpainting.  

The mop brush has a large, flappy, fat body and is shaped into an oval or rounded thick edge.  The mop brush is used for delicately glazing, so as to not disturb the underpainting.  It is also useful as a dry-brush for blending large amounts of surface color.  I personally find the mop brush useless, albeit, I have used the mop brush for applying glazes over large surface areas.

The angular brush is similar to the build and body of the flat brush, but with the edge angled at a tapered slant.  The angular brush has a flat edge and a pointed tip, allowing for both wide and thin strokes.  The tip is its most valued feature, as it can easily reach areas within a painting that are between sections you do not wish to disturb.  The tight details the angular brush can reach are virtually impossible to work with a larger brush.  I use the angular brush for precise details in color forms where a mistake, or “coloring outside the lines,” would be nearly irreversible.  I also use the angular brush when I need the flat chisel edge of a bright brush but must fit into a tight compositional element.

Thanks for checking this out...

...part III on the paintbrush coming soon.

3.8.1_Improvisation

Since I have been working on improvisational oil paintings as late, I thought that I would post some of my older writing on the subject.  As I paint, I write.  I write about my thoughts on my own work and experiences.  So some of it might make sense, other parts you're just going to have to say "good lord whats wrong with him," and move on to the next section that makes sense to you.  As all of my writings on oil painting was written in the moment, some of it is going to change over time.

3.8.1  Improvisation

     The improvisational oil painting is completely honest work, in that it cannot lie, because it does not go through an editing process.  That is not to say the editing process is a lie, but to elaborate on the dependance of immediacy and reaction of the improvisational oil painting.  Improvisations of any kind are the first thought, line, brushstroke, or action, expressed by reacting to one’s environment and creative process.  The improvisation is honest because it is the first unedited reactions to both environment and the work itself.

     The improvisational works an artist completes exposes the work of his character, sense of being, and mastery of the relationship between himself and his chosen medium.  Improvisation is the finest means to tutor the student of oil paintings in their natural ability for composition as it's practice teaches him to be bold, balanced, and visually organized immediately.  Improvisational oil painting instills in the artist the foresight to see bold compositions as they are being revealed in the moment.  The oil painter's improvisation is an unconscious method toward a logical and complete understanding of one’s disposition, finally revealing to the artist the implications following his thoughts.  

     The improvisational oil painting should be completed in a short amount of time.  Timed improvisational study is a good starting point for the student of oil painting.  Timed study, a method of improvisation, is a necessary stage of development in teaching an artist to be immediately resolved.  Set a time limit to work within, such as five or ten minutes, then increase the amount of time allowed for each study  to one hour, as you progress.  During a timed study, the artist can't truly edit for lack of time, and must just simply react to the subject-matter.  This process should cover the course of a few months while increasing the complexity of the subject-matter.  

     The student of oil painting will start with representation, then progress gradually into abstraction of each subject. To be able to render realistic subject-matter improvisationally, is a necessity or prerequisite before beginning abstraction. The abstract improvisation becomes a personal experience when completed.  It is retrospective to the oil painter, as it was to me. 

     It is not just the act of painting an improvisational work of art, it is the acts of repetitive improvisational thoughts which allow the abstract oil painter to trust their own intuitive nature.  As time progresses the oil painter will transform with ease with his first thoughts, and strengthen those initial ideas learned from the practice of improvisational works.  The abstract improvisational oil painting ends up being about paint, and is considered an expressionist work.

     The abstract oil painter should study improvisation all his life.  However, he must not confuse his improvisational works for complete works of art.  Although each improvisational painting may be a great work of art, the improvisation is an incomplete idea that has yet to go through the discipline of editing, and should not be its own ends.  Although there are works intended for instilling control through immediacy, an improvisational oil painting finds its usefulness merely is in its act of doing, and leads one to new ideas, a deeper understanding of composition, and the resolution of the complicated relationship an artist has with his medium. 

Artwork of the month: "Judith"

There was a time when the subject of "Judith" was a popular trend for artists to work on.  The character Judith is a heroine, the savior of her people as a result of her own sacrifice and belief in the Hebrew god.  Judith is a beautiful woman, widowed and del reliant.  Her anger with her people over their mistrust that God will deliver them from the coming invader's army, she sets off with her maid to take maters in her own hands.  

She promises the general of the Assyrians information on the Israelites, and gets him drunk, seducing him with her beauty.  When Holofernes passes out, Judith cuts his head off and sneaks out of camp with it.  The Assyrian army is demoralized and disbands, not attacking the Israelites.  Judith is a hero.

The book of Judith is not in the Hebrew bible, and as a result it is excluded from the Protestant scriptures.  The Catholic church has always maintained the the book of Judith is the word of god and can not be excluded.

The character Judith is a powerful archetype that has been played over and over again.  I would even consider Rosy the Riveter to fall into the same archetype as Judith.  A strong-willed, self-reliant, powerfully intelligent, god fearing woman, and a patriot.  The Archetype is common throughout history and is used as propaganda when needed to inspire a nation.

Judith has been a very popular subject for artists.  The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has over 20 "Judith" works in its permanent collection.

Agostino Carracci

Italian, 1559-1602

"Portrait of a woman as Judith"

Oil on canvas, 1590

Attributed to Antonio Gionima

Italian, 1697-1732

"Judith presenting herself to Holofernes"

Oil on canvas, first half of 18th century

Francesco Ladatte

Italian, 1706-1787

"Judith with the head of Holofernes

Terracotta, 1738

Pietro Della Vecchia

Italian, 1603/5-1678

"Judith with the head of Holofernes"

Oil on canvas, 1635-50

Giovan Gioseffo dal Sole

Italian, 1654-1719

"Judith with the head of Holofernes"

Oil on canvas, 1695

There are hundreds of works featuring Judith, but none of them have the impact as Caravaggio's "Judith beheading Holofernes," as it is and always has been the masterwork about Judith.  This painting is a perfect harmony of brutality and beauty.  This painting is at the National Gallery of Ancient Art of Barbarini Palace.

Michelangelo Merisi detto il Caravaggio
Italian, 1571-1610
"Judith beheading Holofernes" 
Oil on canvas, 1598-99

I intend to paint my own version of Judith...
...It will be abstract, but you will know it.

3.5.1_On the study of the still-life and its use as an indirect associative narrative.

3.5.1  On the study of the still-life and its use as an indirect associative narrative.

 A still-life oil painting is a work of art depicting inanimate subject-matter.  Primarily it has developed into a decorative work of art with an implied yet obvious narrative.  The student of oil painting’s study of the still life involves the compositional arrangement of everyday objects as the subject-matter in a manner to study composition, perspective, and mostly light source for the decisions of a future work of art.  My attempt here is to address the still-life as such where the student of oil painting will learn how to work through a still-life from setup to finished work of art.  During this study the oil painter will see how the common objects we own, how we use and present them during our day to day activities, and how speak profoundly about ourselves and our world, is defining a portion of our lives.  The still-life is a philosophical work of art, even if it is not obviously so.  The aesthetic composition of these belongings, both the choice of what to use, and their placement within the still-life, reveals a part of the artist's mind.  In this I say these decisions tell us the secrets behind the artist’s motivation.  From casual observation, these subtleties will be missed entirely and will only be revealed through a deeper, quiet investigation of a work of art.

It is important to discuss the still-life’s being as a compositional study and decorative item while addressing the still-life’s ability to communicate on many levels at one time.  Let us first focuses on the rudimentary fundamentals of the still-life as a purely pictorial study of compositional elements toward abstraction, and not an end to itself.  The fundamental lessons of the still-life are compositional balance, the use of light-source, the three dimensional content of form, and with that conceptual foresight, a sculptural understanding of oil painting itself.  In the beginning of this study the student of oil painting works in monotone color toward rendering a work of art that looks realistic, as a pictorial representation of objects within the still life.  Although inanimate objects play a role in our lives, they have their own narrative.  One that not only tells us their function, but recites the dialogue of the human drama within their purpose.  With an understanding of that silent narrative, the oil painter is obliged to present the still-life as animated, alive, and full of purposeful action, born from the vivacity of the human drama and our shared relationship to the inanimate.  While communicating that there is life to that which we define as not alive, the oil painter exposes the recurring history of the human situation.

The act of designing a still-life teaches the oil painter the elements of spatial arrangement involved in composition, while focusing on balance and the three dimensional context of the objects within the still-life.  When designing a still-life, set up the composition just as you would a stage for a theater.  For the stage itself, use a wood or cardboard box with three sides, left, right, back, and a base.  Start with a simple forward view, so the oil painter can easily see the entire composition.  Keep in mind that the vantage point you chose is what the oil painting will mimic.  Traditionally the still-life has been painted in settings where the objects within it might belong together, such as a cloth covered table top with a bowl of fruit.  This being a study, we remove all aspects of setting and focus on its fundamentals of process in preparation to reintegrate setting later. 

For the purpose of this study we want the background to be simple and uniformed in its texture and colored appearance, so as to not distract from the objects of the still-life.  Paint the interior walls and floor of the stage with a basic middle grey, which is the standard in photography for calibrating light and adjusting exposer to capture true color.  This grey will be our reference point and our constant as it exhibits definable separations between the background, shadow and subject.  Middle grays’ stark neutral quality accents the objects individual characteristics of color and shape, while allowing those color-forms to be as true as possible.  Middle grey defines all the forms within the still-life itself, easily separating the positive and negative spaces for the artist's eye.  The use of middle grey as a background color for this study is essential.  After the oil painter has completed no less then five works with the simple grey painted walls, he may move on to the background as a form itself.  Use a sheet of fabric to lay over the stage so it covers all three walls and the base evenly.  Choose a fabric color that will not overpower and dilute the presence of the objects within the still-life.  Using a fabric color that is a complementary color to the objects will define the positive and negative spaces in the same manner as neutral grey does.  The fabric, how it lays in the stage, it's wrinkles and texture, becomes a part of the design elements and are as compositionally important as the objects themselves.  Hence, it becomes an object and its installation should be considered when choosing the items for the still-life.

At first select no more than three to five items, keeping them simple but different in their surface texture, color, and shape.  The oil painter must consider these objects as three dimensional color-forms or geometric shapes, and not as what they are, thereby removing the identity of an object so as to see it without a preconceived idea as to its true form.  Because of our experiences, our minds have preconceived ideas about the shape, texture, and purpose of objects.  Subsequently we will represent them pictorially as our mind sees them rather than what our eyes tell us.  Arrange the items so they feel balanced among the stage by following your instincts and placing the items together in as natural an arrangement as possible; maintaining the guidelines of composition. To avoid your works looking contrived, just place the objects where they feel like they belong and do not put too much thought into it.  If you cannot feel balance instinctually, you are not an artist and should stop now, lest you poison contemporary art with your desire to do something.  A deeper understanding of compositional balance will come with time, albeit, for the artist, composition is as natural and instinctual as breathing.  The oil painter need only learn to discipline his inherent talents so he may forget control, and let go to his mind’s voice.

There are two simple rules to guide the oil painter in the installation of the objects.  First, divide the painting surface into thirds.  Second, proper placement of the triangular color-form subject-matter.  Designing the overall composition with these guidelines, regardless of artistic individuality, will result in a work of art that is evenly balanced and pleasing to the eye both within content and composition.  The act of setting up a still-life involves all the fundamentals of design.  As a result of those design lessons, setting up the stage of a still-life teaches the oil painter to experience his work outside of the canvas.  With this insight, designing a still-life subconsciously instills a greater understanding of the three dimensional form and content of an object's complete being into the oil painter's mind, simply by arranging the items.  As the artist handles each item, he unconsciously catalogues their texture and shape, and with that inner sight paints the still-life silently remembering each object's total content.  In this way for the process of painting itself, the oil painter conceptually becomes a sculptor.  For oil painting is sculpting, in that the oil painter molds the oil and pigment by working the medium to develop a surface that represents form.

The use of light-source in the still-life should be considered as a detailed compartmentalized element to the overall composition.  Its use in this study is primarily to develop the three dimensional content of each object.  In the beginning of this study, the oil painter will use a single direct light-source, for it is more definable and dramatic than the soft quality of indirect light.  Use a small light fixed to the stage so as to make sure that it won’t move or change its position.  Once the artist has set up the light-source, it must remain in the same position until the painting is finished for the painting to be completed properly.  Light alters color as it reveals the depth and form of an object, as so, where the oil painter directs his light source determines the demeanor of an oil painting.  Albeit, the artist treats the effects of light without discrimination, and as a compositional element of the subject-matter itself.  Although restricted in part by the fundamental guidelines of composition, the oil painter will find that he has more freedom to play with the compositional arrangement of light than the other elements of the still-life.  The wide spectrum of human emotion can all be represented by the subtle use of light.  It is light's most powerful effect, dramatizing even the most mundane setting with its physical effect on man’s belief structure.

It is important that all the elements of the still-life are not disturbed so that when the oil painter returns to his work day by day, he sees the stage exactly the same every time until the painting is complete.  Changing any of the elements of the stage after the actual work of art has begun will cause the finished oil painting to end without resolution and have a poorly balanced and distorted composition, and as a result, appear contrived.  Along with altering the stage, the student of oil painting must not change the vantage point from which the still-life is observed; for it will also result in a contrived and disproportionate oil painting.  There must be a defined spot during this study of where to stand, look, and measure the subject-matter in the stage.  Mark a spot on the floor with tape for the desired vantage point of where to stand while looking at the still-life.  It is important that the oil painter only observe the stage from that marked position, separate from where he will view and work on the work of art on the easel.  Mark off a spot where to look and measure the work of art on the easel approximately the same distance as the mark to the stage.  Do not look at the stage while in front of the canvas and vice versa.  Doing so will distort the image in the oil painter's mind and upset his actual and inner view of its total composition.  This criteria of observation teaches the student of oil painting how to see, which we all believe we need no instructions on.  Observing the stage and work of art separately allow the oil painting to evolve on its own, distinctly separate from the still-life.  Although it will be a pictorial representation of your still-life, the work of art will become an image with a life-force all its own. 

A part of the arrangement of the still-life is the selection of its overall composition.  Most of this is decided by the boundaries of the stage itself, but if the student of oil painting wishes to use a different frame for his composition, he can bracket off the dimensions of the desired composition where ever he sees fit with a plumb-line.  A plumb-line is a weighted string that is suspended in front of the subject-matter for reference and to accurately measurement and compositionally segregate.  Use the plumb-line to mark the center of your stage, hanging it in front of the entire structure.  This method of study, cupeled with a defined vantage point takes the use of a plumb-line, a traditional way of observing the subject-matter, and introduces the sight size method of artistic study back to a dogmatic formula.  Dogma can kill an artist’s potential, but for the student of oil painting, he is required to work through these ideas used before him so that he may come to understand his own ideas.  This formula fast looses its right of passage and evolves into an unconscious instinctual way to see, thus becoming unnecessary to adhere to.

Now that the stage is set, the oil painter may begin his study of the still-life pictorially.  At this point the oil painter starts with a medium tailored for study such as charcoal, pencil, or pen on paper.  After completing several studies of the still-life and familiarizing himself with its visual content, the student of oil painting can then move on to his work in oil paints.  The oil painter should complete one oil painting for each study.   A minimum of five different studies of the still-life are necessary as a preparatory step for the artist to understand the lessons involved, and to grasp the conceptual work involved in the study of the still-life.

Every few years I take on the study of the still-life to its fullest.  It helps reground my mind so that I may continue my work in compositional abstraction.  Because I wish to not be associated with them; I do not sign my completed still-life works and give them away as presents to family and friends.  

3.2.1_On the learning curve of art materials for the student of oil painting

3.2.1  On the learning curve of art materials for the student of oil painting.

The student of oil painting, whether aspiring to become a professional or simply doubling as a hobbyist, will benefit from the instruction and experience of using artistic mediums related to the application of oil paint.  We can no longer ignore that the consumer is fast becoming the voice of modern art today.  As a result of the consumer's new strength within the arts, the idea of study and training for the trade needs to be reinforced.

The student of oil painting should not rely on oil paint alone to teach him to create works of art.  The student has not yet learned to control his hand to create what his mind already sees, and using oil paints is difficult to learn, let alone master.  The student of oil painting needs the training of simple mediums at first, mediums that are less complicated and involved than oil colors.  For this purpose, there is a learning curve that progresses through several mediums before arriving at oil paint.  Typically these mediums are designed to study artistic principles.  Albeit, as a result of artistic innovations, they have all found a place as mediums used as fine art.  As you will see, the student of oil painting treats each of these mediums as individual lessons, but with the techniques of applying oil paint at the foundation of each medium’s course.  By applying each medium as oil paint is applied, the student of oil painting prepares himself for oil, gaining a much better grasp of its nature.  So for that reason, we tailor these courses toward the technique of applying oil paint, where the medium is applied in layers to build a surface.

Starting with charcoal, the artist moves on to graphite and colored pencil, then soft and oil pastel sticks, then ink, and finally onto oil colors.  Through this process of study, the student of oil painting will arrive at oil colors with a firm understanding of basic artistic principles while discovering his own insight and artistic voice.

The artist’s progressive training of mediums begins with the delicacy of charcoal sticks.  Charcoal is the perfect study medium and is commonly used in timed studies where the student works quickly to create a work of art.  Charcoal is naturally precise for applying dark and light values.  Charcoal is not easy to work with accurately and takes a soft yet resolved hand to master how it lays dark and light marks on a surface.  Allow the medium itself to teach the student how to use it.  Charcoal is easily disturbed once applied to a surface and it can be altered for good or bad by the slightest of movements.  It marks the surface immediately and although not permanently, its bold characteristics are difficult to erase.  Traditionally the contemporary student of oil painting works with vine charcoal sticks on newsprint or paper.  Vine sticks are best used in study because their delicate structure forces the artist to build his surface over time with several applications.  Charcoal is similar to oil paints in that the artist builds a surface with the medium to produce a work of art.  The intended purpose of working with charcoal sticks is so the artist concentrates on the accuracy of form and value, training his hand to be light, but resolved.  Indeed the student is silently directed that way as a result of the nature of the medium itself.  There are a few simple tools to be used alongside charcoal sticks.  A sandpaper pad is used to sharpen the drawing point of the charcoal stick.  A gum eraser is the best choice to erase with, as gum erasers collects larger amounts of medium rather than rubbing it off as other erasers; thereby not scaring the drawing surface.

The next mediums for artistic development are the graphite and colored pencils.  Working in these different forms of pencil teaches the artist the basics of value, color, and tinting.  Pencils can easily scar the surface of a work of art if applied with too much pressure.  At times that pressure, when controlled, is exactly what the artist wants.  It is doubtless that the artist has used a pencil before.  Regardless of the artists experience, now is the time to start from the beginning with no working knowledge of the pencil.  Graphite pencil reintroduces the lessons of charcoal, but takes the study of form, line, and the diverse techniques of creating the tonality in shading and grades of depth for contour value and perspective, to a more precise form of expression.  Working in graphite pencil, the artist refines his talents with the lessons of charcoal.  Pencil is not as easily disturbed as charcoal but can be easily erased, and although the process of editing with the eraser is often an approach to the technique to creating a work of art, it is a technique that devalues the basic lessons gained by using a pencil.  At this point you will erase nothing.  If you are dissatisfied with your work, then start a new drawing with a fresh perspective.   

With a delicately resolved hand, the student uses the graphite to build a surface to create forms and values.  The artist needs to learn to control the application of graphite first, then add innovation when confident enough with the medium itself.  The first lesson is to attempt to have all marks go in the same direction.  That is not easy, all marks made includes what would be line, and line tends to go in opposition to the value of forms.  The commonly known methods of working realistic values such as blending, cross hatching, the use of stipple, and my own scribble style, all employ varying marks that are closer together to resemble darker value, and farther apart for lighter values.  Distance within marks, giving the appearance of different values, is easy when compared to a unified directional pencil stroke.  The difference is that the student is training his eye to see value immediately, instead of creating value spontaneously.  Start by drawing in the darkest values and then working in the lightest.  Focus on the dramatic differences in form values, then work towards the subtle discrepancies.  When the student of oil painting is comfortable with his ability to instinctually see the value of form, it is time to move on to colored pencils.  

Colored pencil is commonly overlooked, being considered as a business medium, most commonly used by the designer, architect, and illustrator.  I have even heard color pencil compared to the crayon.  Although they are both a wax-based medium, the comparison is prejudice.  The colored pencil is a world all to itself and indeed is a medium who’s purpose reaches fine art.  As a wax based pigment, the colored pencil has the ability to blend colors in refined layers of lightly applied color.  Wax builds up quickly and the student of oil painting will have to refrain from adding too much too fast.  The student’s hand will have the muscle memory now, after working in charcoal and then graphite pencil, and consequently has trained for the delicacy and pressure needed.  Working with color for the first time as a student will at first be more difficult than expected.  To grasp an understanding of how to work with colored pencil, the student will have to memorize the basic color wheel.  Knowing all the aspects of color mixing and how each color interacts with the other will come in time with practice of this colored wax-based medium.  

After the introduction of color, the student of oil painting moves on to both soft and oil pastel sticks.  Using pastels combines the lessons from all of the previous studies, while truly preparing the artist for the complications of oil painting.  The technique used within pastels integrates value and color together while foreshadowing the use of a brush.  Soft pastels are basically chalk, and similar to charcoal in their application.  I find them distasteful, and hopefully the student of oil painting will avoid them as he avoids the disease of acrylic paints.  Soft pastels mark a paper’s surface, but they do not hold onto paper and more times than not the pigments fall off unless the paper is treated with a fixative before and after your work.  Sandpaper is a perfect drawing surface to use for your soft pastel work of art.  Sandpaper, if quality glue was used in its construction, holds the soft pastel firmly between the grains.  Using sandpaper as a drawing surface solves the majority of your staying issues with soft pastels.  Do not spend too much time on the study of soft pastels.  They have little to give to the study of oil paintings, except the experience of a new and challenging medium.  

Oil pastels are the closest relative to oil painting.  Oil pastels are most commonly made with a non-drying oil and wax as vehicles to bind the pigment.  The technical accessibility of oil pastels combined with the lessons of the charcoal, graphite, colored pencil, and soft pastels, makes their use a true study material for the oil painter.  The pigments within oil paints are the same as those in oil pastels and you will notice instantly how when mixing color there is a bit of a grind to it until you work the stick until it is warm.  Oil stick are slightly cured oil paints.  Because they are oil-based, you can use oil based mediums such as linseed oil to create painting-like effects.  I have used WD40 for the effect of sharp textured painterly strokes of color by spraying the WD40 onto a sheet of folded wax paper, and then rolling the tip of oil stick in the medium until it mixes with the color.  The WD40 dissolved the oil pastel stick, yet bound the stick to the drawing surface.  Just as oil paint, apply the mixed medium and color to your work of art.  It cannot be erased but it can be covered over or scrapped off the drawing surface.  Oil pastels layer fast and blend easy.   They should be used to study throughout the course of an oil painters life.            

For the next stage in the learning curve of art materials, the student of oil painting works with ink.  Ink is irrevocably unforgiving and permanent, and like the improvisations, the first mark is the final mark.  As a result of the editing limitations of ink, the artist will find that the execution of applying ink is philosophically similar to the improvisation.  Using ink to create works of art teaches the student of oil painting to be comfortable with his intuition and to react to his subject-matter as he replicates it.  By that same limitation, the use of ink familiarizes the artist with the abstract idea of positive and negative space.  The artist will find himself prone to working with the negative space to complete forms of positive space.  Working this way is thinking like a painter.  In oil painting, the painter uses negative space to develop the positive.  The negative space is more important than positive space.  

The added benefit of studying ink last, is removal of color.  Removing color as the student of oil painting adds line and composition brings the mind back to the fundamentals of composition.   I work with ink as often as possible for studying composition for my works.  Oil painting is next.  As you start your first oil painting, work in monotone, simple white to black just as ink.  It will be more difficult than expected.

All of these artistic mediums are traditional for the student of oil painting and not to be set aside once the artist is working in oils, but to be used alongside oil painting.  For each work of art to be created, the student of oil painting usually starts with one or more of the lesser mediums as a study and sketch for the painting itself.  Eventually the student will develop his own method to study for oil painting.  The oil painter should explore different mediums and methods of creating works of art throughout his entire life.