Painting Workshop

This workshop revisited the importance of composition in a piece of art, and how the layout must be interesting for the viewer to "read" the painting. We started with thumbnail sketches and colour studies using gouache. I had forgotten how complex this process can be. Patience is once again a big part of the process. I myself had gotten frustrated in this process. I never thought of myself as a painter and found this workshop to be somewhat of a challenge. This puts me in the shoes of my pupils. Not the most confident in this particular medium but am willing to try and eager to learn. Instilling the patience with oneself and allowing for mistakes which gives more of an opportunity to learn.

We worked together in small groups. With a collection of objects each member of the group had brought in, we agreed on how the composition should be laid out. Again the team work of myself and the fellow PMEs help to strengthen the support system that is available, but we also discuss the importance of composition and what makes a successful composition. It reinforces what we have learned and will help it better retain this information. The thumbnail sketches were very useful in the planning out of the painting.  It helps to plan out the negative space and to see whether it will be a success or not. 

When the painting actually begins, some start off using pencil, others opt to go straight in with the paint. I choose the latter method. I decided to start with a purple wash and then build up the paint. The colours came up very nicely, and I was happy with the end result. I choose to leave part of the wash to be seen, I found that the purple worked quite well with the white of the clothe and the yellow that could be seen in the fruit. While there are improvements that can be made, I feel that it is a successful composition.