What happens if you take not-quite complementary colour pens, hold them a finger apart and at the same time, and draw anything!? Something a bit 3D ! The third picture here, of the pepper grinder, was drawn with complementary colours and doesn’t have quite the same effect. Fun though! Although the effect was accidental whenContinue reading “On the double”
Category Archives: art theory
Space and Substance
John Minton’s illustrations are very striking! I wanted to see more of them, so I bought Elizabeth David’s book Mediterranean Food published in 1950, in which we find Minton’s illustrations that accompany the recipes. Then I decided to draw one of his illustrations – the frontispiece for the chapter on “Substantial Dishes”. Minton confines himselfContinue reading “Space and Substance”
Weeding Onions
They don’t like competition and are rather greedy for all the water and nutrients – onions, that is! So the soil has to be tickled to keep weeds from taking what belongs to them! It is this most ordinary task, one that gardeners perform year in year out, that Thomas Hennell has depicted, most beautifully.Continue reading “Weeding Onions”
Gallery Pig
I came across a delightful charcoal drawing of pigs, made by the artist and professor, Allen William Seaby, which he sketched one camping holiday in the New Forest. I was at the St Barbe’s Gallery, Lymington, and although you can’t take pictures of the exhibits, they support you sketching any image. So I did aContinue reading “Gallery Pig”
Patterns from Home
I loved doing this monochrome painting, copied from a cotton scarf I have. I drew the pattern first then used ultramarine watercolour, with a fine brush. And all the while I listened to Native American flute music! Very calming:). Happy drawing:)
Complementary Coffee
My drawing and painting needed a jump start! So I copied one of the animals on my coffee pot! I love the easy, flowing shapes and the complementary colours. Blue and orange are opposites on the colour wheel and play with our eyes giving a simultaneous contrast. This is not the ‘push and pull’ ofContinue reading “Complementary Coffee”
Push and Pull
The food was great, and the colours danced before my eyes! This is a great example of Hans Hofmann’s push and pull colour theory.
Negative Space
Space is one of the seven basic elements of art an artist uses in their work to create particular effects – either to create an illusion of distance on the flat surface of the page/canvas, or to intentionally maintain the flatness of the medium of the page. What I love about this illustration by CliffordContinue reading “Negative Space”
Ink spread
Good writing, like good art, is inspirational. It can change the way you see things and do things; it can cause you to appreciate things differently; and it can help you become more conscious of your art. I stumbled across the on-line magazine IDEELART and happened to read a description of the Argentinian artist MartinContinue reading “Ink spread”
Wildsmith’s Lines
I have pretty much always loved books, but this summer I became entranced by the illustrations you find on book jackets. Beginning with the marvellous book The Illustrated Dust Jacket 1920-1970, by Martin Salisbury I have really started noticing what wonderful works of art there are on the front covers of books. So I haveContinue reading “Wildsmith’s Lines”
How to Write About Art 