Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Bird Watching - A Demo



Bird Watching

6x6in oil on Senso linen  $100. SOLD


I have been thrilled by the reception of my tutorial on Fracturing
A big thank you to all who have been interested.

Some requests have led me to show this demo of a more
"controlled way" to use the Fracturing technique.
Instead of multiple layers it is acomplished with one fracturing time.

I am working like crazy for my up-coming show so this is
a demo I did back in September, but never put on the blog.

I decided to use a previously painted image for my demo
- a painting of my grand-cat Pouncer from 9 years ago.
First I did a charcoal drawing which has been fixed with Krylon Fixative.
This is the way I worked as an illustrator because I could
always wash it off if I was not satisfied, and start again.








































Next I applied transparent colors and as the canvas
already had a color I left some areas showing.



















I forgot to take the photo showing local colors starting to
be placed. I used the angle brush to do that. Then I whacked
away with the handy dandy tool. As the paint is not on very
thickly at this stage this is an easy step and now you can see the
benefit of having the drawing underneath. Nothing gets too lost.




 I apply more paint with angle brush















After the brush I also used a knife, but your own
preference is fine at this stage. You still have to watch your
values and keep the light and dark areas separate.
(See the lighter/darker fur on the top of the cat,)














With the small round brush I reinstated some of the details
on the scarf and rug. You can tidy up as much or as little
as you want to.  I usually have the focal area less fractured.
I left the charcoal drawing showing here and there as I liked it.

(Take no notice of the pink area. I decided to crop this down to a
6x6in

I have painted this cat before... see Pouncer

Artist Note.
I was thrilled to get a terrific email from Ann Feldman.
Click  on her name to see the wonderful results she
had when she taught the fracturing technique to her students.
She obviously is a good teacher because they really went after it.
It makes me feel really happy to see such exciting work.
It is not that I expect them to continue fracturing, but now they
have accomplished fracturing form, light and space,
it could lead to explorations of their own.




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45 comments:

  1. I love it when you paint Pouncer...and when you show us stuff. Another great breakdown of your process Julie...thank you for showing! Ann's students did great and they are all so different.

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    1. great to hear you liked it. Thanks and yes - I got quite excited seeing what they all did.
      Love your new painting ...all those books painted one by one!

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  2. Great demonstration that became a very lovely painting. I'm glad you shared your fracturing video..I think it helps remind many artists (myself included) that there are options to the paintbrush!

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    1. Yes - lots of options. Well put. I think it is also a way of finding out what we don't like. Making new marks and asking do I like this...or not...is as important as anything else we do.
      Your new landscape is a winner, Celeste. Gorgeous blue.

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  3. It is so easy to get stuck with doing things for the sake of it. I love how you balanced the fracturing to the things that are suited for it. I have realized the same with my black lines. Sometimes I have to hold back with them. A very lovely painting, and a masterful use of fracturing. I love it.

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    1. So true Roger. I always tell the other Guild members that ART is an intellectual pursuit. So true.
      YOu are really doing well with your portraits and have done different things too.

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  4. Great demo. This is my favorite degree of fracturing...it steps it up just perfectly for me. But I loved also seeing Ann's students and how they fractured. The possibilities are endless. Too much fun.
    I know you are so busy getting ready for your show. I wish you the best and all the time you need! I am a bit buried in Leslie's class but loving the results.

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    1. That is what is nice about the fracturing technique. You can do as little or as much as you want. It is there to loosen one up.My fav is when I do multiple layers and it gets more interesting to ME.
      I enjoyed all three of your tulips.

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  5. Julie - thank you so much for sharing your technique. It is so helpful to see how you work. As for bird watching this is my kind...through the eyes of Pouncer. Have a great day.

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    1. Pleased to know you enjoyed it. I loved the movie you watched on Paddy's day. Morgan Freeman is fabulous isn't he?

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  6. Julie,
    First I have to say I found you through my dear friend Celeste, who shared her exciting results with a bunch of us artists at a local Portland studio, Studio 30. She got us all thinking of the possibilities. I really like what you are doing here because it is so fresh! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. We share love for Celeste - how nice.
      I enjoyed visiting your blog and congratulations on being on the roster for the PAP convention. WOW!

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  7. WOW! Julie...this was a great demo! It makes me really want to try...this is a beautiful painting with gorgeous colors...thanks for sharing!!!

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    1. Hi Hilda - I think you have your own style nailed down just right.
      Glad you like this one though. Looking forward to your next painting.

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  8. You are such a generous soul..... I love this painting Julie

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    1. Sweet thing to say. Thank you, Margaret.
      I also love your purples - such a lovely group of different hues.

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  9. Dear Julie, it is always interesting to watch the way you make fracturing...it looks like a magic!
    It 'nice to see how others have interpreted this chance.
    You're a teacher able to train other teachers, as I seen here Ann Feldman and her students.
      ALL SUPER!!!

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    1. Yes - I love seeing the different interpretations. Ann is a great teacher with a true desire to help her students.
      Your finished piece is amazing Rita - really detailed and amazing.

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  10. Oh , it seems so easy :-)) A wonderful demo, and thank you for always taking your time to show the 'how to' . Now I'm off to see Ann Feldman.

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    1. Nice of you to say that. Thanks Jane. I am sorry on the loss of your friend but your painting is a wonderful reminder. The love comes through.

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  11. Delightful painting. Love the cat's pose. Terrific. Thanks for showing your process. I saw Ann's painting earlier on DP and thought it was yours for a second.

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    1. Thanks Stephanie. I thought Ann's painting was better than what I can do so I thank you for that.
      Love your red pear.

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  12. julie, thank you for showing us this... and yeah, you do make it look so easy!

    xoxo

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  13. Hi there Lynne - it is never easy and I guess that is what keeps me interested.
    Your work is personal, complex and very interesting and you do it very well

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    1. i can surely believe that it's not easy, julie. it's much too complex (what you do - the color, the fracturing, everything) to be easy...

      thank you for your nice words at my place. i *always* appreciate them. they make my eyes light up almost as much as your paintings...

      xoxo

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  14. Lovely demo, enjoyed so much Julie, it is a pleasure to take such virtual workshops from you. Your recent post didn't open in my comp, hope I can look at it soon.

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    1. How nice of you - thank you Padmaja.
      Your work always intrigues and I am looking forward to the next one.

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  15. Thank you Julie for your comment on my blog, and thank you for showing us this wonderful demo! A beautiful painting!

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  16. She and her class did an awesome job. Still, your work is always wonderful to see, no matter how many emulate it. I love each and every piece and I especially love the color in this one, Julie.

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    1. I agree with you - they did. I think the great thing about the fracturing is everyone will use it differently. Not like the brush which makes predictable marks.It is how we tidy up afterwards which get to be similar.

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  17. This looks like a very interesting process....I am a big fan of your work. I think i will hop on over to Carol's and snap up your tutorial.

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    1. Hi Cynthia - I enjoyed your very diverse and interesting blog. Please let me know if you have any questions after viewing the artbyte.

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  18. Wonderful mood and moment in this piece, Julie. Enjoyable demo, too!

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  19. I think you really hit the nail on the head with regard to Ann's students. You don't know what you might think to do until you try something that you haven't done before. New thoughts and ideas can be generated just by shaking up your normal way of thinking.

    I am so glad the response to your demo has been positive. Very, very gratifying:)

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    1. Great comment Libby - I appreciate it.
      Love your paper cutouts. Matisse became a master of them during his later years.

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  20. Thankful for reminding me about the senseo linen! I have some...and have never been successful oil painting on it. Stupid realization since I paint on mid-toned pastel supports all the time! Love the fracturing!

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    1. Laughing here - giver it another go!
      Your still life for the Botkin challenge is great.

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  21. Thanks for the demo, I love seeing your process.And, this composition is sooooooo great! Another gem...

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    1. Always supportive and I appreciate YOU, Mary. You are so very talented. The figure you have on your blog today is wonderful.

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  22. Last weekend I attended the Seattle Frye Museum's show of Necoali Fechin. His work was amazingly abstracted -- especially as it moved away from the focal point. Your fracturing reminds me of his technique. If you get a chance to see the show, please do.

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    1. Oh MY...to be even placed near his art is amazing. I truly thank you for such a wonderful compliment. Wow.
      I have seen a lot of his work in Santa Fe and his skill with drawing was amazing. Unfortunately lots of his paintings cracked and deteriorated because he drained as much oil out of his paintings as possible to get a ragged effect.(They glue chunks of paint back onto the canvas.) Lots of artists have emulated his technique. Jeffery Watts has a very successful school based on the principles.Check his website. I love the look but was not able to manage the bravado strokes. I do try for abstract colored areas though.

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  23. I'm always enthralled with your jewel-like paintings, Julie. It really is like light passing through cut gems . . . so immediately captivating. Thanks for showing the demo and the reference to Ann Feldman and her students. Each one so different and so successful!

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  24. Loved seeing another demo of your fracturing and this one with the charcoal sketch and more control. Wonderful options for us to try. I always love learning about paint application and what I can do with paint and your fracturing is fun! Thanks for sharing and doing such a fabulous job of teaching. Your ArtBytes are both wonderful! Big fan of you and your work!

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I love that you are taking the time to comment and thank you for it. I am sure other readers will enjoy them too. If you cannot comment through this format then email me at juliefordoliver@gmail.com
Cheers,
Julie