Personal Art Blog

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

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Roses and Cezanne's Outlines.


Roses
8x6in oil on canvas panel $135. SOLD


Artist Note
This was a demo I did today
at the Artists Guild.
A mix of fracturing, brush and knife
work using a
charcoal drawing base to step up from.
First, I did the drawing with charcoal
and used a
spray fixative (outside) to secure.
 Next, I applied a light transparent color
over the drawing then started to add color.


As you can see from the above step
 I eventually 
covered up the lines in my finished 
painting.

The advantage of this drawing base is that
you can use it for several 
different techniques.
Here is a famous one.

Leaving the outlines 
showing here and there was a
technique Cezanne loved to use.
He went back over his drawing and emphasized
 his lines with paint

As time went on he learned to 
 forgo the initial drawing and go 
straight into drawing with his paint brush...
 like in the drapery above.

No matter the method -
the use of line adds so much to the 
power of the painting.

I am still not able to "see and evaluate"
my paintings after I have finished them.
My brain apparently is in a different
place at the moment.
It still works for teaching, thank heavens.

Thank you for all the great comments
to my last post.
I will be round to check all your blogs.


44 comments:

  1. Bonjour chère Julie,

    Un plaisir sans cesse renouvelé lorsque je pénètre dans votre univers...
    Que ce soit vos roses aujourd'hui ou votre composition version Cézanne, je suis subjuguée par votre travail et j'apprécie particulièrement de pouvoir visualiser son évolution.

    ❀ ♡ Gros bisous ♡ ❀

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, dear Martine, you say the nicest things.
      Your new sketch is going to make a wonderful painting and I loved the photos of the flowers.

      Delete
  2. Simply gorgeous and reminds me of my own Julie Ford Oliver piece! I'm trying to figure out why sometimes I can draw really well, and much of the time I can't draw at all. I'm thinking it has to be my mood...my enthusiasm levels for what I am doing. I don't know...I really need to break out the charcoal. I always avoid it because of the messy/dirty factor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree Sherry - our mood has so much to do with our focus...or lack of it!
      Happy to hear you got the apartment you wanted.

      Delete
  3. I do love the outlining!

    Keep plugging along:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plugging is a good word for it.
      You have an interesting post, Libby.

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. How sweet of you Sharon. I loved seeing the hat paintings by your students.

      Delete
  5. How wonderful. Thanks for all the information.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Carol - glad you found it interesting.
      I nearly choked laughing at your "shite" story and loved the photo on your other blog post.

      Delete
  6. Rich color, beautiful balance and full of texture. Love it, Julie!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Carol. Thanks for the comment and hope you are managing to get some experimental work done while your hubby is mending. He is most likely ready to roar back into action by now.

      Delete
  7. Beautiful painting - lucky demo audience. And this blog post was such a real treat! Thanks, Julie!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your blog is pretty thought provoking and I am looking forward to what sounds like a new direction.

      Delete
  8. Hello Julie, I wasn't at your demo but seeing it here, I feel like I was. I'm curious what the fixative you are using? Is it a retouch varnish? I would suspect it would need to dry a bit quickly to keep the flow of work going. I've done a charcoal sketch on canvas then ended painting it so heavily the sketching went almost into oblivion. A good bit of advice from Cezanne and you to let some of this process peek through. Thank you again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Laura, I use Krylon Workable Matte Fixative. It is not a heavy varnish but made specifically for fixing charcoal, pastel, conte and other drawing type materials. Dries instantly and is acid free. I trust the Krylon brand.
      Thanks for the visit. I visited your blog and loved the landscape.

      Delete
  9. Fabulous as always Julie.I have experimented with lines with some figurative works, want to try with landscapes as well, not I am motivated!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lines can add so much in all formats. Landscapes are particularly good with them. Will look forward to seeing your new painting.
      Thanks for the visit, Padmaja,

      Delete
  10. Hi Julie.. I didn't realize my husband was logged in when I commented on your post this morning. I am not sure it went through as well. Anyway... I love your roses. They are beautiful. I love how Cezanne has used lines to guide the eye.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for persisting...Glad you like Cezanne's work.
      Your landscape is really great. What a fab job you did with your perspective.

      Delete
  11. This is fantastic Julie. Love the process...(and I love the work of Cezanne!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So good to hear you love his work too. He is pretty much near the top of my list.
      What are you working on...????

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  12. Thanks for sharing your process. I always enjoyed your style.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And I love your magnolias. How fortunate you are to have them close by.
      Thanks for the nice comment.

      Delete
  13. Julie, you make roses look easy and we both know they can be a challenge. Great information in your post. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I find nothing is easy. Seems the more you know, the harder it gets.
      Glad you are on the road to recovery, Helen. That has been quite a siege.

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  14. Oh once again I want to run toward whatever you are doing! What an inspiration and in both technique and the finished work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are always so wonderfully supportive, Mary. Thank you.
      I got a lot of pleasure from your painting of the water rushing over the rocks.
      Could almost hear the sound.

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  15. The finished painting is lush and beautiful! But I have to admit I'm more intrigued and in love with the in process version I keep coming back to it. I think the gorgeous vase really shows so well in this stage and it's very compelling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes - the process is one I love but no longer suits my natural style so I go on. It is a very freeing way to paint and letting the lines show here and then is quite wonderful.
      I thought the way you painted the water in your new post was amazing. Lots of color and movement with the brush marks.

      Delete
  16. I'm catching up on your last few wonderful posts. The fact that you set up and paint in the car just makes me smile. I love it!!! Great information in this post...and a lovely result.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Joan. Painting in the car is so easy once you have the right set-up. All I know is, unless I am driving I get bored silly just sitting doing nothing on long trips. I cannot read as I get sick but the painting never bothers me.
      I really liked you island painting. very peaceful.

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  17. I really love seeing your process and the underpainting. You are always so generous with sharing your knowledge and I want to thank you for all your great problem solving ideas, priceless!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Bruce - thanks.
      The neat thing is that you can paint in any method on top of a drawing. Sometimes it helps clarify the image if it is drawn boldly - nothing wishy-washy. Sometimes I do this way for a demo to help others see what is
      there.
      Great to see you back on your blog again.

      Delete
  18. You are so right: lines have really magical power ... sometimes, I want to put lines or geometric signs although apparently no connection with what I'm painting.
    It 'a way of affirming what I hear, rather than what is the reality .... or at beginning of work, an effective way to grasp the reality that entirely lacks over white space
    in front of us.
    Amazing still- life, full of energy and color, bold emerged from the white background.
    Reflect on the Masters is always enlightening and a pleasure to do with you as if I were in a corner of the classroom while you teach,dear Julie.

    I wish you a nice weekend

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wonderful dialog, Rita. Thank you for taking the time to let me know in a very special way you agree about the use of line.
      Your new watercolor with all the roses and soap bubbles
      is truly beautiful. I mean it. TRULY beautiful!

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  19. Julie - this is downright yummy! And I do agree - lines can be quite powerful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yummy - I like that word. Paint quality - right?
      Glad you posted the photos from your trip. I enjoyed seeing them.

      Delete
  20. This is a beautiful bouquet you've created Julie. I love the arrangement, the colors and the overall effect of freshness. Thanks for sharing the process also.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Helen. I like the colors too. The new bowl is just gorgeous so I expect to paint it a lot.
      Your beautiful colors are inspirational - you captured the golden hour perfectly. I do hope you can paint more often.

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  21. Thanks. Fascinating to see the process. Lucky students.

    Interested in the fixative comment. Right now I am experimenting with fixing pastel works. I have been using something marketed as nontoxic for the workable fixative and then spraying a Krylon fixative over that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have you tried putting wax over your initial nontoxic spray. The Renaisance wax dries instantly and gives a beautiful softer finish - perfect for pastel.

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  22. I love the painting Julie and I love the initial drawing just as much. It could have stopped right there which I find amazing. Line adds SO much. I think a lot about Olivia Pendergast's work when it comes to line. You can see bits of drawing in her portraits. It's like finding buried treasure. I should get a Cezanne book. I don't have one.

    Great post!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Lisa - so pleased you found this interesting. I agree about Olga's work. We share the admiration of Carolyn Plochman's work too.
      Love your description of buried treasure.

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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