I have taught many hundreds of students over the years and know that words used by an instructor may mean something entirely different to a student. For that reason, instructors must choose words carefully and explain their meaning from time to time so that everyone is on the same page. I realized recently that in one of my classes there was a lack of understanding over what the term “general color” meant.  Adding “over-all color” or “averaging color” in describing the term, certainly helps students see, but does not quite explain the true purpose of the term. Consequently, a gap of understanding continues on the part of students. Let’s see if we can’t clarify this term, once and for all, for everyone’s benefit.

To begin, the purpose of a “block-in” is to establish the value key of a painting. Therefore, in the process of beginning, we “generalize” the observed color notes, later coming back to add lighter and/or darker notes on top of them.  What in effect we are doing in that initial block-in, is establishing a mid-tone color note (also known as a half-tone) for each of the major shapes.  For instance, take a line of background trees (they seem to be a problem for everyone in establishing the “color”). By squinting, we eliminate all details and “see” the overall color and its value of the combined shape of trees. This is the half-tone of the shape. I need to repeat that….THIS IS THE HALF-TONE OF THE SHAPE! We mix that color/value note on our palette and paint it on our support as a simple shape. We continue this process with the other major shapes until we have our entire painting blocked-in and keyed correctly. Even in the shadows, we must average the color and value.

By “averaging” the color note of any shape we immediately establish the correct “value key”.

Many students start with the darkest dark and by doing so, have no where to go to darken it further, if needed within the shape, during the painting process. They have already used their darkest dark. The resulting problem they may face, is not being able to get out of the darks, and their painting when finished, will be dark and drab because they “keyed” the painting too dark to begin with. In effect, they probably used mid-tones for their lights because they started too dark. This is a common situation with students if one begins with darkest darks. Even in shadow notes, one must squint and average the color/value note of the dark. By doing so, we leave room to go lighter or darker later in the process of completing the painting.

Squinting is, therefore, one of the most essential tools to be employed for painting naturalistic scenes. The student who fails to squint will never employ color, value and or intensities correctly in their work. By “averaging” the color note of any shape we immediately establish the correct “value key”. This allows the artist to then work in logical sequences towards the lightest lights and the darkest darks found within each shape.

Note: This article applies to all mediums except transparent, watercolor which by its very essence requires the student to begin with the lightest lights and work towards darks.

Students often get lost in their work because of a lack of clear thinking. In their effort to remember "everything", they end up muddying the waters to the point that they lose a sense of where they are at in the process. So, what is the process?

There are many variations to the way artists work. Almost as many as there are artists. However, I believe firmly that art students benefit if they have a simplified procedure that clearly separates the various stages of a painting. In this way they are able to focus solely on the job at hand without the confusion of trying to remember "everything". It simplifies the work and keeps it organized.

Because unskilled students have no procedure of their own, I provide them with the following handout. It obviously doesn't answer all questions that they will encounter but by following it, it helps establish a procedure that will allow them to grow in skill  over time with a bit less anguish and confusion.  As they mature and skill and confidence grows they eventually begin to tweak this and find their own  process. 

If you are new to painting, I hope this will help you as well. It is a wonderful path you have chosen to follow. I wish you much joy in each and every brush stroke of your creative journey. Cheers!

PROCESS FOR PAINTING LIGHT AND SHADOW

STAGE ONE

1.            Beginning in class # 3, bring to class a toned canvas.

2.            With a small flat or round brush that is slightly dry, establish the shapes of your subject on canvas. Remember, the background shapes are just as important as the element shapes in your subject. Wipe off and redraw as necessary to arrive at a pleasing composition that supports the idea of your theme. Step back and make sure the subject is placed for distant viewing on the canvas.

STAGE TWO

                Begin the block-in of your subjects by placing the shadows with paint that has been slightly thinned with medium. Be sure to include all shadows, even those in the background. Mix the shadow colors that are close to the value and color in the still life. Getting the value correct is far more important that getting the color correct at this stage of the painting. Keep ALL EDGES ROUGH. No hard edges at this stage. Check progress by stepping back to view the painting from a distance.

STAGE THREE

                Repeat # 3 but block-in all light-truck surfaces. Keep the values correct according to the still life. Again, value is far more important that getting the color correct at this stage of the painting. Keep ALL EDGES ROUGH. No hard edges at this stage. Check progress by stepping back to view the painting from a distance.

STAGE FOUR 

                Once both the shadow and lights are established the next step is to begin working in each of those shapes to make them visually exciting. Colors may be adjusted as well as values where necessary. Within each shape you will see variations which may include half-tones, reflected light, reflected images, irregular colors, etc. These are the ADDITIONS to the space being worked that make it believable and exciting to look at. Fussy patterns and detail are reserved for Stage Five. DO NOT ADD THEM HERE.

                Step back from the easel FREQUENTLY during this stage to make sure the painting is progressing well and is consistent with the idea. Do not allow one element of the painting to be completed before all other elements. Work on the painting as a whole.

STAGE FIVE

                This stage completes the painting. At this time, turn the painting upside down and step back. If something is not correct or not pleasing, it will usually show up when you are not looking at the painting as a subject. Based on your observations, turn the painting right side up and make any value, color, size, texture, brush work adjustments, edge control, etc. adjustments necessary to correct and finalize the painting.  Sign the painting (usually in the lower right-hand corner placed so that the frame does not obscure the signature.

STAGE SIX

                Allow the painting to dry approximately 6 months then add a thin layer of varnish (Gamblin’s Gamvar recommended) to the painting.  Follow the instructions and make sure the varnish gets into all the crevices. Once it is dry it is ready for framing. A good frame supports the idea of the painting without being visually intrusive and in conflict with the work.

Students often lament that they are having trouble getting to the level of proficiency that they wish to achieve. When asked for help, I usually begin by asking about their activity outside of class. Almost to a person, two overriding factors contribute to their slow growth…a lack of consistent dedication to the craft and personal discipline in their work.

Folks who want to paint well but show slow growth normally fall into a category of taking one to two weekly classes and then failing to work at their craft outside of those scheduled instructional segments. To grow in knowledge, understanding and especially skill, one must devote consistent time to development. Once or twice a week is on the slippery down-side of maintenance. It doesn’t build towards higher levels of performance on a consistent basis. Skill building quite simply requires personal discipline and hard work.

As a professional artist, I too have a difficult time working each day. After all, like most everyone else, I have to wear several hats. I teach four classes a week, eight months of the year, plus 2-5 day workshops year around. Teaching requires considerable preparation time and much thought into the individual needs of students. Family life and the daily responsibilities of keeping up a household also take me away from my work. The business end of painting is also a contributing factor as well, i.e.: marketing, social media (keeping my work out there) and gallery/show prep, bookkeeping, etc., etc., etc.  The list goes on. In all of this, I work hard at balancing time between work and personal “stuff” to work on my craft, i.e.: painting. Not an easy thing to do in today’s world.

When I awaken in the morning, my work day begins while I am fresh. After breakfast I spend a short time on the computer to answer mail, etc. I devote as much of the morning as is possible on any given day to my work. It may be sketching, doing color studies at the easel, or working on a large work-in-progress. A short break at noon for a simple lunch and then on to teaching a class, appointments, house upkeep, etc. or if I am blessed for that day, further work in the studio. Because of my personal responsibilities to work, teaching and family each day is slightly different according to what may be scheduled. I often end my day again in the studio for an hour or so before bedtime, writing, painting or planning the next work day.

In all of this, I have to work hard at staying disciplined and focused on my work. I am the first to say, how difficult this is to accomplish. It takes personal discipline to bring yourself back to your work and not get so caught up in the world around you that you ignore what your own goals are for your forward direction.

I often remind myself, that I am the only one that has my goals in mind and heart. While others love me, care about me, and want what’s best for me, their priorities in life do not include mine. They have their own. At the end of the day, it is solely up to me to prioritize my life and make my work happen.

I rarely refer to my painting as “painting” when talking with others.  I almost always refer to it as “my work”. That mind-set helps, not only me, but also those whom I interact with and who love and live with me. It reminds me/them that I have a job as an artist, to devote time to it, and to be the best I can be. After all, anything worth developing to a higher level requires discipline and a good deal of work.

Not everyone has a goal to become a professional artist. But most, who take up the brush, do have a desire to be better skilled. Even for the amateur painter, a level of discipline and hard work is required to get ahead. A self-evaluation of your expenditure of personal time, focus and work ethic in the craft, will give you an idea of how you personally can increase production and build skill. It is usually, a simple matter of shifting your daily routine slightly so as to be able to devote time each day to drawing and/or painting. Even a daily upgrade of a half-hour devoted to working will result in that much desired improvement.

After all is said and done, the bottom line for anyone wishing to improve, is…what are you willing to DO to get where you want to be with your work? It really is up to you.

What is a Color Note?

Learning how to mix color is not an easy thing to do for students new to painting.  In my painting classes, students hear me mention the “color note” many times in a single session. When we mix colors together and place them as brush strokes in a painting we create a series of “notes” that, combined, make up the picture plane. It is the same idea as using musical notes to make up a song. While the concept is easy to understand, most students find developing skill for creating correct color notes for specific areas in a painting quite difficult.

Let’s begin with the four elements of a color note. They are hue, value, temperature and intensity. Every brushstroke in the painting must have these four attributes.

• Hue is the local color of a thing, i.e.: the red sweater or the blue cup, etc..
• Value is how light or dark is the subject
• Temperature is the relative warmth or coolness of the hue, i.e.: the orange/red of the apple (warm) vs. the bluish pink of the shadow area (cool).
• Intensity is how saturated vs. dull. Is the hue.

Every color mixed on the palette has these four attributes to one degree or another.

So how does this work in the mixing process?

First look at the area you will paint with the next brush stroke. Then…

1. Determine its hue. Is it red, blue, orange, green, etc.? Once you have decided the hue, then,
2. Adjust the hue to the correct value as seen in the subject area to be painted.
3. Next, adjust the color/value mix to the correct temperature. Warmer or cooler as seen in the subject area to be painted.
4. The last step is to adjust the color/value/temperature mix to the correct intensity as required. Remember, if the area to be painted is well saturated with color then an adjustment may not be needed. However, if it is a half-tone or neutral than dulling the color will be necessary.

Once all four of the steps have been completed the color note is ready for placement in the painting. This process is repeated for every brushstroke.

 Understanding the translucency of snow and the color/value relationships that are played out on it from light is much more complex than one might suspect.

This winter, I've focused on trying to understand and paint snow more effectively. I believe direct observation is essential and frown on painting by formula. For this reason, I’ve spent a lot of time studying the wealth of snow we’ve had on the ground over the past several months. My observations have been recorded in my sketch books as small watercolor studies and value drawings or mentally by just plain LOOKING.

Yesterday, I asked the students in my studio what color they see when they look at snow. Almost everyone said "white"! I picked up a tablet of white paper and they all agreed it was white. I opened the door in my studio and tossed the tablet of white paper onto a snow bank. What a revelation that was to them.  The snow was not white! We look at snow and automatically think white, but when comparing it to something we know is white we find snow has color and value. In fact, white rarely is a consideration when painting snow other than to lighten a hue. I've noted a few of my personal observations below that will perhaps help others do a better job of depicting the white stuff.

1. THERE ARE NO FORMULAS for painting snow. If you are not a winter plein air painter then get in your car, with the window down and SEE the snow. Using an isolator to compare the value and colors of shadow shapes and light shapes helps one to understand the subtle differences that make painted snow look like the real thing.

2. Keep in mind that shadows on snow will always appear darker than they really are due to the fact that they are surrounded by brilliant light color. As a general rule of thumb, snow shadows will be a value range of five (5) or lighter.

3. When starting a painting, thinly block in all snow surfaces from dark to light as you would do with any other subject. As a starting point, use Ultramarine blue (slightly warm as it has red in it) plus white to establish value when indicating cast and other dark shadows. Use Cobalt blue (a neutral clean blue) plus white to establish all surfaces in light.

4. With a bit more paint, adjust these value/color shapes with warmer tones as observed in nature to create form. Keep in mind, a pale green might actually be a warm to the cobalt blue shape.

5. Reflected light is extremely important when depicting snow. Remember, snow is translucent and therefore it absorbs light and color from it's surroundings. Use this phenomena to portray believable snow.

6. Cast shadows beneath a tree may be grayish (without too much color) but as the shadow gets closer to the sky side of the tree shadow the shadow will develop a blue bias.

7. Warm direct light that butts up to a strong cast shadow may render the cast shadow colorless along the merging edge as the brilliance feeds itself to the eye and overcomes the subtlety of the shadow color. This HAS TO BE OBSERVED to understand. You can also see this at work in still life subjects. Usually the form shadow is darkest where it meets light.

8. Undulating snow surfaces may go from a warm yellow through all the colors of the rainbow. Only observation will help one understand where to use yellow, red, green, blue, etc. in depicting the form of such undulations.

9. DON'T try to paint what you are unfamiliar with. If you've not spent time looking at and studying snow you will invariably see it as white and use white paint to represent it...not a good idea at best. ALWAYS keep in mind how light and dark, how warm and cool is the plane you are observing as you progress through the painting .

Painting snow is all about the light and how it plays on this highly translucent and reflective surface. The longer I look, the more fascinating it becomes to me. This is true of any "white" subject. If you have thoughts on this topic, I'd love to hear them....please comment! 

If you've enjoyed this article, please consider following me on Facebook. You'll find me listed as Sharon Griffes Tarr.

Students of art must learn to shift their perception from the organic reality of subject matter to the non-subjective elements of design in order for their works to become interesting and vital. This is an issue that all beginners face and why their paintings often look flat and generally uninteresting. They lack the visual and emotional energy appeal that entices the human eye and brain.

In my previous articles on notan I referred to drama and dynamic composition.  These desirable elements of art are created differently. While one focuses on value the other embodies movement or the flow of a painting created by the unequal treatment of space. Each however, lends itself to creating the energy that captures the eye and guides it through a work of art.

“Antiques”, 11x14”, oil on canvas, plein air, $550.

WHAT IS DYNAMIC COMPOSITION

The concept of yin and yang in composition as used in notan (two values of light and dark) creates drama through the balance of opposing light and dark contrasts. Drama has appeal to the human eye as it imparts mystery and discovery in our works. We might think of this more as light vs. shadow and we can then see how this balance adds “staging” to an otherwise drab, every day, run-of-the-mill subject. The thirty foot rule of grabbing attention requires dramatic value contrasts and an excellent composition. Together, there is nothing that shouts a louder “Hey! Look at ME” from across the room.

Once a painting has a viewer’s attention it has to have something in it to visually entertain at close range. That something is most emphatically, a dynamic composition which is based on the idea of movement and energy.  A painting that has been so designed will have interest and hold the eye of the beholder. There is nothing static or boring about a subject that has been so composed.

Irregularity is visual jewelry for the eye.

The elements used to create the effects of movement and energy (tension) in art include the treatment of line, shape, size relationships and edges as well as gradation of value and color, Each of these elements play a highly important role in creating visual movement.

In, “Antiques” above, note the use of notan which has created drama through the contrasts of light and dark and warm and cool. Conversely, the drama of notan has been used in concert with the yin and yang of diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines (of various widths and lengths and colors) throughout the painting. The use of these directional lines plus irregular shape/size relationships all interact to force the eye to travel up, down, across and from front to back in the picture plane…this is dynamism at work.

When planning a painting look for ways to create tension. A simple rule of thumb that helps to establish this is to remember that all lines, shapes and edges must be different, one from another. Think in terms of the canvas being a space. You must ask yourself, how can this space be divided into interesting shapes? Whether we use thick and thin lines, geometric shapes, irregular edges or gradated value/color shapes, dynamism is created through variation. In other words, the more variation, the more interest is created.  Irregularity is visual jewelry for the eye.

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To read related articles about the use of notan see the February, 2013 blog posts listed in the archived list (bottom left-hand panel on this blog page).

"Sunflowers", 14x11", oil on canvas, $650.

A Note Regarding this Series on Notan….

When I began my series on notan in February, 2013 it was not my intent to expand on the various concepts of composition.  I wished only to offer a simple explanation to help inexperienced students or those not familiar with the concepts of notan and its benefits. However, due to the many comments and inquiries from artists since my articles were published by FASO I decided that I need to reconsider. Thus, this post, and future posts on this subject, will explore the issue in more depth.

While artists who are pursuing a career in art or professionalism in their work require full intelligence of all aspects of art, more casual artists may be looking merely for self-gratification and/or success in a less involved manner. I enjoy students in each of these categories and strive to present the principles of art and design according to the level of student need. Thus, my blog series on notan is simplistic in its delivery to afford beginners and casual painters as well as the more skilled a better grasp of this abstract concept early on in their development. 

MORE ON NOTAN

The theory of notan is based on the idea of the Chinese philosophy of yin (dark) and yang (light) which means, simply put, a balance of opposites such as light and dark, warm and cool, etc..  This said, we have to take the concept one step further to an understanding that yin and yang are complimentary to one another and therefore create a greater whole than when the elements are represented individually. In this way, balance occurs. This creates, in art, an interaction (unity) between the physical and metaphysical aspects of a subject. That is a lot to think about. But, when we begin to wrap this philosophy around the principles and elements of art we see more clearly how a subject can be best represented on canvas or paper. It also brings to bear the idea that notan is not just light and dark, it can be warm and cool colors, lost and found edges, thick and thin paint application, and so on so forth. The concept is almost endless in its applications.

NOTAN AND THE COLOR NOTE

Color is one of the most complex subjects a student of art must learn. To put it simply, in today’s world, color has literally become a science. We’ve gone from the time of Rembrandt when artists worked with only a few pigments that they made themselves to the present where thousands of choices in brand, hues and mixtures are available. It is almost impossible for the average artist to know all there is to know about this vast field. However, if once again we strive for simplicity, then several things are possible that can help to take the mystery out of color. First, working with a consistent limited palette over a period of time increases the learning curve. Secondly, is the color note, which is the correct combination or mixture of pigment(s) relating to a specific plane on the subject, as it is dictated by light. A color note is made up of the correct hue (such as the yellow pear) its value (light or dark), temperature (warm or cool) and intensity (saturated or dull). As our eye moves around the pear, we find that as the light strikes or not, the color note makes subtle to dramatic changes. If we record each color note correctly, we then represent the pear correctly.

My method of mixing pigments is to look at the subject (a specific area to be painted), create the perceived mix on the palette adjusting the elements of the color note to match, look at the subject again and compare it to see if it works. I might also add a touch of it to the area to see if it reads correctly. If not, I alter the elements of the color note until it does. Representational painting has much to do with correctly visualizing and interpreting light effects accordingly. If a color note is incorrect and randomly placed on the painting then ensuing color notes will not read correctly. It is at this point that a painting can go downhill quickly. This is where students run into trouble with mixing color. They see “red” and they mix a red without tweaking the elements of the color note to get a match. The best advice I can offer is to slow down.  Take time to really look at your subject and mix accordingly. Learn to see and to mix what you see by keeping things simple and using the yin and yang built into the color note, i.e.: light/dark, warm/cool and saturated/dull.

In the painting above of "Sunflowers", note how each petal and each part of each petal has it's own color note. These variations create the effect of realism and tell a story. They also help to move your eye around in the painting. The next article in this series will look at the dynamics of compostion which create movement.

Working with other artists has always been a joy in my life. There is a special language and connection between folks who are creative and express their love through art. As an instructor, I've been blessed to open doors and help these wonderful people reach for their personal stars. It's been rewarding.  

Photo by Lori Axtell, photographer, Mackinac City, MI, 8/2013

 Painting at a students cottage on the beach overlooking

the Straits of Mackinac during a recent workshop.

Another important aspect of my artistic life has been working and teaching en plein air. I've been strongly committed to this venue for learning. Over the more than 30 years of my teaching career I have introduced many many hundreds of artists to its rewards through my workshops. It's been a wonderfully rich journey and I'm grateful to have had this opportunity. This summer artists in Williamston, Okemos, Marquette and Mackinaw City joined me working outdoors (see previous blog posts). 

Unfortunately, the wear and tear of life is making it somewhat difficult for me to teach and paint in this manner, at least in the way I have in the past. My frequent foray's into the countryside with a class full of eager students is becoming less often and more difficult as is my working outside solo.  For this reason, I've been leaning more and more towards working in the studio and teaching studio classes instead of plein air. That's not to say, of course, I miss the out-of-doors experience but feel that my subject offerings have broadened in the classroom and I bring the plein air knowledge I've gained over the years with me which benefits my students.  The switch from teaching atmospheric subjects under the sky to the wider breadth of media technique, color, composition and most specifically, expression in the classroom is exciting and opens new doors for me and my students.

I'm looking forward to a new "school year" in East Lansing and Williamston this fall as well as some thought provoking and exciting workshops that are in the design stage for next spring and summer.  See you then?

"Hollyhock Garden", 18x24", oil on canvas panel

Yesterday, in helping a student better understand the variables of using color as it applies to dominance, I said, “dominance does not mean exclusion”.  What I meant by that is that a painting should have color dominance (either warm or cool) but that does not exclude the possibility of the opposite temperature being included in the painting in subordinate passages. It’s been my experience that many students, new to color theory, misunderstand the use of the word dominance. To the inexperienced, dominance may mean that a full palette of both warm and cool colors may not be used in the same painting.  This is simply not true. 

If you look at my painting “Hollyhock Garden” above, you’ll see that the dominant temperature throughout is cool (primarily in the green family).  Look again, and you’ll see that I used a warm red (Cad. Red Light) as an accent within the color-filled cool red flowers. In addition, I lightly scumbled a warm yellow (a mixture of Cad. Yel. Deep and Yellow Ochre) over the background trees on the left to suggest warm sunshine filtering down among the trees.  This use of the opposite temperature to the cool dominance of the entire painting, in miniscule amounts, created a contrasting tension…thus; the painting visually pops and has interest for the eye.

If you are having trouble with temperature usage let me know your concerns by contacting me via the "Contact" page on this website. I will try to address them in future blog posts.

 If we think in terms of Notan then we must always ask ourselves one single question “…is “it” to be included in the dark shape or the light shape?”  Since other options are eliminated our subject is defined in more dynamic terms.

In last week’s post I generally described what a notan is and how it works.  In this and future installments I will break the concept down in each of  the stages of a painting’s development, from concept to completion and show how notan’s strength of structure is carried through to the end. But first, a little more about American painter and respected instructor, Arthur Wesley Dow.....

.....In the late 1800’s Dow’s ideas were revolutionary.  American artists of the time were focusing on replicating the subjects of their paintings as they viewed them with little artistic interpretation. Most were primarily copies of a reality. Dow taught his students that the function of art is not to copy but rather to create through the elements of composition, i.e.: line, mass and color. His teachings have became the foundation upon which the movement in art in America is based today. With this said, let’s look more closely at what notan does for us.

The ultimate beauty of using the concept of notan in visual art is that artistic choices are greatly simplified which adds much strength to our thoughts and the resulting art works.  Even beginning students who usually shy away from planning and jump right into copying what they see benefit.  Inexperience restricts creative ability. The simplicity of the notan concept helps students  make clear quick choices in a direct way that allows creativeness to become intuitive based.  As an instructor, I've found, over the past several years,  that my students who use this concept, no matter their skill level, more quickly adapt to the idea of value and color contrasts in their work. For this reason, I see significant leaps in their understanding and knowledge of value and color as they progress with skill building. The learning curve is greatly enhanced.

  Subject photo                                                  Example A: Line Drawing of Subject

The Demonstration

 To begin, in this demonstration,  I have selected a group of buildings on a hill as my subject matter. While the photo has possibilities it is not perfect and I did several line drawings to determine a satisfying composition.  In this case, I am keeping the house and the small buildings to the left and grouping them with the large trees in the back into one simple shape.  I've eliminated the obscure buildings on the right and will add foliage there which will help to frame and give importance to the house.  The foreground zigzag is modified to improve entry into the subject. These decisions were made through a small series of line drawings   (only one, my final choice, is shown above).

    Example B: Notan                                                     Example C: Notan

In the next step I've created two differing notan's of my subject.  Each is composed in roughly the same size ratio as the canvas I will do the painting on. Normally, I would do more of these until I get one that appeals to my sense of design, balance and harmony in space division.  However, for the purposes of this demonstration I am showing only two. On the left in Example B note that the house shape is in light and in Example C it has been placed in dark.  This gave me the ultimate contrast for consideration in the focal point of my composition. Other differences include the background trees in #B are in dark and in #C in light. 

I felt that Example B gave a better sense of tying the foreground, middle-ground and background together than does Example C.  For this reason, I will, in the next phase,  begin to explore what color variations I can create using Example B before progressing into the final painting.

Further thoughts on designing with notans....

It is vitally important to understand that all middle values have to be placed in either dark or light in a notan. A  conscience decision must be made in deciding which catagory they will join. Make this decision first so all subject mid-value's are treated the same in each notan. By doing so we create a dominance of dark or light. This dominance creates a strong design structure that will hold up through the painting process and provides drama to the subject. Illustrators have used this trick since Dow to successfully capture their audience.

When looking at raw subject matter squinting is helpful as the shapes may be easier quantified into either dark or light for the first notan which is typically pretty much a copy of what one see's. Subsequent notan's become more creative as variations are created, usually defying what we originally saw as realitiy.

One final thought.....we humans are good at making things difficult.  If there is a hard way to do it we will find it.  In creating notan's we are forcing our minds to think simply and in shapes, not in line, detail and certainly not in complex layers of value. This may be difficult at first for some.  Don't give up on this concept. Practice helps and the outcome is much improved art works. 

 When creating a notan it is recommend that black markers or charcoal be used instead of a pencil.  Remember, the idea is to configure "shapes" into light or dark, not line. There is a tendency to begin drawing with a pencil or pointed object in hand and to think too small and to lean towards detail.  With a marker or charcoal stick we think more broadly and thus our marks are also broader which lend themselves to shape rather than line.

    Color Study of Example B

NEXT IN THE SERIES:  Color studies and placing color value shapes with notan.

 Nōtan (濃淡^?) is a Japanese design concept involving the play and placement of light and dark as they are placed next to the other in art and imagery.  Definition by Wikipedia.com 

The idea of Notan was presented to artists in the United States in the late 1800’s by artist and noted teacher, Arthur Wesley Dow in his book “Composition: A Series of Exercises in Art Structure for the Use of Students and Teachers”, published in 1899*.  Dow’s idea was to compose the elements of a subject with the tools of design rather than methodically copying what we see. This focus on a harmoniously composed subject rather than a copy of it was a brand new concept a hundred years ago but has become the backbone of composition and color usage in American illustration, print making and fine art today.

Notan for Summer Chores", created with oil on canvas, 2x3" actual size

I began teaching art over 30 years ago and learned a long time ago that breaking a concept down to its simplest form is the quickest way for a new idea to be understood quickly by students so it can be put it to good use. The value system as artist’s use it can be confusing to the unskilled and, over the years, I’ve seen students struggle to master it.  Some, unfortunately, never conquer it in their work.

Always searching for a better way to get ideas across, this past year I introduced the idea of notan into my classes with amazing results. Since then, I’ve seen the light bulb glow brightly time and again for students who in the past were not consistently utilizing value placement successfully.  Even novices who are newly introduced to the idea of value have quickly grabbed the concept through the use of notan.

The Power of Notan

The idea of notan brings simplicity to the arrangement of shapes and value/color harmony and in doing so adds great strength to an image.  Categorizing everything into light or dark abstraction without variations is simplicity in itself.  The great American artist, Georgia O’Keefe, once a student of Arthur Wesley Dow, commented that Dow’s method “could be used to make every aesthetic decision. It also provided an alphabet, so to speak, that could be arranged and rearranged, resulting in a great deal of individualism.” 

Personally, I find that creating several notan's of a subject more quickly establishes a composition that has dynamic visual strength than a whole series of studies utilizing several values.  I’ve been in the habit, for many years, of developing my compositions with thumbnails of 3 to 5 values.  While this worked well, it never created the straightforward strength of design that I experience now with fewer choices.  Notan forces me to quantify by putting more eggs in one basket, so to speak, thus establishing dominance.  It’s a simple concept with a hugely powerful impact.

Color study from notan for "Sunday Chores", 6x8" oil on canvas

In the example shown here, a notan was established from a photograph of the subject.  This simple plan immediately shows whether the design has strength or is flawed.   With only several decisions to make regarding the arrangement of the picture’s elements the design evolved successfully. As you can see in the notan regulated color study the strength of the design was not tempered or lost as color was added. The study retains the same strength as the black and white notan.

In next week’s blog post, I will show the photograph that the idea for this study came from and explain the compositional choices that were made in creating this design from the confusion of the photo and how color/value shapes were established using the concept of notan along with the final painting created from these beginnings.

Future Posts

If you have found this post of interest then you will want to follow this series on notan.  I’ll discuss in-depth and demonstrate with examples its use in composition and show the various ways it applies to value and color.  However, as always I strongly encourage all students to obtain further assistance by seeking good instruction from qualified instructors. Working alone is a long and uncertain path to creative excellence.  Working with a trusted instructor or mentor keeps you on point and moving forward on a well defined path.

Happy painting…

Sharon

Wishing you a very happy New Year filled with the joy of love and friendship.

May you enjoy all the beauty of our natural world.

Value is everything when expressing light in representational paintings.  Sunlight demands that we utilize a full value  range when depicting a subject while a cloudy day requires very little value variation.  In the detail of “Hollyhocks” above (a studio painting in progress) the lightest lights and darkest darks placed in the general area of what is most important in the painting (certain flowers) gives the  flowers the feeling that they are drenched  in warm sunlight. The remainder of the painting is imbued with softer grayed tones of a middle value.  This contrast between sharp focus/extreme values vs. soft focus/closer value  range pops the flowers forward and relegates all else to the  background.  Thus, the painting enjoys a realistic 3-D effect.  “Hollyhocks”, when completed, will be featured in its entirety in an upcoming newsletter.

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I’ve heard students say they would “never work on a square format because it’s too hard”.  Well, it may be a tad different from elongated formats, but there are ways to make it manageable.  Sometimes it’s virtually a matter of how we see things (or don’t) that throws us off. We humans have two eyes set wide apart and therefore we have peripheral vision. We might think of the square format as seeing without our peripheral advantage.

"Clementine's", 6x6", oil on Raymar panel. Available: $175

For someone who is unfamiliar working with square formats I think the easiest way to get started is to use a square viewfinder.  Just the simple act of looking at subject matter in this way opens up new ways of seeing.  As in most motifs, it is easiest to discover what one can and cannot do with a subject by going back to the basics.  For this reason, I recommend looking at intimate subjects, not vistas.  Keep the subjects simple. You’ll find that some subjects lend themselves well to the square and others clearly do not.  It’s all in the process of learning. But first, you must begin to look for possibilities.

Two square viewfinders, one bought and the other made 2" square in a sheet of Foamcore.

With all four sides of a square being equal it is imperative that some imbalance be created in the composition to make the painting interesting.  The key is how do we do that.  In “Clementine’s”, I arranged the oranges in a triangle (different from the square) then tilted one a bit on its side to add interest.  In this case, I  focused solely on one compositional rule in cropping the subject with the viewfinder and that was to consider making all four sides and corners of my format different. It was as easy as that.

Like any other artist I like to  explore  and in doing so have to step out of my comfort zone.  In the act of experimentation we become a novice all over again. Once we leave our familiar “box” we are all equal  in lack of skill.  Consider it an adventure and don’t be afraid.  Step out of your box and try something new…try painting a square format….it s fodder for the creative spirit.

Creating large paintings from plein air studies and/or photographs is a concern for many artists.  We dealt with this issue at my workshop held last weekend in Traverse City, Michigan. Each student worked in their favorite medium of  watercolor, oil or pastel during the two-day event while learning a process of planning that helps to develop strength and harmonious interrelationships for large works.

 The small plein air study this demonstration was based on is at the

center bottom of the board in this photograph along with a value study (bottom right),

color study (top left) and various photographic references.

               When I demonstrate, my focus is solely on teaching and therefore, I strive to make a single learning statement for the benefit of my students. In this way I am different from most demonstrating instructors as my goal is not to create a finished work for sale.  However, at this workshop, my students requested that they be kept apprised of further work on this painting so they could see its development.  For this reason, I have elected to complete the work and am sharing the results of several studio sessions with it here in this blog post.  When the painting has been completed at a later date it will be published on my website.

               In the photographs above you can see that during the demonstration I blocked in value/color shapes which established an abstraction of the subject. Later, back in my studio, following the workshop, (see below) I began modifying the shapes by working the calligraphy of “things” to further develop the subject being careful to not cover all of the original block-in value/colors.  I will continue working on the painting using both brush and knife techniques, as well as, quite a bit of scumbling and dry brushing which is typical of my approach to studio work.

"Untitled", 24x18, oil on canvas, work in progress

               I look forward to hearing from students and will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. You may contact me via my website at www.SGTarr.com.

Credits: Workshop photographs by artist, Sherry McGraw.

Many art students find it very difficult to establish and maintain good value contrasts throughout a painting where multiple elements exist such as in a complex still life or landscape.  The pesky value scale becomes a foe instead of a friend. If this is you, then keeping to the idea of simplicity for a time should help.  Try the following....   

Figure 1                                  Figure 2

 Cut out a middle value 1” square from a value scale and tape it along the side of your palette where you can easily see it when mixing color.  As you begin, remember to check each mix against this square.  First, mix and paint all shadows and darks that are darker than that square (see Figure 1).  Squint and compare your mix vs. the shadow frequently to make sure HOW MUCH darker do you need to go to match the shadow in relation to this square.  Remember, the value has to be “relatively” darker than that square but lighter than black.  Now do the same for your lights reminding yourself often that you must be “relatively” lighter than this square but darker than white (Figure 1). Make subtle adjustments to value as visually noted within the shadow shapes then in the  light shapes (Figure 2).

By doing so, you will begin to accomplish two things.  First, you will keep you mentally focused in the value family in which you are working at the time.  You will not be so inclined to work back and forth between light and dark which is mentally and visually confusing. Secondly, you will be working with a smaller section of the value scale for a longer period of time.  This too reduces the amount of mental confusion and helps to keep you focused.

For folks who struggle with value this approach often helps keep them focused on the job at hand and stops intellectualizing which usually creates overwhelming variables (the kitchen sink syndrome)…thus, confusion.  It’s the “doing” of the thing in a focused repetitive manner that creates simplicity and thus skill, not the intellectual exercises of mental gymnastics.

Don’t get me wrong!  I don’t suggest you quit thinking.  Never!  It’s just, at times, too much thinking when we should be doing gets into our way of performance and thus understanding.  Ultimately, it is essential that we artists develop extraordinary hand, eye and brain coordination skills (what I call the big three).  When we over focus too much on one (in this case the intellect) we begin to lose sight of the others (eye and hand).  Some of what we, as artists, do is intuitive. Developing all of the big three elements equally usually results in building skill quicker and allows us to work intuitively with accuracy.

Note: Watercolorists and other artists who wish to work from light to dark, simply reverse the steps above.  Place all light value shapes first then dark but continue to stay within the value family at hand.  Do not skip around.

               So we now have my six (6) point process for successful painting that clarifies each stage of alla prima painting (see: "Simplifying a Complex Subject for Strength", dated October 3, 2012).  The results I’m hearing from students who have adopted it have been amazing. Not only have their paintings improved immediately but so has their understanding and confidence. The beauty of this process is its utter simplicity.

               As an art instructor of many years it’s been my experience, that like anything else, we humans have a penchant for making the simplest thing as complicated as we can make it.  Art students are especially good at this and complicate both their process and thinking by jumping around without a planned focus.  

               It takes discipline to make my six point plan work.  You simply cannot get ahead of yourself.  Be sure you follow these suggestions:

1. First and foremost, it’s ultimately important that each step be completed in its entirety before going to the next step. 

2. In representational work it's absolutely essential that value always supersede mixing colors in importance.

              Remember, color can error but value cannot in representational painting. This is a real biggie for most students as their priority is almost always at matching colors with little consideration for establishing the color's  value…a bad mistake.  

Again, it takes discipline…focus.

               I’d love to hear how the six point plan has helped you. Have you seen a difference in your art?  If so, in what way has it changed?  Let’s get some dialogue going and discuss this issue so we know what’s working and what isn’t.  Add your thoughts by clicking on "Comment on this" at above right.  We’d all like to hear how you are doing.

We human beings are inclined to make things more complicated than they need be. This is never more true than in art.  Our struggle as artists is to pare out the unessential to make simple statements that exhibit great strength. Personally,  I've always believed that less is more.  With less, we find strength, clarity and truth...the elements of great art.

In my studio classes I encourage simplicity in the thinking process, "seeing" and performance by focusing on shapes and value instead of "things" and color. By doing so, painting students learn to simply state basic value shadow/light struck shapes using a generalized local color as observed in their subjects. (Example: Block-in below). In doing so, they discover that this method automatically establishes workable compositions, meaningful edges and strength in value and color temperature contrasts in their painting. Only after these basic shapes have been completed do they begin finessing each shape with variety to increase visual interest via nuances in color temperature, edges and detailing, in that order. I've noted that with this simple but logical approach students, new to this method, show dramatic improvement in their work almost immediately. What's more, this method makes painting a lot more fun for students without the confusion and frustration that can occur with information overload. Here's how it works...

Step #1: (Block-in) Mix and paint all local shadow colors to their correct general value for each shape throughout the painting, adding no detail. Pay close attention to achieving the correct values. Color accuracy should be generalized and secondary to value.

Step #2: (Block-in) Repeat #1 for all light struck surfaces. Again, correct value is essential, color is generalized and secondary to value.

      Block-in

"Still Life with Apple and Creamer"

  6x6", oil on hand-mounted canvas panel, $150

Step #3: Create interest in each shadow and then in each light shape by adjusting colors for warm and cool areas within each shape. Be sure to maintain the value of each shape (as established in #1 and 2) as you make temperature adjustments. Values must maintain their credibility.

Step #4: Create appropriate hard/soft edges and blends between shadow and light shapes to bring the painting towards completion.

Step #5: Selectively add details/patterns, highlights and/or accents that support, but do not detract from, the idea of the painting.

Sept #6: Sign your name and enjoy the results.

Following these simplified direct steps in the order presented will help any student improve the quality and strength of their work. Once presented in my classes to new students. I've seen many light bulbs of comprehension go on amongst students new to this concept and most make comments such as, "I wish I'd known this earlier...it would have made such a difference in my learning".  I couldn't agree more!

Happy painting!

Sharon