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Acrylics Anonymous, Issue #030 -- Sea-ing is Believing August 01, 2014 |
1st August 2014, issue 030 Passionate about painting with acrylics? Need a monthly fix chock full of inspiration? Need some help to take the pain out of your painting process? It's all here for you. Acrylics Anonymous. Zero elitism. Dive in. If you enjoy Acrylics Anonymous, and you know someone who might also enjoy it, you can share by forwarding it to your friends! If you are receiving this because a friend has forwarded this to you, and you would like to subscribe, click here! 
Subscribers only…..shhhhhh…sealed section just for you!Tip of the month News Links we like Works in progress…..show us your paintings! 
Every month, we will produce a Subscribers Only "sealed section". It could be a painting technique, a short video tip, or anything we can think of that we reckon you might enjoy. Please let us know what you think, we love your feedback! To leave comments, click here.
Underwater Colour Theory Reds and yellows are the first colours you lose underwater. So, to bring things closer to you in an underwater scene - add reds and yellows! Even using a tiny bit of Dioxazine Purple can make a huge difference to the dimension in your underwater paintings. 
Marine Painting Create depth in your underwater masterpieces. Check out our latest webpage exploring some strategies to help bring your underwater scenes to life. Click here for more info... We’re on a Break Explore HQ is having an outback sojourn for 3 weeks. This means no AA in September for you :( But don’t be too sad as our 1st October AA will be jam packed, and our trained geckos will be checking emails in the meantime! Let us know if you need anything... Express Your Interest - SA Workshop Want to come to SA at the end of September for a workshop? Express your interest now! Click here for more info. 
Lori McNee is an oil painter with a great site that definitely translates across mediums. There is plenty here to keep you happy - I encourage you to set aside a good half hour and go exploring on her site! Check out Lori’s fine art tips. Now yes, this is a fine art photography site. However, as artists we’re quite often using reference photos for our paintings. And these photos, trust me, are a treat for your peepers. Ignore the annoying pop-ups and you'll be fine. Doesn’t hurt to look, right? Want more awesome ocean shots? Click here! If you have a link you like, please share it with us! You can contact us to let us know. Thank you! 
This is the section where you can "get your name in lights!" (well at least out there in the internet world!).If you have works in progress you would love to show off, or finished pieces you are particularly proud of, we would love to see them! We especially like to hear about the story behind the creation. OK, this one is from me (Frankie) and titled “New Life”. And come on! I know you want to send me your work to showcase - don’t be afraid, just do it! …..Anyhoo… NEW LIFE.... This painting was done for my best friend Carlie (she’s often my painting motivator;) and was completed on and off over a few months. She is a water baby and has always loved Mark’s big water paintings but wasn’t able to own one at this point in time. I thought I’d have a go at a big water scene myself - - and see how much information had trickled through from Mark’s brain into my painting hand's muscle memory! I wanted to do something to celebrate her pregnancy and this was the largest canvas I’d ever done. To be honest I was circling warily around it for a good week before I got up the courage to put a brush to it. The first pic below shows the “good vibes” which I “imbued” into the painting, painting words with a shimmery green and all about family - tickles, giggling, love, laughter, games etc. This helped me get familiar & comfortable with the size and shape of it, and then I was ready for gradation!! I had some great reference pics from the water at Fraser Island which I wanted to replicate, particularly that lovely soft green. It took me a few goes and lots of glazes to get the background the colour I wanted - probably because I started off way too pale! Then came the refraction (many, many, many layers of paint). More glazing including an epic fail with a Dioxazine Purple glaze turning my previously light refraction lines purple - and then more paint thrown around to fix it. Then the soft, soft, soft dry brushing to get the reflection of the sky and the highlit areas of reflection. The last part was the little mangrove plant (representing Carlie and her new babe) and boy oh boy that was like a whole painting in itself. Many many phone calls and skype sessions with Mark (he wasn’t allowed to touch it) and I finally understood what the light was doing. - - An aside - this painting, although full of light, really took me to some dark places. It’s the only piece I’ve ever wanted to put my head through (and normally I’m a pacifist) and actually jumped up and down on the spot in frustration a few times, like a 3 year old having a tantrum. More than a few tears! This was an epic journey of self-discovery, light and movement in water, and I’m really happy with the finished painting. Which is lucky as I have to look at it every time I go over to Carlie’s! The initial posting on my Facebook page was overwhelming and I had a few more tears (as well as a few orders). Not ready to go back there just yet though….. Thanks for reading!
Hope you enjoyed this issue of Acrylics Anonymous! If you have any suggestions, comments or feedback for the ezine or our site, please don't hesitate to contact us. Until next time, make sure you chuck some paint around! And remember - we'll be back with AA Issue 31 on the 1st October. Cheers from Frankie, Mark & Nic :) |
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