Research point- The Nabis and Decorative Interior Painting

I will be writing about a group of artists in whose paintings were mostly interior design. The group nabis was made up of:  Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Felix Vallotton, Ker-Xavier Roussel, Maurice Denis, Paul Sérusier. This  group professed a desire to transform and integrate art into everyday private surrounding. This type of art was very decorative and they redefined the domestic interior as an aesthetic space, added a mystical element to all of interiority. Their work is close to symbolism and they used geometry, lines and colour in the images. All of those artists payed special attention to the design of the interior for example the pattern of wall paper and textiles inside the room, everything was done in pastel colours far from academic painting. Often figures and objects are portrayed as flat but are still shown in space using light and dark colour to crate shadows and lights. The overall effect is highly designed and has a decorative scene. There is no real distinction between figures and object in the space. For example in the painting by Bonnard ‘Nude in the Bath’ all the body of woman is covered in colour with the fluid in the bath contrasting only slightly with the woman and the rest of the painting.

Both Bonnard and Vuillard could both transform an ordinary space into a mystic world. The beauty of these paintings is the use of blotches of colour which sometimes make it impossible to make sense of the space but are definitely interesting and give a different view to the composition of the interior. From this we can learn how to make a connection between people, objects and the closed space itself.  The composition doesn’t always have to be central as we can see the interior from many angles but at the same time every object can grab our attention even if it is not in the central composition. The composition shows the whole interior but also all the details at the same time which allows us to see the whole space at once.  For example the interior scene with ‘woman in bath’ has some kind of an eroticism element similar to Paul Gauguin ‘Aha Oe Feii’ where the blotches of colour and the whole composition of space doesn’t force us to see in a nude erotic but is objectified and this allows us to see the painting as a whole. This type of painting will be useful for anyone wanting to do interior scenes.

  “Nude in the Bath ” (1936) Bonnard

 “Nude in the Bath and Small Dog” (1941-6) Bonnard

http://arthistorynewsreport.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/pierre-bonnard-at-museum-of-modern-art.html

Eduard Vuillard ” The Suitor” (1893)

Research point- Animal studies

In this research point I was asked to look for contemporary artists who included animals in their work. The first artist who I found was Albrecht Durer the greatest German artist in the early 16^th century. He used oil painting, print and watercolour for depicting subjects from nature- animal, plants and other. He was great but too realistic for me and I don’t really see myself influenced by him apart from his great technique. I started to look at work by Paula Rego who often uses mixed techniques for example collage and painting. She often portrays her work in a childish, fetishist and traumatic way. Her work is like illustration and figurative and reminds me of work by Egon Schiele, George Grosz, Lucian Freud and drawings and books by Bruno Schulz with one difference which is that her work shows a strong feminine side in which the woman is full control of herself and sexuality. She often uses animals in her drawings to portray humans and situations, the animals appear in human form and character. An example of this is the series ‘dog woman’ which is a series of pastel drawings in which she portrays women in poses similar to those of dogs, woman howling, woman on all fours. These drawing are grotesque and very illustrational and the narration is typical of illustrations used in books but this allows her to show social issues. I think that her work is a more helpful influence for me as this sort of work will help me with composition, giving narration of the work and giving a different meaning to animals. In her work animals have their own personality and characteristics which can also show human emotions and feeling this is very important as it is doesn’t just show a perfect copy of the animal but gives the animal something with more depth.

Paula Rego “Dog Women” 1952

http://www.casadashistoriaspaularego.com/en/collection/drawings.aspx

Paula Rego ” Dog Woman” 1994

http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/paula_rego.htm

 

Research point- Positive and negative space

This article is a continuation of the previous one as it is also about still life but is about how positive and negative space is used in the composition. The first example which came to me was Picassos painting ‘guernica’ but this painting is a figurative composition. I want to show more still life like I said earlier. From the time of the renaissance still life has changed and is free from any cannons. The artist is free to create and experiment using any methods. He can experiment using space and different shapes or concentrate on the different kinds of light. An example of this sort of artist is Georges Braque.

Braque’s Studio painting, some of the most glorious work of the 20^th century, with the relationship between form and space in his work the negative and positive space suggests depth and movement and at the same time we can analyse all of the objects. In these cubist canvases we can see oscillation between depth and flatness, shadow and form. Negative and positive reserved space are both opaque’s and transparent. In all this work I can see real connection to the work of Pablo Picasso’s work, especially in ‘Papier colle’ which was one of cubism’s greatest innovations. This technique provided a starting point for Dada, Surrealism and Constructionism.

In ‘Bottle, Glass of Violin’ Picasso has included a remarkable amount of negative space in the composition. In both the works of Picasso and Braque negative and positive space plays a vital role. These types of work really interest our imagination and demand our reflection.

  Georges Braque (Studio 8)

http://ineedartandcoffee.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/magic-studio-george-braques-atelier.html

 “Bottle, Glass of Violin’”Picasso

http://www.thenewsgallery.com/2011/02/picasso-plays-his-cubist-guitars-at.html

Research point- Dutch Still Life

Research point- Dutch Still Life

Dutch painting played a vital role in the history of art. It is characterised by realism which is very developed not only in still life but also in portraits, natural scenes and landscapes. In the middle of the 17^th century in workshops of Dutch artists the term ‘stilleben’ from the French ‘nature morte’ which means still life today. Originally the term meant quiet life. This term has something sombre in it. Typical compositions of still objects were bouquets of flowers or a set table which included crystal ware, fruits and sea food. The specialist of painting flowers in that era was Yan Van Huysum. His bouquets were very delicate and fresh, often with butterflies among the flowers. Still life showing tables were limited to showing half eaten food and drink for example a glass half filled with wine, sliced of lemon, a glass that has been knocked over or a lobster that has been started. If we knew about the cuisine from that era we would know if the painting is portraying dinner, dessert or breakfast. Everything is shown with a great balance of colour and light and in my opinion the whole composition is meant to play with our 5 senses, we feel the texture, taste, temperature of the food. The artists who represented this sort of painting were Willem Claesz Heda, Peter Claesz and Yan Van Kalfe. All of these characteristics have evolved and hare still seen in modern painting. The only difference being that still life has evolved from just being a typical table on a dark or grey background to a more open space for example the works of Paul Cezanes ” Still Life with Apples and Oranges” where we see a whole different perspective and a different study of colour and form, with the objects appearing very three dimensional even though the shadows are not realistic. The composition is strong and geometric. For example the apples and oranges have a spherical shape. The works of Cezanes are the middle ground between the works of 19^th century impressionism and post impressionism and the innovative ways of painting which were represented later in cubism for example in the work of Pablo Picasso.  

Willem Claesz Heda “Still Life”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/still-life-196898

 Paul Cezanne “Apples and Oranges” 1899

PART TWO YOUR OWN ENVIRONMENT

Project 1 COMPOSITION

Exercise 1 Compositional sketches of man- made objects

For this exercise I used charcoal and later I changed the medium to a soft pencil. I worked on A3 format. I chose a loaf of bread, wrapped in transparent paper, with a bread knife, on the cutting board. With every sketch I changed the position of the bread and I also pulled out the bread from the paper. I used natural light, so with every sketch the lighting changed. After that exercise, I understood that I made a mistake because I changed the position of the bread but not myself, and that would have allowed me to have a completely different point of view. It would be better if I changed more in each drawing. However, you can notice the shadow is slightly different in each drawing.

        

        

Exercise 2 Compositional studies of natural objects

I found an interesting place near my fireplace, and the fire tools caught my attention. I used charcoal on A3 format paper. Charcoal and fire tools are an interesting combination. This time I changed both my own position and the items. Each time I used slightly different mark making. If you compare all four drawings, I did not pay much attention to the proportion of each individual object.

   

Project 2: PHYSICAL AND VISUAL TEXTURE

Exercise 1: Experimenting

Using pencil and pen, I drew four different objects with different textures. I drew a kitchen sponge, a block of wood, a pineapple and a slice of bread. Later, on another drawing I tried to draw a fragment of fur scarf. I did that drawing just for experimentation because I wanted to try to make the illusion of fur. I am not happy with that drawing at all. Later I did a composition of items. It is difficult for me to tell what the drawing is off as I did a frottage of random items. There is money, kitchen tools and a matches box. I used normal pencil and charcoal to make a difference between mediums and make a more contrasting composition.

  

PROJECT 3: DETAILED OBSERVATION OF NATURAL OBJECTS

Exercise 1: Using marker or dip pen

For this exercise I did a couple drawings using felt tips. I do not have much practice with using felt tips. I just use that exercise to be familiar with that medium.  In each drawing you can see how I tried to do different marks; thin and thick lines.  Thanks to that, each drawing is individual.

 

   

Exercise 2: Detail and simple line

For this exercise I used black fibre-tipped pen and I made two drawings of Hyacinth flower . I tried to catch some texture of the plant,  at the same time I tried to draw very lightly but to not take the pen off the paper. I do not know if I did the right thing by drawing very lightly, perhaps I should have drawn more aggressively, it would have added more contrast to the drawing.  On the other hand, you can see the different texture between the sleeve and the bulb.

Exercise 3: Detail and tone

For this exercise I used coloured pencils and I used cross hatching technique. I tried to show light and dark tones of each object.  I chose garlic and a plant. I tried to make some contrast between each object and I added some line drawing as well in the lightest and darkest areas.  In the second drawing, I did not pay too much attention about the colour of the garlic but instead I concentrated on the light tones because I find the connection between the background and the vegetables interesting. When you place the white garlic on a coloured surface, the colour of the surface is reflected in the garlic. I tried to show this in the drawing.

PROJECT 4: STILL LIFE

Exercise 1: Still life using line

In this exercise, I concentrated on stacked plates after dinner. The viewpoint was interesting from above. It is a natural group of objects placed together. I used some markers for this drawing and I made sure that the lines held the shape of the objects. Later I did another drawing using the markers and I placed some plants and fruits together and using a different kind of line making, I tried to describe structure of each individual object, and at the same time I had to use similar mark making methods for each object in the drawing

Exercise 2: Still Life in tone using colour

In this exercise I used colour pencils. I used similar mark making only I concentrated on how light falls on each object. To highlight the main light I used a rubber to make the lightest parts most prominent. Later I did another drawing of an orange and a plant. I think in this drawing, the bottom part with a stool and a cabinet, was more interesting than the plant and the fruit.

Exercise 3: Experiment with mixed media.

I do not have too much experience with mixed media so in the first drawing with plant, I did some experimental drawings. I mixed markers with oil pastel. Later I took another direction and in the next drawing I used markers with soft pastel and using a brush I diluted the drawing and I achieved a watercolour effect with some strong marks. At the same time, I noticed the markers also dilute with the water. So the drawing is not very good, but I realised that this is a technique I can use in the future. After, I drew the view to my kitchen using the markers and the soft pastel. I used the same technique as in the previous drawing. This drawing can also be used as a interior composition exercise.

Exercise 4: Monochrome

In this exercise I used markers, and I diluted it a bit with water. I learned that technique in the previous exercise. In the first monochrome drawing, I was not happy. I think the markers smudged too much therefore it did not look good. In the final monochrome drawing, I used a similar composition as in the line drawing, with the high angle view. I tried to do some expression with the glass and cutlery, so you can see the difference between the glass, metal and porcelain. At the same time, I attempted to use monochrome colours.

PROJECT 5: PETS AND OTHER ANIMALS

Exercise 1: Animal Life Study

Exercise 3: Live Animals- using line and tone

I did two exercise at the same time. I do not have a pet or animal at home, but I work on a farm with cows and calves so I got my sketchbooks and went to the calf house, where I started doing some quick sketches using quick lines. I tried to change the medium from pencil to markers and pastels. It wasn’t easy drawing animals because of the movement, and this is why the sketches might not be accurate in proportion. Because of the fragile, small and out of proportion structure of the calves, when in standing, moving or resting position, it is not easy to see the full skeleton form. I did a couple of sketches and I changed the medium to charcoal, and this was for the line and tone drawing. Charcoal is a good medium for tonal drawings. I did four charcoal drawings on A3 format, and for the final one I used charcoal on an A2 format.

Charcoal drawings on A3

Charcoal on an A2

Exercise 2: Tonal study of bones and shells

I didn’t find any bones or shells in my home, but I really tried to carry on my exercise and I did two drawings of horns, changing position in each one. I think the first drawing is much more contrasting than the second, and can show some perspective from that view point. I think my second drawing is too pale; I tried to describe the shape and that horn was very highlighted in the moment I was drawing it.

Exercise 4: Using source material

For this exercise, I used a photo of a cat x-ray. I did not copy the x-ray photo. I tried to make the drawing interesting by doing not doing it similar to an x-ray fashion background. If you look from the distance, you can see the shape of a cat or you can see it as a fossil. I think I did too much line drawings around the legs and the head, and also where I did the dark tone around the head, I should’ve done the darker tone around other areas as well.

PROJECT 6: AT HOME

Exercise 1: Quick sketches around the house

In this exercise, I made several quick line drawings. I selected only a few of these drawings to include here. I used some pen and marker. What Ii found interesting in this exercise was when you look at the room, you normally see everything as a whole, but when you look at the details, you get a whole different viewpoint with different dimensions and shapes. It is like looking through a camera, finding the different angles by moving just slightly. And you can find interesting compositions in ordinary shapes at home.

Exercise 2: Composition and Interior.

For this exercise I used charcoal, and I found a place on my cabinet with a lamp, an antique camel vase and a corner of a mirror. In each drawing, I worked like a camera perspective and I moved my viewpoint slightly and I just drew what I saw in the frame. What is interesting is, when you don’t change your composition but just your viewpoint you can find more interesting or different composition of the same object and everything can change completely and make a different sense.

Exercise 3: Tonal Study

In this exercise, I started to draw my sofa which is placed near the window, in natural lighting. I used charcoal on A2 format. I tried to catch all the lightest places, this was not hard because the lighting from the window casted a light on all the objects the light reached. I should use that kind of light more often because it is very easy to show the difference between the lightest and darkest moments. In a natural way it is easy to build the contrast in the drawing. I should have done the same thing in my horn study, for example.

Exercise 4: Line and Wash

In this exercise, I wasn’t hundred percentage sure what to do. I drew the cabinet with wine bottles, using black markers and blue washes. I tried to describe where the light comes from, and build the shape of the bottles and cabinet. I used slightly different lines, unusual for me. I wanted to make the lines look different and at the same time to describe a certain shape.

Exercise 5: Mixed Media

In this exercise, I found a basket with firewood inside. I did four drawings of this on A3 format in my sketchbook. In the first two drawings, I used charcoal diluted it with water then I did some line drawing using the black and brown markers. I’ve been very spontaneous with doing this drawing, and I just played with that medium. In the other two drawings, I used white oil crayon to reserve the lightest points. Next I prepared some black watercolour wash, and I painted over the white. I then put some contrast on it using black marker. I am quite happy with this exercise, because it is not overdrawn and I can see some freshness in this, but in some spaces I should’ve diluted some marks with the markers as to make it more similar to the other mediums or maybe I should’ve used different marks- less line more tonal.