From the movie Vincent and Theo:
Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh are in the French landscape, both painting. Gauguin goes to Vincent and asks him about his paints, which Vincent reveals are premium brands. Gauguin says "I always use only the cheapest brands. The premium ones are too bourgeuis."
A little later, Gauguin runs out of yellow and goes and nicks some from Vincent.
Yet a bit later, Vincent takes a break and goes to look at how Gauguin's painting is progressing. He comments: "the yellow is a bit bourgeois."
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Here's a tip: I didn't remember how to spell Gauguin, so I went to Google and typed in "gaugin". And Google, due to its huge database of searches, guessed that I wanted the famous painter, and suggested "Gauguin". Presto. Instant spelling suggestions, works better than any spell checker I know.
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For the first time in over a dozen years, I am looking into painting again, I've bought acrylic colors. I am a bit hesitant, though, for geez, what an emotional roller-coaster art is!
14 comments:
Cool! Please keep us posted on your progress.
I hear the acrylic colours are nice to work with. I haven't tried them myself -- are they bourgeois enough?
I think Vincent would have loved them, given that he worked like greased lightning. (Their main characteristic is that they dry much faster than oil colors.)
Typical of me, I have ordered like five books about acrylics painting. :)
"I am a bit hesitant, though, for geez, what an emotional roller-coaster art is!"
Ah, but you're not the kind of person to be easily shaken.
Quite, but there have been some very mighty shakes, trust me.
But you're still on board, ain'tcha? :-)
Yes, Tim Roth was amazing.
A knife is one of the tools I've never tried, but I've ordered one with my paint and easel.
Years ago I switched to acrylics after I stupidly attempted a mural on the ceiling in oils. Small room, window closed. I was higher than a kite a few hours into the project. I've since given up on paint and switched to photography and photoshop. Much safer.
Eolake,
Remember to take it easel at firt, okay? And oil will be fine.
Leviathud,
Photoshop is fine, but... just how do you then make a printout on a ceiling? Xerox tied to a kite, maybe? "Leviatation"?
"Wingardium Levia..." [THUD!] "Oops! LeviOsa! Imprimatur reparo." -- (Hermione Granger, whiz witch)
Pascal,
Maybe it'd be possible to use those printable t-shirt iron-ons and carefully ironing it onto the ceiling? Im now seriously considering attempting it.
Adam, my sentiments exactly. Acrylic, somehow, doesn't quite feel like the real thing. The way I see it if I'm going to spend hours and hours on a work I definitely don't want to compromise on the materials -- not even one ounce.
You do need a dedicated room to work in, though, and very good ventilation. For the mural project I would recommend some kind of machine controlled A/C.
TTL, acrylics is not a compromise in any way, it is just different materials.
Eolake, I get your point. Acrylics is a different medium and any comparison may be pointless.
By compromise I meant that if I am going to use "bygone" methods -- rather than current digital tools -- in creating imagery, the way I see it I might as well go all the way (full monty?) and use the same kind of materials the big guys used in the past.
Adam already mentioned the palette knife[*]. I am myself wondering whether it is possible to do sfumato using acrylics?
*) But Adam, I don't get it, your hero, Dalí, never used a palette knife. Why should you? ;)
I suspect subtle tones/transitions are easier with oils, given their much slower drying time.
They're better for the patient artist who likes to fiddle a long time in one area in wet paint.
"Maybe it'd be possible to use those printable t-shirt iron-ons"
I guess the main problem is scale. Be careful though, I think you'll absolutely need your hard surface to be smooth. I think. Don't experiment in your mother-in-law's grand salon...
"TTL, acrylics is not a compromise in any way, it is just different materials."
As are sand and ice for sculpting. Pity they can't last, with the magnificent results they can give!
Not to mention the ever-classic mashed potatoes...
Sfumato? "SsssssmOkin'!" (The Mask)
Okay, so actually sfumato gives a more natural effect, not a "mask" result. I found out about it a while ago, again on Wikipedia.
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