That moment you cut a painting in four
Week 34's mixing and an artwork demo with scissors
Week 34 featured artwork is a woodblock print on paper by the American artist Arthur Wesley Dow who was strongly influenced by the Japanese art of ukiyo-e woodcuts. Unlike the Japanese artists of the time, Dow completed the entire process himself, from initial carving to printing.
“August Moon”, Five colour woodblock print on paper, Arthur Wesley Dow, ~1905 (source)
Mixing
The colours taken from the print were Vermillion, Petrol Blue, Sap Green & Deep Grey and here’s a thirteen minute video of me mixing them from QoR colours and White Titanium gouache. This week I used the mixes to create a background that’s then used for the artwork demo.
Demo
Playing with colour and marks is a great way to loosen up, allowing the process to lead the way.
I started this painting by using the mixes of colours from Week 35 with different paintbrushes as well as a toothbrush to create spontaneous marks that then got blown into different directions by using a hairdryer. It evolved into a layered painting in watercolour, white gouache, and a white Neocolour II crayon from Caran D’ache. The artwork was then cut into quarters and I carried on playing.
I did this painting on Hahnemuhle Harmony paper 300gm cold press size 30x30cm.
And here’s the end result, four slightly abstract paintings.
If you’re a full subscriber to #coloricombo you can see a video of the eighteen minute demonstration below, including the moment I decided to pull out the scissors and change direction.
If you enjoy these weekly coloricombo prompts please share them with others who’d enjoy a dollop of colour and creativity every week.