SENSE OF PLACE
"Think big, think disruptive. Execute with full passion."
- Masayoshi Son -
SPENDING SACRED ME-TIME
WRITING PROMPTS​
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BUILDING A CHARACTER
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In addition to being depicted it is the artists expression to capture and convey the light the figure radiates. Through soft, diffuse brushstrokes and the interplay of light, the artist can create an image that is both tender and expressive. The impression of found inspiration helps striving to convey the inner beauty, not just the external allure.
Characterization refers to how people are described or portrayed in a story. This includes describing their appearance, personality traits, feelings, beliefs, actions and relationships.
You could bring in one detail after another. But there's something really powerful about interrupting that saturation. And when you apply that to art ... it is simply transcendent.
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Use the sheets of paper from the exercises in the former lessons. Wherever you feel it, try to break what is already there by interrupting lines and forms. If you want you can cut 'through' the things or figures with scissors... With a different medium (or stronger colours, thicker lines and forms) than used before you could repose, divide into sections... so that in the end the former form has experienced a disruption of itself. Remember to not overthinking it and staying in a state of enjoyment.
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​Imagine a character who is usually calm and composed (building the character). Then, introduce a situation where they are forced to make a quick, risky decision that goes against their usual cautious nature (disrupting the character). This reveals a previously hidden impulsive side or a deep-seated fear that drives them to act against their typical behavior. This is an example and a writing prompt that is not about writing a (detailed) story here, more of a keyword-like collection of ideas, a cluster with two sides, brainstorming.
SPENDING TIME IN THE STUDIO
VALUE, LIGHT & LIVING COLOUR
Two very basic black & white and coloured examples to show the VALUE GRADUATION and the ANALYTICAL DIVISION of light and shadow shapes (this is called Shading).
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Image above:
The light source coming in here from the left, first more wide angled and slighty from above, then closer and narrowed, pretty directly from the left side. It is very softly here, but remember the 'rule' dark-light-dark-light... next to a shadow there is light, next to light a shadow is seen.
With different kind of pencils or paints value, grayscale and light and dark can be expressed even stronger.
Images below:
Showing the same principle, this time with colour... Using colour we chose a dark, light and medium colour to create value. Three colours is basis, and then we can always create various combinations to create even more depth and value and compelling pieces.
As this example was done with pencils I did not use white. In that case one either leaves spots open for the white paper to shine through or creates the light areas with the brightest colour from those chosen - or one could erase the coloured parts that would be the brightest to let the white paper from underneath shine through.
Again it is dark against light against dark... ​
SHADOWS ON THE FACE - DIFFERENT LIGHT SOURCES
The chiaroscuro technique normally focuses on strong contrasts between light and dark to define the form of the object or subject.
Light and shadow are fundamental elements in art, crucial for creating depth, form, and mood. They interact with objects and subjects and are used to represent three-dimensional form, suggest volume, and guide the viewer's eye.
A softer, not so strong contrast creating technique, and familiar with the chiaroscuro is called SHADING:
Light and shadow create depth and form by varying the intensity of light and shadow.
Illusion of rounded forms can be created, suggesting a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional surface.
In the depiction of the faces, light and shadow are also crucial for creating depth, dimension, and mood.
By strategically using highlights and shadows, the contours of the face can be suggested, like the curvature of the nose, the hollows of the cheeks, and the overall shape of the jawline.
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The above image is just a very simple example to understand how different sources of light shining on a face will create shadow. By understanding the principles of light and shadow, more realistic, expressive, and compelling portraits can be achieved.
Normally there are two or three light sources that feel familiar or common. And then there are those that create unusual shadow parts, even triggering unease...
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Note: As I used different types of pencils some faces turned out softer and others rough in the shadow expression. But in the end this is an effect, even if not intended.
MINDFUL EXERCISE
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EXPRESSING...​
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A soft yet authentic disruption is created by focusing on loosening the form - choosing minimalist expression and transporting the idea of simplicity and honesty: Basic elements, nothing non-essential is included. Only the absolute necessities are used to create, focusing on essential form, colour, and space.
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Space is the element of art that refers to the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or within objects. All objects take up space - the figure is also an example for a living breathing form moving through space.
Empty space in art is mainly called negative space and is the empty space around and between the subjects of an image.
Space is crucial as it deeply influences perception and emotional responses.
In art space is manipulated through techniques like perspective, negative space, and scale to enhance the artwork - it adds depth and meaning, allowing for a more impactful viewer experience.
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​Minimalism is about intention, eliminating distractions, and making mindful choices. It promotes the value of experiences over material possessions, placing higher importance on meaningful items rather than those that merely occupy space.
​IMPRESSIONIST EXPRESSIONISM is a style that is often seen as a mixture of Impressionism and Expressionism. It combines the impressionistic concentration of capturing fleeting moments (including light effects) with the expressive power of emotional and subjective characteristics of experience and expression.
A minimalist approach would break free from possible limitations and would create a disruption through the simplification of the composition - the often complex and dynamic compositions of Impressionism would be contrasted by the minimalist simplicity with a focus on essential forms and their inherent qualities.
This disruption would then occur through the blending of the two fundamental approaches:
Minimalism emphasizes the representational and its visual qualities rather than conveying emotions or stories. It attempts to be objective and impersonal, aiming to present a pure, unmediated experience of basic form/ shape/ colour and space.
Objectivity detaches from the subjective point of view. This detachment of Minimalism from emotional expression would clash with the expressive subjectivity that underlies Expressionism.
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Use a (simple) mandala template or create a (simple) traditional mandala design by yourself - but then introduce elements of disruption. This could involve breaking the symmetry, adding chaotic lines. or incorporating different colours and textures. What do you feel when you choose the mandala? How does the disruption of (former, familiar) patterns and structures make you feel? What might this process of change and transformation symbolize and trigger?
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Draw a landscape that visually represents a disrupted emotional state. Use different colours and shapes (or textures) to capture feelings like confusion, anger, frustration, or anxiety. Externalizing your internal world you might find a different way of looking at your emotional state.
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Create a drawing that initially represents a feeling or situation as 'broken' or 'disrupted' (or a change you are facing). Then, rebuild or transform it to show a sense of healing, recovery, or a new beginning. What comes up for you? Do you focus much on the 'old way', can you sense a breaking point? Is there a potential for something new in the field? Remember to keep everything loose and playful. All is just an exercise.
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DRAMATIC REMBRANDT LIGHTING
The Italians were the first to experiment with various lighting schemes in the 1500s.
As art emerged from the Gothic period, the Renaissance artists brought perspective and lighting to painting.
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'Rembrandt Lighting' is a CLASSIC PORTRAITURE TECHNIQUE and named after the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn.
It is characterised by a distinctive triangle of light on the cheek of the shadowed side of the face. Created by a single light source positioned at a 45-degree angle (light source is positioned to the side of the subject) and slightly above the subject's eye level (downward-casting shadow) this versatile technique is casting distinct shadows while actually highlighting the subject's features.
'Rembrandt Lighting' creates a dramatic, moody and subtle effect, exuding a sense of mystery from intense to soft - depending on the intensity. It adds depth and dimension to it, a timeless quality.
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While this is a very exact way of creating this classical painting technique we can keep it lose by not overdoing it... progress and fun are more important than perfectionism. And doing what we love driven by our inherent joy can only aim for and result in success. Applying a simple triangle shape on the shadowed cheek will do more than enough.
Here in the close-ups you see the 'triangle' applied in two different ways. The left image shows a very lose spot, as if it almost isn't even there... in the second example it is more obvious, still not a full examined and accurate put triangle. Also in both these examples the shadow-light-contrast turned out less intense.
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"In the end there is only light and dark. And the two are not so far apart."
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- Thomas Lloyd -
