Shiana Mainarich
STAC Quarter 3 intensives
In Quarter 3 of STAC, I was in the art intensive. The work we did in the intensive can be divided into two parts: colors and lines; and 4 mediums: pencil, watercolor, acrylic, and oil. We mainly focused on working with the color theory, and learning techniques for drawing faces by using photo references. We began by drawing a self-portrait while being timed, then after that, we got started with learning how to improve on seeing color and better our drawing.
First we learned how to grid a drawing so we would get used to where the relationships of key features of a face are (the eyes, nose, lips, hairline etc.). To make seeing these relationships easier, we used black-and-white photo references of movie stars and simplified (posterized) the colors so there would be only 3-4 shades of grey. After drawing a few faces on small grids, we drew 8.5X11’ grid drawings of Audrey Hepburn and Glen Ford.
The positive results were immediate. While drawing, my brain was forced to focus on shapes and plotting out the points of the eyes and nose, and the shapes of the shadows, rather than focusing on trying to draw something that looks like an eyebrow or mouth. Focusing on relationships and shapes helped make my drawings more accurate. Also, I got some practice on drawing with grids and drawing realistically.
After spending a few STAC days on grid drawing, we had the chance to freehand faces. We still used various movie stars and photos as references, but this time colored references were added. Also, we didn’t posterize references at all (We got them from photography books.) However, this time we were given a packet with tips on drawing faces. I found this packet extremely helpful.
The packet consisted of three ways to draw faces, but we mostly used the one on the front. This way of drawing started with sketching a circle for the head and dividing it in half. Then, the lower half of the head was divided into 4 dots; the nose was placed at the second dot, and the mouth on the third dot.
Having a way to mark off the face helped a lot with drawing faces that had proper proportions. Looking back on drawing in this style, I realized that by using the technique of dividing the face up, we had a way of making a rough grid of a person’s face that we could use when drawing freehand.
Color: Theory + watercolor
While we were working on drawing faces, we also received an instructional packet on mixing colors. Using prior knowledge of the color theory, we used watercolors to experiment with creating greys from two complementary colors, darkening a color by using two complementary colors, avoiding creating mud (when mixing a color with one that wasn’t its complement). We also worked on how to push a color towards warm shades and cooler shades. I usually don’t work with traditional mediums, and I learned a few tips like “a color and its complement make grey” and “yellow and purple can be used to make skin tones.” I also learned what it meant to have “strong” color. When you mix colors, a strong color pushes the mixed color towards its color range with a minimal amount of pigment; it takes a small amount of the strong color to turn other colors towards it when mixed.
Applying this to watercolor also included learning how to use your water. The smaller the ratio of paint to water was, the lighter the color and vice versa.
Color: Theory + Acrylic and Oil
Using the color theory for acrylic and oil paints was basically the same as when I used it with watercolor. However, this time we could use white to lighten the color instead of using more water. Using white took a bit of getting used to, since we weren’t allowed to/couldn’t use white when we were painting with watercolors.
Working with watercolor was quite difficult. My main problem was controlling how watery my painting became. I had to constantly apply paper towels to keep the painting dry.
Also, I had a hard time deciding how to paint. After watching Ganes’ demonstration in STAC art, I saw all of the different ways you could use water and paint together, so I felt a little overwhelmed about\n which techniques to use. After finishing a painting, I often felt that I could have experimented more.
Working with Acrylic was “ok.” It helped me develop some techniques that I would be able to apply to oil, and it served as a less expensive way of experimenting with colors and blending things together. It was hard mixing the colors and keeping your palette tidy at the same time, since the paint spread around quite fast.
While doing grid drawings, I used the pencil as I would when writing or doodling. However, when we did our freehand sketches, we were showed a technique where we shaved a pencil with a knife. This way, we could get a greater variety of lines and pressure out of the pencil. It was good experimenting with the different ways your lines could come out (I was used to doing that with my tablet, but it’s good to know that you can make your pencil have the same “pen pressure” effect!)
Working with oil was my first time ever. We were mainly allowed to experiment with the paints and do whatever we wanted to with them. I experimented with using walnut oil and water to thin the paint. Walnut oil worked best with spreading out the oil paint (However, if you used too much walnut oil, the paint started to gain a translucency similar to watercolor.) Mixing colors was much easier than with watercolor and acrylic. The paints mixed with little effort (I still have to try to make a grey.)
After learning all of these techniques and working with new mediums, my “library” of art styles has expanded. I feel more confident with drawing realistically, and being able to work in other mediums lets me experiment with traditional art. Also, having these skills will let me approach future projects with more options I can use and are confident with using.
