Colin MCcahon

Thinking and Reflecting

1. Get Inspired by McCahon

• • Find some of McCahon's landscapes that you like and stick them in your sketchbook. Look for paintings with different kinds of landscapes – mountains, coasts, farmland.

  • Composition: Pay close attention to how he arranged the different parts of the landscape. Did he use a horizon line? Did he divide the painting into sections? Did he use any strong lines or shapes to lead your eye through the painting?

  • Paint Application: How did he actually put the paint on the canvas? Did he use thick, impasto strokes or thin washes? Are there any areas where you can see the brushstrokes? Did he blend the colors smoothly or leave them unmixed?

  • Connections: Think about the other artists we've studied. Do any of them use similar techniques to McCahon? Maybe they use similar colors, or similar ways of applying the paint.

2. Try Out His Techniques

• • Choose a small section of one of McCahon's paintings that you find interesting. Try to copy that section in your sketchbook. This will help you get a feel for how he used his brush and paint.

  • Remember the Basics: Think about the techniques we've already learned, like using a dark background to make colors stand out, and dry brushing to create texture.

Personal response

1. Choose a landscape photo from those provided

   • Select and Compose: Use a clear piece of plastic and a marker to draw around three interesting sections from the photo. Think about McCahon's compositions and refer to examples provided.  Maybe your sections should be squares, rectangles, or long strips. In your sketchbook, do 2-3 small sketches to try out different ways to arrange your sections.

2. Prepare and Transfer: Paint your canvas or board with a dark background color. Use white charcoal to lightly sketch the outlines of your three sections onto the background.

3. Paint in Layers: Start painting! Remember to build up your forms gradually using thin layers of paint. Let some of the dark background show through for depth and texture.

4.  Finishing Touches

• • Define the Frames: Look closely at how McCahon sometimes outlined his sections with lines or blocks of color. Try adding lines or bands of color around your sections to make them stand out. Look at examples from other students to get ideas.

  • Add Text: McCahon often included words in his paintings. Think about what kind of text you could add to yours. Here are some ideas:

    • The name of the place you painted, maybe in Te Reo Māori.

    • The coordinates of the location.

    • A word or phrase that describes how you feel about this landscape.

    • A quote about nature that you like.

By following these steps and adding your own creative touches, you'll create a landscape painting in the style of Colin McCahon!