84 Color Project
Artist's Statement:
Jillian Wight
Andreson
Foundations of Art
May 29, 2020
To create my piece, I started by selecting a photo that I felt would allow me to experiment with colors and shades as much as possible. I settled on a photo I’d taken at golden hour over the summer. The landscape included trees, grass, a lake, a boat, and the sky. I felt that the shadows cast across the image as well as the clouds and the reflection of the scene in the water would offer perfect opportunities to be creative with color, and would support the criteria of the project well. I then used a pencil to lightly sketch the image on a piece of scrap paper, marking where I would use specific colors, tints, and shades. This was a crucial step, because it helped me to organize and plan how I was going to go about creating the piece. Finally, after I had solidified my plan of action, I gathered my materials. To paint the final project, I used a large piece of canvas paper. I also used a grid in which to keep track of my colors, a palette, paint brushes, and acrylic paints. After lightly sketching the outline of important pieces of the image, such as the lake and the treeline, I mixed blue and yellow together to create a bright shade of green. After adding the color to my grid, I continued to experiment with tints and shades, adding splotches of black and white to my color (making sure not to mix all three at any point). To apply the paint, I used a thick brush and made long lines of slightly different colors across the page. I made sure to illustrate the shadows cast on the grass by looming trees to give depth to the piece. After working with green for a bit, I decided to let my work dry so I could come back later and add another coat for a solid finish. While I let this section sit, I used the same technique to create tree branches and leaves in both green and shades of red. I continued to fill in sections with tints and shades, doing my best to successfully incorporate colors. In the sky and far treeline, I used smaller strokes. To create objects and forms in the foreground, my strokes were longer and wider. These variations and choices were made so that my piece would mimic the style of James Edward Hergel. Overall, I believe that my piece evolved quite a bit. It started as a disorganized, chaotic idea, and although I wasn't able to finish due to COVID-19, what I began to create was organized, strategic, and successful.
In my painting, a number of elements of art were utilized. For example, line was an important characteristic of larger areas like the grass and sky, and my use of linear, clear brushstrokes served to create movement throughout the piece so that the eye would be drawn across the page and there would be no wasted, large spaces. I also used value and form in my painting. This is evident in the grass, as well as the clouds in the sky. In both cases, darker shades and tints were painted to illustrate highlights and shadows. The way that these colors came together to show a three dimensional landscape with billowing clouds and a rolling lawn created unity throughout my work. This is because detail was present across the entire page, and was not focused in one area. As a result of this, the piece appears evenly balanced and effectively shaded. Texture was also an extremely important element in my painting. The use of texture gave the painting character, and conveyed the style of my inspiration, Hergel. Texture is evident in my brushstrokes, especially the layered effect that I used in the sky. I believe that these choppy swabs of paint make the piece so much more intriguing and unique than if the sky’s hue was illustrated simply through an ombre. For this reason, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try a new technique. Although it was not my intention, the sky's texture and magnificent color emphasizes it so it's the first thing that the viewer sees. I’m really proud of this, and I believe the sky came out very well. Finally, and most significantly, color played an essential role in the painting. The focus of this project was to encourage students to get more comfortable with acrylic painting and mixing colors, and I believe that I achieved this! What I’ve accomplished in this piece so far demonstrates bright, effective use of color. I placed my tints and shades so that the darker parts of the painting would be less evident and the lighter pieces would stand out. These choices created contrast, for example, between the clouds in the sky and the sky itself. This contrast emphasized details like the clouds, and if I had been able to continue, the same quality would've been present through the piece. I had been planning to add bushes and shrubs in the lawn that would make this additional detail more balanced. Although I was upset that COVID-19 interrupted this project, I think that my distance from it will allow me to come back with a fresh pair of eyes and better my work.
In my work, a friendly, familiar feeling is evident. I tried to portray this through warm colors and soft shapes. The lake is relatively small, and the entire scene is free of any wildlife or humans. It feels secluded, and personal. In my life, this landscape is significant because it is the view from my room at my grandfather’s house. It is a place I have gone every summer, and it means a lot to me. I tried to portray how it makes me feel in the painting, although it is hard to tell if I was successful seeing as the piece is not finished. In my work, I am proudest of the sky. I think that the style and technique worked very well, specifically the layered brushstrokes and the fading, ombre effect they created. In my opinion, the sky really stands out as the best aspect of my piece, and I’m very happy with it. Part of the reason it stands out is because the colors I used in the sky work well in both tints and shades, compared to colors like orange and green which don’t work quite as well when mixed with black. Due to this, I struggled a lot with the lawn. I found it difficult to get a solid covering because the black paint was a strange consistency, and so the brushstrokes didn’t come out as clean and elegant as I’d hoped they would. I was able to overcome this by being persistent and continuing to add coats of varying thicknesses. When I ran out of paint and stopped, the lawn was beginning to look a lot better and I had begun to capture the dips and bumps in the grass. In general, I am proud of how my work came out! I stepped out of my comfort zone, and it paid off!