With moving, it's been a while since I've done a class at City Lit but I've just started a 5 week course with Tony Hull :' Reading a Paint Surface '. The first exercise yesterday was challenging and frustrating but ultimately satisfying. It shared some similarities with the drawing class last year using charcoal and erasers working into a dark surface to carve out a drawing but with the multiple layers and complexities of paint .
These are the objects we were working from - an even more bizarre selection than usual! The meat grinder (or whatever it was!) have me a lot of trouble.
On a large piece of paper we first put on a light grey wash of acrylic paint then drew the outline with a brush and with thinned black acrylic paint. The brushes are pretty appalling so this was the point I was beginning to despair ( no sighing allowed however - only swearing).
Then a bit of white paint was allowed to cover up mistakes while measuring and making corrections to the drawing.
We then made up more grey wash and painted over the drawing again , the aim just to leave the outline drawing.
Then the most difficult part , painting over in black paint, differentiating between different tonal areas by direction and texture of brush marks only!!
After allowing it to dry , the fun bit, introducing light tones back again with glazes of white oil paint. The underlying textures of the balck brush strokes show through and I love the dribbles.
You do end up with a far more complex and interesting surface, I look forward to next weeks adventure!
No wonder you've returned - you are so lucky to have courses of this caliber, even though you've now to travel further to 'enjoy' them!
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