BeckerArt FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter Sept. 12th, Subject Matter

Published: Tue, 09/12/17

 
Hello 

Welcome to the FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter #122, Subject Matter

This week on Thursday starts the fall meetings of the Lakes Region Watercolor Guild and I will be taking over as the clubs president. This is an amazing watercolor guild and I sure hope I can do the club justice as their new president. If you would like to join me and watching a demonstration by Dale L Popovich, get the information by going to the clubs website here.

Next week I will be away teaching a workshop at Dillman's along with doing a paint party. If you would like to join me for either there is still room for both... call Dillman's to reserve a spot for either the workshop, paint party or both! 715-588-3143     Website is HERE

This week's newsletter goes into how anything and everything if can be painted.

Yes to Class at the Civic Center Libertyville, Thursday Sept. 14th 1:00 to 3:30pm
NO CLASS at The Antioch Fine Arts Foundation, Sept. 14th
Yes to Class at The BeckerArt Classroom in McHenry on Sept. 16th 9:00 to 11:30

 
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Subject Matter is Anything & Everywhere
Back when I was at the American Academy of Art I was always fascinated with what students were using as subject matter in their paintings. I came to realize through the years that anything and everything can be painted into a scene. I was recently reminded of this through an artist that I think is painting some amazing work. The artist is Dan Mondloch and Dan is from Minnesota and does plein-air watercolors like no other.

Recently Dan did a project where he did 50 plein-air paintings in 30 days and after they were finished he gave them away to some very lucky folks.What had me mesmerized was what Dan was using as subject matters for his paintings. Places and scenes that the average person and artist would normally just pass by. Dan however takes any subject matter and makes it a beautiful painting. This is what I learned in school and it was so nice to be reminded by Dan that everything and anything is paintable. 

What does it take to make something paintable.... it takes a good value pattern with good basic composition. Of course knowing how to draw and paint well in your medium helps tremendously. 

Make sure you have a big value pattern along with a area of interest that stands out (I like to call a center of interest the area of interest because it isn't just an object that is of interest it usually is an entire area that is the center of interest). The area of interest is usually the reason you are painting the subject matter and at times not just a single object. 

Sometimes the subject can be a simple object like the coffee cup above and the fish below, but no matter how complicated or simple the scene, try to make the value pattern as simple as possible. Remember back to a couple newsletters back, look for the big black and whites of the image. See that older newsletter here.

I always say to my students to paint what they love and know, now I also want them to add, try looking at your favorite subject you love and know a bit differently the next time you go looking for something to paint.

Here's to looking at things a bit different
David
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The pictures below are of what Dan painted and then gave away. Check out his 50 paintings in 30 days on his facebook page HERE
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The paintings above are plein-air pieces that Dan painted of a scenes that most people would pass by and never give a second look. If you look at the places he sets-up his easel at, would you have seen this great subject matter? These paintings and subjects just amaze me!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 
 
My Workshops in North Carolina this and next year
​​​​​​​There is still time to sign-up for either
 
Artist of the Week
If you ever get the chance to take a workshop from Dan, take it.
Dan is an amazing artist that I believe would teach you how to paint anything that your heart desires. Check out 
 
Students Show
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A group of my students who are artists of the Lake Forest Dickinson Hall will be in a show at the Lake Forest Northern Trust Bank from Sept. 22nd to the 29th.
Opening will be Sept. 22nd at 5:30... 265 E. Deerpath in Lake Forest, IL. Animal Lovers Alert is their theme...Go check out their work if you get the chance!
 

Get yourself a BeckerArt Brush today

1 1/4" Flat Series 020, #16 Round and a #4 Rigger Holbein Gold, Short Handle, Superior Synthetic Blend Watercolor Brush set.
​​​Made to my specifications, which were, The point of the 1 1/4" flat brush and the # 16 round had to come to a razor sharp point, along with a bounce back to straight action when applying watercolor to paper. The # 4 Rigger had to be the perfect length, the perfect thickness, and the perfect point.

Click Here to Purchase the 3 original BeckerArt Brushes ​​​​​​​

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 For any other info please email me at david@davidrbecker.com