I just started working on a diptych and have already put down a bunch of marks. While I’m pleased with what I have so far, the piece isn’t particularly harmonious – some colors and shapes are much more noticeable than others, and the overall effect is a bit disorienting.
Watch the video and discover how I solved this problem. Once you have, let me know how you adjust the compositions of your pieces – I would love to hear!
In gratitude, Nicholas
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Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
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Ugh! I love this post because I’m struggling with this a lot right now. Using paint to knock things back, or bring them forward isn’t something I use a lot in my collages. Sanding does help, but I also use your ideas on “difference” to make things more harmonious. Thank you!!
I know exactly what you mean Nicolas – I have been working on a layered painting – more of an organic abstract. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b73d4dde9af3bdd4478467030d69668ec1ac582e4681157b2ea358abc3db5ab1.jpg
It’s called The Edge (of the seashore, under the pier).
I used a lot of texture in the underpainting. Layers of ink and acrylic and poster paints. Sennelier oil pastels as well.
always love your posts. — great ideas to think about
I can’t imagine a better way to say it than its an undulating pizza! Thanks for the videos. I always enjoy them and learn a lot.
I like that you are kind of rough with your paintings as they develop. I tend to treat mine like expensive jewels that might get broken and I think that really gets in the way of creativity.
I don’t paint large pieces, but have been doing lots of art journalling. I have the same problems, though. Nicholas, you are finding excellent solutions to balance your work…it is amazing how small solutions can affect the overall effect. Love this video–thank you!
I work in collage/mixed media and often during the process feel the various images and textures are not working as a whole. I use acrylic washes and subtle transparent details to soften edges and bring things together, still allowing the main subject matter to stand out. Thanks for your videos-inspiring.
Perfect timing. I was going back and forward with this today and I went to my old stand by’s of glazing and sanding. Sometimes I’ll just use a regular pencil and just scribble on top. Love the idea of a line. Thanks Nicholas.
Thanks Nick – really enjoying receiving these now and then. I watch most of them, and I’m always glad I do
Thank you, Nick. I’m trying to absorb your thoughts and comments as I continue down the road as a beginner abstract artist.
You articulate concepts very well! Thank you.
Thanks Nicholas, I always appreciate your paintings, color ,composition, videos and insights.
I like the “back and forth” effect you are creating with those gorgeous colors. Thanks, Nickolas, as always for these Sunday “foods for thought”!
Besides sanding, or glazing, I will sometimes paint a open-style line design over the area that I want to knock back. This makes a surface design in front of the area that is coming forward, and also creates an interesting window into the painting, that pulls you in. Similar to what a pencil drawing would do.
I’ll try it. I put black marks on a mainly colored abstract and they are standing out too much – I was thinking there are too many but I know there are not so I will try sanding back- that may just do the trick 🙂 thank you.
Good discussion. I have been having a lot of fun lately with making my own grays to tone down areas. I find that a lively neutral area next to a little schlock of bright such as rose or magenta can be so beautiful. For example, use some of the rose in your neutral then it helps to harmonize the work as a whole. I am working diligently to build up subtle layers in neutrals and keep them interesting with subtle shifts of value with small pops of color.
It helps so much in the video having you point out what is coming forward, and why, and what is receding. It helps train my eye and the things to be aware of and think about when looking at other work, and my own.
Cool video and questions/explorations – There is so much uniformity between the two that a kind of edgy comparison is inevitable – when they are side by side as here. The differences are not the kind of differences that seem to drive a unity of two pieces but do seem, for me, to demand a kind of ultra detailed nit-picking, and for me, the tendency is to separate these pieces to consider on their own. For me, there is a subtle kind of discord here that is not yet leveraged for the value discord offers. Not sure how I would do that here but in my own studio I am working to provoke interest in the act of seeing itself instead of making things that are precious to look at. I know that discord powerfully drives perception to useful extremes but I surely don’t now how I’d approach this one here. Well, not yet anyway. Sounds too conceptual to be used directly but as you have shown so clearly before – I would just start somewhere while being open to some new wordless non-conceptual relevance – visually/intuitively of course. I’d look for whatever actually reminds me that I am seeing instead of what I’m looking at. Somehow 🙂 Thanks. ( https://www.facebook.com/Lloyd-Brown-Arts-Studio-1617564465173068/
I am learning to do the knocking back technique with zinc white or sanding, scraping or using wax or pastel crayon scribble. But sometimes I have to just ‘walk away’ and not struggle with a piece for awhile and just leave it sit in the corner until I am ready to make friends with it again. I can have a piece hanging in my studio for months because I feel it is incomplete and then one day put one mark or glaze or whatever and then I can peacefully let it go.
I think what you have there is fine and getting better. You are there. So what would pull it together (a touch for me) is an amber shellac over all
Interesting. Spending some time in a village in Provence right now. Not painting, but observing. I like the combo of the old scratched up history with the very fresh clean’modern’! I love your two paintings.. now you must share them when done please🙏
Nick, As always, thank you for thinking out loud. When I’m stuck with a painting I like to take a picture with my phone and email to myself, print it out in color and black and white. Then with pastels or colored pencils I’ll mess around drawing on the print out. It’s freeing and very helpful in finding resolutions.
I would like to know where your lines come from. How do you know where to put them, and what angles to use? I bookmark all your videos so I can go back in if I have forgotten some of your teachings. Thank you so much for everything that you are willing to share. Mary Paganelli
I sometimes use an oil pant glaze on my encaustic pieces. I like that you said knitting in.