When first deciding on what object I wanted to capture, I reflected on what I use daily. Shoes, toothbrushes, and more have already been illustrated by many art students before me so I had to think outside the box. One idea that caught my attention was board games. I've always loved playing board games with my family and one that I remember being fun was the game, 'Sorry'. Although the 'Sorry' game board is rather dull/boring, the game pieces are semi-transparent and colorful. I knew it would be hard to create but I liked the colors generated from pieces being placed behind other pieces. With the right lighting and arrangement I was able to take a picture of the game pieces and got to work.
Prior to this project, my class explored oil paint as a medium and was taught lessons on different techniques. Having this new knowledge, I wanted to create this piece with oil paints as well. I first painted the back ground with black acrylic to make the whites appear brighter. I then would paint each gane piece one by one, mapping out the different colors in one game piece and then blending it with the other shades of blue, green, yellow, and red. Although I felt my blending was a success, painting on a black background presented me with some challenges. The yellows and greens were too dark and were nearly impossible to see. In order for colors to be brighter and bolder I had to paint in two coats, which meant I had to wait a day just for the oil the dry. Also my yellow paint was very thin so the first coat showed my brush strokes and ffset the 2nd coat by making it bumpy. It was almost necessary to do three coats but that would require more time than I actually have.
As I write this, my piece still is unfinished but I can easily say I have learned a lot about this medium. First thing I learned was when blending, do not pull the darks into the lighter colors but instead do vice versa. This ensures that you don't darken your light colors and shows a greater contrast between the two shades. I also learned to paint the whites first. By doing this, you reduce the risk of blending in another color with your white and allows the white to be brighter/cleaner. Another thing I learned is how to use a pallet knife. Even though im not particularly good with a pallet knife and didnt use it in this piece, I was able to learn how to use it when making my bell pepper. Its good that I learned this because now I can consider using it in future artworks.
In the end, I think I did okay with the blending in certain areas but I still could use some improvement. Since I am such a slow worker, maybe in the future I should use a red background in order to avoid having to do two coats of paint. I also think I should spend more time planning and sketching rather than starting to paint right away. Instead I sketched the game pieces and they all appear to have different sizes or angles. Overall I think oil paint is a great medium and I hope I can use it again in upcoming work.
Prior to this project, my class explored oil paint as a medium and was taught lessons on different techniques. Having this new knowledge, I wanted to create this piece with oil paints as well. I first painted the back ground with black acrylic to make the whites appear brighter. I then would paint each gane piece one by one, mapping out the different colors in one game piece and then blending it with the other shades of blue, green, yellow, and red. Although I felt my blending was a success, painting on a black background presented me with some challenges. The yellows and greens were too dark and were nearly impossible to see. In order for colors to be brighter and bolder I had to paint in two coats, which meant I had to wait a day just for the oil the dry. Also my yellow paint was very thin so the first coat showed my brush strokes and ffset the 2nd coat by making it bumpy. It was almost necessary to do three coats but that would require more time than I actually have.
As I write this, my piece still is unfinished but I can easily say I have learned a lot about this medium. First thing I learned was when blending, do not pull the darks into the lighter colors but instead do vice versa. This ensures that you don't darken your light colors and shows a greater contrast between the two shades. I also learned to paint the whites first. By doing this, you reduce the risk of blending in another color with your white and allows the white to be brighter/cleaner. Another thing I learned is how to use a pallet knife. Even though im not particularly good with a pallet knife and didnt use it in this piece, I was able to learn how to use it when making my bell pepper. Its good that I learned this because now I can consider using it in future artworks.
In the end, I think I did okay with the blending in certain areas but I still could use some improvement. Since I am such a slow worker, maybe in the future I should use a red background in order to avoid having to do two coats of paint. I also think I should spend more time planning and sketching rather than starting to paint right away. Instead I sketched the game pieces and they all appear to have different sizes or angles. Overall I think oil paint is a great medium and I hope I can use it again in upcoming work.