Artistic Release

I am a fan and student of many of the great artists from the Old Masters to present day painters… but one of my all time favorites is John Singer Sargent. Sargent was a painter, sculptor, draftsman, portraitist, muralist, watercolorist & guitarist… but I find myself drawn to his expressive portraits. I did a limited palette study of his Portrait of Edith French. 

My Limited Palette: Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Alizarin Crimson, and Ivory Black

“Edith French after Sargent”… 7″x5″ Oil on Masonite Panel, 2006.

Sorry about the glare on this image…

Bernie

I just recently finished a cover painting from the famous 18th century artist, Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin. It is titled “Water Glass and Jug” and was originally painted in 1760.

“Water Glass and Jug” after Chardin… 14″x11″ Oil of canvas board, 2006.

 Palette:
Ivory Black
Titanium White
Burnt Umber
Burnt Sienna
Cadmium Orange
French Ultramarine
Alizarin Crimson
Sap Green
Terre Verte
Flake White

Step 1… Background
Ivory black and titanium white mix as under-painting making the dark and light areas and progressions. Let it dry then glazed a layer of burnt umber on with Luiquin as my medium. Once that was dry I did a simple sketch of the objects with white charcoal. Once glass outline was in I saw I needed to darken the background within it so added more burnt umber and a touch of sap green.

Step 2… Jug
burnt umber
cadmium orange
burnt sienna
ivory black
Lightened a bit around the jug (on background) with a burnt umber and titanium white mix. Highlights were added once dry with flake white.

Step 3… Garlic
masked in with…
titanium white
gray (ivory black & titanium white mix)
burnt umber
Detailed once mask was dry… highlights were added with flake white. Added little wispy thingys. Shadows are a mixture of burnt umber, alizarin crimson, and sap green with just a touch of french ultramarine.

Step 4… Water Glass
Outlined with flake white. I chose flake white because it is a bit thicker/dryer/less buttery than titanium white. This made it easier to fog out. I started with the highlight areas and simply painted the white shapes and varying intensities of it. I also painted the reflection from the glass the same way. Shadow same as garlic.

Step 5… Twiggy thingy and garlic peels
sap green
terre verte
flake white
Shadows the same as above.

Step 6… Signed it…

I really enjoyed this one… May just inspire me to do more still lifes!

Bernie

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

Bernardino Luini (1480 - 1532) lived and worked out of Milan and was one of Leonardo da Vinci’s leading followers. He lived and painted during the time known as the High Renaissance period. The Renaissance began in Italy because of its location in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The Italian Renaissance is divided into three major phases: Early, High, and Late Renaissance. The Early Renaissance was lead by sculptor Donatello, architect Filippo Brunelleschi, and painter Masaccio. They began the movement on the foundations that development and progress was integral to the evolution and survival of the arts. They found their inspiration form antiquity, creating realistic figures that portrayed personality and behavior. They focused on the laws of proportion for architecture, the human body, and space. The term Early Renaissance encompasses most 15th century art. The High Renaissance sought to create a generalized style of art that focused on drama, physical presence, and balance. The major artists of this period were Leonardo Da Vinci, Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian. The period lasted only a short time from 1495 to 1520. The Late Renaissance was put into motion by the sack of Rome in 1527, forcing artists to relocate to other artistic centers in Italy, France, and Spain. During this time, anti-classical sentiments began to emerge, eventually developing into the Mannerist movement.

The drawing I’d like to share with you today is my cropped version of Luini’s “The Sleeping Christ” also known as “Madonna and Sleeping Child with Three Angels” and sometimes simply “Madonna and Sleeping Child” painted in 1532.

Luini’s Orginal:

Bernardino Luini biography.

I thought this would be an appropriate drawing to share with you this Christmas Season. This was a Christmas present given to my oldest daughter, Lyndsey, in 2003.

“Madonna and Child” cropped version after Luini, 8″x10″ Vine Charcoal on 80lb Canson Paper, 2003.

Wishing you a Joyous Christmas Season…

Bernie

PS… Please don’t confuse this Madonna with the “Material Girl” pop star… no comparison.

Johannes Vermeer (1632 - 1675) of Delft was one of the most talented painters in the Dutch Golden Age. He created a number of paintings in the 17th century. His work shows everyday life in the city of Delft in the Netherlands. His work and life had been forgotten for centuries, but now Vermeer is considered to be one of the greatest painters.

Vermeer has always been one of my favorite artists. His use of light and color is unsurpassed in my opinion. One of his most famous paintings is “Girl with a Pearl Earring” which was the inspiration for the recent fictional movie about Vermeer of the same title.

I covered his painting “The Milkmaid” but used a slightly cropped version. Vermeer often used “glazes” (thin layers) of color built one upon the other to get a translucency and vibrancy of color. He didn’t have the wide range of  color choices artists have today so this method used often.

Johannes Vermeer biography.

“The Milkmaid” original.

“The Girl with a Pearl Earring” original.

My cover…

“The Milkmaid” after Vermeer, 20”x16” Oil on Panel, 2005

Have a great weekend!

Bernie

“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. I just finished this work by Picasso titled… “The Lovers”. To be quite honest with you… I don’t care for his artwork (other than his Blue Period art) or his politics. I’ll admit this one was fun to do with its explosion of color… but… it merely felt like I was painting in one of those watercolor coloring books I used to paint in as a kid. It’s as colorful as his quotes. One cool thing about the work… Picasso’s biographers have identified the couple in “The Lovers” as Picasso and his first great love, Fernande Olivier.

Pablo Picasso biography.

“The Lovers” original by Picasso.

“The Lovers” after Picasso, 16″x12″ Oil on Panel, 2005

Maybe something a little more challenging for you all next time round…

Bernie

“If a man devotes himself to art, much evil is avoided that happens otherwise if one is idle.” ~ Albrecht Durer

ALBRECHT DURER (1471-1528), was perhaps the greatest German artist of the Renaissance era. He was considered one of the premier portrait artists to the wealthy of his time. He was also a noted author and expressed his theories on proportion in The Four Books on Human Proportions, published posthumously in 1528. Many non-artisans know him for his sketch… “Praying Hands”.

Albrecht  Durer

Below is the original drawing by Durer from 1508 that I worked from. My reason for choosing this master and work was to practice painting drapery, cloth, and folds… this piece was perfect for my intentions.

I decided to add my own flare to the drawing being inspired by Genesis 3:14-15 (the first promise of our redeemer Jesus Christ).

¹⁴ So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, ”Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

 ¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

I decided to paint the clothing purple which often signified “Royalty” in the Bible and added the snake to play out the verse mentioned. I gave this painting as a gift to my pastor, Jim Kelley, where it hangs in his office. Jim was one of the first persons who shared this first promise with me… if you are reading this Jim… THANKS!

“The First Promise of a Redeemer” after Durer… 24″x18″ Oil on Stretched Canvas, 2005

Thanks for taking the time to look… Please share any comments.

Bernie

“When I judge art, I take my painting and put it next to a God made object like a tree or flower… if it clashes, it is not art” ~ Paul Cezanne

I have several artist friends who gather monthly and study a master artist from long ago… and… not so long ago. We choose a painting and cover it in the style and technique of the particular master we are studying. Imitating the masters (art wise… don’t think anyone can talk me into cutting off an ear) is a great learning experience and I highly recommend it. I don’t do this every month but in the past two years I have studied some great masters like: Raphael, Zorn, Caravaggio, Da Vinci, Friedrich, Magritte, Bouguereau, Cezanne, Vermeer, Monet, and Picasso.

I plan to share most of these with you in a series called Masters Study…

I plan to include links to the Masters bio and the orginal work that I chose to cover.  I hope you stay tuned.

My first master artist to share with you is Paul Cezanne (1839-1906). Cezanne was often dubbed the “Father of Modern Art”.  The painting I worked from is “Houses along a Road”. The orginal was painted in 1881 and is considered post impressionism in style.

Paul Cezanne biography.

Original Painting.

My cover…

“Houses along a Road” after Cezanne, 20″x16″ Oil on Stretched Canvas, 2004

Have a great day,

Bernie