So you want to be known as a painter of still life? Still life
painting gives you, the artist an opportunity to render
spirituality or poetry to seemingly mundane objects. Though the
final creation seemed less intricate than portraits or
landscapes, the process of composing a still life involves
manifold preparations and specific requirements.
One of the specific requirements is the light source. It should
be steady and the artist is allowed to use artificial lights and
reflectors. A window that faces north is good rather than one
that faces east. The reason for this is quite obvious. The rapid
change of the sun's position affects the lighting and after
awhile, the you will lose the first image that you sought in the
first place.
Another thing to prepare is the composition of the subject. You
must be sure that it is how you want the objects to be arranged.
You may draw several preliminary sketches using different
compositions and carefully study each of them. Choose the one
that would give the most balanced and harmonious pattern of
light and dark.
The next step is to decide what approach you will use. Except
when you're aiming for "photo-realism", you don't really want to
paint the subject as exactly as you see it. Therefore, decide
what is your purpose, concept, or even message for making this
still life. This step is most crucial because, based on your
decision, you would determine how you would proceed.
The oil painting technique utilized by many old masters involves
applying repeated layers of paint and glazes. Some examples of
works done by this technique are "Still Life: Lemons, Oranges
and a Rose" by Zurbarán and "The Silver Goblet" by Chardin.
Or you may wish to use the direct painting approach. Should you
decide this, a good thing to remember is to decide one center of
interest. This center interest ideally is the most lighted of
all objects and others are partly concealed by shadows. Of
course, the surface on which the center of interest lies should
be lighted too. But the line of shadow beneath the objects
should ideally be the darkest in the picture.
Another thing to keep in mind are the distinct shapes of your
objects and the ground plane. Establish these early on and never
lose them in the process.
And finally, after you have applied all the necessary strokes
and colors, step back and scrutinize your work. Add finishing
touches. For example, if the overall impression is rather dull,
consider adding another color, perhaps a complement to one of
the colors you've applied.
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