[Jason Manley]

ok...

There seems to be some confusion on how Art History can help you to make your pieces stronger and how looking at Old Masters can help you with immediate solutions to problems with your work.

There was a question about flesh tones posted by agent 44 that I believe can be answered by looking at the paintings of the masters.

I did a demo to show the concept of finding an old master painting and using it to teach you about color/composition/value and art in general (especially useful if you don't want to do master copies...though I highly reccomend doing many master copies as that is the only way to really learn about good paintings...by seeing and doing)

Here is my example of what you can do if you are stuck...it is just an example. http://redqueendesign.com/manley/oldmaster.jpg

this next link is a painting I found that specifically can help with "same value color variaition" that can give a feeling of light. While this is a more impressionist approach to color and value it will help you to see what kinds of colors are in light and flesh (that depends on the time of day and complexion of course)

http://www.gandynet.com/art/Masters/Mims/19.htm

and finally is a link to a page of studies by Ingres that shows him working out not only his flesh tones but also the gestures of the hands, feet, and body.
http://www.fortunecity.com/westwood/ghost/320/ingres/ingres28.jpg

The trick to flesh is to have an appropriate value range for the light that you want, when you look at the shadows they should be somewhat luminous as well as dark. There will also be a color range within any given value. The saturation of your color range depends on your personal taste.

If the Values are off it doesnt matter what color it is...VALUE IS FIRST..then temperature(warm or cool) and then intensity(brightness)

Jason

[balistic]

Nice work.



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Brian "balistic" Prince
3D Artist
Eggington Productions

[Chapel]

Nice demo Jason. See that wasn't so hard now was it? By the way that last link doesn't seem to work. Out of curiosity how many "masters" links do you have bookmarked? I'd like to get ahold of your Favorites file (and don't worry smut links don't offend me). hehe

[This message has been edited by Chapel (edited October 19, 2000).]

[agent44]

Beautiful! Thank you very much.

[PuckDewd]

A great demonstration about the usefullness of what you had stated previously. I, like Chapel, wouldn't mind getting ahold of those "masters" links as well.

[Anthony]

Ah, I really like the right hand face in the first pic.

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-Anthony
Carpe Carpem

[Rinaldo]

Thanks Jason, some nice info.

I'd be interested to have a look at all your Old master links, and or recomendations of artist/books.

[Danny]

Very nicely demonstrated Jason. I couldn't agree more on what you said..



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[email protected]

Trust in Trance

[Leo]

Jason, just one thing tough (maybe i've miss something), is this first sample done by you? Those 2 girls? Highly reminds me some of your Icewind Dale girls.
thanks,

-Leo

[Sumaleth]

This is a really cool demo.

Anyone managed to get the 3rd image working?

Row.

[Codexier]

What is the difference between value and intensity? Value seems like lights and darks, right?

Sorry, I don't really have much formal training in art (just a few classes here and there).

Thanks!

[PuckDewd]

Sumaleth, for the third link just drag and drop the link into your address bar, that way their server doesn't see you as "linking" to their file, since you accessed it directly.

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Electric Synapse

[Chapel]

Didn't work that way yesterday. Hmm.. weird.

[Jason Manley]

thanks...

I painted that head out of my own knowledge of head structure...I imagine that is why it looks like one of my icewind girls....

There are three properties of color

1 Value (the most important) ...light/middle/dark and all the steps between

2 Temperature warm/cool toward the orange part of the spectrum/toward the blue part of the spectrum
however, even blues can be warm or cool and reds or oranges can be warm or cool...if it is a purple red then it is cool and if it is slightly more red orange then it is warm...it is something that can be very very subtle or very obvious.

3 Intensity...whether the color is bright or dull...its like stoplight green(intense) or muddy army green (dull)

Most intense colors can be used sparingly if you are making something look realisitic and or lifelike.

Intense color can be put in the focal areas to make the eye fall in that place in your composition. The same can be said for contrasting colors/values/temperatures....the crescendo of color will happen in the focal area...the other areas will be relatively more subtle depending on what you are trying to do.


Jason

[Codexier]

Jason,

Thanks a lot for the description. Makes sense. I had it a bit muddied in my head. Appreciate your help.

Codexier

[Liquid!]

Great job on that painted portrait! Not only did you manage to make it look proportionally somewhat like the initial face, but I really like the look of it. In some ways they remind me of vampires [the buffy vampires come to mind, I think its that you widen the bridge between the eyes ever so slightly], but that is a great thing, which adds strength to the faces!

I'd love to get your comments on what aspects of the 'masters' painting you built upon and which you decided to neglect, and why.

Lastly, what brushes in painter did you use for this particular piece?

Again, awesome job!
-c



[This message has been edited by Liquid! (edited October 21, 2000).]

[Anthony]

Oh, and no hurry, but don't forget*cough* . ;]

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-Anthony
Carpe Carpem

[Jason Manley]

thnks

I used the watercolor brush, digital airbrush and chalk tools with paper textures


I used as much of agents structure as possible after finding a suitable painting to jump off from. I used sargents palette (NO COLOR PICKING AS THAT LEADS TO BAD HABITS AND POOR COLOR UNDERSTANDING) and used sargents edge qualites and form and lighting theory.

I paid close attention to how sharp and soft edges were used to roll and pull the form. I also paid attention to sargents gift of expression. I paid attention to brush strok direction. I used as much as necessary when I got stuck. I did not copy it...I just borrowed parts that were useful..that is how you can learn from the masters if you are stuck...seek answers in their work and answers you will find. They did it to each other too...you have to learn from the best. they are the best teachers.

I also paid attention to how sargent makes really cool abstract shapes with his brush strokes that support his composition. He makes light where he needs it so that his image is his composition and not dictated by a photo or from life...he makes his image...he isnt used my his reference..he uses it.

That is why it bothers me to see so many artists just copying photos. They do not fully understand what they are doing and are only getting used by their resource. They are giving up creative control because they will not study how to control their image...they let their image control them.

once you study enough light and draw enough from the masters so that you can control space and form you will need less and less resource. You will then have the creative freedom to make what you want.


Jason

[Sempere]

Direct, concise, awesome and didactic...

And, overall, TRUE...

Jason, I really love this post !!!

Thaxs for share your knowledgement.