Art Lesson 6

Art Lesson # 6: Definition Painting – Step by Step

Let me take you step by step through a Definition Painting. I encourage you to buy some inexpensive craft acrylic paints in small bottles, a tube or two of watercolor and a cheap scraping tool from the hardware store (or even use an expired credit card). You can use cheap paper too; for this I’m using card stock.

For the easiest, harmonizing colors on your first venture, I recommend analogous colors. These are colors next to each other on the color wheel, i.e.: green, yellow green, yellow, yellow orange and orange like I have used in this example.

Step 1: Choose your colors and apply them evenly over your surface, using some straight lines, some curves, some curly-ques, whatever you like.

Step 2: Look at your colors and try to imagine what will happen when you scrape them. Leave some white space in the middle (not too much) and pull out to the sides on one side of the paper. This can get messy so have protection on any surfaces you care about. To clean off the scraper between swipes, I use paper towels, but sparingly. Before I start I tear each paper towel into quarters and use each quarter to wipe off the edge after each scrape.

Step 3: To keep it as tidy as possible, I have turned the
paper ¼ turn clockwise for the next series of scrapes.

Step 4: Now I turn the paper another clockwise quarter turn
and scrape from the center on this side.

Step 5: Another clockwise turn and more thoughtful scraping from the center,
being mindful of the negative spaces you’re leaving in the center.

Step 6: Now I have turned ½ turn to tackle the interior. Be careful of the areas you’ve already done so that you don’t smear it. Only Intentional Smears here! :-D

Step 7: After letting the acrylic paint dry to the touch, I now go in with watercolor and glaze most of the painting. On acrylic paint and especially on cardstock, the watercolor will not soak in, but will pool in interesting ways. For this I have used Hansa yellow and Quinacridone Sienna, watered down.

Step 8: Finally, after the watercolor has dried completely, I go in with my #4 liner brush and some slightly watered down Indoor/Outdoor gloss black acrylic paint and start dancin’! Sometimes you’ll want to follow the shapes of color changes; sometimes you’ll go around it to show the color line. Practice will make these decisions easier. Have Fun and please take a picture of your results to share in our Guestbook.
Happy Painting!

melissa