How to Paint a Sphere in Acrylics Using Scumbling to Blend – Tutorial
Aug 11, 2011 Painting, Tutorials
Before attempting this tutorial, I would suggest you read both How to Shade Your Drawings and Blending Acrylic Paints. The first article will teach you what you need to know about the different values (areas of light and dark) on a sphere, and the second describes in more detail the scumbling technique.
So, it occurred to me that while I have done a lot of drawing tutorials, I haven’t done a huge amount of basic painting tutorials. This is back to the basic painting for those of you just starting out. This kind of exercise is good practice for painting any kind of three dimensional object with a rounded surface.
In this tutorial we will cover how to create depth through the use of shadows, mid tones and highlights, as well as how to blend the three basic values together. I am using the scumbling technique here because I think it’s probably the most basic and common technique used by people learning how to paint with acrylics. The technique lends itself well to the quick drying time of acrylics.
One disclaimer: This is not the only, the right, or even the best way to paint a sphere or anything else. This is one method using one technique, simplified for the sake of the tutorial. Once you gain some experience, you should experiment to find your preferred way to paint.
Okay.. let’s go!
For this tutorial, I will be using just two paints: raw umber and white. This way we can use value to create form without being distracted by colour. I like to use a raw or burnt umber to create shadows instead of black. I find that it gives shadows more depth, while black is very flat.
Before we actually start painting, let’s do a quick exercise to get some practice mixing different values. Paint a value scale that has pure raw umber on the left and pure white on the right. Try to create a scale that shows an even and gradual transition from one value to the next.
Start with a simple line drawing that shows the shape of your sphere as well as the values within it.
Starting with a value in the middle of your scale (3), fill in the mid-tones, or everything that isn’t a shadow or a highlight.
Next, fill in the shadow area with raw umber, leaving a slight buffer between it and the mid-tones.
Now it’s time for our scumbling. Mix a colour close to 2 on your value scale. dry brush this on the edge of the shadow area. Slowly add more white to your paint, bringing the value to a 3 as you work away from the shadow and blend into the mid-tone.
Let’s do the same with the highlight. Remember, that only the very, very centre of the highlight will actually be pure white. Fill this in, leaving a large buffer. You will need more room to get a gradual gradation here. Now we can very slowly add the umber to our paint, working our way backwards on the value scale. Scumble this in with a dry brush until you get to the mid-tones. Don’t be afraid to blend over top of the mid-tones to get a smooth gradation.
Tips to Remember
- Paint on canvas or a textured paper, you will need the tooth to be able to scumble effectively. Don’t use smooth paper (like I did, oops!).
- Make sure your brush is nice and dry for the scumbling; no water! Keep a paper towel handy.
- If you’re having trouble mixing the subtle values (as in, you add a tiny bit of umber to your white and already it’s too dark), try mixing your mid-tone value first, then add that a little at a time to your white to darken it.
- Don’t forget that acrylics dry slightly darker.
- Remember, this is not an exact science! It will take time and practice. If you find your shadow growing to take over the whole mid-tone area, mix up more of that middle value and scumble back on top. There will be a bit of back-and-forth. This is normal!
There you have it, a three-dimensional sphere done in acrylics with a scumbling technique. Once you’re comfortable with this, try your hand at some apples or oranges. Have fun practicing!
Tags: acrylic painting, blending, Tutorials
3 Things the Sims Taught Me About Painting
Jul 28, 2011 Art General, Painting
Finish a painting, toss it into the air and get cash…
If only it were that easy!
Okay, so the Sims isn’t completely realistic when it comes to being an artist, but it actually has a few things to teach us about being a successful painter.
For those of you who are living under a rock and are thinking, “what the heck is the Sims?” here’s a quick rundown: The Sims is a game that simulates real life. You take control of a household of sims, or people, who have unique personalities, aspirations and goals. You are responsible for making sure your sims are cleaning house, cooking food, going to work, socializing, and having fun.
And here’s my dirty little secret of the day… I love playing the Sims! Yep, I’m that much of a dork.
The cool feature about the game is that your sim can be an artist. It’s more a hobby than a career, but with some practice, it can be quite lucrative. As I was playing yesterday, I began to realize that this mindless game has some valuable things to teach us about what it takes to be a successful artist.
Here are three lessons about painting learned from the Sims:
1. Don’t Quit Your Day Job
Even in the sim world, bills have to be paid. The myth of the starving artist is just a myth, and the reality is that a day job serves a very necessary purpose. It’s the day job that keeps you clothed, fed, sheltered, not to mention able to buy art supplies. The key to having a job and being an artist, in life and in the Sims, is making sure you spend time painting. Try to dedicate an hour, or even half an hour a day in the studio. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time, but making that commitment is important.
In the Sims, as you progress as an artist, you are able to sell your paintings for more and more money. When you get to the point that you are selling paintings for more than you can make at work, then it’s time to quit. In reality, this would take much, much longer! The same rules apply, though, and when you get to the point that your art can consistently sustain whatever lifestyle you have determined necessary, then lose the day job. Until then, keep it up and don’t resent it. Without that day job you may not have a roof over your head!
2. Paint, Paint, Paint
The only way for a sim to become a better artist and increase the value of his paintings is to paint. A lot. The more the sim paints, the more quickly he will gain skills. Isn’t this true of real life?
We’ve all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect,” but do we really buy into it? I don’t think we do, but we should because it’s true. The only way to get better at something is to practice, and the more you practice the more you improve. If I spent as many hours out of a day in the studio as my sim spent painting, I’d quickly become more experienced and more skilled. It can be hard to fit everything in, especially considering number one, but give yourself permission to skip the dishes one night and do a little painting. It’s important and it’s worth it!
3. Quality will Follow Quantity
Perhaps the toughest lesson to accept.
In the Sims, artists have different types of paintings they can create: regular, brilliant, and masterpieces. The more skilled your sim, the more likely he is to paint brilliant paintings and then masterpieces. But, he will never consistently produce either. It’s totally random.
This absolutely applies to real life. People often think that quality and quantity are mutually exclusive, but the more paintings you paint, the more likely you will be to paint a really great piece. I don’t mean that you should be whipping out piece after piece regardless of the quality. It’s more that you should focus on producing as much as you can of the best work that you can, but don’t get caught up in creating a perfect piece every time. Accept that some pieces will be better than others and instead of worrying at it forever trying to fix it, move on to a new painting. You can always come back to the other piece to fix it.
There you have it, three things I learned about painting from playing the Sims. Follow these three lessons and you could be selling paintings for upwards of $5000 in just a few weeks just like my sim!
…Or not.
Tags: getting started, motivation, time management
Painting Trees in Acrylics – Tutorial
Feb 16, 2011 Painting, Tutorials
A couple of weeks ago, I talked about two things to remember when painting trees. In a nutshell, you need to keep in mind the specificity of the tree’s species and form (make it believable) while simplifying the details. Click on the link for a more in depth discussion.
And now, as promised, here is a quick tutorial on how to paint trees in acrylics.
First, consider your colours. When painting trees, you want to choose, or mix, a green that is natural. A hooker’s green works well for foliage. A pthalo green, not so much. Pthalo green is very blue, so you would need to add a lot of yellow. Here you can see the difference between hookers (left) and pthalo (right) green.
Second, consider your brushes. We are going to be using a “dabbing” technique. You want a brush with thick, short bristles that will separate and clump.
How to Paint Trees
It helps if you can think in three dimensions here. I’m going to paint the leaves that are furthest away from me first, then the leaves in the middle, and then the leaves on the surface of the tree. These layers roughly correspond with my values: shadow, mid-tones, and highlights.
I mix my paint the same way I am going to apply it, which helps spread the bristles out. You want a fairly generous amount of paint on the brush, but you want it dispersed throughout the bristles.
The first layer is made with a combination of hookers green and cadmium red (to make it dark). Now I can dab the paint onto the page, building the structure of the tree. Make sure you twist the brush every now and then to vary the pattern of the bristles. Don’t over-work this: you want to be able to see the texture as well as some of the background.
The next layer is made with the hooker’s green and a small amount of white. Make sure to thoroughly wash your brush between layers and let each layer dry, otherwise you will make mud. Here I have applied the mid-tone green on top of the shadow, letting the dark value show through. I’m still not covering up all of the page.
You can also see here that I have added the trunk and some branches. Paint these using a fine-tip brush and place them throughout the tree. Remember that you aren’t going to see the entire trunk, or the entirety of anyone branch. You just want a few peeks here and there. Try to use a contrasting value. If your background is very dark, make your trunk a bit lighter.
The last layer is the highlights. Here I have mixed hookers green with white and a touch of yellow to brighten it up. Again, don’t over-work it. A few dabs here and there are all you need. If you’re having trouble seeing past the individual dabs of the brush, squint your eyes to see the overall effect.
A few things to remember:
- You can go back and add more shadows and mid-tones as needed.
- Don’t make your tree too symmetrical.
- Paint your background first and then paint the tree on top of it.
- Have fun!
Tags: acrylic painting, paint trees, Tutorials
2 Things to Remember When Painting Trees
Jan 15, 2011 Painting
First of all, let’s look at what trees are not. Trees are not green lollipops, they’re not solid, and they’re not all the same!
When painting trees, it’s important to keep two things in mind: simplification and specification.
Okay, they sound like complete opposites, and in some ways they are, but they are both essential when it comes to painting trees!
Specification
Imagine a pine tree…
What picture appeared in your head? The standard image of a symmetric cone with pointy branches? Is that really what a pine tree looks like?
Each species of tree is different. The size and shape of the trunk, the direction of the branches, the leaves, the overall shape. These details are what will make your tree look believable. Whether you’re going for a realistic style or a more expressive or impressionistic style, you want your tree to look distinct.
When painting a tree, find a reference image to work from. Let this image be your inspiration for the tree’s essence. Remember that you don’t need to copy, you just need to pick out the little things that make that tree an individual.
Another thing to remember that even within a species, each tree is different. Maybe one branches sticks out at a funny angle, maybe the tree is fuller on one side or maybe it has a crooked trunk. It’s all in the details!
And speaking of details…
Simplification
You don’t need to paint every little leaf or twig. This is where your editing skills come into play. Mother nature is incredibly complex and it can be overwhelming to try and capture everything you see. The good news is that you don’t have to!
When we look at a tree to paint it, suddenly we notice all the little details that we’ve never seen before. When we look at a tree casually, we take all this in without focusing on it. This is what you need to accomplish in your painting. Capture the suggestion of the fullness of the tree without painting every single branch.
Squinting slightly at your reference can help eliminate some of the details and let you focus on pattern, texture and values, as well as the overall shape and movement of the tree.
As you can see, it’s a bit of a balance between capturing the details that define the tree while simplifying it enough to paint it. The best way to learn this technique is practice. Make sure you check out my tutorial on how to paint trees in acrylics!
Bonus Tip
Trees are not solid! Your tree should look like a bird could fly through it. Make sure some of the background can be seen through the leaves.
Good luck!
Tags: acrylic painting, oil painting, paint trees, painting tips
3 Things that Really Do Make a Difference In Your Paintings
Nov 3, 2010 Painting
If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you’ll know that I’m a huge advocate of saving money when possible. Art supplies can be expensive and there are many ways to trim extra expenses. That being said, there are a few places where a spending a little extra money really does make a difference.
If you’re new to painting, you may be wondering where you should invest and where you can cut corners. While you don’t need to buy top of the line materials, quality is definitely something you should keep in mind when purchasing the following items. You will have a more positive painting experience and your work will be more successful with better quality supplies.
Supports
Take a look at what you are painting on. If it’s thin, flimsy paper, you’re going to have a harder time. When working on paper, make sure you have something thick and heavy. There are many, many different kinds of paper available and lots are suitable for acrylic painting. You want something that resembles poster board, but with a little texture. Heavier paper with some tooth will allow you to apply many layers paint and will absorb more water without rippling.If you’re having trouble choosing, go to an art supply store and ask for help. They will be able to show you the best product for the type of painting you are doing.
If you’ve never painted on canvas, I suggest you give it a try. There’s a reason it’s been used for so many years! The great thing about canvas is that it has a nice texture for painting and because it’s gessoed (primed), it doesn’t absorb any paint or water. The paint is applied to the surface and dries there. An inexpensive alternative to canvas is canvas paper or canvassette. It’s a paper with a canvas texture and a plastic-y finish.
Brushes
This was the one complaint I heard again and again from my painting students. Many people were getting frustrated with their work and realizing that the culprit was more often than not, cheap brushes. Brushes make a huge difference, but that doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune on them. I would recommend having three good quality brushes: one 1″ flat brush, a 1/2″ round brush, and a fine tip brush. This won’t break the bank and will offer you the most versatility in your painting, until you know what type of brushes you are drawn to. You are much better off investing in a few good brushes than buying ten or twenty cheaper brushes for the same price.
When shopping for brushes, look for ones that say they are for acrylic paint. You generally don’t want watercolour brushes, as they tend to be too soft. You want a brush that has stiff bristles that will be able to push the paint around. I also prefer smooth bristles over coarse, but that’s a personal thing.
Paints
Having very cheap paints is probably the thing that causes the most frustration with new painters. Cheap paints are not pure pigments; They are often mixed with other colours. What this means is that you will not be able to mix colours accurately. For example, many inexpensive yellows have white in them. When you try to mix orange, you won’t get a bright, saturated orange. You will get a colour closer to a peach. Then when you try to tint that peach with blue to create brown, it just turns gray. This throws off all of your mixing.
The rule of thumb is that the cheaper the paint, the less pigment (colour) is in it. Because of this, I would stay away from the kits that sell you thirty different paints for very little money. Although it’s tempting to have so many different shades, in reality you should be able to mix most of those colours yourself with a basic set of warm and cool primaries.
That being said, there is nothing wrong with starting out with student grade paints, just don’t go for the absolute cheapest. It’s a better investment to pay a bit more per tube and buy less tubes. You really don’t need all the colours that come in those kits. Over time, you can upgrade to better paints as you use the student ones.
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