Sushi / 5x5 / Oil on Cradled Panel (sold)Here's my entry for Karin Jurick's latest challenge on "Different Strokes from Different Folks." I love sushi, and this makes me hungry just looking at it.
Yesterday I promised that I would share another mistake-finding tool that I use. Have you ever heard of a black mirror? Neither had I until I took a workshop from Laura Robb. This was back in the mid-90's in Aspen and it was my very first "away from home" art workshop. Needless to say, I was a bit over my head. Laura had set up about ten small still-lifes with different lighting on each one, and we were to paint as many as we could. I nailed the first one and was so proud, but then I got to the second one (which was back-lit) and I simply could not see the values. I can't remember if she showed me a black mirror or just described it, but I dutifully made my own when I got home and it really helped me during those first years of painting.
I made mine with an 8x10 piece of glass from an old photo frame, but you could also use plexiglass. Paint one side of the glass with black acrylic paint so that the glass is completely covered. Let that dry and cover the painted side with a piece of cardboard. Wrap the edges of the glass and cardboard with duct tape and you've got your own black mirror. If you look in the "mirror" at your set-up and your painting, it's easy to compare the value relationships and see where your painting has gone astray. It's also useful as a drawing tool, because reversing the image fools your brain and the mistakes just pop right out at you.
Tomorrow I'll share a helpful plein air painting tool.
Yesterday I promised that I would share another mistake-finding tool that I use. Have you ever heard of a black mirror? Neither had I until I took a workshop from Laura Robb. This was back in the mid-90's in Aspen and it was my very first "away from home" art workshop. Needless to say, I was a bit over my head. Laura had set up about ten small still-lifes with different lighting on each one, and we were to paint as many as we could. I nailed the first one and was so proud, but then I got to the second one (which was back-lit) and I simply could not see the values. I can't remember if she showed me a black mirror or just described it, but I dutifully made my own when I got home and it really helped me during those first years of painting.
I made mine with an 8x10 piece of glass from an old photo frame, but you could also use plexiglass. Paint one side of the glass with black acrylic paint so that the glass is completely covered. Let that dry and cover the painted side with a piece of cardboard. Wrap the edges of the glass and cardboard with duct tape and you've got your own black mirror. If you look in the "mirror" at your set-up and your painting, it's easy to compare the value relationships and see where your painting has gone astray. It's also useful as a drawing tool, because reversing the image fools your brain and the mistakes just pop right out at you.
Tomorrow I'll share a helpful plein air painting tool.
