Grand Canyon VI

by **CarlOwen** » Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:32 am

Good morning. Only one progress post today. Had to capture some serendipity that occurred. About three squares down and six squares in from the left a blank spot occurred when I was shadowing the cliff wall. It looks like a small sliver of the Colorado river. That is if I left it there. It seems like a good idea. However, the other sliver of the river at three squares in from the right and three full squares up from the bottom was visually disturbing in relationship to the upper river sliver. The dark canyon wall lines defines the path of the river through this drawing. At least that is how it is perceived by most people because the river is always a the bottom of a canyon. It is what we expect to see.

In addition to that problem the three fingers at squares two and three from the right and full squares three and four from the bottom look stupid. These issues had to be corrected before I could push through with the drawing. If I continued with the drawing as is, I would loose the ordered chaos of the canyon walls and thus loose viewer interest. Most viewers would not know what is wrong but would quickly loose interest simply because of the visual discord they would feel by being denied the expected rhythm of viewing patterns within a canyon. This is science and drawing experience stuff. But it counts when creating managed serendipity within a controlled chaos environment.

I think I got the corrections right as I think many viewers will not see what I am talking about and simply enjoy looking at the developing drawing. I got wordy here because I think it is important to know that art just doesn't happen because of talent only. We artists all attend to what is being developed and to point out the developmental problems that spring up is helpful and educational to us all. Enjoy. And of course comments and opinions are always welcome.

by **CarlOwen** » Mon May 22, 2017 10:04 pm

Good evening. I have two posts I finished today. While working on Grand Canyon V some of my problems with this Grand Canyon VI got solved in the back of my mind. So, this afternoon I worked on this drawing. When this one is finished I think I am finished with the Grand Canyon. At least for awhile. I have learned how to show depth and power of presentation doing this collection of six paintings. Took a few years between canyons I and II to pick up the challenge to start canyon III which led to IV, V and VI. There is no one way to demonstrate depth, power, viewer interest and the so called 'WOW" factor. It is all about the synergy created within the painting with colors, line, forms, and shadows that invoke emotional reaction within the viewer. Wonder what else I shall learn as I continue on this quest.

by **CarlOwen** » Sat May 27, 2017 10:01 am

Good morning. Worked about two hours on this yesterday and only got this far with only one post. Problems with seeing it, doing it, and especially the compositional attention stuff. This bluff and cliff area needs to be bigger, stronger and with deeper shadows without becoming the main attraction. In the reference photos most of it is covered with foreground trees and junk. Can't do that in a painting. It would be seen as distracting junk, which it is. So, I am trying to see through the junk and invent the bold cliff walls.

Same thing exists on the right single bluff not yet finished. I feel I have to create a bluff with a strong cliff element to compliment and cooperate with the multiple bluffs and cliffs on the left. It needs to be a little more visually defined than the last cliff I am doing on the left. But again, not as developed as the bottom foreground landing. That area needs to be sharp and clean.

One, two, three point perspective can work best with readily recognized forms such as buildings, cars, humans, animals, etc. But in my experience it kind of falls apart when presenting multiple and interpretive shapes. Of course that is why I choose to paint the Grand Canyon. Well, that problem solving element and the fact that the canyon is just beautiful. I hope to have this problem of visually representing recognizable forms seen both in a distance and depth context. And to do it with the changes and juxtaposition of colors to define that depth and distance without introducing shadow glazes or any other "fix it" methods. The exchanges of colors and the types and directions of the paint textures must relay the information in order to keep the painting an innocent and pure abstract realism representation of a natural earth view.

In my development as an artist I have discovered that the final painted product is totally dependent upon how well the original drawing is constructed. We humans have cones and rods in our eyes. Cones see color. Rods see black and white. In the development of species rods came first and the higher the order then came the cones. Color gives us information to the brain that defines the world to us. But, black and white secretly hits our brain first giving us the immediate information about the survivability of the layout before us. Anyway, that is what I suspect about how we see.

I am not trying to teach art. There are plenty of really good artists that have accepted that duty. I am sharing the part that directs how, for me, the creative process manifests into an object of beauty with the hope the information can assist other artists with a deeper understand about the how and the why a work of art is created.

by **Megan777** » Thu Jun 01, 2017 3:50 pm

The pencil illustration looks really good!

by **CarlOwen** » Thu Jun 01, 2017 7:02 pm

Thank you Megan. If you have the time and interest, check Grand Canyon V and let me know what you think.

by **Pooch** » Fri Jun 02, 2017 2:16 pm

"In my development as an artist I have discovered that the final painted product is totally dependent upon how well the original drawing is constructed."
Yes, you CANNOT be a good painter if you cannot draw well. No matter how well a painter handles the oils, acrylics, water colors...etc...the bad drawing will always ruin it.
I went to The School Of Visual Arts in New York City. One of my favorite classes was the live figure drawing class. Did some of my best work. And my paintings improved tremendously.
I do not do a detailed drawing before a painting, like Owen, but I do draw out my scenes in paint before I start. Everything has to be right, perspective wise and of course correctly scaled before paint is spread on canvas.

by **CarlOwen** » Sat Jun 03, 2017 7:48 am

Good morning Joseph. Thank you for your comments. Still mulling over those two spaces. May take awhile but I know I will solve the problems.

by **Pooch** » Sat Jun 03, 2017 8:49 am

Maybe laying down some paint only where the most definitive values are will help you figure it out. It might help to weigh the scene. Or making your dark part of the drawing even darker so you can more easily see where you're at.
And I've finished yet another one. I've been a painting fiend. Trying to paint every day. When you get a chance, let me know what you think.

by **CarlOwen** » Sat Jun 03, 2017 9:26 am

Thanks for the suggestions Joseph. I will find your new one and take a look.

by **CarlOwen** » Wed Jun 14, 2017 8:43 am

No. And I think you are on the wrong website to be asking this question. You would be better off going to a hair loss blog website. Good luck.

by **CarlOwen** » Sun Jun 25, 2017 9:01 am

Good morning. I have solved my problem with the right blank space. I usually know it is correctly done when someone looks at it and says, "What problem, I don't see anything different from the rest of the drawing." I had to carry the continuity of the differing bluff layers while making it appear closer, which means the forms had to be bigger but in a smaller space. It had to have space for more detail in some of the areas such as lines traversing the rock cliffs and visible trees on the slopes. Because of the direction of the light source being on the left side of the drawing the forms had to be lighter than the bluff forms on the left side but darker than the immediate background adjacent to the bluffs, slopes and cliffs on the right side.

To give a more balanced appearance I had to divide the area into two bluffs making the foremost bluff darker than the one behind it with the one behind it darker than the canyon background in order to maintain that sense of depth within the drawing. Lots and lots of thinking on this area before I started drawing because without the thinking, or what I call the "conversation" with the drawing or painting stray lines and fuzzy thoughts lead to context mistakes with the work of art creating a lack of harmony that simply destroys the presentation. There are two posts of this area.

I shall now turn my attention to the left side blank area. Having solved the problems on the right I don't think it will take me as long to deal with the left side. Main issue here will be to make some of the area look even closer than what appears on the right. But, not close enough to be seen as part of the bottom of the drawing. As always, I hope my comments and thought problem solving issues help other artists, or at least bring a chuckle to some.

by **Pooch** » Sun Jun 25, 2017 4:15 pm

Did that guy want to know if he should smear tomatoes on his head to grow back his hair? Lol!!!!
Anyway, what problem? I don't see anything different from the rest of the drawing.

by **CarlOwen** » Sun Jun 25, 2017 6:07 pm

Thank you Joseph, aka, Pooch. Appreciate your comments and sense of humor. I have a friend here that says I am getting really good at painting by the numbers with this Grand Canyon collection. Moving on.

I just finished this drawing. Now it is time to transfer to the big canvas. Wonder how many problems I will encounter with that. Anyway, here are the two posts. I think I got what I was going after. All comments welcome, especially yours Pooch.

by **CarlOwen** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:35 am

Good morning. I think I have solved some of the problems I was experiencing with transferring the drawing to the larger canvas for this painting. The problems of the need to change the size and shapes of some of the forms within the smaller drawing to the larger drawing was solved in the prior paintings. The problem of how much visual space the foreground takes up compared to the total volume of the canvas seemed just as overwhelming as choosing the colors and determining the paint flow direction of the space representing the foreground. If I don't do it right the foreground will dominate the attention of the viewer to the detriment of the rest of the painting. To strong and the viewer will not see the landscape behind it. To weak and the background overpowers the foreground causing a loss of depth within the painting. When I am painting this I must strive to set a color tone and intensity for balance between the foreground and the background. As I continue to develop the drawing on the canvas I am sure I will have additional issues pop up. There are three process pictures with this post.

by **CarlOwen** » Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:58 am

Good morning. There are three posts in this update. I think I remember saying once that size changes the composition by requiring more detail in the larger sizes. I think that was a mistake to make that level of generalization. I am finding that in this one the reverse is true. Have to think about that for awhile. It appears that size is part of the compositional elements that make a painting. That is true. But maybe the larger the size the clearer the concept can be displayed. And, that changes with each painting. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.