Why Oil Paint

Where does it come from? What is it made of? When was it invented?
Using your experiences this term, the concepts and terms we’ve discussed in class, and examples from art history to back up your opinions answer the following question:
WHY OIL PAINT?
With all the choices of materials out there for artmaking, especially in this day and age, why do artists still turn to oil paint? What does oil paint do that other materials don’t do?

- Oil paint was used as early as the 13 century in England
- used because of it's 'slow drying' property
- rarely used because they are hard to use and people prefered 'quick drying' paints
- some oil paintings found in caves dating from 650 A.D.
- oil is created by mixing pigment with oil

Oil paint is good to use because it dries slowly making mixing and shading easier. It also has a rich color thats end result is beautiful. Oil paint is also easy to use on almost any surface, so the range it has makes it subtable for almost any artist. the slow drying also allows changes to be made in the painting at a future time. Oil paint is also effective for it's distinct and thick look. It's ability to add a texture to a painting make's it a great choice of paint for artists.

What is a portrait?

What is a portrait? Choose three portraits, paste them into your post (include the artists’ names) and describe how the artist uses color, composition, and subject matter (objects, setting, clothing, etc.) to communicate something about the person whose portrait they’ve made OTHER than what the person looks like.How do the artists you’ve chosen address the concept of portrait? How do they work within the tradition of portrait-making OR how do they reinvent the concept of a portrait?

portrait 
–noun
2) a likeness of a person, esp. of the face, as a painting, drawing, or photograph: a gallery of family portraits. 2) A verbal picture or description, usually of a person


Georgia O'Keefe by Alfred Stieglitz
This picture doesnt have a background so the person in the painting is the only part that one can see. She is wearing a black turtle neck shirt. The colors in the painting are black, white, and a median color. This adds a mysterious touch to it. The shadows in the picture make the mood thoughtful, but not creepy. This 'portrait' is literally a picture of a person that captures the subjects essence. When I think of the word portrait I think of a picture of a person, and that is what this picture is of.

Shiva At Whistle Creek by Sally Mann
This portrait is more creative than the first. It has a background, which adds a very creative touch to it. The background is blurry though, so the person in the picture is still the main subject. The subject in the portrait is also not looking directly at the camera, so that is also different than most portraits. The contrast between the skin of the subject and the background is HUGE. so this causes the attention to be directed towards the person rather than the background. yet the background has a really cool look to it. The blurred water adds a contrast of it's own, as well. The moving water is white and black. The mood that this picture creates is calm and also thoughtful.

Self portrait by Chuck Close
When I look at this picture it falls under the category of traditional portraits. Though the picture is creative in the sense that it is made in a medium other than paints or sketching, the subject itself is looking straightforward and there is no real background. There are a few different colors with in the portrait: black, grey, blue, green, white, light brown, red, and skin tones which add to the picture.

A Sense of Place

Edward Hopper creates a mood by the colors that he uses and also the shadows in the painting. you can also see part of what the figure is looking at, so you get a ' sense of place '. The colors in the painting are light so that creates a mood as well. The mood in this painting is 'soft' and almost 'thoughtful'. it is a calm scene. the purples, whites, and light orangey tones add to this mood.


Andrew Wyeth
The mood in this painting is dark and mysterious. The dark browns, blacks and greys add to this mood. You can see a field in the distance, which creates a 'sense of place'. The curtains being blown open create a sense of mystery and a breeze, making the painting come alive. Also the fact that the curtains are see - through adds an effect that is torn and almost creepy -- the effect is dreary.

la pregunta:
1)What has been the most challenging aspect of the course so far?
2)In what areas have you progressed the most and how have you progressed?
3)How does looking at examples of painting from throughout history affect us as painters today?

la repuesta:
1) The most challenging aspect of the course so far for me is making sure objects in my picture look realistic, with out focusing on every little detail. i think i succeeded in doing this in my "white objects" painting. It was more difficult than i thought it would be to make pots look realistic.
2) i think i have progressed the most in my ability to move out of my comfort zone and attempt to do something that is a challenge for me. i have forced myself to concentrate on working on a painting as a whole, not just small portions of it at a time. i think this has allowed my paintings to grow more, and also gave me more time to begin working on details like shading.
3) i think looking at paintings throughout history has helped me to be inspired, and also allows me to study techniques that i like, and attempt to mimick them, yet, turn them into my own style. Also, it allows me to become a better artist because it shows me how to make a painting look realistic, and why.

Texture and Surface set up

Option 1

Option 2

This is the one i chose:

my newest set up for the Texture and Surface painting

SOME famous paintings.

The painting I chose is Desmoiselles d'Avignon by Pablo Picasso.
I chose this because a) Picasso is one of my favorite artists and b) because the picture is colorful and abstract, which I love. Picasso uses the entire canvas and this adds interest to the painting and allows a viewer to move from area to area and continually have their attention be captured.
The different colors used in the painting bring life and movement. Each figure looks to be moving and the background against the figures adds contrast.

A little background to the painting : Picasso began working on it in 1907 and it became famous because of it's story. the picture was originally featured two men that were suppose to be a sailor and a medical student, and the women were suppose to be prostitutes. this painting is important because it explored a topic other artists were too afraid to paint on canvas.