A Turn For The Indifferent.

Acrylic paint on acrylic paper, A4.

I took a different approach with this one. I'm not sure if it was for the better or worse? There was no mixing the paint to change the colours and I included pattern to see what effect it had. The way this has been painted, I would say is very tribal, which is what other people have also said. I had a tutorial last week and was told that I should not use “colour straight from the tube” as my teacher would say, I should use more of a variety of colours. So now I have invested in a few other colours of paint, which made me quite excited about  more work. Although, the limited colour palette was partially the point for this painting. The bright blue of the eagle/owl totem helps to make the viewer concentrate on it and once that has been taken in then the background pattern comes to focus. I suppose this was not purposely created this way, the colours tend to be whatever I have to hand, however, I wanted to have the limit so as to not get too carried away with many colours, therefore, making it feel overwhelmed.

Below are photos of stages to get to the final piece:

The Beginning Of A Phase.

Acrylic paint on acrylic paper, A3.

It was suggested to me in a tutorial that maybe I should not use faces (as in an anthropomorphic way) within my work and because of the slight similarity to tribal masks/statues, I thought about using the idea of totem poles in some way. I thought of how animals are used to represent different meanings, e.g. wolves, bears. An obvious one for me was owls. They are known for wisdom and knowledge. I wasn’t sure where to begin, or what to show in a painting, so I started simply with the eyes and a beak. I feel they are still related to the previous paintings due to the way in which they have been painted as well as the colours I used.

Below are photos of stages to get to the final piece:

Is Bigger Better?

Acrylic paint on acrylic paper, unknown size.

I decided to go bigger this time and partially combine the previous two paintings into one. I have to say I quite enjoyed creating this one. It has a been a while since I last used an easel and meant I had to paint in a different way/angles. I also had to work probably quicker than normal, due to the area being larger, I didn't want the paint to dry and stop me from being able to mix the colours together. I definitely have not missed the standing up for a long time though. In addition to this, I think it is cute that my painting looks as though it has a beard! Anyone else agree?

Below are photos of stages to get to the final piece:

Next Step.

Acrylic paint on acrylic paper, A3.

I developed this next one to look more tribal, slightly statue/mask/totem-like with the addition this time, of two parallel lines at the top and again I used bright colours. With the cheap brushes I use, you tend to see their brush strokes within the paint, although some people may not like this, I happen to do so. With this effect it makes the subject that I am painting seem almost furry. I have not decided if this is important to the work yet.

Below are photos of stages to get to the final piece: