Art Center Information

Discussing the use of Colors in Your Artwork

Wassily Kandinsky: Munich-Schwabing with the Church of St. Ursula (1908)

In visual perception a color is almost never seen as it really is–as it physically is…if one says red and there are fifty people listening, it can be expected that there will be fifty reds in their minds~Joseph Albers

Colors and the light that affect them creates such a wonderful but complex world that an artist must select how they use them in relationship to the painting they are attempting. How should they put the hues and values together to create the emotion they wish to accomplish? Some use an open palette with a full range of colors, while others use a limited palette. Whatever the choice, they will create different emotions and moods depending on the way the colors work together from harmonious to vibrant and exciting.

There are a range of emotions created when using different palette approaches. A more open palette tends to be busy and exciting, especially when the colors are at or near saturation. A more limited palette creates a more subdued and tranquil emotion. The works of some artists are recognizable and definable by the palette they select, and others not so much. Some enjoy experimenting with colors and the creation of moods in a manner that they let the painting dictate the palette as it progresses. Experimentation can be fun, however, good art techniques should be kept when doing so.

In his painting A Woman in White, Pablo Picasso used hues of blues and reds so light in value they approached white. This technique created an exceptionally harmonious feeling.

Lynn Burton: "Breakfast at the Chuckwagon" (Oil on canvas) — Lynn Burton: “Breakfast at the Chuckwagon” (Oil on canvas)

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Posted in ART COFFEE TABLE BOOK, Artist, color, Picasso | Tagged art, art center information, art information, artist, color, Lynn Burton, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky | Comments Off

For Those With the Patience…Egg Tempera

100_2029 — Photograph of painting in book

In 1980, I purchased Robert Vickrey’s book Robert Vickrey Artist at Work. It was a book about advanced techniques in egg tempera with step by step demonstrations. I mostly purchased the book for all the exhibits of beautiful paintings. I was overwhelmed by this man’s talent for not only painting with egg tempera, but the fabulous compositions. Until this time, the only other egg tempera artist that I was aware of was Andrew Wyeth, a person whose artwork I had admired since the first time I laid eyes on the original painting, Christina’s World.

Andrew Wyeth, "Christina's World" (1948) — Andrew Wyeth, “Christina’s World” (1948)

Using egg yolks as a binder for paint pigments goes all the way back in antiquity. It was very popular with the Italian Renaissance artists. It went out of fashion in the 1400s after artists began to transition to oil paints. The popularity of the medium has risen and fallen and risen again over the centuries. In the 19th century it had a serious revival which continues to today. However, it amazes me how many “everyday” people I talk to are unfamiliar with the medium.

Although, I first discovered egg tempera paintings with Wyeth’s famous painting in the 60s and revitalized my interest in the 80s with Robert Vickrey’s works and became very much a fan of George Tooker’s works in the early 90s, which lasts even unto this day, I have never convinced myself to paint with this medium. It is on my “bucket list”, and I will accomplish this attempt one day. Recently, I have been reviewing the websites and books on the market today of artist that work in this venue, and I am excited about what seems to be a new resurgence of the medium. Best of luck to all you that paint with this wonderful medium.

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Posted in art information, art medium, Egg Tempera | Tagged Andrew Wyeth, art, art information, art medium, artist, George Tooker, painting, Robert Vickrey | Comments Off

Thoughts on the Art of Drawing

“To become a professional artist requires training. Training begins in the simplest way: that is by learning to draw“~Robert Fawcett

I find no difficulty in drawing except insofar as it constantly challenges my limits, mental perception and interests. That which one has mastered tends to cease interest, but not drawing. As long as it tests my abilities, it forever will remain the desired medium.

100_1953 — Artist working on “Grinding Gears of Time”

For an artist to concentrate on drawing alone, may be less than wise, because some of the other skills may tend to atrophy. But without a doubt, drawing is a subject to be learned, practiced and understood. With drawing, whether in loose sketches or finished works, an artist learns to concentrate on the important; such as form, value, perspective, and etc.

Artist: James Frederick: "The List" (Graphite on paper) — James Frederick “The List” (Graphite on paper)

I know that my belief in this need as a concentrated study may not be shared by all artists; however, I feel that from the first stroke of the pencil one should be making studies for pictures of their own. Drawing is its own language, and the person of perception understands this.

I have purposely tried to select examples of drawings on this blog post of how all-embracing the subject can be. These are selected drawings of mine, as well as my family and extended family members.

Olivia: Untitled (graphite pencil) — Olivia: Untitled

James Frederick: "Original American" Graphite on Paper — James Frederick: “Original American” Graphite on Paper

Richard D. Burton: "Grinding Gears of Time" Graphite on Paper — Richard D. Burton: “Grinding Gears of Time” Graphite on Paper

100_1501 — Richard D. Burton: Graphite on paper (24×36)

Posted in art, drawing, Graphite Pencil, Grinding Gears of Time, James Frederick, Richard D. Burton | Tagged art, art center information, art information, artist, drawing, graphite pencil, James Frederick, Richard D. Burton | Comments Off

Tip: Double Check Landscapes for Plausibility

A finished landscape painting or sketch must appear reasonable. It should be convincing in a way that it doesn’t appear as if it’s posing for the artist. The composition will work best if it seems nature remained natural and unaware of being seen or painted by the artist. The contradiction here is that in order for the artist to accomplish this, the subject must be studied with extreme observation.

For an artist to remain aware of plausibility (assuming he/she is a realistic painter), requires an assumption of technical proficiency. They must have an “eye” for the tiniest error that could ruin the credibility for an otherwise well-painted landscape. It is best if they feel something passionate about a scene that compels them to paint it. Otherwise, the painting will conspicuously lack conviction.

Keep in mind, landscape painting is an art form in and of itself. The subject of the painting is often secondary to the main idea. For example, the painting to the left was titled Texas Sky. It was done so simply because the beautiful clouds in the sky covered the bulk of the painting. But the sky is not the total scene. What if we named it Lonely Hawk? After spotting the lone bird in flight, would that make the entire painting any less relevant? No. No matter what subject you wish for this landscape painting, it is secondary to the whole. This is as it should be in a well planned landscape.

Posted in Art approach, art information, Landscape Paintings, Landscapes, painting | Tagged art, art information, artist, landscape paintings, Landscapes, Lynn Burton, painting | Comments Off

Art That Tell Stories That The Viewer Imagines

I always enjoy artist works, paintings, drawing, etc., that tell stories, or leaves enough unsaid that creates an imagined and entertaining moment in the viewers mind. An example of this would be the picture to the right.

Fair use rationale for Nighthawks:
The artwork is being used in an article about the artwork itself.
The JPEG is of lower resolution than the original and copies made from it are of inferior quality

Imagine this, in the painting, the man with the hawk face rests his right hand on the counter holding a cigarette; his fingers nearly touching the woman’s hand. Without paying attention, she seems to be deep in thought (perhaps, thinking about some previous conversation the two had that did not turn out well). Nonchalantly, she stares at her fingernails seemingly inspecting them. You, the viewer, know there is more to this story. What happens next is only in your imagination. What drama! What a painting!

For several years now, I’ve kept Edward Hopper’s painting, Nighthawks, as a screen savor on my computer. I spent much of my forty years of “business world” life traveling around the world, having been in most all major cities in the United States and many in Europe. Often, I would go late night to a lonely diner. The scene Hopper depicted in the painting was very real. I was able to associate with it. I often consider myself to have been the witness to the scene sitting with his back to the viewer of the painting. Edward Hopper told stories in his painting that each viewer makes up in his mind. Hopper created emotion in his paintings. Isn’t that what all of us artists are supposed to do? Hopper, however, was a genius at it. He did his job, and he did it well. If you study the painting, you will note the unusual use of perspective, color, and light.

Posted in art, art information, Art Stories, Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, painting | Tagged art, art information, artist, color, Edward Hopper, light, Nighyhawks, painting, perspective | Comments Off

Making the Best of Your Color Scheme

Artist, Lynn Burton, testing shape and color on painting

How important is it for an artist to work within color schemes? It is important if the artist wishes to create a certain mood or control of his subject. It is important if an artist wishes to create harmony in the painting.

Primary color scheme: Red, Yellow, and Blue.
Secondary color scheme: Orange, Green, and Violate.
Tertiary color scheme: Yellow-Green, Blue-Violet, and Red-Orange

Many artist paint directly from nature, or have studied the different colors in nature and have an understanding about the color schemes and how they work. Nature by itself has created the color schemes.

Some landscape artists will stay within the confines of strict color scheme and will insist it is the “only way.” I personally believe anything that restricts the creativity of the artist is something better left off. Again, there is value in understanding color schemes, but when it comes to landscapes, nature generally takes care of itself.

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Posted in art, art center information, ART COFFEE TABLE BOOK, Artist, Landscapes | Tagged art, art center information, art information, artist, harmony in painting, landscape paintings, Lynn Burton | Comments Off

In Search of That Certain Something

An artist often wonders what inspired him/her to draw and paint the way they do, their styles, art movements and isms, or that one particular artist living or dead. I personally go back in my past and wonder. I have such a passion for all good art; it might be a particular painting or style that grips me. I like the painting on the left so much that it is my computer opener. Oddly, I find that I like art from most all the movements. Although, my main inspiration for my own work is in a more realistic vein, there are some abstracts that totally blow me away.

I don’t care who we are, we more than not have been inspired by some great artist, and sometimes by many great artists. Eventually, if we draw or paint long enough we find ourselves, some sooner and some later. When we do, we have to have that feeling of having arrived. For some of us, it seems an eternal quest to find that certain something that just clicks, but, a-a-ahh, what a passion it is searching for it!

The paintings depicted on this page are for information only and do not in any way depict the quality or value of the paintings.

Lynn Burton: The Red Sunset" (oil on canvas) — Lynn Burton: The Red Sunset” (oil on canvas)

Posted in art, art perspiration, Artist, Edward Hopper, Lynn Burton | Tagged art, art information, art inspiration, artist, Edward Hopper, Lynn Burton | Comments Off

Tip: If You Capture the Edge, You Capture the Viewer

“ No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.” ~ Oscar Wilde

When we look around in nature, we see a mixture of hard and soft edges because there is hardly ever a time that any scene is in sharp focus all the time. When we give one area our main focus, the surrounding area is out of focus. Where we focus is filled with hard edges, and the surrounding area is filled with soft edges. As artists, how do we paint these scenes successfully? We don’t, unless we have a good understanding of edges.

If an artist is a student of edges, they realize edges give their artwork a sense of distance, texture and motion. The degree of excellence in which they paint the edge tells the viewer about the object they are looking at, how it fits into the painting, how the composition works, what kind of light falls on it. Hard edges are descriptive and let us know that what we are looking at may be up close. Whereas, background soft edges are yielding and supple and often suggestive but not as focused. The way an artist treats the edge will direct the viewer to a specific are of the focal point.

Lynn Burton: Segment of "Swan Lake Reflections" Showing hard and soft edges — Lynn Burton: Segment of “Swan Lake Reflections” Showing hard and soft edge

The second the artist touches their brush filled with paint to the substrate an edge is created. The edges can vary anywhere from hard to soft and everything in between. But the artist needs to know exactly what it is they are trying to create, otherwise they may fall into the trap of making flat works with limited expression. The hard and soft edges will tell the story, having an impact on the over all feeling of the painting. What is it exactly that the artist is trying to tell the viewer?…the edges know. If the most powerful edges are reserved for the point of focus, and the less conspicuous (soft edges) make up the rest of the composition, the painting tends to work. The artwork itself is given the edge, and it has a greater chance of being marketable.

Enter the subscription for the ART CENTER INFORMATION newsletter at the top right hand side of this page and be automatically entered into a free drawing for a beautiful large coffee table art book.

If you haven’t yet got your artwork copyrighted, see the fabulous instruction E-book on the right hand side of this page. Click on it to read about it.>>>>

Check out the galleries at the top of the page and enjoy the artwork of the Burton Family, as well as the exclusive Lynn Burton Gallery.

We also have some good art products in the opportunities sight at the top of the page.

Posted in art, art center information, ART COFFEE TABLE BOOK, art information, Artist, hard edges, Lynn Burton, Richard D. Burton, soft edges | Tagged art, art center information, art information, artist, hard and soft edges, Lynn Burton, painting, Richard D. Burton | Comments Off

3 Top Art Posts

I wrote a Blog Post a few months back that, for some reason, has had several thousand visitors. It was about drawing surfaces for graphite drawing. I don’t know, perhaps it was the comical anecdote that I told about my daughter’s father-in-law, artist James Frederick. I wrote the article in memory of John who left many beautiful drawings and paintings when he passed this past summer.

To read the short article in its entirety, please click on the drawing to the right>>>>>>>>>>

El Greco: "Christ Driving the Traders From the Temple" — El Greco: “Christ Driving the Traders From the Temple”

In a Blog Post written a year ago, El Greco: Famous Artists Techniques, we wrote: El Greco’s works are painted on a fine canvas and covered with a warm reddish-brown ground. This was common in the second half of the sixteenth century. He used thick oil with the consistency of honey to temper the pigments, applying it with broken strokes using a course hog’s hair brush.

We did a considerable amount of research to post this blog, and we feel its almost viral popularity probably is due to many students using it for research for their term papers…? We have no idea. Click on the insert to visit the sight>>>>>>>>>>

Lynn Burton: "Chief" — Lynn Burton: “Chief”

In one of our past but most popular articles, one of our authors wrote about CEO and Founder, Richard Burton’s brother, Texas artist Lynn Burton. They wrote:

Watching Lynn Burton race up sandy West Texas slopes snapping his camera to record light and shadow values as reference for future paintings, snapping as fast as he can and then vanishing over the bank is indicative of his energy and general zest. He learned a long time ago the camera can be an artists best friend when used properly. And there is no artist alive that knows best how to use a camera in his art–or, at least, that is what he would say.

The article was both entertaining and informative as it described this talented artist.

Posted in art, art information, El Greco, James Frederick, Lynn Burton, Uncategorized | Tagged art, art information, artist, El Greco, James Frederick, Lynn Burton | Comments Off

Three Helpful Tips For Painting Landscapes

When it comes to composition, the main “rule” (if you want to call it that) is to attract the viewer’s attention. You want to direct them to the important area of the painting and hold their focus as long as possible. As far as is concerned, any method used to accomplish this objective is legitimate.

There are three qualities in a landscape painting that are important and should be considered. They are: harmony, simplicity and subtlety.

Tip: When considering harmony, an artist may wish to consider a single source of light on the subject, or any other other device; such as, an overall tonality; color related areas; precise control of edges; integrated linear pattern; or a combination of each, allowing one to be more dominant than the others.

Tip: Simplicity is always a good rule to consider when painting a landscape, no matter the size or the complexity of the subject. The word, simplicity, by its very nature seems simple…right? Wrong! Sometimes it takes more work achieving simplicity (deciding what a painting needs and does not need) than painting everything your eyes are seeing. Remember, there is no limit to the possible arrangements of compositional elements within a picture. An artist must decide the useful elements that are needed to make the painting the most alluring.

Tip:When considering subtlety, if the artist paints a landscape where the composition is obvious, it tends to defeat its purpose. A composition should merely be an aspect of something abstract of a total effort. Each element needs to remain subordinate to the representation of the main subject.

Arlen Burton: "Signal Peak" (Oil on Canvas) — Arlen Burton: “Signal Peak” (Oil on Canvas)

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Posted in art information, harmony, Landscape Paintings, simplicity, subtlety | Tagged Arlen Burton, art, art information, artist, harmony, landscape paintings, Lynn Burton, simplicity, subtlety | Comments Off