Reflection on Studies in Smallness

I did not put much effort into these small paintings, instead working harder on my color wheel. I felt the color wheel demontrated the capabilties and limitations of oil paint.

Composition

Custard Cascade, by Will Cotton, 2001

I like how the very realistic style of this painting brings out the many shadows and colors that cover the canvas. By using this style of composition, the artist has crafted a beautiful painting of something as simple as custard.

Color Mixing Chart

Morandi Vs. Van Gogh: Color

Morandi seems to enjoy a more washed out and blurred look to his paintings, likely due to a continued blending with thin paint. This is effective in demonstrating the benign and dull nature of his paintings. Van Gogh chooses vibrant colors with what appears to be a heavier brush stroke, with heavier paint. The effectiveness of this is obvious, allowing for a richer visual experience.

A Painting I Remember

My favorite painting would probably have to be the Maddona on the Rocks by Leonardo DaVinci, painter, inventor, and namesake of one of the legendary teenage mutant ninja turtles. It features DaVinci's gorgeous style of oil painting, as well as his ability to embed hidden messages into the canvas.

What I Know

My Skills as an Artist

According to Ms. Roberts and the artist formerly known as Coach, I excel at line drawing, especially from observation. I enjoy working with pencil on fantasy/sci-fi sketches. Oil paint color mixing also seems to be a skill of mine, although mixing from observation appears to be more difficult.

Why I'm taking Oil Painting

I have never oil painted before, and certainly never taken a class on it. The differences between oil based paint and water based paint are vast and worthy of exploration.