Painting genres
Landscapes
Landscape painting can focus on natural scenery such as mountains, forests, sea or sky. It can also refer to the built environment such as a city street or a specific building.
When studying landscapes or the natural world you may often be required to paint outdoors. You may have to paint quickly because of weather, light or other conditions and you will probably want to keep the equipment you need to a minimum. You don鈥檛 have to paint everything you see, be selective and use a view finder to help you with your composition. Think about what you want to capture from the scene. Use a sketchbook or watercolour pad to create quick landscape studies or sketches.
Use a range of media, however watercolour pencils and paints tend to be a convenient painting medium as they are small, quite versatile and dry fairly quickly.
Make a number of studies from different viewpoints, consider How the sizes of different parts of something relate to each other., composition and The feature of an artwork that draws the viewer's attention most. An artist can create this through use of composition, contrast, colour and tone.. Capture the main shapes and forms and consider textural elements. Make colour references and incorporate tonal variations.
It is important to take photos in order to capture the scene. These images can be used as reference as your painting study develops.
Still life
Still life is defined as a collection of objects arranged together in a specific composition.
Consider the arrangement of your selected objects carefully. Think about how they can lead the viewer's eye round your painting and how different objects can create harmony, contrast and interesting rhythms.
Think about lighting, colour choice, and what painting techniques, media and surfaces you are going to use to create your still life painting.
Portrait
A good portrait isn鈥檛 just a good visual representation of a person it should also reveal something about the personality of the person.
A strong portrait draws the viewer into the painting. There are often clues within a portrait that help to tell a story about the person within it.
When planning your portrait painting, examine and concentrate on facial expression, gesture or pose and clothing. Also think about the setting in which your sitter is set and what objects are placed within the composition.
Painting portraits
Abstract
Abstract artwork concentrate on colour, shape, line, form, pattern and texture rather than recreating the realistic appearance of a subject. They can either link to natural or man-made forms or be based on purely abstract shapes and forms.
Abstract painting can be a way to explore fresh ideas without being caught up in showing exactly how something looks.
Many abstract paintings incorporate bright colours and detailed patterns and are often full of energy and movement.
When planning and developing your abstract concepts consider what you are trying to express. Is it an idea, a particular emotion, relationship or sensation?