How does he do it?
In a space of some 50 minutes well known local artist Adolfo whipped up a delightful oil painting – with no visual reference in front of him – of Noordhoek and Kommetjie Lighthouse.
How many of us could do that?
Where was the photo, the sketch or a thumb nail image from which to work?
"It is all in here," he said tapping his head. "When you have done it so many times, it remains here."
He laid out blobs of Cadmium Yellow, Cad Red, French Ultra, Cerulean, Burnt Umber and a large squish of Titanium White.
STUDENT QUALITY PAINTS, ALL!!!
"Why spend more," he said with logic. "The Artists' quality paints are very expensive."
A very refreshing and reassuring attitude!
He then took out his paintbrushes and palette knife and began.
It would seem as though all those rules about a strong drawing, values, colour mixing and only using expensive paints went out of the window. Adolfo proved you can create a fine painting with few props but ... years of experience.
Firstly he mixed a blue ground and covered his white canvas.
Then sketched in some trees with a brush.
Gradually he built up the colours, dark to light.
Until he stepped away and declared it finished. He pointed out he does not go for a photographic approach: the camera does that job.
Concision, composition, interesting brush strokes, a limited palette and strong negative spaces were the keystones of his work.
And in the wings, Clive, the only one to have brought - and brought out - oils, followed Adolfo step by step and produced a very credible view of Noordhoek Kommetijie à la McQue. Bravo Clive.
Clive commented at the end of the workshop that copying was a great exercise as Adolfo has the gift of reducing what one sees to the essentials. Many of us get bogged down in details and it was a very useful lesson to see that 'less' is really 'more'.
Another Adolfo in the making?
In a space of some 50 minutes well known local artist Adolfo whipped up a delightful oil painting – with no visual reference in front of him – of Noordhoek and Kommetjie Lighthouse.
How many of us could do that?
Where was the photo, the sketch or a thumb nail image from which to work?
"It is all in here," he said tapping his head. "When you have done it so many times, it remains here."
STUDENT QUALITY PAINTS, ALL!!!
"Why spend more," he said with logic. "The Artists' quality paints are very expensive."
A very refreshing and reassuring attitude!
He then took out his paintbrushes and palette knife and began.
It would seem as though all those rules about a strong drawing, values, colour mixing and only using expensive paints went out of the window. Adolfo proved you can create a fine painting with few props but ... years of experience.
Firstly he mixed a blue ground and covered his white canvas.Then sketched in some trees with a brush.
Gradually he built up the colours, dark to light.
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Concision, composition, interesting brush strokes, a limited palette and strong negative spaces were the keystones of his work.
And in the wings, Clive, the only one to have brought - and brought out - oils, followed Adolfo step by step and produced a very credible view of Noordhoek Kommetijie à la McQue. Bravo Clive.
Clive commented at the end of the workshop that copying was a great exercise as Adolfo has the gift of reducing what one sees to the essentials. Many of us get bogged down in details and it was a very useful lesson to see that 'less' is really 'more'.
Another Adolfo in the making?
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