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Peter Loft

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Posted
Is it just me but when i paint say a red pepper on A5 i only seem to use one third of the paper, same with A4 and A3. Any ideas why i seem to use only one third of the paper. Is it being a newbie or thinking people will see less mistakes if my painting is smaller.....cheers. peterallan
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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A more common mistake is to draw things too big for the size of the paper, and cut heads, feet, the top of still life arrangements, off. You seem to have the opposite problem, and will be leaving yourself with large amounts of background to fill in, probably not knowing what to do with it all. Probably, it would help if you stood back from your paper or canvas - gave it a hard stare (think Paddington Bear) and visualized the object you want to draw on the paper before even touching it with a pencil or brush - it's spatial awareness, basically, and it can take a long time to develop it. If it would help - personally, I regard it as a bit of a fag - draw a grid and plot your composition within it so that it exploits the surface you have available to work on. These things come to you in time - sometimes, artists exploit the tendency your describe, and do paint, say, a small but probably vibrantly drawn and coloured pepper, surrounded by an expanse of (maybe) off-white background: it can be very effective, if you intended to do it; much less so if you didn't. A not uncommon fault with would-be portraitists is to paint a tiny head and body in a huge expanse of background - generally, too big would be better than too small in that case.
Sef on final snow field Ghondor Peak2

Malcolm Buckley

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Posted
As Syd has said, you can do a rough drawing, I sometimes do a rough outline, but I also at other times pick out the main points on the subject both at the extremities and if like lanscapes sometimes through the centre and just make small marks, then when I start the work they are like guide points for me and I know my work will fit the paper I am using,, trial and error at first like anything else but works for me.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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I tend to show most of my work, because I value the criticism; but there are one or two on my blog which I've put there as a warning to others - chiefly, in not to get boring, stale and predictable. I wouldn't show those here though: more people look at POL than look at my blogspot!
michael

Michael Edwards

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I'm with you 893 - I thought a blog was that damn thing you trip over in the woods.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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I rush to your rescue, all thoughts of myself put to one side as I seek to guide you along the path of enlightenment (and I haven't even started on the gin and tonic yet). My blog is to be found, should you but look, at www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk A thrilling read, and - sadly - free.

Edited
by Robert Jones

Stevie The Fixer

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Posted
Arr well - as a complete beginner (started in the spring) - I am using up a lot of those 300x250mm covered/textured boards that my wife hoarded some years ago. The biggest thing I used for a watercolour was an LP cover sized card (a calendar cover I think) and the biggest for acrylics was stretched "canvas" 500x400 plus one oval wotsit. Many more in the cupboard so its going to be small works for me for some time. I suspect bigger is easier though. Also easier will be when I have used up paints that have been lying about for years getting seperated or lumpy and can buy actual new ones. I am trying (very) to scale my oddball splodges to the canvas size so I prolly break all those rules as well but it beats working (retired early now) so I just take a stab at it all and revel in the fact that I am not getting cold/wet/killed. Woo Hoo!

Phil Kendall

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Posted
Big art made small always looks better than small art made large. For less than A3 size use your printer copier to get to the size you want... For larger sizes grid out the sketch then grid out your canvas...and draw it large...