Have you ever looked beyond the images of a painting to focus on how the brushstrokes effect the images interpretation? We won't argue that the way a violinst uses the bow determines how the resulting music sounds. And anybody who's tried golfing knows that just hitting the ball with the club won't get a par. It's the kind of stroke that determines where the ball goes.
When painting, the way the brush is stroked effects directional movement, shapes and edges and ultimately the way a piece is seen or perceived by the viewer. In essence, the brush has a strong effect on the composition.
It is Van Gogh's brush movement that guides our eye through the activity in the sky of Starry Night, strongly determining the composition Imagine how the painting would look if all those sky strokes had been horizontal.
Examine the strokes in Sorolla's Bathtime. Imagine the movement of his brush as he stroked in the motion of the water and the folds in the clothing. What would the clothing look like if he had used random little patchy strokes instead?
Here is one of my paintings presented in four variations, each formed with a different kind of brushstroke. Notice your feeling about each of them.
Notice the difference in the rocks' character from one version to another.
TIP: An artist's brush is much more than just a paint applicator. Taking some practice time to intentionally learn to use the brush as a direction maker, a shape maker, a texture maker, an edge maker and more can transform your compositions.
Happy painting,
Dianne
___ Do you have a travel kit ready to go at any moment, one that you can keep in your car or pack in your travel bags? It's easy for watercolor painters, but those who paint with oil or acrylic can put together a little gouache kit that works like a charm. In this week's Quick Tip, I share mine.
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