Using Chiaoscuro In A Painting

Let’s learn new techniques from the masters of painting and include them in our art flow.

Welcome to another Art Blog. My name is Veronica Huacuja. I'm a plastic artist, and an online art teacher for individuals and groups. I have some good tips for your painting process. Hope you find them useful.

SOME CONCEPTS TO START. Chiaroscuro is an Italian word that refers to the lighting and shadows in painting. Who used this interesting technique were the great painters of all times, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Velázquez, among others.

This technique emphasizes light and dark, making out stand the most important figures in an artwork. “It was originally used while drawing on colored paper though it is now used in paintings and even cinema. It is very commonly seen in religious art, especially with the light emanating from the holy figure being painted. This process is used because it naturally draws the eye toward the focus point which the artist intends in a very natural way.” (1)

CHIAROSCURO AND TENEBRISM. I’d like to approach an interesting difference between these both techniques. Tenebrism comes from the Italian word “tenebroso”, which means dark. In this technique, shadow undergoes to black, there’s no intermediation between light and shadow. One of the great exponents of tenebrism is the Italian painter, Caravaggio (1571-1603, Milan, Duchy of Milan, Spanish Empire). On the contrary, chiaroscuro uses light and shadow to create depth behind the figures.

SOME COMMENTS REGARDING THE WORK I'M PRESENTING. As an artist, I’m concerned with abnormality and its effects on human life. To create this work, I read and watched testimonials of persons that have had the experience of an epiphany, which as we may know, is “an experience of a sudden and striking realization” (2), that can be mystical, religious, philosophical, etc.

In the work, I tried to embody this strange human experience using the chiaroscuro technique to add drama and three dimensionality to the piece. The data sheet of the work is:

In the work, I tried to embody the strange human experience which is an epiphany. The last by using the chiaroscuro technique, which adds drama and three dimensionality to the piece. — Epiphany 5

Title: Epiphany 5
Artist: Veronica Huacuja
Medium: Digital Art
Size: 9,448 x 8,740 px, 300 dpi
Year: 2020
Collection: Portraits

LET’S DEDUCE A SIGNIFICANT MEANING FROM THE ABOVE. We can study the body of art of the great masters of painting, learn their techniques and use them in our work, in whatever genre we manage. Also, we can keep in mind that our production, as artists, mostly come as if from dreams, where our experiences overlap in a delicate, ephemeral relationship.

1 https://artsandculture.google.com/usergallery/the-use-of-chiaroscuro/1AJCCI6Py2rgLA

2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(feeling)

Let’s Mix Techniques In Our Painting Workflow

Let’s use in our art workflow a digital solution mixed with traditional techniques or the way around.

Welcome to another Art Post. I’m Veronica Huacuja, a plastic artist, and an online art teacher. I’ve some practical tips for your painting process. Hope you find them helpful.

A DIGITAL SOLUTION MIXED WITH TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES OR THE WAY AROUND. As I’ve mentioned in some other blogs, I discovered Blender–a free and open-source 3D computer graphic software–on the Internet. I learned its basics in many free tutorials hosted on YouTube. There’re plenty enough for any learning need you might have of this software.

One incredible thing is that because of this software’s popularity, there are lots of developers, 3D artists, etc. that free share their work and you can download it. That’s what happened in this work of mine: I used a rigged human figure made up on this software. “What a rig does is define the way the various parts of a model will move in relation to its other parts.” (1)

To exemplify the aforementioned, I add the data sheet of the work I’m presenting:

Title: Body Study 65

Artist: Veronica Huacuja

Media: Oil on paper

Size: 20.8 x 21 x 0.1 cm

Year: 2019

Collection: Human Body

THE PROCESS. One important thing to achieve in drawing or painting the human body (or an animal's body) is the dynamism that the figure must have, no matter if it is at rest or in movement.

SOME GOOD DETAILS TO KEEP IN MIND. To get acquainted with the latter, let’s have a look at the body of art of the great masters of dynamic photography, that are Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904, British and U.S.), and Étienne-Jules Marey (1830-1904, France). By the way, they both born in the same year and they died at the same age! And, they got to know each other and each other’s work, but they didn’t establish a close relationship. Let’s not forget the boat made the transcontinental geographical distances in those years. This is because Muybridge lived and work in U.S. and Marey in France.

MY EXPERIENCE DOING THE ARTWORK. Why I used a 3D model when I could buy a nude artistic photo from commercial stocks or use others freely as an initial resource? The reason is that it's hard to find natural and dynamic poses in these galleries. So, having that in mind, I downloaded a free 3D Blender rigged human shaped model. Because it was a rigged, I could pose it in any position. I also defined the sources of light (casting the shadows). When I was satisfied with the results, I made a snapshot out of it.

PAINTING AND RECORDING THE PROCESS. The next step was to use, as an initial source, the cited snapshot. So, I sketched the figure on paper using a black crayon and painted it with an oil painting. You can appreciate the process in an 8 min video at https://www.patreon.com/posts/70780632

LET’S MAKE A MEANINGFUL REFLECTION FROM THE ABOVE. Have you ever mixed these two techniques: digital and traditional? If so, your creative process and initial resources expand.

Visit any time:

My ART SHOP: https://veronica-huacuja.pixels.com

My BODY OF ART: https://veronica.mx

I offer an ONLINE PAINTING PROGRAM in traditional or digital techniques: https://veronica.mx/online_painting_course

Other POSTS AND VIDEOS: https://patreon.com/veronicahuacuja

Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed the post.

Uncommon Initial Resources For A Painting

The artwork of other creators is an incessant source of inspiration for our artistic plastic work.

PREVIOUS COMMENTS. This portrait is an homage to the women that lost their lives in the hands of Jack the Ripper a couple of centuries ago (1888). Their names, as we may know, are Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly.

Since I began the work, I wanted to portray the troubled life and tragic deaths of these unknown (at the time) women. I created this artwork with deep respect towards them. So, I made a previous research.

This is the data sheet of the piece:

Title: A Whitechapel’s Woman
Artist: Veronica Huacuja
Medium: Oil on paper
Size: 33 x 28 x 0.1 cm
Year: 2017
Collection: Women

MY EXPERIENCE MAKING UP THE WORK. As I’ve mentioned on other occasions, I like to use innovative and various techniques in my workflow.

A PREVIOUS ACTIVITY. In this work, I made just like the grand master of painting Leonardo da Vinci, used to do when he searched in the homeless and impoverished people of his time models to paint their troubled faces. In my case, I did a similar task, but using the powerful tool that is the Internet. That's how I gathered information about the mentioned five canonical victims of Jack The Ripper.

On the other hand, I watched the American series, The Killing and found out an incredible scene performed by the actress Mireille Enos that I thought was just the exact initial source I needed at the time to make up the work. I made up various snapshots out of the cited scene, and selected one of them to work on it in a digital environment. In Photoshop, I deformed it, and changed the original source of light on the character's face based on the chiaroscuro masterpiece of Caravaggio (1571- 1610, Italy), David with the Head of Goliath (1607). To see some photos of-the-art process, head over to the following link.

After being satisfied with the digital results, I used them as initial resources for the work done with oil on paper, in a physical environment.

MATERIAL.
- The transformed image of Mireille Enos.
- A reproduction of Caravaggio's painting, David with the Head of Goliath.
- Adobe Photoshop and a digital tablet
- Oil paintings
- Oil paper

MAKING A MEANINGFUL REFLECTION FROM THE ABOVE. The historical research, referring to the artworks of the grand masters of painting of all times, and our personal and professional experiences provide us with enough information to make up an interesting artwork. Do you agree?

Visit any time:

My ART SHOP: https://veronica-huacuja.pixels.com

My BODY OF ART: https://veronica.mx

I offer an ONLINE PAINTING, DRAWINF, MODELING PROGRAM in traditional or digital techniques: https://veronica.mx/online_painting_course

Hope you enjoyed the work and thank you for reading.

Using Literature For A Painting

Literature is an incessant source of inspiration for our artistic plastic work.

You're welcome to another Art Blog. My name is Veronica Huacuja, a painter and an online art teacher for individuals and groups. I have some tips for your art process. Hope you find them interesting.

Previous comments. Literature is an incessant source of inspiration for our artistic work. To explain this, I will refer to a professional experience. Some weeks ago, I got the invitation to take part in a collective exhibition regarding Leonora Carrington (1917-2011, United Kingdom) (1), who, as we may know, was an extraordinary, surrealist, multidisciplinary artist–painter, author, sculptor–. Her work is mesmerizing, not to mention the interesting life she had.

So, I reread her biography, the interesting relationships she established with so many celebrities of her time, such as Max Ernst (one of her dearest lovers at the time), Peggy Guggenheim, André Breton, Edward James (her early benefactor), and many other surrealist artists. Let’s not forget she lived the horror of the World War II in Europe, which is an important factor–besides knowing the Mexican, Renato Leduc (her first husband)–why she ended living in Mexico and adopting the English-born Mexican citizenship.

Her story, “As they Rode Along the Edge” (1), inspired me to make up this piece. The data sheet of the latter is:

Title: Leonora 1. Homage to Leonora Carrington

Artist: Veronica Huacuja

Medium: Acrylic on paper

Size: 25 x 25 x 0.1 cm

Year: 2022

Collection: Women

The excerpt of the cited story that inspired me making up the artwork was the powerful description of her protagonist:

“Her name was Virginia Fur. She had a mane of hair yards long and enormous hands with dirty nails.” (2)

A comment on the side. As an artist, I rarely explain my version of my work. I try hard to make art that points in a direction without defining a destiny. I believe that journey has to be made by the observer.

There’s a book written by the philosopher, Umberto Eco (1932-20116, Italy), “The Open Work”, where he propounds the interpretation of an observer to a piece of art depending on his biography, beliefs, education, social environment, and many other personal factors. So, the main point of an artwork is to achieve polysemy, which are different meanings.

Material.

· Acrylic paints: Vermilion red, Cobalt blue, Titanium white and yellow. With only these paints, we can achieve the full range of the color wheel.

· Bristol paper (270 g / m2). It is a thick paper that withstands the humidity of the acrylic paintings without deforming.

· Rectangular brushes of various thicknesses, only about 1 inch thick or so. I use rectangular brushes and not round, as I can produce stronger strokes with them.

Let’s deduce a significant meaning from the above. Would literature enrich our lives and our artwork? Yes, I believe so. Literature is a splendid and generous source for our art inspiration.

Lastly, if you find this work interesting and helpful, please FOLLOW my FAA feed (https://veronica-huacuja.pixels.com). Thank you!

Visit any time:

My ART SHOP: https://veronica-huacuja.pixels.com

My BODY OF ART: https://veronica.mx

I offer an ONLINE PAINTING PROGRAM in traditional or digital techniques: https://veronica.mx/online_painting_course

Other POSTS AND VIDEOS: https://patreon.com/veronicahuacuja

Thank you for reading.

1 Carrington, Leonora. “As they Rode Along the Edge”. The Seventh Horse and other Tales. Virago, Virago Modern Classics, 1989.

How To Improve Your Portrait Painting

Welcome to this Art Post. My name is Veronica Huacuja. I’m a plastic artist and an online art teacher. I've some good tips for you, as a painter. Hope you find them helpful.

LET'S LEARN... How to improve our portrait process and make a powerful character using a masterpiece of the Spanish painter, Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), “Pope Innocent X” (1650). We'll do this exercise with freedom, not trying to copy the work itself (which, BTW, it’d be a great training exercise), but to base our work on it.

SOME PREVIOUS THOUGHTS. Velázquez is one of the great masters of portraiture of all times. What called my attention in this piece, among other important topics, is the amazing reflection of the powerful personality of the historical character (with its keen eyes) that the painter must have captured. As we know, Pope Innocent X is famous for his harsh hand using his political power. Whenever is the case, it’s important to get acquainted with the person’s biography when we make its portrait.

To exemplify this, I add the following work:

Title: Cortical Blindness
Artist: Veronica Huacuja 
Media: Digital Art
Size: 10,630 x 8,269 px, 300 dpi
Year: 2020
Collection: Portraits

MY EXPERIENCE WHILE MAKING THIS ARTWORK. I made a close-up of Velazquez’s portrait and increased to red the color values. As you can see, I chose a dark brown color for the background to work on it. When I say work on it, I mean that the background color has to be an active part of the work, not to paint it all the way through, but to use it in strategic areas. Here, in the shadows.

So, if the character's eyes were the thing that most affected me in this masterpiece, why don't make this character a blind one? And so I did.

One more thing, “Cortical Blindness” won a “Special Recognition” at the 10th Anniversary Art Exhibition 2020 made by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery (www.lightspacetime.art)!

LET'S MAKE A MEANINGFUL REFLECTION FROM THE ABOVE. Something we can do throughout our artistic life is to study and practice our skills using the body of art of prominent artists of all times.

Visit any time:

My ART SHOP: https://veronica-huacuja.pixels.com

My BODY OF ART: https://veronica.mx

I offer an ONLINE PAINTING PROGRAM in traditional or digital techniques: https://veronica.mx/online_painting_course

Thank you for reading.

EXPLORE YOUR ARTWORK IN DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES (video)

Explore Your Artwork In Different Techniques

Drawing Portrait Artwork, "Epiphany 4" by Veronica Huacuja — "Epiphany 4" by Veronica Huacuja

Hi! I am Veronica, a painter and an art coach at https://patreon.com/veronicahuacuja. I have some good tips for your painting process.

This is a very true principle: Explore your artwork in diverse techniques before making up the “final version”.

Previous thoughts. Many times, as an artist, I make two versions of a same artwork (which, BTW, are two artworks for my portfolio at the end!).

The techniques I work with are digital (Photoshop and a tablet) and traditional (drawing with ink, or painting with oil, acrylics, etc.).

Why make up two explorations of a same topic?

To know the work and to prepare yourself to accomplish it in the best way possible. In my case, most of the times, I make the digital version and then I turn into the traditional techniques or the way around, as it’s the case of this artwork.

Title: Epiphany 4
Artist: Veronica Huacuja
Medium: Ink on paper
Size: 11.8 (W) x 8.2 (H) x 0.1 in
Year: 2020

Technical comments. The initial resource of my work on this occasion was “Seven” (1995), David Fincher’s brilliant film. Do you recall the scene of the “fat boy” in the kitchen, the one referring to gluttony, one of the seven capital sins? Well, the face of this character amazed me with its indecipherable beauty. I used this initial source, and I contextualized it in a different realm.

Epiphany, the title I chose for this work, “(...) is an experience of a sudden and striking realization”, that can be mystical, religious, philosophical, existentialist, etc.

Learning about... Exploring a same artwork in different techniques.

Head over to patreon.com to know more of the procedures of this artwork and to watch a 1 minute video: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40234066

To see the digital version of this artwork, entitled “Epiphany 5”, head over to https://www.artpal.com/VeronicaFineArt (second image).

Visit anytime https://veronica.mx

Art Newsletter. I make up a free Art Newsletter every month, which I deliver through e-mail. If you’re interested in receiving it, please let me know at art@veronica.mx I'll be happy to add you to the list.

Hope you enjoy the post and find it useful for your art workflow.

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