Visual Literacy • Therefore a picture paints a thousand

words. Sometimes multiple ideas can Visual#1

• Familiarity–the state of knowing
be conveyed by a single image, which
something very well.
conveys its meaning or essence more
• Visual-Relating to use in vision/sight effectively than a mere verbal
• Literacy-Being literate description.
• Visual Literacy • Take note! Visual literacy is an art!
- Create image, written or printed • Visual Literacy is a form of critical
text thinking.
- Ability to interpret, negotiate and
• It depends on how you perceive the
make meaning from information
illustration
presented in the form of image,
• Without images thinking is impossible
which commonly signifies
• Symbols-Mark, sign, representing an Visual#2
interpretation of a written or printed
idea, object or relationship ex. Traffic
text (Robinson, 2015)
signs
- Base on the idea that pictures can
• Infographics are graphic visual
be read and that meaning can be
representation of information, data or
through a process of reading.
knowledge, intended to present
- (Debes, 1969) Refers to a group of
information quickly and clearly. They
vision-competencies a human
can improve cognition by utilizing
being can develop by seeing and
graphics to enhance the human visual
at the same time having and
system’s ability to see patterns and
integrating other sensory
trends.
experiences.
- Patterns and trend
- Understanding how people
- Clearly understand the data
perceive objects, interpret what
Visual Literacy
they see, and what they learn from
them. • Foundation of learning
• People read pictures before they
Example: master verbal skills.
• Allows individuals to interpret art and
Helen of Troy-A face that launched a
visual media as they come into contact
thousand ships.
with them .
 A BRIEF ART HISTORY
The major features and
artworks of the periods studied and
professor Frazier's art history.
Prehistoric period
• Or the period before recorded history
which lasted until about 4000 BCE
• In art we use BCE and C II instead of
BC and AD that's because BC and AD
have religious connotations meaning
before Christ and on O Domini the
year the Lord prospectively in order to
hold respect to all religions we use the
simple acronyms BCE and C meaning
before Common Era and Common Era
respectively so make sure to use them
when writing dates now back to
prehistoric times
✓ Venus of Willendorf
• Austria 28,000 BCE cavemen began
making rock carvings of women
• Carvings were rather simplified in
shape
• It had no facial features this one in
particular
• Historians believe these small statues
were meant to symbolize prehistoric
man's idea of an ideal woman the
shapely hips and breasts mean the
woman is fertile and we'd be able to
birth children easily as well as
surviving harsh winters
• World's first source of pornography as
all men needed to procreate as much
as possible with only a hundred
thousand humans on earth.
✓ Paintings on the walls of the cave
• Southwestern France in the caves at
last cow 15,000 BCE
• They found paintings on the walls of
the cave kind of look like the ones
from Ice Age
• These are real and have more of a
purpose than in just drawings
• Sympathetic magic a process which
is a primitive ritual using animals or
actions drawn by men and women
resembling the men's hunt for food
they would plan out how the hunt will
go paying specific attention to the
details of a single animal in particular
and then the men would go out to hunt
for said animal and bring back the
spoils.
• The women made sure as to leave the
men in the drawings as stick figures to
make sure their likeness wouldn't be
captured in the magic as well it was
the first time men and women were
known cooperate with each other to
such an extent for survival and would
later prove effective for even larger
architectural projects.
✓ Stonehenge
• Wiltshire England from 3000 BCE the
1500 BCE men would come together
to build the largest scale construction
project
• Stonehenge was a sign of an
organized society as the project took
almost 2,000 years not to mention the
rocks used for the project had to be
hauled hundreds of miles just to bring
them to the construction site not even
taken to account how they were
erected with the tools they had at the
time.
• The oldest tourist attraction of all time
• One of the first architectural
techniques known as post and lintel
post and lintel was done by taking two
structures side by side and placing
another structure on top of them
forming somewhat of a bridge this is
how the stones are easily held and
have been standing for so long
• It was meant to be an agricultural
calendar using the Sun as a form of
measure when they can plant and
collect crops
 Mesopotamian Period
• Mesopotamia which began with the
invention of the Cunha form writing
style in 4000 BCE to about 400 BCE.
• Mesopotamian civilization took place
in modern-day Iraq from here are now
civilization succeeded each other
looking to take and improve what the
other did.
✓ Statuettes
• statuettes created in 2700 BCE
discovered deep underground of the
temples used for worship.
• the statues embody the very essence
of the worshiper so that the spirit
would be present when the physical
body was not.
• carved with the hands clasp right over
left at the chest or waist with eyes
wide open in a gesture of
attentiveness standing figures often
step forward with the left foot to show
their civilization was an improvement
and always looking to move forward.
• male ones were placed upon
pedestals showing off their importance
and power the male's heads are
frequently shown bald but sometimes
wore beards.
• Females can have a variety of
hairstyles or headdresses however
facial characteristics didn't show a lot
of variation from one statute to the
next.
• the statues were stiff cylindrical and
columnar pretty much motionless if not
for the suggestion of moving forward it
would take some time before the
human form was done correctly for the
first time.
✓ Hammurabi’s written law code
• One of the first works of art to take
advantage of the invention Cunha
form
• the first form of written law for a group
or civilization in 1754 BCE the sixth
Babylonian king wished to create a
law for his people to follow so that
justice can be dealt more easily he
believed in and coined the phrase an
eye for an eye
• if you commit an act that's against the
law the same will be dealt to you.
• Every year taxes Hammurabi's rigidly
centralized system prospered from
taxes both used to compensate and
finance state irrigation and building
projects however these projects place
a big load on subject territories and
created a sense of bitterness with the
state I can't imagine why Hammurabi
dies the bureaucracy was expanded
and everything went downhill in the
end Hammurabi successors became
figureheads dependent on locally
controlled goods and resources.
Egyptian Period/Civilization
• Egyptian Southwest is in Northeast
Africa which explains its dried desert
landscape.
• Mesopotamia the time period for Egypt
was from about 3,600 BCE to 400
BCE and as a coexisting civilization
it's only natural that the Egyptians
wanted to improve on with the
Mesopotamians
✓ the Statue of Menkaure and His
Queen
• carved out of slate and dating 225 48
to 2530 BCE like the Mesopotamians
did withthe eshnunna statuettes
• stepping forward as advancement and
willingness to be better than other
civilizations.
• they did improve on the realism factor
notice how it actually looks closer to a
human being.
• wife openly holding his arm something
that wasn't expected of women at the
time
✓ The book of the Dead
• emerging from around 1580 to 1350
BCE
• the most essential piece of parchment
in Egyptian culture so much so that
everyone owned one kind of like
everyone having a Bible somewhere in
the house.
• tells the story of what judgment is like
in the afterlife this storytelling an art is
known as narrative register moving
 from one side of the artwork to the
other
• if your heart was pure and you lived a
good life you would become what is
known as an ancestral spirit Ruby then
your role in the afterlife would be to
follow and support your family forever
however if your heart was not pure
you would be slowly eaten by the
waiting chimera creature on it
composed of a deadly crocodile lion
and hippopotamus he actually looks
kind of
• Book of the Dead popularized
composite pose which is basically the
type of pose you all know Egyptians
make showing the entire body but in a
sideways motion
Greek Civilization/Period
• Greece which spanned from about
1100 BCE to 146 BCE
• Important because it took the idea of
realism and turning on a Ted into
perfect idealism
✓ Polykleitos Spear Bearer
• Close to human athlete
• the enlarged and exaggerated side
and chest muscles his arms and legs
are practically bulging
• his genitals are almost non-existent for
the more you think a guy as early as
this wouldn't look this common
collected his active yet relaxed pose is
known as contrapposto this is where
the perfect idealism goes deeper
• polykleitos set a standard for men the
Greeks one is strong powerful men to
defend their civilizations but at the
same time they needed to be calm
and ready for battle to protect their
home and family
• at the time it didn't matter how big your
genitals so long as it worked and you
can still have sexual intercourse
• the size of the man's head it's 1/7 the
size of his body
✓ Parthenon
• constructed by a Tino's calico eighties
and phidias atop of the capitol of
athens from 447 to 432 BCE
• stood as a symbol of democracy and a
victory against the persian army to
show how powerful they really were it
was built in such a way that the sides
were curbed and formed an optical
illusion moving towards the back
actually curves downwards so it's
actually not perfectly flat and straight
• the most notable feature of the
Parthenon however is the inclusion of
the two main types of columns Doric
and ionic Doric columns were simple
and rigid placed around the outside of
military buildings to symbolize strength
and democracy just like the role of
men defined by Polykleitos
• ionic columns were more slender and
decorated placed only on the inside
like they needed to be protected yet
we're still supporting the inside these
relate to the roles of women as they
were expected to never leave the
house and to simply take care of the
children and the household ionic
columns would be used on the outside
of educational and government
• buildings acting as a peaceful
welcoming committee of sorts what
really solidified the role of woman
would be spear bearers
✓ Aphrodite of Knidos (350 BCE)
• Female counterpart Praxiteles
Aphrodite of Canaan OHS sculpted in
350 BCE
• the woman is similar to the man as
she is still in a contrapposto state yet
her body is exaggerated in different
ways
• she has curves an hourglass form
growing around the waist that is
because it symbolizes the sole use of
women at the time having children and
caring for them the wider
• waist is a sign of childbearing hips and
the bigger breasts show that she is
fertile and could feed her children
bringing back the earlier comment
about
• spear bearers head being 1/7 of his
body aphrodite's head is 1/8 of her
 body this difference is to show that
men were smarter thus their heads
and brains were inherently bigger
• for women it also defined the waist
ratio that we use even today to judge
the perfect women like Beyonce or
Marilyn Monroe unfortunately these
ideal human forms wouldn't say the
Greeks from an
Roman Empire/Civilization
• the Roman Empire the period of the
Romans spanned from about 500 BCE to
500 CE
• first group we learn of that crosses into
the Common Era
• the Romans were perfectionist they
always looked for the best method to
build architecture and art
✓ Aqueducts
• aqueducts commissioned in 312 BCE
by Roman politician Appius Claudius
cacus
• these man-made waterways were
meant to filter and transport clean
drinking water from mountain springs
to Roman cities however supporting
them was no easy task even using
post and lintel technique
• the invention of the arch built by
stacking stones and a semicircular
formation and sealing it with a key
stone bringing all the weight
downward yet all pushes together
evenly the arches were successful in
holding the aqueducts up for
thousands of years and proved
efficient in the need to use less
material than making a solid wall
• aqueducts allowed cities to live closer
to one another and form mega cities
as drinking water fountains were then
placed all over Rome
✓ Portrait of Rome’s First Emperor
Augustus Caesar
• can be considered Rome's own spear
bearer augustus of primaporta sculpted
in 20 BCE which is a portrait of Rome's
first emperor Augustus Caesar
• this artwork is important
because it broke away from something
other sculptures did before
• he's clothed the Romans were trying
to be more conservative and more
realistic no one nowadays would want
to see their country's leader naked
• can be compared to spear bearer, this
leans more towards realism not really
having any exaggerated body parts
• it almost seems like you can see the
raw details of his face like wrinkles
and other blemishes
• this style is known as bearer ISM
where portraits of people were done
as accurately as possible taking every
curve of the face into account
• augustus brought about the orators
gesture which is the pointing of the
index and middle finger outward this
stands for leadership and power and
it's something we still see today from
winston churchill modifying it into the
peace sign to the way Disney
employees guide guests throughout
the park
• Augustus is holding a staff in his left
hand it is said that this staff was given
to him by God when he formed the
Roman Empire and it would be
handed down every great leader after
him in fact the great.
✓ Great Roman Colosseum
• great Roman Colosseum built by
architects Vespasian and Titus and a
BCE jumping into the Common Era
• this arena was used for gory and
military entertainment slaves or war
captives would be thrown in to fight
each other or even animals for
everyone's amusement
• they'd be placed in the center in what
kind of looks like how our sports
arenas looked like now circular seats
facing downward into the center and a
hollowed-out area for all action takes
place
• besides continuing the use of arches
the Coliseum also brought about
another invention which if you're
having this class in the M building
 probably use every day instead of
taking the stairs the elevator while
there were more primitive and
harnessed weights and police to move
loads it was an imperative move
towards building much bigger
architecture
✓ The Pantheon
• the Pantheon which means all of the
gods built by Apollodorus of
Damascus in 125 C II
• as the name entails this grandiose
building was meant as a worshipping
space for the gods it signified Roman
Republic
• a symbol of the separation of church
and state as Roman politicians had
meetings in the outside courtyard
• the Pantheon came the invention of
several architectural techniques
• first we look at the giant dome sitting
on top as you can see as a giant hole
inside of it this is known as an oculus
signifying an eye towards the sky and
the gods it also had a practical use as
the Romans had trouble finishing the
top part of the dome it would have
collapsed should they have filled it in
but due to the height of the ceiling and
perfect circular form the dome held up
• introducing the Coriolis effect which
basically prevents nearly all rain from
coming inside through the top bite
spinning around the hole and exiting
back out creating a vacuum in the roof
also on the dome we see two other
architectural techniques
• sources and coffers the buttresses are
built up against the wall and are used
as reinforced support while the coffers
were used to empty out unneeded
space in the dome as well as looking
stylish and
Medieval Times/Period
• the medieval times which was around
900 to 1300 C II
• during these times the Roman
Catholic Church was becoming more
dominant so most of the features and
advancements in the arts were done in
their chapels and basilica's to
represent the early Gothic
✓ Basilica of Saint
• Denis designed by William have
sentence
• in 1140 C II and finally completed in
44 C
• similar to the Pantheon the floor plan
had a geometric layout forming a
cross symbolizing the one Jesus
Christ died on with this layout came
the application of a choir set beside
the altar
• they also reinvented buttresses to
become flying buttresses which were
used to resist the downward forces
pushing a wall outwards by redirecting
them to the ground Gothic churches
were much more dramatic than
Romanesque ones.
✓ Royal Santa Chapel
• commissioned by King Louie the ninth
of France to be built from 1242 to
1248 C II
• the goal of the Gothic style was to
make people fear God and mentally
forced them to go to church the
outside world was considered hell and
only in their churches where you
offered safety and salvation a way
• they utilized this fear was in their
gargoyles placed outside on the roof
people will be scared of these lovely
monsters and find cover inside and so
then once you were inside it was
beautiful
• the two-tire facade offered wholly
vertical emphasis and the sense of
almost weightlessness when you
looked above and the light shining in
through the stained glass window
symbolized divine light washing the
inside of the church along with this
came the use of pointed arches and
another supporting technique known
as vaults
• there were two types ribbed and groin
ribbed looked like well ribs and groin
involved two arches crossing each
other perpendicularly now stop
thinking about
A Timeline of Visual Art Movements
Renaissance Art
✓ Mona Lisa
• this iconic artwork was created by
DaVinci during the Renaissance
period which means rebirth
• it was characterized by introducing
depth in the painting since the
medieval artworks that came
before this period were all chip
Fleck and had a little sense of
dimension period
• oil paint allowed the artist to trade
many more complexities and using
this medium on canvas also
means that the paint can be much
more manipulated by the artist so
they could transform a two-
dimensional surface into a 3-
dimensional picture
• the good use of perception light
and shadows was important for the
illusion of depth as well since they
emphasize the main object of the
painting and draw your eyes to it
Baroque Art
• after the Renaissance King the
Baroque which used exaggerated
motion and clear easily interpreted
details to produce drama and
tension
• the Catholics search encourage
the popularity and success of the
Baroque style
• aristocracy viewed the dramatic
style of Baroque art in architecture
as a means of impressing visitors
by projecting triumph power and
control
• the Baroque contains dramatic
contrast between light and shadow
and it tries to draw the viewer to
participate in the scene.
Neoclassicism
• the characteristics of neoclassical
art include a concentration on the
Greek and Roman mythology
history for subjects some want
dramatic lighting in a rather clean
style with hard edges and bright
primary colors
• artists sought to faithfully
reproduce their architecture in
clothing of ancient times showing
reverence
Romanticism
• for traditional artistic ideas
romanticism was characterized by
its emphasis on emotion
individualism and the glorification
of all the past and nature
• romantic art can have dark style
showing a preference for the
mysterious
• some artists also use the occult
and The Satanic as a regular
feature in their works
• many artists painted pieces of art
there were portraits of royalty or
moments that capture the spirits of
nationality
Realism
• realism is broadly considered the
beginning of modern art due to its
conviction that everyday life and
the modern world were suitable
subjects for art
• realism in the art is the attempt to
represent subject matter truthfully
without artificiality and avoiding
artistic conventions exotic and
supernatural elements
• realist works of art may emphasize
the mundane ugly or sordid and
• fringe artists initially used realism -
sarcastically depict political issues
Impressionism
• Impressionism distinctive
brushstrokes are one of the main
characteristics of impressionist art
• painters used rapid spontaneous
lose large and visible brushstrokes
• these techniques separated them
from the traditional painting style
which demanded invisible
brushstrokes to make the painting
look lifelike
• lighting in the sense of movement
or focal points of the impressionist
art movement
• impressionist painters usually
separate the colors allowing the
viewers perception to mix
Post-Impressionism
• another art movement emerged as
a reaction against Impressionists
• concern for the naturalistic
depiction of light color
• post-impressionists extended
Impressionism while rejecting its
limitations they continued using
vivid colors and often take
application of paint but were more
inclined to emphasize symbolic
content and the use of unnatural
colors
• post-impressionists believed color
could be free from form and
composition as an emotion in the
static bearer of menu
Fauvism
• took this idea of separating color
from its representational purpose
even further allowing it to exist on
the canvas as an independent
element
• above all fauvism valued individual
expression the artist direct
experience of their subjects their
emotional response to nature and
their intuition were all more
important than academic theory or
elevated subject matter
Expressionism
• the arrival of Expressionism
announced that as new standards
in the creation and judgment of art,
• art was now meant to come forth
from within the artist rather than a
depiction of the external visual
world
• paintings are distorted radically for
emotional effect in order to evoke
nudes or ideas rather than being
fake with physical reality.
Cubism
• cubist artists abandon perspective
which had been used to depict
space since the Renaissance and
• they also turned far away from the
realistic modeling of figures
• Cubists explored open form
piercing figures and objects by
letting the space flow through them
blending background into the
foreground and showing objects
from various angles.
• these innovations may represent a
response to the changing
experience of space, movement in
time in the modern world.
Dadaism
• developed in reaction to world war
1 the dadaism is a movement
consisted of artists who reject the
logic, reason, and style of modern
capitalist society.
• instead expressing nonsense
irrationally an anti-capitalist protest
in their words Dada artists are
known for their use of ready-made
objects which are everyday objects
that are represented as art with
little manipulation by the artists.
Surrealism
• using the ready-made force
questions about artistic creativity
and the definition of art and its
purpose in society the surrealist
sought channel the unconscious to
unlock the power of imagination
• the work of Sigmund Freud was
profoundly influential for
Surrealists particularly his book
interpretation of Dreams published
in 1899 his exposure of the
complex and repressed inner
worlds of sexuality, desire, and
violence provided a theoretical
basis for much of surrealist
• Surrealists really like to put
together things they are not
normally seen together like a
lobster in a telephone
• (Lobster Telephone Art) “dolly
once said I do not understand why,
when I ask for a grilled lobster in
the restaurant, I am never served
a cooked telephone”
Abstract Expressionism
• Abstract Expressionism mostly
only abstract nor expressionist and
comprised several different styles
what united them in one art
movement was an intention to
redefine the nature of painting
• born out of profound emotion and
universal themes the most were
shaped by the legacy of surrealism
• in their success these New York
painters robbed Paris from its
mentor leader of modern art and
set the stage for America's
dominance for international art
world.
Pop art
• the movement presented a
challenge traditions of fine art by
including imagery from popular
and mass cultures such as
advertising comic books and
mundane culture objects
• in pop art the material is
sometimes visually removed from
its non-context, isolated and
combined with unrelated material
Photo Realism
• is a genre of art that encompasses
painting drawing and other graphic
media in which an artist studies a
photograph and then attempt to
reproduce the image as
realistically as possible in another
medium.
• these are just some of the art
movements there are many more
history and yet to come and
technology
is introducing many more means to
produce art nowadays we are able to
create illustrations using digital
devices such as iPads we can push
perspective to its Forrest's using
virtual reality or even print a
three-dimensional object using a 3d
printer all of these are great
opportunities for new artists to
experiment with arts limits.
Intro to Painting
Painting media.
Design Process
• This big squiggle that I have
here—this represents the design
process.
• And that little green dot represents
a final work that you see on the
gallery walls.
• And so artists aim to make this
final work as seamless, elegant,
and streamlined as possible.
• But to arrive at this moment of
clarity, the artists must make their
way through a lot of chaos and
uncertainty.
• And that's just how it goes with any
creative process. And so on my
journey
• with this specific painting that I'll be
talking about in this video, it began
with an idea: an idea of developing
an entire body of work that
contemporized medieval saints.
• It was a concept that I had
explored in grad school back in
2016
• when I made this contemporary
version of Sebastian, and after I
made this piece, I thought it would
just be an interesting project to
pursue someday.
• When I start the project, I begin by
just reading a few books on
medieval saints, by writing copious
notes and lists, and brainstorming
possibilities. This is the the kind of
wandering in the wilderness
phase, you
• I'm just kind of gathering and as I
quickly read through the the bios
of hundreds of figures from church
history, I develop an initial list of
about fifty figures or stories that I
find interesting.
• And then from there, I develop a
list of 18 for potential possibilities
for artwork.
• And then I cut that list down to my
final 12. And so here's actually one
of those those lists.
• And from this point, I'm just gonna
show you what my research
looked like for one of these ideas:
Francis of Assisi, who was actually
someone I had already been
drawn to before beginning this
project. He was born in the 12th
century and was one of the most
influential people in medieval
church history.
• And so when trying to determine
how to capture him:
• I compiled a folder of images of
artwork and studied how he has
been depicted in art history.

• He is typically shown with with
birds, and that's how people
identify him to be Francis. And this
tradition really recalls a time when
Francis was preaching and all the
birds come around him as if they're
listening. And so he's often
depicted in art with with birds.
• And so I'm thinking about this--kind
of paying attention not only to
details like the birds, but also to
gestures and things like the bare
feet.
• I was also considering other
stories from the life of Francis. So
there was this famous story of how
Francis renounces his wealth, by
publicly removing his expensive
clothes, and then he devotes his
life to poverty.
• And so this image here shows him
removing a shirt and pronouncing
his wealth in his life.
• Francis really aimed to imitate
Christ and Christ's suffering, and
so I was trying to think about how • I was also looking at other
to incorporate these themes and Christian imagery and looking at
how to capture it. poses, you know, like the
cruciform pose of Christ, as well as
the posture of prayer that the early
Christian's used.
• And so I was looking at that, I was
also thinking of how to
contemporize all of this. You know,
bring this historic imagery into
modernity and allowing it to speak
to a new audience.
• As I was researching Francis and • And so I started looking at bird
birds, I came across this photo. feeders and bird baths. I liked how
And it was funny at first, but then I these contemporary objects
found that there was just provided rest and nourishment for
something striking about that nest birds before they took off in flight.
on his head.
• I also liked how it reminded me of
the crown of thorns, and so I kind
of tucked to these ideas away.

• And as I was looking at these
imagery I stumbled upon this funny
image, which strangely resonated,
and got me thinking of lots of
ideas.
• And so I started sketching out all
these different concepts. And
actually, here's one of those early
sketches.
• I became fascinated with the idea
of bird feeders hanging on Francis
as if he were like a tree, you know,
trying to provide rest and
nourishment and sustain the birds
Some spiritual symbolism there.
• I also liked how he was replicating
the cruciform and that the nest on
his head looked like the crown of
thorns. And so I was just kind of
seeing a lot of layers developing
here, and so I saw that this had
potential.
• And then I started working with the
silhouettes, and thinking about
what it would look like if I added
birds and when I did, I really liked
how this was looking.
• And so this was when I started
really kind of locking down on this
particular concept.
• And so I took this concept, and I
start working out the form and clay
so that I could experiment with just
some different lighting.
• I then returned to my images and
thought who I might ask to model
for the work.
• I went through the picture directory
and immediately saw some
connections between imagery of
Francis and my friend Reed.
• So I shoot Reed a message on
social media, and I asked if he
would be willing to participate and
explain the project a little bit.
• And he agrees, and then we set up
a time for the photo shoot. And I
go out, and I buy bird feeders and
my friend Lindsey helps me with
with the photo shoots. And we
actually had a few back-to-back.
• And so here we are testing out the
lighting before my friend Reed
arrives for the photo shoot. So he
comes, and I have the bird feeders
and all the bird seeds set up.
• And we just take a variety of
photos some in different lighting
with different arrangements of the
feeders. And here are some clips
of that process.
• So after a 30-minute session, I
then take the pictures and go back
 home and kind of look through the
pictures and select one that I will
use as my final reference.
• And then, I take the pictures, and I
put them on Photoshop. I removed
the background and combined a
few elements.
• And then it's time to add the birds,
and I actually expect a few hours
just working out the arrangements
of the birds only to discover that
the arrangements that feels the
best--in hindsight--resembles this
outline of wings.
• So, you know, fun things along the
way. It's at this point that I need to
make some decisions about the
color scheme that I'll be using for
the painting. I actually keep an
assortment of favorite color
schemes saved on Instagram.
• So I go through all of these, and I
pick out the ones that just give me
the same vibe that I want this
particular painting to give. And
from those, I take these color
schemes and come up with 80 Final Painting Stages: (Oil
options for the background color. I Painting)
know this is a bit extreme, but then
from those 80 options, I narrow it
down to eight.
• There is the base coat layer and
this covers the white surface so I'm
not fighting the white the whole
• And here's where I land on the time and it also gives the painting
final color arrangements. And now just an overall tone and unifying
once I've got all of this worked out, color underneath everything.
I am finally ready to go to the large
painting. But as you can see, a lot
had to be worked out before I
could turn my attention to making
this final piece.
• Now when it is time for the final
painting, the painting itself goes
through many different stages.
• In the second layer, I then draw
out the figure and arrange the
composition. And then I go in and
thinly paint in the values-- so that's
actually what you see me doing
here in the video. It's at this point
that I'm not my only focus is on the
accuracy of the the drawing and
the values. I'm not really
 concerned about color, I just need
to get this initial thin layer down.
• The third layer takes the longest.
This is when I've establish my
values, but I need to go over
everything and really try to match
the color and and bring in the form.
And then the last layer is when I
bring in things like my palette knife
and I focus on surface details, and
just do all the major kind of
refinements. Here are a few clips
from those last two stages and you
can see me utilize different
techniques and mark-making to
just bring in some variety here.
• Now each piece in the series took
around two to three weeks. This
was the largest one, so it took
around three weeks. And now I'm
showing you the final image. And
here we are at one of the
exhibitions. Here's a quick scan of
all of the paintings in the series.
• The work was shown in several
galleries in Arkansas before
landing at the M2 gallery in Little
Rock, where the piece was then
purchased by a collector.