we need to start thinking about color as light...all highlights are not = white, all shadows are not = brown/black...stop using so much white!! here are some paintings to look at =)
this is a painting by Fairfield Porter...this is a good example of breaking things down into shapes...also notice how he uses different values to create the light in the background
this is another Porter...again, everything is shapes and color (look at the red on the table and the orange blocks of light on the floor!)
look at that red on the hat! the highlight is simply a more saturated, oranger version of the shadow color
again, the color of the light vs. the dark
even the "disco highlights" in the orange fabric are a bright yellow-orange (not white)
Hopper
Degas
this is Philip Koch, a painting professor here at MICA...his work is great to look at because his paintings are all so vivid and have a great sense of color...you should look at his website.
another Philip Koch
this is a Euan Uglow painting...I picked this for the variety of tones in the flesh and because I love that pink tone in the legs
Look at how clearly defined each mark is in this Freud portrait...every mark is intentional and is integral to the painting as a whole
another Freud...notice also how every mark indicates the direction of the planes...and how much variety there is within the legs alone! He seems to literally be carving the figure out of paint.
Ok hopefully that's enough inspiration to get you excited about your paintings! Learn/steal from the pros!
