Edges

[Peggy Baumgaertner]

Peggy, is that to be interpreted as all in one session? Or would there be some drying time in between?

Tom,

I do not mean alla prima, all at once. I mean directly, with several drying layers between applications. (I myself paint directly with at least four layers of paint applied to each painting. I do no tonal underpainting. I like the richness and patina of the layering of paint, but love the passion and spontaneity of painting directly.)

Peggy

[Jim Riley]

Chris,

Good job of covering the question of hard and lost edges. And I agreed with your reference to Schmid's book and the fine examples found within of great edge treatment.

I have attached a water color demo that painted for a figure/portrait class several years ago with the hope of negating the tendency for my near beginner group to outline figures/faces, make all flesh the same hue with light and dark values, and to smooth out each and every brush stroke. Fortunately the likeness was also good and it had some favorable effect on the group. I emphasised that colors, brush strokes, and colors could be exaggerated and even somewhat arbitrary and might make their paintings more interesting without sacrificing likeness.

[Marta Prime]

I ran across an art auction at one of our local hotels this weekend. The paintings were wonderful re-creations of many famous paintings. I spent a lot of time examining them up close. Most were quite large and sitting on the floor so I could really see them well. I was really noticing how they handled the edges on these....so soft, and they just melted into the background. I do Ok on edges within the painting, where the halftones meet, etc, but I would like my outer edges to be softer, especially when a dark background is used. I see a lot of talk about making edges soft, but no technique that is devulged to make this happen. When I try to soften edges with thinner, they bleed into the dark background. Right now it is trial and error to get the edges right. Anyone care to elaborate on how they do this? I would really appreciate information on this.

[Tom Martinez]

Alicia,

An edge can be either sharp or soft. Losing an edge and finding it again is the principle that you're seeking. Let's assume that you are working on a form, any form, and the outer boundary of that form has a noticeable edge. As you follow that edge it enters into an area where the light is striking that form in a strong manner(highlighting it). The edge disappears (losing it) in the highlighted area. When that edge travels out of the strong light, it then becomes apparent again, thus it is found (a found edge). I hope that this helps.

[Tom Martinez]

I happened to think of another example... Say that you are viewing a cable that is traveling in front of a shadow in such a manner that it has a strong contrast to the shadow, thereby giving it a hard edge. The cable, then, turns and travels into the shadow in such a manner that it obtains the same value and hue of the shadow and becomes invisible, thereby giving it a lost edge. Then, it turns again and travels out of the shadow. As it comes into the light its edge becomes apparent and is seen as a soft edge. But, then, as it nears and enters into the strong light, it becomes a hard edge.

[Tom Martinez]

Peggy Baumgaertner wrote:

He did a detailed drawing (cartoon), underpainted in tin yellow, and began immediately to paint the correct color and value. He would use some glazing in the final process as indicated, and would also do some impasto for emphasis.

Peggy, is that to be interpreted as all in one session? Or would there be some drying time in between?

[Khaimraj Seepersad]

Peggy, thanks for this:

Everything I have read would indicate that Vermeer painted in the direct manner...Titian, Velasquez, Hals, Rembrandt, as well as Sargent and the Bostonian painters also painted in the direct manner.

I always wondered where my painting technique evolved from. Plus the over layer addition of just paint with a little medium and oil-rich, pigment-poor glazes.

Tim, thanks for this:

Furthermore with the green underpainting (the effect so often referred to) only works if done with careful transparent glazing. Truly opaque colors put on top will be just that, opaque. The truth that few ever talk about is that underpainting was often just slow careful drawing and design put on lean (with turps and no oil - thinly) and colorless with full expectation of being obliterated with later color.

I am looking at some Titian layers and the above makes sense of what I am watching.

There is a site up for the book - Vermeer's Camera
by Steadman, I believe. Makes for interesting reading.

Administrator's note: Find "Vermeer's Camera" as well as other books on Vermeer at the bookstore at: http://www.portraitartist.com/bookstore/vermeer.htm

[Steve Moppert]

Chris,

Great post on edges, they are so important! Richard Schmid is one of the featured artists in the January 2002 issue of Southwest Art magazine.

Steve

[Timothy C. Tyler]

I know of a few artists; ones that some of you have spoken of favorably herein, that will work to determine which ONE edge will be hard in a painting, especially a small head. One and only one...only one can be the "most-est"!(sic); then all others are to some degree softer. The effect is pretty awesome.

[Timothy C. Tyler]

As with underpainting, I think much too much is often attributed to those "small little pieces of red and green next to each other". I've heard this said of Rembrandt, Fechin, Bouguereau, Vermeer, Sargent and about anyone else written about at length by non-painters. I don't see much of it. If it's there and it's not visible (to the naked eye) does it count? Furthermore with the green underpainting (the effect so often referred to) only works if done with careful transparent glazing. Truly opaque colors put on top will be just that, opaque. The truth that few ever talk about is that underpainting was often just slow careful drawing and design put on lean (with turps and no oil-thinnly) and colorless with full expectation of being obliterated with later color.