Q&A

SCRIVERE SOTTOTITOLO

Q&A

We have collected the most common questions regarding the course and asked them to Emma, here are the answers.

​Where can I buy Vitrail?

This question has been raised a lot since the course started. Personally, I buy it in France, I have not found it in any regular artist store in Sweden and since I regularly travel to France it has been easy for me to just get new ones when needed.

If there was a universal solution, we would of course give it to all of you but since we have students from all over the world and every country have their own trading policy the availability is varied. However, the Vitrail is sold online by Amazon and they deliver to most countries, so I suggest you start there if not finding it in your area.

What is it exactly you refer to with “washing up liquid”?

Haha, sorry if this is not presented in an obvious way. Washing-up liquid, dishwashing liquid or dish soap , is just what you use for washing your plates, mixed with some water.

In the demonstration video, some of the paints you mix seem thinner than others, why do you do that?

The reason I use some variation in consistency with different mixes for the same painting is to get various effects. The Vitrail, that I use for cells, expand differently depending on the thickness of the paint, and sometimes I want some effects in certain areas of the painting and other effects in other areas.

However, do not blend them too differently in consistency, then it will be hard for the colors to mix well and blend into each other during and after the pouring. And also, even if you want to try to mix to a more fluid consistency, do not go too thin, it will affect the drying time and also there is a risk of the paint gathering in the middle during the drying process if the canvas is not stretched hard enough.

How do you know where to start with details in order to strengthen the composition?

Well, this comes naturally to me, already during the pouring process I start to get aware of the composition and start to identify the key areas for the artwork. You really can’t plan an exact composition when doing fluid art, there is always an element of chance which will affect the outcome. However, for me, strengthen the composition is about what you do when the paint has dried, and you have something to reflect on it. Then I start to analyze the different directions of the paint and which areas that I want to highlight. Here, I take my time trying to figure out which kind of details that will add value to different part of the paintings and make it more “whole” and coherent. Also, don’t forget to flip the painting around to get an idea of which direction should be up and which should be down. The painting will change completely depending on which way you choose for it to be up and down.

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Again, I do not follow any rules here, in the course there was a section about a more theoretical approach to composition you can engage in further. For me, the composition starts with the pour and ends with the complete painting. And as mentioned in the course, I usually use lines, dots and spray paint to get in a place where I find the artwork making sense and being balanced in a comfortable way.

My dots and lines just gets messy, any special advice to make it look smoother?

Haha, well, this happens for me too from time to time. In both examples the consistency is the key. When making lines, I usually start with a marker, then fill them in with a thin brush. But you don’t have to fill all the lines with a brush, the mix between marker and brush can make a nice dynamic effect, in my point of view.

For the brush work, if you don’t use leftover paint from the pour, try to add some pouring medium (and possibly some water) in the acrylic, so the paint gets more flexible and the brush stroke smoother. When it gets to the dots you can actually try the other way around, make sure the paint is not too fluid, this way the dots will be more concentrated and solid.

I have seen you do artworks on plexiglass, any tips for that?

I do not have any concrete tips, I have worked on plexiglass for some time now and this is mainly for the possibilities to get a transparent effect on some left out areas and through the cells. Since it is transparent you can also see the painting from both sides if you hang it from the roof in the middle of a room, I think that is kind of cool (although a bit more difficult to place in an “ordinary” home).

Regarding the process there are really not any differences from doing fluid art on a similar substrate such as wood. Compared to canvas, the surface is of course harder which makes the paint flow faster, so you need to be concentrated and steady on hand when tilting it when the paint is still wet. And of course, make sure the plexi sheet dries on a very level surface.

How do you plan your mix of colors?

This can really vary a lot! Sometimes I just start with a blue shade in some different gradations and see where it leads me, do I want to make some hard contrasts with pure white? Or do I want to move a little bit towards purple? I have done this so many times, and of course sometimes it turns out really bad, but it comes naturally to me now, I can just follow my intuition. My best tip is to try to follow your own intuition and feeling when you mix paint.

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However, I have some pointers if you don’t have that much experience in harmonizing colors. First of all, study paintings! A lot of paintings! From different styles and expressions, try to understand why the artist have chosen their colors, what makes them work well together and is it easy for the eye. Also, build your own color maps. Just take a square meter of canvas, do a lot of mixing and apply one brushstroke for each mix on different areas of the canvas. You will start to see patterns and find clusters of nuances that works well together.

How do you “fix” mistakes or messed up parts?

Haha, well we have all been there and will keep getting there, doing mistakes is inescapable. If the paint is still wet, I try to go over it with a new layer, in this way I can “hide” a mess-up. If I find parts that I am not pleased with after the paint has dried, I try to “fix it” by shading it or toning it down. For this I usually use a sponge and some new paint or spray paint.

I think I make the most parts as you do it, but the results are still not satisfying, any ideas?

Well, that is a tricky question! I think we have all been there sometimes, for example, when you try out doing a drawing for the first time, you think it will look like the subject you try to depict but often it does't until you have practiced enough. Practice gives experience and the more you do it the closer you get to what you are really trying to achieve.

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But in general, I can think of two things that is a common problem for many artists in the earlier stages, not just in fluid art but in general. Both really impact the experience of the final results. The first is the colors and tones, as mentioned before, some colors work well together and some don't. Colors that are put together but don't harmonize makes it hard for the eye to appreciate and you will not find it pleasant. Really, if this mistake could be a problem for you, go back to your mixes and start discovering combinations and gradations that work well together. The second thing I can think of is the composition. This is also discussed before but is a common problem for many artists. The painting needs to be balanced, otherwise it will look unnatural, and again hard to appreciate.

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I believe anyone can improve in both of these areas, I still do every day in the studio, and with more understanding and practice you will get there.