Oil Paint: Black vs. Color

For our last Studio 1 Assignment, we had to create a composition with something black, and other bright colors, and paint it using oil paints. We had to use the color black by mixing other colors together. My goals and intentions in this work were to create interesting colors, and create the shape and value of objects using different shades of the same color. What surprised me most was how you can easily mix several colors and get the exact shade you see in your composition. My drawing is about colors and value, and creating interesting shapes. The most difficult challenge was trying to get my painting to look like the actual composition, and somewhat realistic. I met this challenge by thinking creatively and taking advice from Mr. G and just making it interesting to look at, while still getting the colors I saw. I experienced the shift to artistic thinking when I began to think of the objects as just bunches of color instead of actual objects. I think my drawing really works in the shadows and the colors in the crystal ball and the shoe. Some things I learned were patience, mixing colors, and how to layer paint to make different colors and textures. I really liked how Lauren layered her paint and really showed the colors in the shoes, and I also liked how Misha created her colors and did her shadows. If I had a do-over, I would try and add more texture and value to my painting. I feel the best thing about my work is how I created the shadows and highlights. Also this was a fun last project and I'm gonna miss this class next semester :)