ART M43 / Beginning Painting I / Erika Lize

Chiaroscuro Warm-ups
Due: January 30th

Chiaroscuro is an Italian term which means light and dark. In the visual arts the word refers to the way an artist uses light and dark values to render an object to look three dimensional on a two dimensional surface. A strong and direct light source is necessary for chiaroscuro. There is a full range of value with chiaroscuro, from highlight to cast shadow. Definitions Highlight the lightest area, the place where light strikes the object directly. Quarter Tone the second lightest area, sits next to and is blended with the highlight. Half Tone the value range that is the midpoint between the lightest and darkest areas. Base Tone the darkest area on the surface of the object. Reflected Light light that is bouncing off the surface that the object is sitting on. Cast Shadow the shadow that is created/cast by the object on the surface it sits on or on objects surrounding it. The range of values used with chiaroscuro may change depending on the tonal key of the piece. (The tonal key being the overall lightness/darkness of a painting, creating a dominant mood.) Compare the tonal keys of the spheres next to the gray-scale to see how they correspond: Tonal Keys High values found in the upper/lightest third of the scale. Medium values found in the middle third of the scale. Low values in the lowest/darkest part of the scale. You can see from these examples that chiaroscuro can be used in a variety of ways, depending on how you are using value in your work. Remember that even within a certain tonal key, there is still a range of value, which will help to create the illusion of three-dimensional objects.
Images from Drawing: Space, Form, Expression by Wayne Enstice and Melody Peters

Chromatic Blacks A chromatic black is a black that has been created through the mixing of colors, rather than from one straight pigment. There are many ways that you can create a chromatic black. Often times it is recommended that Ultramarine Blue be mixed with an earth tone, like Burnt Umber or Burnt Sienna. Alternatively you can add in some Alizarin Crimson, and substitute the Burnt hue with a Raw Umber or Raw Sienna. For this project we will be experimenting with different mixtures, creating at least 3 different chromatic blacks. Project Description We will begin the semester with an exercise that is meant to help you get comfortable with painting, while using some basic painting techniques. You will learn how to blend and practice this technique first through painting a value scale, then by painting 4 volumes using different tonal keys, each with a different variation of black. Objectives To become familiar with painting supplies and materials. To practice creating your own chromatic blacks through the mixing of paint. To paint value scales from white to black, where there is minimal visible brushwork and a very smooth progression from value to value. To paint 4 volumes: each with a different tonal key: high key, medium key, low key and one with a full range of value. Viewers should be able to distinguish between the different keys when looking at your volumes. To practice blending so that the surface of these volumes is smooth and visible brushwork is kept to a minimum. Process The first point of this project is to give you the opportunity to begin to explore painting and get a feel for your supplies and materials. I will give a demonstration on how to set up your painting station, as well as how to begin painting. We will begin the project first by mixing our 3 chromatic blacks. Experiment with different variations of the above-mentioned colors and save your chromatic blacks in your small containers. Be sure to label each one, and write down the recipe used to create each hue. Once your blacks are mixed, break down your canvas into quadrants. Each quadrant will be painted with a different black, 3 chromatic blacks and the fourth quadrant will be painted with your Mars Black straight from the tube. This will give you the chance to see how differently these pigments look. Next, we are going to tackle one of the hardest parts of painting with acrylics, blending. Begin by painting a value scale going across the entire length of one the quadrants (you can tape areas off if youd like to keep things neater). You will have to go over this band several times to make the paint saturated, to minimize brushstrokes and to make the flow of the value scale smooth. Remember that this is practice, and blending is not easy. Keep at it until you are satisfied with the results and you feel somewhat comfortable with the process. Following your value scale, you will begin to paint one of the 3D volumes that will be set up in the classroom. You must pick a different volume for each quadrant. Each volume will have its own unique tonal key: high, medium and low key, and a full range of value. Begin with your full range of value volume to get the hang of seeing how the values change as they go across the surface of the shape. Practice replicating these changes exactly as you see them, and you will see your initial sketch of the shape transform into a three-dimensional volume. Next, work on the high, medium and low key volumes. The goal of this part of the project is to continue to practice your blending (now being applied to a threedimensional form), so again patience will be important! Remember to keep in mind that when painting the high key volume you are using the range of value just in the lightest third of the value scale, the medium key uses that middle third of the value scale and the low key shape will just be using the darkest third of the value scale. When your piece is completed, viewers should be able to tell the difference between your keys. If two of them are too similar, you will have to go back and make adjustments.