ACRYLIC PAINTING
Overview
Title: Nymph Lake
Size: 30.48 cm x 60.96 cm Medium: Acrylic Paint on Stretched Canvas Date: December 2023 Exhibition Text
"Nymph Lake" is an acrylic painting I made based on a picture I took while hiking in Colorado in July of 2023. Hiking has always been a very integral part of my identity as it's an activity I enjoy with my family, so it was important for me to make a painting that reflected this aspect of my life. I've always appreciated the beauty of nature, and wanted to create a painting that displayed this beauty. I was inspired by Claude Monet when creating this piece.
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INSPIRATIONS
I looked to Monet’s piece “The Parc Monceau” for inspiration on how to accurately display perspective in a landscape painting. I was inspired by this piece because similarly to my piece Monet is working with painting trees in both the foreground and background of this piece. I was inspired by how he was able to use the size of the trees in order to create perspective.
I also found inspiration in his pieces “Water Lilies” and “The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool”, which are both landscape paintings that include water and water lilies. The landscape that I’m painting includes water lilies sitting on top of a pond so I thought that it would be beneficial for me to study how Monet accurately depicted water lilies and the reflection of the rest of the landscapes reflection on the water. I hoped to achieve the same look as the water in these Monet pieces in my own painting. Overall, I took inspiration from Claude Monet’s use of perspective, color, and technique in creating my own work. |
I found inspiration for my piece in the works of Claude Monet. Monet was a French Impressionist painter who is most well known for his landscape paintings. He used a lot of colors and light when creating his paintings which I was really intrigued by. Upon first looking at Monet’s work, I was drawn in by his use of bright colors and the way he used light to accurately depict landscapes and scenes that he was viewing. I was particularly intrigued by his piece “Path in the Wheat Fields at Pourville '' because of how Monet chose to use orange and green in the foreground of the piece. All of the colors in this piece were very muted, yet still somehow gave a vibrant and lively appearance to the piece. I wanted to be able to achieve this same look in my own landscape painting. I don’t want to have to use very vibrant colors in order to give a lively appearance to my piece as I’d like to use a softer color palette to complete this painting.
Another place I found inspiration in Claude Monet’s work is his use of perspective to create an accurate image of a landscape. In the photograph that I’m replicating there is a lot of perspective that I’ll need to keep in mind, with the trees being larger in the foreground and slowly becoming smaller as they move towards the background. |
PLANNING
I also practiced how I wanted to paint certain aspects in the painting such as the trees and lily pads. Since I usually paint portraits rather than landscape, I didn't have experience with how to paint greenery in an accurate and realistic way. I used acrylic paint in order to make some basic versions of the greenery that I wanted to include in my painting. After painting the lily pads I realized that I needed a lot more practice with how to paint these plants in a similar way to Monet. I also practiced with painting the trees and discovered that I needed to do a lot more experimentation than I thought I needed because I needed to practice how to create the shape of the pine needles and highlights in the needles.
For my final sketch I specifically practiced painting the form of pine trees because this formal element was the most repeated on throughout the painting since the treeline goes along the entire painting. I practiced painting the trees using a variety of techniques and brushes. I used fanned, pointed, and flat brushes to experiment with which brush would create the best appearance for my final painting. I discovered that I preferred the shape that the flat and pointed brushes created, but I wanted to also use the fanned brushes to create texture in a similar way to how the texture of Monet's trees looked. |
When beginning to plan for creating my painting, I first found it beneficial to sketch out two different orientations of how I wanted to create my painting. Since I was painting based on an already existing picture, I did my best to accurately depict this image and all of the details included in it. I created two graphite sketches of the basic aspects of the picture that I wanted to include in my painting. I made one of these sketches in a horizontal orientation and the other in the vertical orientation. I had already created my canvas, but I wasn't sure whether I wanted the picture to be in portrait or landscape. After looking at both of the sketches I decided that I preferred the horizontal orientation not only because I simply thought it looked better but it also better communicated my love for hiking and nature by including more greenery.
I created my next sketch in color and combined the horizontal orientation with colors so that I could visibly see the way that the final painting would look. When using the colored pencil, I didn't necessarily sketch out every individual aspect of the painting because it was too time consuming and I just wanted to get the basic layout of the colors rather than create a detailed rendition of what I wanted the painting to look like. |
PROCESS
I repainted this section dark brown and instantly saw that this was the right call to make because the piece looked a lot more cohesive this way. I then went in with a very small flat brush and began to add the tops of trees to this reflection. This made the reflection look more detailed and realistic because it appeared to actually be reflecting the pine trees in the water. I also began to paint the shoreline at this part in the process. I used a base of light green to create the basic shape of the shoreline, and then began to use a darker shade of green to add the blades of grass. I also began to add the reflection of the blades of grass in the water. To finish off the water I used a very small brush to add assorted greenery and lilies across the water.
I then moved onto painting the pine trees surrounding the water. I used a pointed brush and dark green to create the base of the trees, making sure to keep perspective in mind and making the trees smaller as I reached the center of the canvas. Then I layered lighter shades of green on top of this to add dimension to the trees. I finished off the piece by painting the sky. I replicated the clouds that were in my reference photo and lined up the colors and forms within the reflection of the water with the clouds in the sky. When creating these clouds I used a number of techniques in order to make the clouds appear more realistic such as scumbling and using a small amount of paint on thee brush. |
When beginning my process I first started by projecting my picture onto my canvas in order to get accurate proportions for my body in comparison to the rest of the landscape. I then started by sketching out the basic shapes of the picture, and then going back in and using more detail. It was important for me to include more detail on this initial sketch than I typically do because there were a lot of small details that I had to keep in mind when I began painting.
Once the sketch was completed, I did an acrylic wash on the sky and the water in the painting. I took a thin layer of blue and covered these sections in order to create a base for the other shades of blue that I would later have to add on top of it. Once that dried I began painting everything in the foreground of the piece. I knew that it was going to be easier for me to start with the object in the foreground, and slowly make my way towards the background so I started with painting the dirt, logs, and plants at the base of the piece. I used a variety of brushes for this section, a larger brush to create a base of one color and then a smaller brush to add detail on top. This was a technique I utilized throughout my piece. Once completely the greenery, I moved onto painting myself, making sure to include the folds of my shirts and small details on my legs and arms. Next I began working on the water, knowing that this was going to be the most time consuming part of the process for me. I started with creating a base of a light blue paint, and then going in with white to show the reflection of the clouds in the water. I used a variety of blues in order to create dimension in the reflections of the water. When painting the darker reflection in the water, I initially used a dark green because that was the color of the pine trees that would be reflected against the water. However I soon realized once looking at my reference photo that the color of this reflection was closer to brown than it was green. |
EXPERIMENTATION
My other forms of experimentation occurred while I was creating my piece. I did a lot of experimentation with color throughout my piece. I had to not only use color to accurately depict the scene in my photograph, but I also needed to use different shades of color to create dimension. I struggled with creating accurate shades of color based on my photograph so much so that it began to hinder the process of creating my painting. Eventually I began to tell myself that it was impossible for me to perfectly recreate every single color and detail in my photograph which made the process a lot smoother.
I also did a lot of experimentation with the type of brush I was using and the techniques I used with these brushes. For the smaller details of the piece I primarily used a small flat brush as this allowed me to have the most control over the form. For the larger sections of the piece such as the base of the sky, water, and dirt, I used a large flat brush initially and then went back over it with either a pointed brush or a smaller flat brush. With these brushes I had to experiment with which techniques would allow me to achieve the most accurate representation of the formal elements of my photograph. For some sections I simply used flat paint without dimension, while other sections required techniques such as scumbling. |
Before creating my painting, I first needed to experiment with some of the basic forms, colors, and blending that I needed to use in my piece. I experimented with Claude Monet's technique of painting lilies in order to get a better idea of the techniques he used. I started by creating a base of one shade of green and then using a different shade of green to create a circle of color around this lily pad. I then used a different shade of green in the center. This technique is similar to what Monet used except I used only green and he used a larger variety of colors when creating his lily pads. I repeated this process two more times, each time using a different variation of the same shades of green.
I also did more experimentation with the general shapes and colors that I was going to be using in my painting. I made a very rough version of some of the formal elements of my piece such as the treeline and the reflection in the water. This gave me an extremely basic idea of how to properly layout the reflection in the water. In addition I also practiced with different brush techniques and colors that I was going to use in my painting. |
CRITIQUE
There are a lot of similarities between my piece and my inspiration, Claude Monet. For starters, the most obvious similarity between our pieces is that we both depict landscapes with a lot of greenery in our pieces. Both my piece "Nymph Lake" and his piece "The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool" include trees in the background of the piece with a body of water full of water lilies in the middle ground. In addition, we both used bright and lively colors to create our landscapes. I used a variety of greens and blues in my piece which shares a similar color palette to his pieces "The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool" and "Path in the Wheat Fields at Pourville". Another similarity between our pieces is our use of form to create perspective in a piece. In my piece I created perspective by making the trees smaller as you reach the middle of the canvas. In Claude Monet's piece "Path in the Wheat Fields at Pourville" perspective is created through the size of objects in the foreground and background of the piece.
There are also a lot of differences between my piece and Claude Monet's work. The most significant difference is our mediums and how we used our mediums. Monet used oil paint and followed an Impressionist style when creating his pieces. I however, used acrylic paint and did not replicate his Impressionist style in my own piece. This difference can visibly be seen because in Monet's pieces "Path in the What Fields at Pourville" and "The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool" you can visibly see the brushstrokes of his Impressionist style whereas in my piece you can only see my brushstrokes in a few places. Another difference between our pieces is that I included myself in my piece and Monet did not include people in his landscape pieces. In this case, including myself in my piece directly assisted in representing my theme.
There are also a lot of differences between my piece and Claude Monet's work. The most significant difference is our mediums and how we used our mediums. Monet used oil paint and followed an Impressionist style when creating his pieces. I however, used acrylic paint and did not replicate his Impressionist style in my own piece. This difference can visibly be seen because in Monet's pieces "Path in the What Fields at Pourville" and "The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool" you can visibly see the brushstrokes of his Impressionist style whereas in my piece you can only see my brushstrokes in a few places. Another difference between our pieces is that I included myself in my piece and Monet did not include people in his landscape pieces. In this case, including myself in my piece directly assisted in representing my theme.
REFLECTION
Overall, this piece taught me a lot about myself as an artist and helped me to acquire a lot of new skills and techniques that I hadn't used before. I am also very happy with the outcome of this piece, and would consider this to be one of my favorite pieces that I've made. This painting challenged me in ways that I've never experienced before. Not only have I never painted a landscape piece before, but I've never created a piece with this level of detail. This painting pushed me to learn new skills such as painting reflections. This is a skill that I've always been fascinated with when observing other artists' works, and I found it extremely beneficial to create a piece that included this element. The inspiration of my piece can particularly be seen in the amount of detail that I included in the greenery of the piece and the reflection on the water. The biggest challenge I faced when creating this piece was forcing myself to not overly focus on every small detail of the photograph. This painting took me a lot longer than I thought it would because I kept catching myself obsessing over very small details that I couldn't realistically represent. I eventually forced myself to not paint every single minute detail which made the process a lot faster and smoother. My favorite part of this process was painting all of the individual details such as the blades of grass and lily pads. Though it may have been very time consuming, I enjoyed filling the canvas with very small details in order to bring my photograph to life. I hope that other are able to look at my piece "Nymph Lake" and consider the importance of nature in their own lives and how nature has the ability to strengthen connections to not only our surroundings, but also people.
ACT QUESTIONS
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
You are able to visually see the connections between my piece and my inspiration. My piece and Claude Monet's pieces are both landscape pieces that include a lot of detail to create dimension and perspective.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
How technique and form are used to create perspective and accurate depictions of scenic landscapes.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Different shades of colors can be used to create dimension within a form.
4. What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
How Claude Monet used form to create perspective in his landscape paintings and how he used color to create a lively atmosphere in his work.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that Monet's goal was to create accurate depictions of his surroundings through his landscape paintings.
You are able to visually see the connections between my piece and my inspiration. My piece and Claude Monet's pieces are both landscape pieces that include a lot of detail to create dimension and perspective.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
How technique and form are used to create perspective and accurate depictions of scenic landscapes.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Different shades of colors can be used to create dimension within a form.
4. What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
How Claude Monet used form to create perspective in his landscape paintings and how he used color to create a lively atmosphere in his work.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that Monet's goal was to create accurate depictions of his surroundings through his landscape paintings.
CITATIONS (MLA)
“Path in the Wheat Fields at Pourville (Chemin Dans Les Blés à Pourville).” Path in the Wheat Fields at Pourville (Chemin Dans Les Blés à Pourville) | Denver Art Museum, 1 Jan. 1882, www.denverartmuseum.org/en/object/2016.365.
French, Claude Monet. “Claude Monet: Landscape: The Parc Monceau.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1 Jan. 1876, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437107.
French, Claude Monet. “Claude Monet: Water Lilies.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1 Jan. 1970, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438008.
“Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool, Giverny.” Philadelphia Museum of Art, philamuseum.org/collection/object/59194. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
French, Claude Monet. “Claude Monet: Landscape: The Parc Monceau.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1 Jan. 1876, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437107.
French, Claude Monet. “Claude Monet: Water Lilies.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1 Jan. 1970, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438008.
“Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool, Giverny.” Philadelphia Museum of Art, philamuseum.org/collection/object/59194. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.