The artificial word MALTRICKS is a combination of Malen, what means to paint and tricks. This technical term describes ways to create or arrange an artwork and the handling of brushes, palette knives or other equipment. To avoid environmental pollution and also because of own health I'm using acrylic colors which are based on water as thinner. Oil colours needs turpentine to get a liquid colour and universal thinner to clean brushes or palette knives. Oil colors include heavy metal like lead, cadmium, cobalt,etc. These toxic ingridients have to be handled with caution. The procedure of drying take days before working on the next layer. Thinner smells intensively. Because of these reasons I use acrylic colors mainly.
To avoid a thoroughly cleaning of brushes after use a brush washer can be helpful. This device consist of a jar with a spiral made of wire located above (spring coil). The brush can be sticked into this spiral so bristles can be temporary suspended in the water to avoid drying. Only the bristles and a bit of the ferrule should be suspended in the water.
After use clean the brush thoroughly and rub it on a bar of curd soap until foam will be distributed well between the bristles. With two fingers the hair top can be brought to a point. To let the brush dry it can be stored in the holder. The holder is made by myself. I did take a piece of beech and drilled holes with different diameter in by using a drill. This brush holder can be fixed e.g. under a shelf board with a screw. Don't place a brush with hair top upward into a container because thinner or remaining paint will collect downward at the ferrule. Remainder of colour causes spreading of bristles so the brush doesn't look like a brush but like a brush broom.
Most of actual work lies in the preparation of an artwork. First it starts with an idea, a sketch and its elaboration follows and the decision which colors (tones) to be used. Also the sequence of procedures has to be considered. With opaque paint one can work from background in direction toward foreground, layer by layer. Aquarel paint, pencils or chalks need to work from foreground in direction toward background. The question arises, what your personal preference is. You should explore this preference before buying material stuff. A workshop can help to find your technique. Nothing is more annoying as a false purchase of expensive paints or equipment. Of such things one can be stared at and asked for reason of buying. Several shops offer the possibility to test paint or offer workshops including their paints. As you can see right now there is a lot of to consider before first brush stroke takes place.
At work on an artpiece often only small paint quantities are needed. If a paint from the basic colors is mixed, a remainder goes afterwards lost if there is not a small jar ready. Some jars become free in daily use, whereby a big jam jar is already too large. There are also small jars to buy, but best, you look first into the storage whether a suitable jar might be available, before you might go into a shop to search and pay for one or several jars. Small jars with lid made of metal are better because these can be closed well. A problem that acryl paint brings with itself, is the mould. The brush is not sterile and paint starts to mould. In order to avoid this, there is a preserving solution that can be added in small amount to the paint. Of course also a few drops of white spirit can be added to the paint, however it evaporates quite fast like alcohol does.
Beginning with painting as a hobby, the following should be considered: If the hardboard panel or the canvas lies on the table, one looks diagonally to the surface, which already leads to an optical distortion. For this reason an easel is an alternative, because one looks in an approximate right angle to the canvas or hardboard panel. This selfmade easel I'm using also fo take photografies of my artpieces. A simple easel consists of three legs and a adjustable horizontal border, on which the canvas or the hardboard panel stands. Up is an adjustable clamp which the canvas is fixing.
There is also a small easel available for use on a table. This one ist designed for small panels or canvas.
At first there is an idea. The drawing is the first realization of a scene in which Neo and Trinity are entering the building in order to rescue Morpheus from custody. The horizontal line at height of the X-ray equipment for pieces of luggage, represents the horizon. Together with the vertical line in the middle of the hardboard, the vanishing point is established. After drawing has been finished the outlines or shapes were transferred to the white primed hardboard (19,68 x 15,74 inches or 50 x 40 cm).
After the lines had been transferred, the colors were defined first. For usually I prefere acrylic colors. There are differences in the composition of colors. There are colors pasty and liquid as well as dull and shining. In order to take photographies of the completed artpiece by using flash light dull colors are to prefer because of avoiding reflections. Afterwards a transparent varnish can be brought on the art work. This is not needed when a frame with glass will cover the artpiece from dust or fingerprints. Artpieces never should be exposed extensivly to sunrays because colours may vanish.
As a next action the background was elaborated. From behind toward foreground the windows, the columns, the X-ray equipment, the wall between and the dark brown tile rows were elaborated.
The external columns were formed with a specific acrylic color which creates a sand-similar structure. Both colours were used in different grey tones to stress the effect of light and shadows. At the upper end of the columns the shadows were set a little more darker. The structure of the tiled floor was achieved by using dark and bright green. First was painted with umber green and then the bright green (Light green) with the flat brush was moved into lightly. The wall behind the X-ray equipment is responsible for the shadow in the lower area of the front columns.
Next action was to cover the external columns with a green-transparent colour. The upper area of columns were coloured in light blue to create an illusion of reflection. Next step was to create chairs and the first visible victim of the guardians right handed.
After the figures with a white pencil were outlined, the areas were filled up with modelling paste. Modelling paste should be reserved only for the foreground and not to be used too much. In distance structures are vanishing. Modelling paste stresses the effect of third dimension. The paste normally is white. It is recommended to mix up the paste with the preferred colour otherwise white can be seen from small holes or tears and can barely coloured afterwards.
Next step was to work on the left guardian and the two protagonists who got their faces and weapon equipment. After a critical consideration, the legs of the first guardian and the chairs were reworked, the two metal bins and the shirt of the second guardian on the left side. Also the legs were shortened still a little according to the perspective effect.
Next action was to create the shadow in the foreground. Only the sunrays which float above the X–ray equipment and the two protagonists create the shadows. Dark brown tile rows are covered with a brighter brown and the areas between are covered with mixed up umber green and light green to create an illusion of light. The light green is moved into the still wet color like explained before. The bursted Paintballs were indicated by using orange spots at the columns. In the end the artwork only needed to be signed.
This photograpy shows a drawing made with color pencils and a fineliner (black). This drawing is a first view of what it will looks like. The measurement of the hardcoverboard is same like before. The vanishingpoint is located in the middle of height. Each line beginning from the edge of paper meets or passes the vanishingpoint. The distances between objects are based on the rules of optics and geometry.
Next step was to transfer the outlines of the objects to the hardboard without vanishingpoint an lines. The transfer can be done by using a hard pencil or ink of a waterresistant fineliner. Strokes of a soft pencil can blur by using a wet brush afterwards and "waterresistant" is just a word. Please test the "waterresistant" ink before using on the board or you will a ball with it.
Next step was to work on the background. A dark brown was used to fill the areas between and beside the columns. The dark sides of columns are coloured with umbragreen (dark green or olive). In the darkness or shadow area structures are not recognizable. The fronts of the columns are colored first with a mix of umbragreen and yellow. Before the colour has completely dryed strokes with umbragreen were worked into. Don't overdue or only one dark color will remain without structures!
Next step was to fill the bottom from behind until foreground with darkbrown, light green and umbragreen. For the shadows of columns umbragreen was used and the bottom was worked out like the columns but with a lighter green and strokes in umbragreen.
Next step was the same procedure like before to fill up the columns in the front.
Next step was to prepare the figures. I worked out some sketches to get an idea of protagonists would look like and transfered the outlines. Black and darkblue were used to colour the figures. Light grey was used to stress areas of light and shadow at the clothes. Places of faces and hands were painted white and filled up with colour of skin.
Next step was to work on the figures in foreground. Face of Trinity, rifle, hands, face of the soldier and shadow of Neo. After having a break of two days I took a seat in front of my artwork and had a clipboard ready to take some notes. Did I forget some things? What has to be done next? These questions came up. An artist always is being critical of what he is doing.
Last step was to create face of Neo, rifles paintballsplashes, details and to sign to finish work.
As you can see it is the same procedure like before. At first the outlines had been transfered to the hardboard.
Next step was to create the sky by using white primer and a mixed tone of blue. Both colours had been merged into one another or together with a big brush. The coast with trees was painted in a tone of dark blue because of distance and mist. Remember: coloures are turning to blue with increase of distance.
Next step was to fill up backgroundcolour were the canvas will come to existence and the sea. White was worked into the liquid dark blue to create waves and spray near the boat.
Next step was to finish canvas and to fill up outlines of the hull with different tones of brown and grey inside.
Next step was to create the first sailor, flag, mast and some details inside of the hull.
Last step was to create the second sailor, ropes, rudder and some details.