My Composition and Design project

This year I'm going to remind people about what I've got in the archives of Making a Mark. I'm going to start with my Composition and Design Project which I started in January 2008

The future may be at the end......

Composition and Design Project - Blog Posts 

Below is a list of the various posts and a short explanation of what they're about.

Some of the hyperlinks these blog posts contain may be out of date and/or moved on to pastures new.

Fibonacci Spiral
Wikimedia Commons

• Composition and Design - An Introduction 14 Jan 2008

Design and Composition - I'm revisiting this topic to try and understand more about what different people have had to say about composition, what are the 'rules' and why breaking the rules also works. I intend to relate design and composition to specific subject matter (eg landscapes and flowers) and artists that I like and/or will feature this year - such as Degas. I'm starting the year with this topic as it underpins so much of what comes next. It will continue to run as theme throughout the year and I'll be referencing it in other areas of work during the rest of the year.
Katherine Tyrrell - "Making A Mark in 2008 - the Plan"

Singing the Blues

10" x 8", coloured pencil on Arches HP
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

• Composition - The Elements of Design 15 Jan 2008 - An overview of the Elements of Design which are Value, Colour, Shape, Form, Space, Line and Texture

It's amazing how many of us who don't have the benefit of a fine art degree seem to have managed to learn something about the different aspects of what's involved with composition and design without actually ever coming across the idea of the 'elements' and 'principles' of art/composition/design! Or at least that's my experience. I'd certainly never heard about these particular groups before starting this project. Maybe this is what they teach you if you do an Fine Art degree? ;)

• Composition - Principles of Design 16 Jan 2008 - This post focuses on balance, emphasis. harmony, movement, pattern, proportion, rhythm, unity and variety

LOCKDOWN ART#1: Working in a Series #1

We are now in the third TOTAL LOCKDOWN in the UK - and it's winter - so I'm going to create some resources for artists wanting:

• to learn more about art and/or 
• some stimuli for making art - within the constraints of the lockdown limitations on where we can go and what we can do.

Initially I'll be looking at my past blog projects about

• working in a series 
• understanding colour
• understanding composition.

A Making A Mark Project - Working in a Series

Back in 2008, I developed a series of posts on my art blog "Making A Mark" about working in a series as an artist - and subsequently developed a site (now unpublished) about "working in series".

I'm resurrecting those posts - or links to them - on this blog in order to provide a resource for those who would like to have a go at developing a series.

These blog posts explored:

• reasons why artists work in a series
• reviewed Monet and his series paintings
• considered specific series by Monet - the stacks of wheat and the paintings of Rouen Cathdral

These are those blog posts. Bear in mind when you read a post that, while the general principles and points made are perennial, some of the details re links to individual artists may have changed since it was first published.

• A Making A Mark Project - Working in a series - This post starts my project about working in a series
• What are your reasons for working in a series? - I've come to the conclusion there are probably four main categories of reasons why artists work in a series. Within each category there are more specific reasons. 
• investigate and explore - subject 
• investigate and explore - technique 
• emotional

• Making A Mark Poll: What's the main reason why you work in a series? - The question is: What's your MAIN reason for working in a series? With the emphasis being on the word MAIN. Having recognised there's lots of reasons why we work in series I want to try and pin it down a bit more and see if you can work out which is usually the dominant reason for you.

• Why and how Monet developed his series paintings - This post looks at:
• why Monet painted series paintings
• when he painted his series paintings
• the various reasons leading to his choice of subject matter
• which paintings are regarded as part of his series paintings
• and finally, how he actually designed and painted the series paintings from a practice perspective.

Wheatstacks (end of summer) 1890-91 - Claud Monet
Oil on canvas, 60 x 100 cm (23 5/8 x 39 3/8 in);
The Art Institute of Chicago

• Monet's series paintings - stacks of wheat - About the motif, design and execution of the series of paintings of stacks of wheat
• Monet's series paintings - Rouen cathedral - An account of Monet's series paintings of Rouen Cathedral

La cathédrale dans le brouillard 

by Claude Monet

(included in the Sotheby's sale on 3rd November 2008)

12 good reasons to paint in a series

Tomorrow I'll be looking at 12 good reasons to paint in a series and thereafter will 

• explore each reason further
• with links to further information, images and resources about famous artists who produce work in a series.

Complementary colours and other schema

In the past few days a blog post about A modern approach to complementaries by Delphine Doreau which by I highlighted on Facebook has attracted a huge audience and very many shares.

Delphine made an RGB colour gradient in a circle and then inverted the same colour gradient at 180 degrees inside the circle - so that each colour matched up with its complementary in terms of RGB colours.

Huge interest in this blog post

So for those of you who don't follow Making A Mark on Facebook, you can find the link to the article at the top of this post.

More schema for representing Colour

My own collection and compilation of information about Colour is "in transition" to a new website at the moment.

However below are a few more links about colour from my 2008 major Colour Project which might be of interest to artists.

Making A Mark - the Colour Project (2008)

a colour chart of complementary colours in coloured pencils

• Hues - a systems perspective Jul 8, 2008 ... Hues: primary, secondary and tertiary colours; How to represent colour ... Colour harmonics - complementary colours, analogous colours etc.
• Describing a colour space - there's more than one colour wheel! (10 July 2008) About a Matrix of Theories about Colour Space - which is the method I've adopted to categorise some of the people who have tried describe colour in terms of spatial relationships - to describe a colour space.
• A Matrix of Colour Space Theories (pdf file) (2008) Table of colour theories organised by approach to colour theory - additive, subtractive and partitive
• Complementary Colours and mixing neutral colours (15 July 2008) How to identify complementary colours in the context of different shapes which explain colour theory
• Analogous Colours (Jul 16, 2008) This post is an attempt to redress the balance on the paucity of online information about analogous colours - but it also recommends other sources of even better advice and information!
• Colour Schemes: Split Complementaries, Triads and Tetrads (18 July 2008) Discusses and explains three colour schemes used by professional artists:
• Split Complementary - a colour plus the two colours either side of its complementary colour 
• Triad - any three colours which are equidistant on the colour wheel
• Tetrad - any four colours which are equidistant on the colour wheel

PLUS

• Why your colours onscreen don't look the same when printed (10 March 2011) Have you ever wondered why your images onscreen don't come out looking the same when printed? This post discusses: how the CMYK model works; why RGB files don't look like CMYK files and how to convert an RGB file to a CMYK file for printing purposes

and finally

For those who like their colour information in book format....

• The Best Art Books - Colour
• The Best Artist Guides for Mixing Colours

Generating Art - The Making A Mark Art Blog Awards 2013

This is the first post in The Making A Mark Art Blog Awards 2013 to announce who has won an award this year.

The Making A Mark Awards are for Art Blogs and for blogging about art on art blogs.

A year of transition

This year seems to be a period of transition!

What's very clear is that during 2013 fewer people have been keeping up with their blogs compared to times past and fewer people have been visiting blogs to comment.  So we've seen:

• fewer blog posts, 
• less visits to art blogs (although changes in the Google algorithm certainly affected stats re. visits), and 
• people reading fewer blog posts (the loss of Google Reader has been significant). 

At the same time I'm also seeing evidence of people working out a clear social media strategy for displaying their art which involves their blogs alongside websites and a presence on social media sites and vlogging (video blogging).

What I need to do is work out whether I continue to limit these awards in future to just art blogs or take on board the wider social media aspects as well.  Time will tell - I've certainly not made any decision as yet.

The Generating Art category 

There are three awards in this category - all associated with  with making, displaying and exhibiting art.

• The Best Art Blog Project Virtual Challenge Cup
• The Best Art Society Blog Prize
• The Showcase Shield (which replaces The Painting A Day Stickability Shield )

First however there is a an announcement of a retirement - and it marks the end of an era.

Generating Art 2013 - Making A Mark Art Blog Award Nominations

This is the 8th year of the Making A Mark Art Blog Awards. 

YOU can nominate which art blogs YOU think are excellent 

and which art blogs influence YOU

My aim is to work with YOU to identify:

• EXCELLENCE in blogging about art and artists; and 
• the art blogs which set HIGH STANDARDS 
• the art blogs which are the MOST INFLUENTIAL.

This post and the next three posts on Making A Mark invite nominations relating to the categories which you can now see at the top of the right hand column.

First how to nominate - and then the three awards in the category of GENERATING ART.

Nominate an art blog for a Making A Mark Award

It's very simple! Basically all you need to do is leave a comment on the relevant post.

• WHICH AWARD: 
• Identify the title of the Making A Mark Award that you want your nominee to be considered for
• Leave a comment on the post on this blog which invite nominations for that award - BEFORE 29th December 2013
• WHICH BLOG:  Tell me
• the name of the blog, its URL (eg "The Art Blog" http://theartblog.blogspot.com) and
• the name of the blogger (Note:  art bloggers are not eligible for any award that they have won in the last three years)
• WHY:  Say WHY you think this blog should be considered for a Making A Mark Award.

Your nominations will be added to my list of those I think are worthy of consideration.  I'll then share the final shortlist with you when the results are announced.

The Making A Mark Awards will be announced on the 29th and 30th December.
Note:  All nominees and nominators are linked to both from this blog and my main website page where all the past awards and nominees are listed

So over to you - who do you think merits being nominated for the three awards below? Answers as a comment on this post please.

GENERATING ART

Today I'm looking at nominations for three awards relating to generating art

• The Showcase Shield (replaces "The Painting A Day Stickability Shield")
• The Best Art Blog Project Virtual Challenge Cup
• The Best Art Society Blog Prize

Leave a comment on this post (see above) nominating the art blog you think should get one of these awards in 2013.

Sketching slideshow - iPhoto to slideshow to Quicktime Movie

Today I learned how to create a slideshow of a sketch I did yesterday when we visited the wonderful garden at Great Dixter in Kent.  I've already written about the visit on my Travels with a Sketchbook blog (see A step by step sketch of the Long Border at Great Dixter).

However I wanted to see if I could create a slideshow for this blog and Facebook of the step by step photos I took of the sketch as it was progressing.

First here's the slideshow, then I'll tell you how I got it!  I personally think it looks best in HD format on Facebook.  Apologies to those who saw this post early and got the wrong size version!



Those who know me well will realise I'm writing down the instructions of how to do it next time otherwise I'll try to do it again and won't be able to remember a thing about what I did.

How to produce a slideshow for your blog

I saved my six photos as 1000 pixels wide @72 dpi figuring that should be about right for Facebook!

Then came the search for the bit of software which would put them together in a slideshow which I could put on this blog.

It didn't start well!

First I reviewed both PS Elements 11 and iMovie to see if either would allow me to produce a short slideshow from six slides and concluded this wasn't going to be easy - and I couldn't see how it was possible!

Next I tried out searching for "how to" and came up with virtually nothing other than dodgy chaps who wanted me to try their app.  I'm "app averse" unless it has a good reputation and lots of people have already adopted it so that closed off that avenue.

Finally I took a look at iPhoto - and it transpired this has a "create a slideshow" option.

Here's what you have to do to create a slideshow of an art process or paintings or whatever you want it to be about

1. Identify the photos you want to use.
2. rename them with the titles you want to use as captions if you want captions to show
• If you review the slideshow you'll see I gave mine a narrative description of the stage of the sketch eg add coloured pencils
3. Import photos to iPhoto and identify their location
4. You need to add any information to the image at this stage
• click the little "i" bottom right hand corner of the photo to add information
• locate photo on a map to show where it was taken if appropriate
• provide a description of what is happening in photo if appropriate
• provide a title for the photo/slide
• repeat for each photo in the slideshow if you want there to be a commentary on what's happening
5. Click the + sign at the bottom left of the screen in iPhoto
6. Choose slideshow from the drop down menu
7. Save the slideshow with a title - these are the words which will appear on the first image as the title for the slideshow.  There's no scope to add copyright info so I started the title with the copyright symbol and my name
8. Review how long each slide should appear for -  I used 7 seconds
9. Review themes, music and the rest of settings - all fairly self-explanatory
10. Bottom right of screen - click Export and this exports the slideshow to a move format which was Quicktime in this instance.
11. Choose the size based on where the movie will be viewed.  I chose 960 x 540 pixels which gave 30fps and an 8.8MB filesize
12. Upload to Facebook and YouTube and/or video host of your choice and make sure you've chosen the right size file!

That's about it.  I bet I've forgotten something! ;)

Let me know what you think about the video.

Please also share with us how you create slideshows as videos.

Generating Art - The Making A Mark Awards 2012

Today I start to review the rest of the Making A Mark awards for 2012.

The awards grouped under the title "Generating Art" relate to generating art either as an individual artist or as an art group - formal or informal.

Generating Art in 2012

• The Painting a Day Stickability Shield
• The Best Art Blog Project Virtual Challenge Cup
• The Best Art Society Blog

The Painting a Day Stickability Shield

"What they call talent is nothing but the capacity for doing continuous work in the right way."Winslow Homer

The Painting A Day Stickability Shield for daily painters who maintain a consistently high output of consistently good quality paintings over the course of the year and set a good example to others.

Generating Art - Making A Mark Art Blog Award Nominations 2012

The aim of the Making A Mark Art Blog Awards is to identify:

• excellence in blogging about art and artists; and 
• the art blogs which set high standards and are the most influential.

I started these awards in 2006 so that the efforts of artists and others who are blogging about art could be valued and recognised.

YOU can nominate which art blogs YOU think are excellent and which art blogs influence YOU. For the last three years I've asked all the readers of Making A Mark and the wider community of art bloggers to nominate the art blogs that they think are the best - in different categories

I've been keeping a note of the art blogs which have "made a mark" on me during the course of 2012 but I also really want to hear from all of you as to the blogs have had an impact on you.

This post and the next three posts on Making A Mark invite nominations relating to the categories which you can see at the top of the right hand column.

First how to nominate - and then the three awards in the category of Generating Art.

Nominate an art blog for a Making A Mark Award

It's very simple! Basically all you need to do is leave a comment on the relevant post.

• WHICH AWARD: 
• Identify the title of the Making A Mark Award that you want your nominee to be considered for
• Leave a comment on the post on this blog which invite nominations for that award - BEFORE 29th December 2012
• WHICH BLOG:  Identify
• the name of the blog, its URL (eg "The Art Blog" http://theartblog.blogspot.com) and
• the name of the blogger
• (Note:  art bloggers are not eligible for any award that they have won in the last three years)
• WHY:  Say WHY you think this blog should be considered for a Making A Mark Award.

Artists who have won an award in the last three years are not eligible to be nominated for the same award.

I'll collate all your nominations and comments in relation to each award and consider alongside those blogs which I have in mind as being worthy of consideration.  I'll then share the shortlist with you when the results are announced.

The Making A Mark Awards will be announced on the 29th and 30th December. Note:  All nominees and nominators are linked to both from this blog and my main website page where all the past awards and nominees are listed

So over to you - who do you think merits being nominated for the three awards below? Answers as a comment on this post please.

GENERATING ART

Today I'm looking at nominations for three awards relating to generating art

• The Painting A Day Stickability Shield
• The Best Art Blog Project Virtual Challenge Cup
• The Best Art Society Blog Prize

Leave a comment on this post (see above) nominating the art blog you think should get one of these awards in 2012.

The Next Generation - Portraiture for Teenagers

One of the interesting aspects of art museums and galleries which doesn't often get a high profile is the work they do in relation to education generally - and the education of younger people in particular.

The Next Generation is a project run by the National Portrait Gallery which is all about inspiring 14­-19-year-olds (aka "The Next Generation") about portraiture.  It provides different opportunities for teenagers to meet with and gain insights from past BP Portrait Award artists and to share their own artwork.

There's a display about the Next Generation  Project in the NPG -  in the Room 36 Lobby (as you make your way towards the BP Portrait Award 2012 exhibition).   This tells the story of Next Generation through a short film and a selection of painted works from past Summer Schools.

On Sunday I'm going to be observing the last session of one of the initiatives -The Next Generation Taster Session. Below here's what I found when I investigated the nature of the different opportunities on offer

If you know young people interested in portraiture
I suggest you bookmark this post and send them a link to it.

BP Portrait Award: Next Generation Taster Sessions

Try your hand at portrait drawing and meet practising artists in one of five short Taster Sessions, kicking off on the first weekend of BP Portrait Award 2012. Bookings essential on a first-come, first-served basis. Please book for only one session. All materials provided. Please supply your full name and contact details, mobile number, age and preferred session date.

On Sunday, 24 young people will work in three groups within the Galleries hosting the BP Portrait Award exhibition.  It provides them with an opportunity to meet other young people interested in art, to try new techniques for drawing and to meet with some of the artists who have won the BP Portrait Award.

You can see some of the ativities which occur in photos in the National Portrait Gallery BP Next Generation's photostream.

This is a link to the slideshow view of those photos.

A number use the Taster Sessions as a launch pad to their application to and involvement with the Summer Schools

BP Portrait Award: Next Generation Summer Schools for 14-19 year olds

After a more intensive experience? Apply for a place at one of our three-day Summer Schools in August to work with past BP Portrait Award-winning artists and experiment with painting, life drawing and other portraiture techniques. Applications are encouraged from these boroughs: Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Newham and Greenwich.

The Summer Schools are free and materials and refreshments are provided. You can download Summer Schools information and application forms from this link to the BP Portrait Award: Next Generation Summer Schools

Who can apply
If you are interested in portraiture, are studying art in a secondary school, live in London and the Home Counties and are aged between 14-19 years old you can apply.  Applications are particularly encouraged from the young people who live in the London 2012 Host Boroughs – Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Greenwich, Newham

How to apply

• Entry is by application. This is a link to the application form (Word doc). Note the Artist Statement of the application is particularly important.
• There are only 18 places in each of the two summer schools
• There is still time to apply for the Summer Schools.
• Applications close onTuesday 24 July at 5.00pm

Dates and times

• Summer School 1: Wednesday 15 – Friday 17 August 2012 11.30 – 16.30
• Summer School 2: Monday 20 – Wednesday 22 August 2011 11.30 – 16.30

BP Portrait Award: Next Generation Flickr Group

I'm very impressed with the quality of the painting I've seen posted to the Next Generation Flickr Group.

• This is a link to the BP Portrait Award: Next Generation  Flickr Group (http://www.flickr.com/groups/bpnextgeneration) where young people share their paintings
• you can also view the painted portraits which young people have shared in the Online Flickr Gallery with other young people in the NPG's online gallery

Some of the portraits by young people in the BP Portrait Award: Next Generation Flickr Group 

BP Next Generation on Twitter

The twitter feed for the project is https://twitter.com/bpnextgen

Meet the Artist

Tomorrow (Wednesday 18th July) a one day event is being held for secondary school art students and their teachers called Meet the Artist. You can read about previous Meet the Artist events and the processes and approaches for portraiture used by different artists.

The artists involved are photographers or painters and have typically been involved with the two major competitions run by the NPG.

Secondary art students and teachers can meet three past BP Portrait Award-winning artists through the BP Portrait Award: Next Generation project. This full-day session includes presentations by artists, an artist-led portrait drawing activity followed by Q&A. A viewing of BP Portrait Award 2012 and a feedback session with artists on hand to support and encourage students’ sketchbook work concludes an exciting day.

National Portrait Gallery Youth Forum

The Youth Forum meets on the first Thursday evening of the month and is an opportunity for young people to have a voice at the National Portrait Gallery.

Facebook
This is the Facebook Page for The National Portrait Gallery Youth Forum

Podcast
The National Portrait Gallery’s Youth Forum has developed their first podcast, ‘Tune In’, responding to key works and key themes in this year’s BP Portrait Award 2012.

• It's aimed at other young people and general visitors
• it's FREE and downloadable from the NPG website and from iTunes.
• It can also be listened to within the Digital Space at the National Portrait Gallery.

The NPG and its projects are also part of The English National Youth Arts Network (ENYAN)

Generating Art - The Making A Mark Awards 2011

Today's awards relate to generating art either as an individual artist or as an art group - formal or informal.

• The Painting A Day Stickability Shield
• The Best Art Blog Project Virtual Challenge Cup
• NEW IN 2011 - The Best Art Society Blog Prize

Generating Art - Making A Mark Art Blog Award Nominations 2011

Since 2006, the aim of the Making A Mark Art Blog Awards has been to identify:

• excellence in blogging about art and artists; and 
• the art blogs which set high standards and are the most influential.

This is the third year that all the readers of Making A Mark and the wider community of art bloggers have been invited to nominate which art blogs YOU think are excellent and which art blogs influence YOU.

I've been keeping a list of art blogs which have had "made a mark" during the course of the year but I'd love to hear which blogs have had an impact on you.

Instructions on how to nominate for these - and other Making A Mark Awards - are set out at the end of this post.  Basically all you need to do is leave a comment on the relevant post.

GENERATING ART

I'm going to ask for nominations for the remaining awards in four separate blog posts to try and keep it simple.

Today I'm looking at nominations for three awards relating to generating art

• The Painting A Day Stickability Shield
• The Best Art Blog Project Virtual Challenge Cup
• NEW IN 2011 - The Best Art Society Blog Prize

Leave a comment on this post nominating the art blog you think should get one of these awards in 2011 (further details at the end)

Introducing Google's Art Project - streetview for galleries

a still from Google Art Project - Behind the Scenes

The Google Art Project was launched at the end of last week.  It works on the same principle at Streetview - except you're walking the galleries of different museums rather than the streets of specific places.

The Art Project is a collaboration between Google and some of the world's most acclaimed art museums. Powered by a broad, connected suite of Google technologies, the world's great works of art and museums are now within reach to an unprecedented global audience.

It's rather disorientating when it starts up as it comes in as a close-up on a work of art.

The Guardian get the kudos for making the most of this and have kicked off with a Google Art Project: Guess the artwork – quiz.

This is the Google Art Project Visitor Guide video which was loaded onto YouTube last Friday.

Here's some links to get you started: