Landscape Painting
For this task we will be looking at a range of artists who paint landscapes.
First we will look at Impressionism briefly. Impressionism was an art movement in that focused on light and capturing the moment. It is a very popular art movement that still inspires people today. Impressionism was a large inspiration for many of Australia's landscape painters.
First we will look at Impressionism briefly. Impressionism was an art movement in that focused on light and capturing the moment. It is a very popular art movement that still inspires people today. Impressionism was a large inspiration for many of Australia's landscape painters.
Impressionism
The water lily pond, oil on canvas, 1899
See Monet’s use of analogous colours. You don’t need a lot of different colours to make a painting. Often successful painting have a limited palette or colour scheme. He has made many different types of green hues. His placement of light green for highlights and darker greens for shadows create a sense of dappled light.
Post Imoressionism
Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, oil on canvas, 1889
Van Gogh is a Post Impressionist artist. The term 'post' simply means, 'after.' (If you are refering to a movement before, this is considered 'Neo')
Discuss his techniques and the mood of the artwork.
Discuss his techniques and the mood of the artwork.
Australian Landscape Art
The subject of 'landscape' has been the focus for many Australian painters. The land is a strong part of Australian identity.
We will explore some ways that the Australian landscape has been depicted. Leading artists reflect the point of view that people hold during that time. Often they are at the avant-garde, meaning that they are the forefront of change. Over time cultural perspectives change and it is often the role of the artist to help show where this change is needed or where it is happening.
What do you think world wide, contemporary art (the art of now) is trying to say?
We will explore some ways that the Australian landscape has been depicted. Leading artists reflect the point of view that people hold during that time. Often they are at the avant-garde, meaning that they are the forefront of change. Over time cultural perspectives change and it is often the role of the artist to help show where this change is needed or where it is happening.
What do you think world wide, contemporary art (the art of now) is trying to say?
The First Australian Painters
Aboriginal people were the first to depict Australian landscape. They used materials directly from the land to paint directly onto the land itself.
The Colonists
John Glover, Natives on the Ouse River, Van Diemen's Land, 1838
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John Glover, A view of the artist's house and garden, in Mills Plains, Van Diemen's Land, 1835
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The first European artists had never painted a landscape like Australia's before. They were used to the landscape of Europe, dark greens hues with different structures in the trees. This made it difficult for these painters and they didn't quite capture a realistic depiction of Australian landscape. However, they did depict their point of view of the land that they had arrived in. The painting above depicts the control and change that the colonists forced upon the landscape. They were trying to recapture and change Australia into the land they had left behind. This is still prevalent in Australian culture today.
The Heidelberg School
Tom Roberts, A break away! 1891
Frederick McCubbin, The Pioneer, 1904
In the late 1800's and early 1900's, the Heidelberg school was a group of artists lead by Tom Roberts, Fredderick McCubbin and Arthur Streeton. Their moto was to create a sense of nationalism, telling the story of the pioneers and their struggles as settlers.
Hans Heysen, Mystic morn, oil on canvas, 1904, 122.8 (h) x 184.3 (w)cm
Heysen was a South Australian artist.
How does his artwork differ from Van Gogh's?
Notice how the trees overlap each other. The also get smaller and cooler in colour the more they recede into the distance.
How does his artwork differ from Van Gogh's?
Notice how the trees overlap each other. The also get smaller and cooler in colour the more they recede into the distance.
The Beginnings of Modernism
Dorrit Black, The Bridge, oil on canvas, 1930
You can see here that at this point in time that the Sydney harbour bridge was being constructed. This was a time of the industrial revolution where strong geometric shapes dominated in art, echoing the straight edges of the machines and buildings that were being created.
What do you think are the main elements of this artwork?
What do you think are the main elements of this artwork?
Margaret Preston, Rocks in Roper River Valley N.T., 1953
The Angry Penguins, 1940's
Arthur Boyd, Hunter III (The lost hunter,) 1944, oil on canvas
The Angry Penguins was a Modernist movement that wished to challenge traditional views held in Australia at the time. This movement has been a large influence in Australian art today. Some of the key artists were, Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester. This movement leant itself towards symbolic surrealism. This was the time of World War Two.
The Abstractionists
Fred Williams, Iron Ore Landscape, oil on canvas, 1981
John Olsen and Fred Williams are two very famous Australian abstract painters. Williams was confronted by the light, scale and harsh beauty of the Australian environment.
You may find Williams' work challenging. He was an abstract painter. what makes this painting an abstract artwork?
You may find Williams' work challenging. He was an abstract painter. what makes this painting an abstract artwork?
Within the last 20 years
Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Big Yam, 1996, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 245 x 401 cm
Emily Kame Kngwarreye is one of Australia's most famous painters. Her work depicts an Aboriginal point of view of landscape. Recently there has been a large surge of interest in Aboriginal contemporary art as many Aboriginal people have a unique point of view to share. They are the oldest living culture in the world and a culture that had been suppressed (and arguably still is). Kngwarreye grew up in remote Australia, her clan Country Alhalkere. She was not familiar with art history, only the land that surrounded her. Her work depicts her knowledge as an Anmatyerre elder and custodian. Kngwarreye's work shows close links with European and Eastern art, despite the fact she never learnt about it.
Joshua Yeldham, Lion Island - Pittwater, oil and cane on carved board, 2012
Yeldham is the most recent artist, who is still alive today. Notice his clear use of the foreground with the large eucalypt tree. This overlaps the smaller coastline in the middle ground. Behind that is the background with the island and distant hills.
You can see the influence that Aboriginal and Eastern art has had on this artist.
You can see the influence that Aboriginal and Eastern art has had on this artist.
Your Task:
1. Choose an image to paint. Any landscape is fine. If you want an abstracted image try looking at aerial photographs.
2. Prime an A2 sized piece of paper.
We want the paper to be large so that you can free up your movements during the painting process.
3. Sketching your design.
Sketch a simple design, this does not need to include all details, and should only outline the main components. This is to get a good sense of where things will be placed within the space of your paper.
You should plan out the foreground middle ground and background of your landscape. Remember the techniques learnt from your perspective drawing. Similar rules apply here.
4. Test out some painting techniques. Try blending, sgraffito, using a palette knife, adding tissue paper for texture, etc. This will give you an idea of what is possible and will help you to make informed decision during the painting process.
To create an abstracted landscape you could:
Colour mixing
In year 8 you learnt basic colour mixing. Now we will try to push this further. Do not use paint straight from the tub. You should mix all colours used.
Creating texture
You can create texture by adding mediums to your paint. You could use sand, saw dust or tissue paper for example.
You can also create textures through brushstrokes, sponging, using a palette knife, etc.
Blending
This is where you blend two colours to form a new one in-between.
Using a sponge
When using a sponge it is a good idea not to fully mix your colours. Pick up multiple colours such as blue and white and start dabbing at the page. The colours will mix somewhat on the page, but it leaves patches of the white and blue creating a thee tone effect.
Using a palette knife
Experiment with a palette knife. Try using it to spread, to dab, use the flat of the blade then the tip, then the side. You will find that there are many different effect possible with this tool.
Sgraffito
Sgraffito is a technique where you scratch into wet paint revealing the paper or paint layer underneath. This can be used to draw lines or you could even scrape back large areas of paint revealing older layers of paint beneath.
2. Prime an A2 sized piece of paper.
We want the paper to be large so that you can free up your movements during the painting process.
3. Sketching your design.
Sketch a simple design, this does not need to include all details, and should only outline the main components. This is to get a good sense of where things will be placed within the space of your paper.
You should plan out the foreground middle ground and background of your landscape. Remember the techniques learnt from your perspective drawing. Similar rules apply here.
- Objects that are closer to you are larger, as they go further away they get smaller.
- Overlap subjects within your painting to create a sense of depth.
- Colours tend to be warmer the closer they are to the front, while cooler colours are used in the distance.
- The sky tends to be darker blue at the top and gets lighter as it gets closer to the land, this is called aerial perspective.
4. Test out some painting techniques. Try blending, sgraffito, using a palette knife, adding tissue paper for texture, etc. This will give you an idea of what is possible and will help you to make informed decision during the painting process.
To create an abstracted landscape you could:
- Use simplified shapes like Dorrit Black
- Use plains of colour like Fred Williams
- Add texture and pattern like Joshua Yeldham
- Use bold, obvious brushstrokes like Van Gogh
Colour mixing
In year 8 you learnt basic colour mixing. Now we will try to push this further. Do not use paint straight from the tub. You should mix all colours used.
Creating texture
You can create texture by adding mediums to your paint. You could use sand, saw dust or tissue paper for example.
You can also create textures through brushstrokes, sponging, using a palette knife, etc.
Blending
This is where you blend two colours to form a new one in-between.
Using a sponge
When using a sponge it is a good idea not to fully mix your colours. Pick up multiple colours such as blue and white and start dabbing at the page. The colours will mix somewhat on the page, but it leaves patches of the white and blue creating a thee tone effect.
Using a palette knife
Experiment with a palette knife. Try using it to spread, to dab, use the flat of the blade then the tip, then the side. You will find that there are many different effect possible with this tool.
Sgraffito
Sgraffito is a technique where you scratch into wet paint revealing the paper or paint layer underneath. This can be used to draw lines or you could even scrape back large areas of paint revealing older layers of paint beneath.