Use fresh herbs like parsley to create clouds, and back lighting. It is best to use it in bunch and dip the bunch in color of your choice.

In order to get a professional look, always use wood panels to work on.

Carrots are great to work with because they can be cut diganolly and vertically. Thus giving one the ability to cut and slice them as required. Use carrots when painting tree trunks and branches.

Celery is also good to paint lines.

Mushrooms are good for creating round surfaces. They also come in different sizes.
Mushrooms can sometime leave black marks if used with lighter colors. So be sure to test it out.

Broccoli is good to use for getting a dotted effect. It can be used to create leaves on a tree or small flowers in a field.

Fruits like apricot and apple have harder interior and same density as potatoes. Therefore they can be cut and sliced in desired way to draw with.

Potatoes are good for blending two colors on the panel.

Always use water based colors such as acrylic or quash or water color to work with.

In the beginning it will be awkward working with fresh ingredients to paint. But give it some time, practice with different veggies and find your comfort zone.

Ofcourse there are disadvantages and advantages to every technique. And it took me many months of practice to figure out how to achieve certain lines and affects.

I figured out this technique accidentally as I was peeling an orange one day.

Below is an example of work I painted for a charity event for Shumei, a japanese non profit. It is painted with carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, zuccini and lettuce.

What is Art?

The question of what is art has been debated and pondered over by many thinkers and philosophers of the past, from Aristotle who says art is imitation of the natural world, to Plato who was threatened by the power of art and felt it should be regulated, and Leo Tolstoy who has dedicated a whole book on the subject entitled “What is Art”.

So what is Art? We have yet to come up with a concrete description of how to define what it is. Some think art is beauty and absolute truth, others believe it is an expression or reflection of the outer world thru inner introspection, and still yet those who think art is entertainment or a form of communication.

One thing we can agree upon. Art is creation, and imagination of the human mind at work. It is all that can be seen and touched with hands, that which can move our thoughts, or play the strings of our heart.

Art, like any other field has moved thru many stages throughout the history of humanity, and as such has been shaped by the many hands and sometimes great minds that have changed its path. Therefore it is not a fixed point, it is forever changing clay that is always being molded by the creative human mind.  As we move forward through the chapters of humanity, we shape art, as it shapes and molds us, our society, and the way we think, and view our world of the past and future and experience our present.

Art is all that is around us, but the finer art as it has been defined by scholars, comprises of only emotive and performing arts, such as theater, dance, film, photography, paintings, music, writing and so forth.  Fine Arts when done well, and under an expert’s hands has the power to move us, inspire us, and shape our mind, or show us the true essence of that which we couldn’t otherwise see. Now as to what is good art and what is bad art … well that is an entirely different question and perhaps a whole other discussion.

Who would buy a painting for nearly 120 million and why?

The Scream sold for nearly 120 million last week in an auction at Sotheby’s in New York City.

According to a BBC report the bidding war lasted only twelve minutes before this Iconic piece of Art was sold to a buyer over the telephone.

Who would pay such a monumental price for a single work of Art? For those who do not know about art or understand the importance of this event, this painting is one of the most recognized piece of art for numerous reasons, such as its relevance and importance in history of art, for its lines, colors, execution, for the artist and the man behind the painting Edvard Munch, the moment in his life when he made this work and the reason why he painted it, his intention, and so much more…that is the beauty of a wonderful work of Art, one can never say enough for it speaks volumes on many levels to so many minds.

Nevertheless, an Iconic work of Art has been sold to a new owner, and one who we do not know since the buyer was not present in the room.

 

The Google art project is a blessing for those who love art.  Now for the first time you can visit more than 17 museums and view some of the greatest art around the world from the comfort of your home and with a touch of a finger, bypassing standing in lines, paying museum fees and travel fees. What more can we wish for?

We can equate the Google Art project to a pebble in a pond whose ripple effect will reach far in the distant corners of the globe thru the years to come and play an important role in education and overall history of art from ancient times to present.

As one scrolls thru the high resolution images of Google Art Project, it is hard not to be in awe, of how the many ages in the past have chosen to reflect their reality, surroundings, and emotions thru so many fantastic creations over time. The creators are no longer there, but they have left us a piece of that time long ago, to reflect upon.

And Google has made it possible! Some folks seem to be hesitant about downloading chrome without which it is not possible to view the high resolution images due to the sheer volume of data that needs to be managed and uploaded for a viewer’s comfort, but there is no charge in downloading chrome, except that it does require a few minutes of one’s time.

Nevertheless, for those who love art, the Google Art Project is a wonderful treat to the eye and mind, and since the world is made of ideas, this one can be marked as a historical event in the history of Art around the Globe.

So if you are an art lover, we do recommend a comfortable couch, and the company of a few good friends, a large screen, and yes…the Google Art Project.

It is a wonderful way to spend a weekend and discuss Art!

Happy Viewing.

Painting an oil portrait is not the same as making a portrait in other mediums such as water color, or acrylic or even charcoal or guash.  The best thing about painting an oil portrait is that if you are not happy with the movement of certain line or shade of color across the canvas, oil paint gives you plenty of time to change your mind and rework the desired section.

Depicting the likeness of someone from one glance is not easy, so sometimes it is easier to take a digital photo of your subject before hand, in the position you want, with the expression you think best fits their personality. That is, if you know the subject.  However if it happens to be a stranger then you must trust your own isntinct and depict what stands out about their personality. Sometimes it is also helpful to get your subject’s involvement and take a few photos and share it with them and see which refection or portrait of themselves they prefer. This will give you plenty of time to paint the portrait in your own time.

Sketching a portrait live is also an option but it can get complicated, since most of the time, models or those sitting for a portrait don’t like being still for a very long time and fidget and move,  which can distort your view as you are looking to get the details of their face drawn on the canvas.  Of course another way to get the sketch of the face on the canvas is by simply taking the digital photo and projecting it on to the empty canvas, but which ever way you go, once you have the main feature of the face drawn on the canvas it is time to apply your oil paint.

Get the right shade of the color for their skin, or as close as possible to their complexion by mixing the colors ahead of time and testing the shade on a separate piece of paper. Make sure you have plenty of this mixed paint ready, or enough to cover the whole face and neck area of the portrait. This will give you the background you need to work on.

Go over the outline of the eyes and work in the right shades of colors for the eyes and pupils and eye brows. Decide where the subject is going to be looking and make sure to keep in mind where your source light is and how it is reflecting on the pupil of your subjects eyes.

Once you have mapped out the main features of the face it is time to work on the shadows on the face, nose area and neck.  Again, always being aware of where the light source is.

Paint the hair last. This is because once the face is finished it is easier to bring small pieces of hair over the painted portrait rather then vice versa. Make sure to give the hair its dark and light shades as well.

Touch up some areas of the face and pupil of the eyes and middle of the bottom lip with a white oil paint for highlights. And don’t forget to add a bit of peach or pink or light rose color to the cheek bone area.

And Voila! You are done. Step back and look at your work.  Let it sit over night, and look at it the next day again. If it still looks good to you, then you are done. Congrats!

But if it doesn’t, then you gotta go back to the drawing board, and keep at it until you are happy with what your eyes are looking at, only then is there a chance that someone else might also like your creation.

Best of luck. And keep on painting !