In celebration of Presidents Day, we asked our resident president to pick his most memorable videos and then discount them ... below are his choices and his comments. Enjoy!
Save $10 : $49.95 - SKU# JS1d
Join John Salminen AWS DF, NWS as he uses the language of design to build a complex layered abstraction. The design analysis and thinking he uses may be applied to any subject or medium. John begins with simple objects as a springboard to suggest shapes and line. He then launches on a sequence of steps to create intriguing and unpredictable effects; all the while using design principles to create a cohesive, captivating painting. He floods in warm tones, dry brush blending, scrapes in darks, and masks lines. Learn More
From the President: During filming John took long periods, off camera, to think about his painting. John thinks deeply about what he paints; he doesn’t just throw paint on the paper. This is a video that can help every artist improve their design.
Note: John has two workshops scheduled next month - March 4-8 in Beaufort, SC and March 10-16 in Springmaid Beach, SC
Painting Watercolor Portraits, A Simple Approach from Photo to Finish with Jan Kunz
Save $10 : $19.95 - SKU# JK4d
Jan Kunz clearly demonstrates and explains how to paint a portrait in watercolor. You will see the entire painting process from start to finish, including shortcuts and tips for achieving a likeness. In this film you will learn about taking resource photos that contain the necessary, subtle details and dramatic value shifts required for success, Spotting & sculpting the facial planes to help ensure a likeness, shortcuts such as photo copies to access the value patterns, just to name a few.
Limited drawing skills won't hold you back in Jan's workshop. You'll learn to take great reference photos then trace and transfer the crucial shapes to your paper. Add a personal touch to your portfolio! Learn More
From the President: We actually filmed Jan twice. After the first week of filming she went back home and called back to say she was dissatisfied with what she had done and asked to film it all over again. The result is a video in which she shows us every trick and shortcut she uses to get a likeness when painting a portrait from photo to finish.
Collage Textures and Techniques with Claudine Hellmuth
Save $10: $14.95 - SKU# CH1d
Nationally known collage artist, Claudine Hellmuth, brings her unique and whimsical artworks to a DVD workshop. Claudine’s relaxed manner and easygoing approach to collage shines through in this DVD -- you’ll feel like you are taking one of her critically acclaimed workshops! You’ll learn Claudine Hellmuth’s favorite image transfer methods and background techniques that are perfect for enhancing collages, scrapbook layouts, altered books and more! Claudine will show you how to turn photos of your family and friends into works of art! PROJECTS: Altered book collage and cigar box assemblage with plexiglass cover. Learn More
From the President: This video has my favorite “outtake”. We got into a laughing spell that we couldn’t stop for over 2 minutes. It started when she mis-spoke “puffy white clouds” and one of us chuckled. I was behind a curtain and a bank of monitors during the filming. Then I started laughing. Then she lost it again. She laughed so hard that at one point she dropped to her knees and tried to hide under her work table. The cameras were still running. This nonsense went on for a long time and we decided it had to be the outtake.
Design is a lot like cooking. In both pursuits we select from a number of ingredients and mix them in various combinations with varying results. For our own sense of security, we've developed rules to follow, but we occasionally see an artist or chef break the rules and create something stunning. Design in the hands of a master is an expression of the individual artist. Design that is not made personal is like using a pre-packaged mix: convenient and sometimes pleasing but not home cooking. So how do we get there? How do we express ourselves in our art?
It's crucial to understand what the elements and principles of design do. We know that eggs bind together a cake, salt brings out flavor and chili peppers make food hot. But what does a hard edge do? What if everything is the same size? Is the color red always hot? The elements of design are the vocabulary, the ingredients. The principles help us understand how the elements work when cooked together in a particular way. It 's up to us to decide if we like the flavor. That is where personal taste comes into play. That is where you find out who you are as an artist.
Cheers,
Lynn
