Bill Farnsworth
I hope this blog finds you well and painting.
Here are some tips for your tool box as you try to achieve the next level. For starters, we need to know what’s wrong with your painting and how to correct it. There are two major problems, value, and shape.
VALUE
There are 9 values in painting. 5 representing the middle value and 1 and 9 representing white and black, then there are 3 light values and 3 dark values.
I have found the best way to is to start with a “known value.” It may be the sky or your darkest dark. I usually start at my focal point where you will have your lightest lights and darkest darks most of the time. In the block in stage, you can create a 3 value relationship. A dark, a light and a mid tone. If they are all near each other, you can compare everything off of these values. Comparing the values next to each other will create a bench mark for your painting.
SHAPE
As we determine a value, we have to consider what shape it is. Seeing shapes is nothing more than drawing. The key element of drawing is seeing the angle of a line and general mass. Look for intersecting lines and the overall silhouette. Work your big shapes to small shapes. Remember; You are always drawing while you paint.
Now, after you feel you have gotten the right shapes and values, let’s determine the color and its temperature.
COLOR TEMPERATURE
You have two ways to go with color; Warm and Cool.
If the color looks muddy on your painting, it’s because the temperature is wrong. Mud is not the color at the bottom of your brush washer tank. Mixing paint is always a challenge for students but doesn’t have to be if you have a plan.
First, determine the color family of the shape you want to paint. Stick with just simple two color mixing in secondary colors, like orange, green, purple, etc…. Next match the value (most important). Then modify the color temperature and chroma.
Too many students get hypnotized by color and lose the most important goal. Don’t worry about capturing that special color, instead focus on getting the right value. If the value is right and the color is somewhat close, you will be fine. Your painting might be overall cool or warm and will still work because of how each color relates to one another. It’s all about comparisons.
EDGES
When everything in your painting looks right, consider your edges. You should have sharp, soft, and lost edges. Edges will make your painting believable.
PRACTICE
Stick with these tips and practice, practice, practice.
Education
Successful Air Travel With Minimal Art Supplies
Fear of how to fly with art supplies, especially internationally, can prevent artists from enjoying the joy of plein air painting in wonderful places. Concerns of TSA confrontations, paint confiscation, or hefty fees for overweight luggage can deter the most dedicated artist. Good travel strategies are required.
The first step in deciding what to pack is thinking about your needs.
- Purpose of your trip. Will you be teaching a workshop, or attending one;
traveling for fun, etc. - Preferences while painting. Sit vs. stand; are you a quick painter vs. slow etc.
- Special issues. For example someone who needs maximum sun protection would make having an umbrella a priority, otherwise an umbrella can be left at home.
Know TSA Regulations and What to Expect
It’s pretty simple. The word ‘paint’ is not a nice word for TSA agents. They think of flammable and caustic items which are prohibited. A tube of color does not contain the word ‘paint.’ Use the term ‘artist’s oil pigment’ or even better ‘artist’s vegetable-based oil pigment,’ if asked about your materials. Print out the Materials Data Sheet for your tubes to prove they are airplane-safe. Each paint manufacturer has this data online. A flash point at or above the 61°C mark is ‘safe’ for travel. (The flash point is the temperature at which a product will flame; therefore a higher flash point is better.) For example, Winsor & Newton paints all are easily within the ‘safe’ range at 100-250°C flash points according to their website. Winsor & Newton states: “We caution against travel with Liquin products. Although the flashpoints are in most cases greater than 61° Celsius, airline officials may still disallow their carriage… all solvents and thinners are banned regardless of flashpoint.” I have never had any paint confiscated in more than 15 years of travel with my materials. There is always the small chance that you will encounter an agent that is hyper-focused on finding ‘bad’ things in bags. It won’t help matters to get upset or angry. Remember that they are just trying to keep the skies safe. By knowing your materials and regulations no doubt the materials will be allowed.
Paints In Checked Bags
In general don’t treat your paints as something precious and fragile in your checked luggage. Keep your paints with your clothes to show TSA they are not dangerous items. If you wrap each tube in bubble wrap it may look suspicious and it will possibly annoy an agent that has to unwrap each one. Just toss your tubes in a Ziploc (double bag it if you are too nervous) along with the data sheet. There is the small chance that a tube will burst or get crushed, but a tube should still be useable upon arrival. Pack a few empty sandwich Ziploc bags in case a leak happens. A loose sheet of bubble wrap around the whole Ziploc package usually protects everything in transit just fine. I travel with partly-used tubes (especially in colors I don’t use as much) knowing that the weight of my bags is decreased. Do check weight restrictions on each airline you are using and weigh your bag with a luggage scale prior to departure. Overseas bags have strict weight and size restrictions and it may vary depending on your airline. Palette knives must be checked.
Paints in Carry On Luggage
Three Basic Art Travel Setups – From Medium to Tiny
Please note that I do not use solvent when painting. As stated above this is NOT allowed on the plane in either checked bags or carry on. You can use water-mixable oils (read my prior OPA blog post on using these paints), or look for solvent when you arrive. Sometimes conventions, or workshops/schools provide solvent upon arrival.
- Medium Oil Setup: easel or paintbox and tripod (EasyL lite, Strada Mini or Micro, EnPleinAirPro Travel), brushes, oil paint (warm and cool of each primary color plus white), 8×10” drybox (will hold 6×8 and 8×10 panels), featherweight panels from RayMar or WindRiver (AC14), cut pre-primed canvas sheets cut to be a little larger than an 6×8 panel (you can mount these on 6×8 panels when you get home) tape these scraps to an 8×10 panel with artist’s tape, wax paper to place between semi-dried panels or use frame bumpers to separate and tape the bundle together when ready to go home. Fresh wet paintings can go in your drybox. Solvent free gel (Gamblin), increases paint spread-ability and hastens dry time. Masters Brush Cleaner. Small plastic snap-top cup for water (or solvent that is acquired upon arrival). Paper towels (good to travel with a few folded, buy more upon arrival if needed). Palette knife. Brush tray and holder. About 8-15 lbs., fits in a large tote or backpack.
- Small Oil Setup: Tabletop mini box with no tripod legs such as Thumbox Pochade (Utrecht) or Strada Micro. One color of each primary (Permanent Red Light, French Ultramarine, Cad Yellow Light, White) if you are going to a tropical location add one tube of mostly used Thalo Blue. Most of the other supplies above (edit as desired). Use half-handle brushes such as Rosemary’s Ivory Pochade Set. Plastic credit card cut in half instead of a palette knife. About 3-7 lbs. fits in a small tote.
- Tiny/Sketchbook Setup: Some artists choose to just work in a small sketchbook of oil on paper when traveling. Use primed paper or primed canvas pad. Use a disposable paper palette to avoid a box and easel, or try an empty Altoid tin or two. Watercolor or gouache presents a terrific compact option for sketchbook studies. A problem for some artists is the weight of carrying water for the watercolor paints. Tiny watercolor paint set kits (Winsor & Newton half-pan Field Set) and a water-pen solve this problem (Aqua Stroke or Koi Waterbrush). Pencil (mechanical), pen and sketchbook (Holbien Multimedia; Stillman & Birn Alpha – Red label; or Moleskine). 5oz -1.5 lbs. can fit in a tiny tote or purse.
Get your supplies in order early and try everything out, so you don’t have disappointment on your trip. Sometimes items are out of stock and there is a wait. Plan on setting all your supplies out and just looking at them. Pre-pack them to see how heavy or light they will be. Try them out in your yard or at a cafe before you go to make sure all works fine.
Plein Air Competitions
Competitions require the greatest amount of materials. If you are doing a plein air event you need to create a certain number of paintings for the jury, and to hopefully sell artworks to pay for your trip. I ship my frames ahead along with heavy items such as a drill or point driver. I order from an online art company a basic set of duplicate paints – just in case mine burst or don’t make it. I check in my bag another set of paints, some partly used to save space. You must arrive for a plein air competition with enough materials to get started right away. I travel with items that are critical to use immediately upon arrival and would be costly to ship overnight if lost/damaged in my carry on bag (Redwing 50 backpack) which can perform double duty to carry all my art stuff during the competition: paintbox (EasyL lite), brushes, Revelite light component 12” wrapped in bubblewrap (if you have a Revelite battery it must be in checked luggage as it is a lithium ion battery and not allowed in carry on luggage), a few panels, watercolor mini set for sketching. In a checked bag I put: clothes, oil paints (a warm and cool of each color plus white, solvent-free gel), tripod, drybox/PanelPak(s), panels, umbrella (Best Brella) Revelite battery and cords, brush tray, misc. small items such as bungee cord, paper towels, tape, pen, etc.
Shipping Considerations
Overseas shipping will incur heavy fees and customs red-tape so this is not advised. Shipping is a good option domestically, especially for plein air events. However, there are a few problems to consider. 1) You must pickup your package(s) when you arrive (rarely can it be delivered to your host home directly). 2) Often framers or art suppliers over-pack items (they don’t want things to get damaged) and the package will not fit in your rental car! Try to talk to your supplier that is shipping items ahead (such as frames) and ask for reusable boxes or smaller packaging. Do not have the UPS Store pack items for you as they often use huge boxes filled with peanuts (a nightmare to deal with). 3) If you pack a box yourself (versus ordering direct) you pay twice for shipping to your event… once to your home/studio and then to your event, so this can add up.
Most people still over-pack and bring too much, I’m still working on the perfect list myself! Figure 2-3 paintings a day when calculating the number of panels to bring, less if you are with non-painters. You can usually buy what you need if you really had to, or if you are with a group someone will gladly give you a blob of paint. Check your expiration date on your passport; it must be valid for at least an additional 6 months from when your ticket departs.
“KWAK AND LUG”
The first artist (let’s call him ‘Kwak’) faced the first dilemma: “How do I price my work?”
Kwak was a natty little Neanderthal, not much good at physical labor (and before anyone shakes a spear at us, we recognize those researchers who attribute the bulk of his work to his unsung partner ‘Wampat’), but…be that as it may: Kwak had just finished a fine head study of the Old Chief’s mastodon and was at a loss what to charge. Kwak turned to his best friend (who was even less adept at labor––but dreamed of opening a gallery), and asked him:
“So, Lug––be honest: How many seashells can I ask for this?”
Lug (a little miffed at being asked to ‘be honest’––for he was invariably honest) replied: “It’s not what you can ask, Kwak––it’s what you can get. Old Chief doesn’t like to part with his seashells.”
Well, thought Kwak: Tell me something I don’t already know.
Sensing Kwak’s disappointment, Lug said: “What if I go to Old Chief? Would you take ten seashells for it?”
“Well…” Kwak was hesitant.
But Old Chief was to be avoided if at all possible. He was a scary old guy, always asking Kwak when he planned on doing some real work.
Lug sweetened the pot: “Look––if I can get more, I will. I don’t want to leave any seashells on the seashore any more than you. We’ll split whatever I get, down the middle: sixty/forty. How’s that sound?”
“Pretty sweet,” Kwak agreed.
Now Lug was just as afraid of Old Chief as everybody else, but seashells are seashells. He caught Old Chief at an opportune time: just back from the seashore–– and loaded with seashells.Lug pointed out what a fine rendering Kwak had done; his work on the mastodon’s tusk was exquisite: worth ten seashells by itself. He also mentioned the rarity of the piece (for it was, indeed, the first piece of artwork). In Lug’s eyes, that doubled its value. Finally, lowering his voice, Lug said he hated to bring this up–– was very apologetic to Old Chief––but (full disclosure) the young chief in the next valley, Eats-Seashells-For-Breakfast, had expressed an interest in Kwak’s mastodon…
“But that’s my mastodon!” Old Chief shouted and sputtered. He was outraged.
“Yes Sir. You are quite cor-rect. Though, act-u-ally, in this case…er, by, um, tribal custom, Sir––Kwak has the rights to the image…but that is stuff for a future blog, and nothing you need worry about today…”
Old Chief grumbled…
“Eats-Seashells-For-Breakfast wants it, eh?” (Old Chief was Canadian on his mother’s side) “Well, Lug, you are a thief, but I’ll give you thirty seashells for it, and not a single seashell more.”
“Will that be cash or credit, Sir? And…um, sorry––we must remember the sales tax. We can’t forget Big-Chief-On-The-Mountain.”
Lug was very proud of his day’s work. He had done a favor for his best friend and got him some extra seashells to boot. He also had enough shells to open that gallery. He knew just the spot…right on the path to the seashore.
Kwak too was proud of his day’s work. He had gotten Lug to shake some seashells out of Old Chief. No easy thing. His work was now where other Chiefs might see it. True, he had expected ‘sixty/forty’ to be worth more than twelve seashells––he had never been good at math, having skipped school that day––but, whatever, it was two more seashells than he could have gotten on his own.
His wife, on the other hand––for reasons Kwak could not quite follow––was not happy. Not–happy–at–all. She (nee: Wampat Goody-Two-Boots) had never missed a day of school, and was quite sure Miss Google had demonstrated the concept of ‘down the middle.’
Gently, Wampat asked Kwak if he had gotten this agreement with Lug down in writing.
Kwak gave her a blank look and asked: “What’s wr…”
Wampat threw up her hands and stormed out.
Getting Your Work Out There – Tips on Entering Juried Shows
There are juried art shows out there for all experience and skill levels. Entering a juried show can take some courage, as not everyone who submits work will have their work accepted. Knowing and accepting that going in, juried shows can be a great way to get exposure for your work. Juried shows can offer:
- Exposure to galleries, collectors and the media (all but one of the galleries I
have ever been represented by found me through a juried or invitational show.) - Discounted advertising opportunities with show media sponsors
- A way to build your resume
- Awards and recognition
- Sales potential
If any of these are part of your career goals, then juried shows may be worth your time and money. A word of caution: you will not be accepted into every show you enter. You will face rejection (in fact more often than acceptance usually) and must be prepared to accept that it is a part of the process and your growth as an artist. More on that later.
Choose shows that are appropriate for your skill level and quality of work. You may be ready for national shows or you may want to start with more local or regional shows. National shows are normally much more competitive than local or regional ones.
Make sure your work fits the show’s criteria (examples: plein air, impressionism, a specific medium such as oil or pastel). If you enter an abstract or non-representational piece in a show which is for realism or representational work, your work will be disqualified for not adhering to the show criteria.
Check out the reputation of the organization or organizer sponsoring the show. Beware of scams – talk to other artists who have been in the shows you are considering. Larger shows often have online catalogs of previous years’ shows so you can check out the type of work that is accepted. This will really help you get an idea if your work is a good fit for a particular show.
Check out the number of entries vs the number of accepted works (if that information is available). Some shows may accept up to 50% or more of the submitted entries. Last year, OPA had approximately 2200 entries with 200 accepted for the national juried exhibition (just under 10%). The higher the percentage, the better your chances are of being accepted…if you enter your best work!
On Judges and Jurors: The judges (who give the awards) are nearly always publicized. The juror or jurors (who score the works and whose scores determine the pieces accepted in the show) are usually anonymous in the larger, national shows. There are several reasons for this. When jurors’ names are publicized they are sometimes contacted by artists who are not accepted into the show, expecting to get an explanation or a critique. Occasionally they are openly criticized on social media (please don’t ever do this!). Jurors are sometimes paid a small stipend and sometimes volunteer their valuable time to jury… they are not paid to do critiques in addition to jurying. Some people enter shows based on who the judges and jurors are…they try to “paint for the judge” thinking if they paint the subjects or style the judge does it increases their chances of acceptance or awards. This is just usually not the case. If a judge specializes in portraits for instance, they know that subject extremely well…they will see every flaw in portrait entries. Same goes for landscapes, figures, etc. In my experience, you have a much better chance of acceptance if you enter your best work regardless of who the judge or jurors are.
Read the show prospectus carefully. Note deadlines and follow the instructions to the letter. Avoid having your entry disqualified because of careless errors or omissions.
Nearly all shows use digital images for their entry submissions. You will need high quality photos of your work…use a professional photographer if necessary. Your photos must not show frames or any extraneous backgrounds…only the image of the artwork itself. They must be in focus and oriented correctly. The jurors have a very short time to view each image and they have to score your work based on the image you submit. If they can’t see the work clearly, it will hurt your score or could even disqualify your work. Make sure your image is sized correctly according to specifications for the entry system.
Fill out the application and make sure all your information is entered correctly.
If you are entering a show sponsored by an organization, where membership is required to be eligible to enter, be sure to pay the membership fee before submitting your show entry. These type of shows usually require a show entry fee in addition to membership.
If you are entering a show that will be held in a gallery, work will almost always need to be for sale and must be priced according to your established sales prices. Do not overprice your work because you don’t want it to sell. That is not fair to the hosting gallery or the organization sponsoring the show and can put you at risk of disqualification. If you sell a painting that’s been accepted into a show and then pull out of the show, you risk being declared ineligible for subsequent shows.
Submit your entry well before the entry deadline. The majority of entries for juried shows usually come in during the last week prior to the deadline, many on the very last day. For shows using online jurying systems, once the deadline has passed and the system has closed, it cannot be reopened to accept late entries. Inevitably problems can and will arise at the last minute, so it’s best to plan to submit your entries a few days ahead of that final deadline.
Enter your very best work and again, double check your entry before you submit to make everything is complete and correct.
This is the nerve-wracking part of entering juried shows. The waiting and anticipation is hard! Every show will list notification dates for the jury results. Mark that on your calendar and note if the results will be posted online or if you will receive an email notification. Do not enter your entries into any other exhibition until you know if they have been accepted or not. Again, if you do and they get accepted into more than one show at the same time you risk being disqualified from subsequent shows.
If you are accepted:
Note shipping and delivery instructions and dates on your calendar. If you don’t ship your work to the show on time, you risk disqualification from that show and subsequent shows.
Make sure to include any crate fees, return shipping labels, bios…whatever is required.
What if your painting sells before the show? Usually the gallery hosting the show will handle the sale and take their commission according to the show prospectus. Normally, you will be required to send the painting to the show regardless. Again, adhere to the rules as stated on the prospectus to avoid possible disqualification from future shows.
Try to attend the opening reception if at all possible. This is a great opportunity for networking, meeting gallery owners, collectors and other artists. There’s a higher chance of selling your work if collectors can meet you and connect with you.
This is the hardest part…hands down. I once heard OPA Master Neil Patterson say: “If you’re accepted, you’re not necessarily as good as you think you are, and if you’re rejected you’re not as bad as you think you are. Just keep painting the best paintings you can and eventually you will be accepted”. It’s true!
Don’t give up. It took me 13 times entering the Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition before I was finally accepted. Persistence, hard work and perseverance do pay off. The only way you will never get into a show is if you quit trying and not enter. The only way your last rejection will be your last is if you never enter again.
Personally, I take each rejection as a personal challenge to try harder, to make my next painting even better than the last. Do I get down and discouraged? Absolutely! Go ahead and have a pity party for a few hours or a day, but don’t let it overwhelm or defeat you. Above all, be gracious and be professional…refrain from complaining to or about show organizers, judges and jurors about not being accepted.
Know that in EVERY show, there are always a lot of deserving works that do not get in. Every show has limits as to how many pieces they can accept. Every juror or panel of jurors is different. In every show you enter a particular painting in, you are competing against an entirely different group of paintings. Most artists, myself included, have experienced having a painting rejected from one show only to win an award with the same painting in another show.
Bottom line…juried shows can be a great way to get your work out there. It takes courage and you will have disappointments along the way, but it’s all part of the process of growing in your work and your career. Be patient, keep trying, keep working hard and growing…and don’t give up.
5 Mistakes All Artists Make (And How to Overcome Them)
We at OPA are fortunate to have the enthusiastic support of many quality vendors. As such, we have decided to give them an opportunity to pass along information that is helpful to our membership. While these blogs will link to the vendors information we want the primary focus to be on supporting and informing our membership. First up, Artwork Archive.
As artists, we all experience moments of doubt along the trajectory of our career path. Moments when the sales aren’t flowing in or multiple late nights in the studio leave us second guessing our choice to follow our passion of becoming professional artists. But before you let these doubts get the best of you, see if there is an easy fix to what is keeping you from achieving your optimal success.
We outlined the biggest problems that artists face when making the transition from hobbyist to
careerist, and how to overcome them.
As a team of artists, designers, developers and writers at Artwork Archive, we have been lucky
enough to spend the last five years talking with thousands of artists about how they have grown
their businesses. Here are the five most common mistakes we hear, and how to fix them!
Problem One: You Accept Stress, Disorder, and Chaos as the Norm
One universal artist problem is that we jump from project to project, driven by sparks of
inspiration, deadlines and financial pressure. We fail to realize that taking the preliminary steps to have a strong foundation in place will make all of our future work easier.
Staying organized is crucial for those of us who want to make a living doing what we love, and to actually have the peace of mind to enjoy the process along the way. Without something in place, we run into the same problems day in and day out, wasting valuable time searching for information and perpetuating a cycle of stress when we should be making work.
Fix: Find a system that works for you and that you will actually use. There are many productivity, inventory management, and financial tracking programs that can help give your business structure.
We suggest setting aside one night a week to download and compare these programs. Then, and this is the hard part, take the time to determine which one is right for you.
Evaluate whether or not the system is making your workflow easier, or if you can see it benefitting your business. Most of the time we try these apps in a crisis moment, but then never follow through fully to see how beneficial they can be.
Problem Two: You Let Deadlines Slip By
We’ve all been there. You wrote all the upcoming important dates on a whiteboard in your studio.
You thought you were on top of this year’s applications and events. Then, in passing, a friend asks about your submission that was due … last week.
Half the battle in making it as an artist is applying. You need not only to apply yourself to your craft but also apply to every opportunity out there… the residencies, grants, juried shows, and fairs. There is a lot to keep track of in an art career.
Fix: Get in the routine of setting reminders for yourself. If you aren’t already using a system that keeps you up to date on important deadlines set reminders on your phone, on your computer, on an old-fashioned paper calendar, everywhere and anywhere that you will actually look to see what you have coming up.
Problem Three: You Don’t Know What Artwork You Have Available
So, you just heard from a potential collector that they are interested in your work—and you are ecstatic! You get to talking and they love all your artwork, but one series in particular. Here’s the problem: you don’t remember which gallery those pieces are in, or even if you’ve already sold them.
The more work you make and the longer you practice your art, the harder it is to keep track of
everything. OPA member Jane Hunt shared this all-too- familiar story with us. “As my art business has grown, it’s been increasingly difficult to keep track of everything. I’ve also entered a painting into a show when it was actually unavailable in a gallery. It was very stressful not knowing where everything was. I kept feeling like I was going to mess up.”
Fix: Start tracking your artwork from the start. Or, if it’s already past the beginning—start now! The sooner you start tracking your work (where it is, which galleries it’s been in, who you sold it to, when and for how much) you will be able to not only build a comprehensive overview of your inventory, you will be able to make more informed decisions about your art business.
Then, check out these 5 FAQs about art inventory management systems.
Bonus: Did you know an accurate and up-to- date provenance makes your artwork worth more? According to Christine Guernsey, ISA CAPP, “Solid and documentable provenance increases the value and desirability of an artwork.”
Problem Four: You Waste Time
You don’t have to be producing all the time, but learn to waste time productively. Taking breaks is absolutely essential, and can be a healthy way to stay creative and rested. However, many of us waste too many hours or days or weeks doing administrative tasks that steal away our energy and only lead to frustration and burnout.
Fix: Take time to plan your week, work around your peak creative time, set a timeframe and take breaks, use productivity tools, then reward yourself and recover for the night. We are most productive when we don’t take work with us everywhere and we actually take the time to relax.
Problem Five: You Don’t Appear Professional
Notice that we didn’t say you aren’t professional. Even if you are at the top of your game skill-wise, if you don’t make a good first impression with potential clients or galleries, you won’t appear professional.
Collectors want to purchase artwork from someone they feel confident in, and can see they are on the path to success. They want to know that you will be around in a few years, and perhaps the value of the artwork will increase. Galleries want to know that you are easy to work with and will follow through on your word.
Fix: Have inventory reports, invoices, and consignment sheets ready to hand over to clients. Before you head out to meet with a gallery or collector, bring along a list of your current works available to present them with. Make it as easy as possible for the other person to say “yes” to a purchase.
Don’t make a potential client do the leg-work to get the information they need to make a decision about acquiring your artwork. Having professional reports that include details like contact information, images, price, and creation date help buyers understand the big picture of your work and help you make the sale.
The good news is that these are all fixable. The main takeaway is that having a system in place frees up a lot of your time tracking down information and a reduces the stress of trying to remember things or find things. With these fixes, you’ll be more productive and have more peace-of-mind.
One inventory system that can help you accomplish all these goals is Artwork Archive, an online inventory system used by many OPA members that gives you the tools to track your work and contacts, manage your time, print professional reports at the click of a button, and gain insights into your career.