Sculpting on the Canvas - Adding a Third Dimension
I have found that sculpting on the canvas can add an exciting dimension to some of my paintings, over and above the traditional methods for depicting three dimensions on the two dimensional canvas. The traditional techniques for depicting three dimensonality in painting are listed below:
- Value: The brighter, high value, bright colors tend to protrude into the foreground, whereas low value darker colors, such as shadows tend to recede into the background.
- Chroma: High chroma, bright/intense, colors tend to protrude into the foreground, whereas low chroma, dull colors, tend to recede into the background.
- Edges: Sharp edges tend to protrude into the foreground, whereas soft fuzzy edges tend to recede into the background.
- Temperature: Warm temperature colors tend to protrude, whereas cool colors tend to recede. I describe this in detail in the "Using Color to Turn the Form" section of the "My Painting Methodology" section of my website.
- Perspective: Perspective and the overlapping of objects conveys to three dimensional relationships of the components in a painting.
- Texture: Generally highly textured paint applications cause the area to come forward, whereas smooth areas can fade into the background.
I enjoy using these techniques, however two recent experiences have lead me to supplement these techniques with actual sculpting on the canvas.
First, I recently recreated Fredrick Leighton's painting "Flaming June". My version is pictured below.
First, I recently recreated Fredrick Leighton's painting "Flaming June". My version is pictured below.
Leighton is famous for using heavy impasto in the highlighted areas of his paintings. For example, the bright shining sea behind June's head was painted with heavy dots of impasto paint. When the painting is illuminated by a light from above, the sea seems to shimmer with the reflection of the sunlight, as you can see in the image above. This experience really peaked my interest in using texture in my painting.
The second motivation came from admiring the bird photos taken by my daughter Lauren and her husband Matthew Cumbie on their birding adventures, four of which are pictured below.
The second motivation came from admiring the bird photos taken by my daughter Lauren and her husband Matthew Cumbie on their birding adventures, four of which are pictured below.
Notice the feeling of depth in the above photo; the wy the branch seems to protrude into the foreground, the overlapping of the bird and the branches and the flowers and branches that are crisp in the foreground and become fuzzy in the background.
Notice how the green herron is crisp and the background is very fuzzy.
Notice the overlapping of the bird and the background, and how the foreground flowers and crisp and they become more and more fuzzy as they recede into the background.
Notice how the forward wing and the head and the beak seem to protrude into the foreground and how the foreground rocks and the reflection tend to lead us back toward the bird.
I decided that to enhance the feeling of depth in my paintings I would sculpt the images on the canvas before I painted them using the standard techniques that I described above.
The first step was to draw the image on the canvas. To do this I first used a software program to grid the images as shown below.
I then made a similar grid the size of my canvas, which in this case is 12 inches by 12 inches. I have grids of this type made for the various sized canvases that I use.
I then place a sheet of tracing paper on top of the grid and draw the image on the tracing paper. When the image is complete I tape the tracing paper to the the canvas and place transfer paper under neath and draw over the image to transfer it to the canvas Finally I apply workable fixative to the canvas to seal the drawing on the canvas.
The next step is to decide which portion of the image are to protrude into the foreground and which are to recede into the background, and begin to apply molding paste to the parts that are to stand out in the foreground.
This is a multi-step process for several reasons. First, the Golden Molding Paste that i use holds the shape as it is applied very well. However, if you apply it very thickly it is difficult to maintain the form that is desired over a significant area of the surface. Therefore, I found that it works best to apply multiple layers, allowing each layer to harden over night. In this way you can slowly work up to the exact shape that you desire. While this implies that the sculpting process will take time in days, it allows you to look at each layer and decide the changes that you want to implement in the new layer. This is the same process that I use with painting - apply the paint, take some time to look at it and then decide the direction for the next layer of paint.
The second reason is that I found that certain effects are more difficult to attain by direct application of the molding paste. This is particularly important for fine finishing details. In these cases I have found that it is best to apply extra molding paste to the area and then use a hand held dermal to carefully carve out the final form.
The tools that i use in this process is shown in the following photo.
Pictured above are the Molding Paste, a plastic tray, two pallet knives, and the hand held dremil with three of the attachments that I use. Since the molding paste sets up quickly, the large pallet knife is used to place a reasonable sized dollop of the past of the tray and the small paleo knife is used to apply to paste to the canvas. In the final soothing phase of the application it helps to clean the pallet knife and dip it in water before using it to smooth the surface. The dremil sanding and carving attachments are used to create the final surface.
Below are pictured the final carved images for the pictures that I introduced earlier.
Comparing the carved image to the photos above, you can see that decisions have been made as to which parts of the image are to protrude forward receiving various levels of thickness of sculpting. Note that some elements in the photos have received no thick molding paste application. These will be painted directly on the flat canvas using the classical techniques that I described above to depict various levels of depth in the image. For example, in the first image below, the foreground flowers have been sculpted to stand out with heavy impasto. The next level of flowers behind that will be painted on the flat canvas with normal brilliance. The next level of flowers will be rendered with less brilliance. The layers behind these will be rendered with still lower chroma, and will be given fuzzy edges. I will describe this painting process in detail later in this section.
Below are pictured the final carved images for the pictures that I introduced earlier.
Comparing the carved image to the photos above, you can see that decisions have been made as to which parts of the image are to protrude forward receiving various levels of thickness of sculpting. Note that some elements in the photos have received no thick molding paste application. These will be painted directly on the flat canvas using the classical techniques that I described above to depict various levels of depth in the image. For example, in the first image below, the foreground flowers have been sculpted to stand out with heavy impasto. The next level of flowers behind that will be painted on the flat canvas with normal brilliance. The next level of flowers will be rendered with less brilliance. The layers behind these will be rendered with still lower chroma, and will be given fuzzy edges. I will describe this painting process in detail later in this section.
Before describing the painting process, I want to illustrate several intermediate steps in the sculpting process, which spanned several weeks of work. For each of the four images, I have pictured below two of the intermediate steps that lead to the final sculpting pictured above.
Here are five steps of my my first application of paint to the sculpted surface. I am using the painting guidelines for depicting death and form that I described above. For example, the foreground tens to be higher in intensity, warmth, and sharper in definition. As I did this, at times, I had the feeling that the bird was about to fly off the surface! The photos give an idea of the effect, but it is more dramatic in person when the image is lit from above.
The black skimmer image below is the next one I painted. I'll describe the process in more detail.
My pallet for the Black Skimmer is pictured below. Notice it contains a number of major color pools. As described previously in the color pool painting section, the use of these key color pools and their modification enabled me to obtain the many subtle color shifts and maintain the color harmony of the image.
The image below is an early stage in the painting process. At this point I had basically put color on the sculpted form. I had not fully employed the classical painting techniques for indicating depth and turning the form. Two illustration of this I want to call your attention to are that the right wing is to recede and the left wing should come forward.
To make the right wing recede it should be given soft edges and lower intensity color. You can see the effect of these two actions by comparing the image below to the final image above.
To make the left wing protrude forward, I had already sculpted a raised edge. To enhance this I wanted to further increase the contrast of the image with the background to make it really pop!
To make the right wing recede it should be given soft edges and lower intensity color. You can see the effect of these two actions by comparing the image below to the final image above.
To make the left wing protrude forward, I had already sculpted a raised edge. To enhance this I wanted to further increase the contrast of the image with the background to make it really pop!
To accomplish this, I introduced a shaft of warm light on the water, coming in from the upper left corner of the image, as can be seen below. Further I introduced warm highlight on the forward edge of the left wing. I also painted highlights on the tail and the head portions of the bird to further turn the form in the light coming from the upper left.
To fully appreciate these modifications, the final painting should be lighted from above. To see this effect compare the image below which is illuminated straight on, with the final image above which was photographed with a lighting component coming down from above. You can see that the highlights and the turnings of the form on the bird is more pronounced. In addition the there are mor pronounced highlights on the ripples on the the water and on the stones in the foreground of the water.
To fully appreciate these modifications, the final painting should be lighted from above. To see this effect compare the image below which is illuminated straight on, with the final image above which was photographed with a lighting component coming down from above. You can see that the highlights and the turnings of the form on the bird is more pronounced. In addition the there are mor pronounced highlights on the ripples on the the water and on the stones in the foreground of the water.
This illustrates that the full 3D effect of the image is achieved through a combination of initial sculpting of the surface, painting techniques, and the lighting of the final image!