"We are all one substance involved in the same terrible struggle, turning matter into spirit."
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

Monday, December 05, 2005

Color-Massing Technique

COLOR-MASSING TECHNIQUE © (a brief explanation)...
Color-mass painting is the exact opposite of drawing. Just because artists use brushes, doesn't mean that they're painting. However, when scrubbing with a brush, from the center moving out, an edge can be created by juxtaposing one color spot next to another.

Acrylic technique (detail) A©
(detail © 2000 C.Berk)

Placing a light against a dark, a cool against a warm, vague next to defined, a contour will emerge.

Acrylic technique (detail) B© flickralbum_cover
(detail © 2001 C.Berk)

Without filling in between lines, colors truly interact and the paint develops a visual life of its own...breathing undulating until each color functions to the individual artist's temperament.

Please leave your comments, questions, etc. below. (More artwork, by theme, will be posted soon.)

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello!
You're the art weblog of the day on http://aawad.canalblog.com
See you
Awadie

Chuck Berk said...

Thanks Awadie... appreciate the plug!
Have a creative day, Chuck

Unknown said...

magnificent & very original work mate... saw you on flickr... gad I cam over here to have a look... I'm largely self-instructed but I agree with the laying in the colour and tone first approach...

Chuck Berk said...

Hey Cyclone...appreciate the kind comments. I'll check out your sketches and see ya on flickr.

Anonymous said...

Just happened to surf into this place. I really like your paintings. Very cool!

Chuck Berk said...

Hi Linn...hope you'll stop back often.

Anonymous said...

I just found out about flickr and have listed some of my work as well...under Art with Attitude in one of the groups you belong to (Art & Theory ?). Your method of painting is similar to my own. Creating mass by shadow, shade, color contrast and negative space...rather than line. It's a right brain thing...
I love your colors in your work. Will be checking back for more.

Chuck Berk said...

Thanks Margot...I hear you! and plan to see your work on Flickr.

Anonymous said...

So glad you posted this. I'm going to give it a try with my markers.

Chuck Berk said...

That would be interesting...to see what you can do with markers in this technique.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, as it turns out, yer as right as rain. The Heron Art School downtown does life drawing on Tuesday nights (by "downtown" I mean Indianapolis and by "Heron Art School" I mean the art school attached to IUPUI, so it won't be a case of painting naked birds....
Actually, it ain't gonna be that cheap as I live some fourty miles North of town (don't ask me why I keep calling it a town, they're pretty sure it ranks as city class) but since I want to do this thing, I'm just gonna do it.
Probably should have kept my part time job, though. I was training rabbits to walk bakwards in a straight row. Yeah, I called it a RECEDING HARE LINE.

Anyway, thanx fer the tip! SEE YA!
CONNELL

Chuck Berk said...

I "hare" ya Connell...just DO IT! E-me about your progress.

Anonymous said...

I like your breathing painting.

hfm
http://tcores.blogspot.com

Chuck Berk said...

Muito obrigado Helena.

hfm said...

Lovely to say so in Portuguese!

From Belgium with love said...

You are a good painter, drawer etc.
Congrats ...
just a happenstance ...

Chuck Berk said...

Mmmm, love them Belgium waffles. I've enjoyed surfing your stuff. Keep up the fine "Indigo" work. Regards to all in your art group.

fin said...

The colors are lovely.

Chuck Berk said...

I enjoy your fin(e) drawings too.

Anonymous said...

This is exactly what my tutor was trying to explain to me recently but you make it sound so much clearer. Thank you so much .

Chuck Berk said...

Hey Heidi...sorry I missed your post. I think there are times when lines can be useful, but are often a crutch and therefore a distraction from many "juicy" paintings.

Red Writer...obviously you have a very wise tutor...lol! Try to keep in mind that when it comes to art, there are no rules and all techniques are eventually meant to be broken. Push the envelope and find what works for you, but when studying a technique practice it (as is) until you own it.