Clarke Griffin (skaiprincess) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-05-13 19:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, ~2017 may, ~25 points, ~~clark griffin (skaiprincess), ~~~neal caffrey (caffreynated) |
Who: Clarke Griffin and Neal Caffrey
What: Art lessons
Where: Neal's apartment
When: Monday afternoon
Warnings: nope
Status: started in gdocs, will continue in comments
Neal was always pleased to give any of his students a private lesson or two. It was always more focused than class, which tended to be on the light and fun side. His more serious students did come in early, or ask for extra one-on-one time, as Clarke did just a few days ago. He had set up space in his apartment for the lesson. He found that a more personable setting, one that was away from class, helped with the creative process. At least it did for him.
“So what you want to do,” he said to Clarke. “Is to paint these objects with the oils. That’s it.” On a table that was behind and to the side of the easel was a cylinder, a cube, a donut, a sphere, and a funnel. All with varying degrees of shading to them, but the point of the exercise was to manipulate the oils so that those pieces would look alive on the canvas.
“If it helps to sketch on the canvas first then you can.”
***
Clarke wasn’t sure where she got the idea to do an oil painting for Octavia from a photograph of her, Lincoln, and Aurelia, but once it crossed her mind, she couldn’t shake it. She was grateful that Neal was willing to help her out since she didn’t have much experience with oils and she wanted to make sure that this turned out well.
“That might help,” she said, grabbing a pencil from the table. She was most comfortable working with pencil and paper, so having an outline to work from would make her less anxious about this. The objects themselves were basic shapes and easy enough to sketch, but she didn’t bother shading them with the pencil, figuring that was best left to do with the paint. “Okay, now what’s the best way to start with the paint?”
***
Sketching was all well it good. In fact, many artists prefered to have some outline of their project on the canvas before they started. The lines of the sketch would hardly be seen underneath all the paint that was going to be used. Neal watched from behind Clarke, analyzing her motions carefully. She was always gifted in class, but watching her outside of the classroom put a different perspective on her skills.
“You really have to be familiar with the colors on your palette. You can stick with a primary, or mix two together to see what you come up with. For now just use one so you can get the feel of the oil on the brush and then as you smooth it onto the canvas.”
***
Most of Clarke’s sketches were black and white, so she wasn’t terribly used to working with color. She had experimented a little with watercolors and acrylic paints, but when she dabbed her brush into the blue on the palette, it felt completely different.
Carefully, she lifted the brush to the canvas and started to go over the lines of the cube that she’d drawn. The way that the oil paint moved across the canvas was different from any other kind of paint and she was a bit hesitant, which resulted in her lines not coming out very smooth. “This feels so different from other paints I’ve used,” she said. “Should I use a lighter touch?”
***
“I want you to experiment with it, “ Neal said. “It’s important to know the result of differing pressures, but the rule is thick on thin. The innermost layers will always be thin, that's why we mixed it with turpentine. As we build on the layers we will increase the viscosity by changing the mixing medium.” He paused and chuckled, knowing he was giving a lot of information at once. Neal placed a hand on Clarke’s shoulder.
“It doesn't have to be perfect,” he said to her. “ This is how I learned.” Which wasn't the truth. Neal was a natural with oils and he learned through imitation. It was why he spent so much time on the classics and perfecting them.
***
“So we start with thin and work our way up to thick?” Clarke asked, clarifying that she understood everything he was saying. Some of the art terminology was still a little confusing, though working at the shop and taking classes with Neal had vastly expanded her vocabulary.
She made a conscious effort to stroke the brush across the canvas with less pressure. The result looked almost the same as her earlier strokes, but felt more natural, so she continued to cover the outer lines of the cube. Once the shape was painted, she dabbed more paint on her brush and started to work on filling in the color.
Neal was a wonderful teacher and she appreciated his willingness to spend the time teaching her. “How’s this?” she asked.
***