Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on June 24, 2008|
2) Photorealism looks like it takes a really long time. On average, how long does a painting take you?
Sherry Mitchell:
It’s difficult to say how long, ON AVERAGE, a photorealistic painting takes, as every painting is so completely different. However, for the examples in the book, a painting like the Himalayan Blackberries took approximately 50 hours.
Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on June 24, 2008|
3) Do you do your own framing or do you use commercial frames?
Additional comments:
Bobbi Angell: I order frames and glass from a commercial frame shop and assemble them myself. The same frame shop will also cut the openings on mats when I have measured and marked them according to what I need, for a couple of dollars an opening.
Olivia Marie Braida Chiusano: I use a private wholesale framer.
Bruce Lyndon Cunningham: I build all of my frames, if you go to my web site you will see. Also if (my painting) is of a tree species, the frame will be made out of that wood of the tree.
Beverly Duncan: Generally I use a professional/commercial framer for my work. Occasionally, for small and local shows I might purchase frames from an online site and frame myself. I float the work, using plastic risers purchased for this use.
Jean Emmons: Though I do my own framing for gicleé prints, I like to use a private framer for originals. I get too close to my work to see it in an unbiased way, and a framer with a good aesthetic sense can really help present one’s work to its best advantage.
Carol E. Hamilton: I order mats, frames, backing and Plexiglass on line and assemble them myself.
Kathy J. Imel: Used to use private framer; have started doing the framing myself using commercial frames.
Robin Jess: I use a private framer who charges reasonable rates. It is important to present your work professionally to really show it off. Sometimes I will purchase a ready-made frame if I find one that looks good for a particular purpose, but I never cut my own mats. If I have that much time, I would rather use my time to create the art and let someone else make the mat and frame. I am better at the art – and they are better at the framing!
Libby Kyer: I will build my own frames at a nearby frame-it-yourself store. I always select my own frames, mats and other necessities (filets, etc.). However, I recently found a commercial framer with an amazing array of sticks (frame materials), so will probably be using her for important pieces in the future.
Mindy Lighthipe: I do my own matting and framing. I have a wholesale account with several vendors and standardize my sizes so I can swap paintings at a moments notice. This reduces my inventory of frames and expenses.
Sherry Mitchell: I use commercial frames, but assemble them at home. Having a reasonable mat cutter is a benefit, as is a knowledge of framing techniques and a good background in colour, design and museum quality framing.
Rose Pellicano: I use commercial frames and sometimes a private framer depending on the specifications for certain exhibitions or if the size of my painting is not a standard size.
Rayma Kempinsky Peterson: I usually order frame parts from Opus in Vancouver. Then I assemble them myself.
Scott Rawlins: All of my frames are purchased ready made (I make sure my drawings are suited to standard size mats & frames), or made specifically for the work(s). I used to cut all of my own mats, but when double mats are needed, I arrange to have the framer supply these as well.
Susan Rubin:
I do all my own framing. Several years ago I realized that the amount of framing I needed annually (25-45 pieces) was costing me too much! A professional framer trained me in the necessary skills to cut mats and glass and assemble conservation-quality framing and I opened and account with a wholesale framing supply. There was a lot of trial and error resulting in the waste of some expensive materials, but I am now quite competent and find that I am less apt to limit my framing choices by cost.
Dolores R. Santoliquido : I use a private framer.
(Although) I am capable of framing my own artwork, the framer I use is better able to frame my art in a manner that truly compliments the artwork. If the work is slated to go in a show with specific requirements I use commercial frames with Plexiglass.
Wendy Smith: I generally do my own or have a skilled friend do my framing if
circumstances allow it. A trade in services is great if possible, otherwise commercial framing can be very expensive.
Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on June 24, 2008|
4) Once you really learned watercolor, did you ever go back to graphite, ink, or colored pencil?
Olivia Marie Braida Chiusano: Yes. I do quite a bit of graphite work for clients and professional commercial assignments. The same for pen-and-ink. I also use both for fine art pieces. As for colored pencil, I only Prismacolor pencils for color studies in preparation for my large watercolor paintings.
Bruce Lyndon Cunningham: I don’t understand the question. I am an artist. I will use any media I want.
Jean Emmons: Yes, absolutely. Also, I’ve studied egg tempera and oil painting. These two media have really helped my watercolors on vellum, as vellum can accept egg tempera hatching techniques (while using watercolor paints) and oil painting glazing techniques (using watercolor paints) in a similar way. Because the watercolor paint doesn’t absorb into the vellum, the way it does paper, the paint has more “body,” more presence.
Carol E. Hamilton: Yes. The subject matter often dictates media choices. Having command of a range of media can be extremely useful.
Wendy Hollender: Yes, I eventually fell in love with colored pencil and use that mostly.
Kathy J. Imel: Yes, all the time.
Robin Jess: From 1972 to 1981, I worked exclusively in black and white, except for a semester in oil painting and a semester of color theory which used designer’s gouache. I used graphite, graphite powder, charcoal, etching and for scientific illustration, pen and ink, preferring Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph or Rotring technical pens. I really feel this gave me a great ability to see tone and value, which has helped my watercolor work. I did pen and ink at the same time I was beginning to learn watercolor (on my own – I never took a class in watercolor, except for the workshop I mention below). I first started using watercolor in 1980 to hand color my etchings. I thought the palest wash was very garish! Over about five years, I gradually did more and more watercolor, never really being happy with the results. In the mid-80’s, one of the first things I did as Coordinator of the New York Botanical Garden’s Botanical Illustration Certificate program (then called the Biological Art Certificate Program) was to bring out Kevin Nicolay from Seattle, an artist whose work I had admired in Horticulture Magazine. He did a three-day workshop, if I remember correctly, of which I attended two days, and I was amazed by the very little amount of water he used, and how much his technique was like drawing. After that, I began painting in the style I still use, drawing with the brush, and am happy with the results. After that, I only did watercolor, but recently have been inspired by several ASBA artists to pick up a graphite pencil again. My schedule now doesn’t allow much painting or drawing, but if I were to begin now, I would do about 85% watercolor and 15% graphite.
Libby Kyer: Yes! I use all media, sometimes combined, but my absolute favorite is colored pencil. In the end, watercolor is my least favorite medium, but I have recently learned some amazing techniques from Jean Emmons, and am working a bit more in watercolor than in previous years.
Mindy Lighthipe: Yes. I love both mediums and continue to use them alone and occasionally combine them with watercolor.
Julie Sims Messenger: No, I love losing myself in creating color and the challenge of making the most of watercolor’s luminosity never ends.
Sherry Mitchell: Yes. I do children’s book illustrating, and coloured pencil is my favourite medium. As well, both graphite and ink continue to challenge me, and I enjoy using both of them for different projects.
Rose Pellicano: I paint only in watercolor. I have not used colored pencil.
Scott Rawlins : Yes. The truth is, I work more frequently in colored pencil and other dry media, but have recently considered going back to watercolor.
Susan Rubin: I learned watercolor along with other media. It was never the right medium for me and I gravitated away from the brush and back to the pointy pencils (graphite and color) immediately!
Dolores R. Santoliquido : Yes. Watercolor is a medium I use, but I prefer to use mixed media acrylic and color pencil. This mixed media technique gives me versatility in color selection, pigments that do not rewet and therefore remain stable when I am glazing layers of color and a final product that had to date proven to be consistently lightfast.
Wendy Smith: Yes. Each medium is a skill in itself and can be used as a tool with
another medium to achieve an end product or used alone as a finished artwork. For example, you may use a graphite sketch to establish a composition to be completed in another medium, include it in a way that the mixed media are apparent or complete the entire artwork in graphite, ink or colored pencil. There are many levels of skill that can be achieved in each medium in the course of a lifetime.
Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on June 24, 2008|
5) How do you match your colors? Do you achieve this by glazing or do you mix your colors in a palette?
Julie Sims Messenger:
I use glazing technique to achieve form and color. Starting with studying the subject, I choose lots of pigments, cool/warm, transparent and opaque, and then I begin with the thinnest of glaze and work from back to front. I work intuitively and every couple of hours have to stop and come back to reassess the work for color correcting. After the form is apparent, I start working drier gradually. It is very slow work. I also feel free to keep over-glazing all or part of the work as I go along to keep color correcting and to soften hard edges. I just feel this way works for me to keep the nuances of color and light reflection alive in the work.
Rose Pellicano:
Through study and experience, I know which colors to mix to achieve a close match. I begin by applying a light wash of color, I then place the appropriate color and I dip my brush in water and move the color to achieve appropriate values. I intensify the color by glazing or by applying tiny brush strokes.
Louise Smith:
My paintings contain both glazing and colors mixed in the palette. This can go back and forth.
Wendy Smith: This can be done both ways and each artist has their own opinion and preference. Some feel that glazing allows a purity of color and light to show through in the paint. I’ve tried both and generally prefer mixing the color on my palette before applying it to the working surface. I like to see the color on a white porcelain surface first in order to match colors; however, in some instances I use glazing to enhance details, shadows or highlights, especially if I’m using an opaque medium.
Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on June 24, 2008|
6) How many of you have a certificate from a certificate program?
Programs referred to in “Yes” responses: Denver Botanic Gardens, New York Botanical Garden
Robin Jess: I don’t have a certificate, however, I started a certificate program for the New York Botanical Garden in 1984. However, I did major in art (no watercolor classes, though) and had a minor in botany in college.
Libby Kyer: I have a certificate from Denver Botanic Gardens Certificate Program in Botanical Art and Illustration, and received their Merit Award the year I graduated. Taking advantage of quality local education is a great way to grow, so I still attend a class at the DBG whenever a master artist comes in for specialty classes, and I routine contribute to publications by the Gardens, which is also fun. I also teach there, which is the best learning experience of all!
Rose Pellicano: I do not have a certificate from a certificate program although I have an art background and have studied with wonderful teachers .
Rayma Kempinsky Peterson: I do not have a certificate. However I have a BSc. In Botany.
Scott Rawlins:
Yes (maybe).
Dolores R. Santoliquido : I do not have a certificate from a certificate program. My early art training was based in realism. I have worked in a tight manner for my entire career. When I started doing natural science subjects and botanical illustration there were few programs offered. I began teaching in the New York Botanical Garden Certificate Program in the late 80’s and at that point it was impractical for me to go back and attain a certificate.
Wendy Smith: No, I don’t have a certificate but I do have a college degree in life science which helps me to better understand the subjects I’m rendering and their relationships in the context of the natural world.
Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on June 24, 2008|
7) Because botanical art is so representational, how far can you stretch a composition in botanical art?
Bruce Lyndon Cunningham: When any artist draws a face of a person, the face needs to look like that person in life. Same with botanical species.
Carol E. Hamilton: The key is research. Once you have thoroughly researched the structure, growth patterns and life cycle of the subject, you can confidently compose a piece without concern that you might be misrepresenting the plant.
Wendy Hollender: Composition allows for infinite layouts even with representational art. The plants are realistic, but the background can vary from none, to a tint, to a landscape, to a suggestion of a landscape.
Kathy J. Imel: When doing a pastel of a plant, I like to expand the image to many times life size and also often zoom in on a particular section of the plant so that the image covers the entire paper (no white space). I think it causes you to think about and see the plant in a different way while still being botanically accurate.
Michael Maskarinec: Good design will make or break a painting. Most artists have a natural ability to place/compose a painting. I believe that a good composition can be challenging and create the drama that attracts the average person to our work. For me this falls under the category of how we edit our process.
Susan Rubin: For me, botanical art has tremendous potential as a contemporary art genre, and composition is often where we can diverge from classical tradition, if we are so inclined. Remembering that botanical illustration a more structured depiction of a plant, I view botanical art as the playground. It is an exciting challenge to retain the scientifically accurate portrayal of the material while pushing the composition to make a more modern statement. More adventurous compositions may not always be favored by RHS or ASBA juries or staunch traditionalists, but there is always room for a fresh point of view in the larger world of art.
Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on June 24, 2008|
8. Do you ever draw and paint exclusively from photographs? Is this a wise thing to do?
Olivia Marie Braida Chiusano: I do not draw from photographs. I use macro photography to record key elements of the subject and detail. My students are taught not to trace from photographs but to use them only for reference.
Beverly Duncan: No. If I call a painting a “botanical painting,” I will have worked from a live specimen to produce that painting. Often I am asked to illustrate for magazines and books and then must work from photographs since I’m often asked to illustrate out of season.
Carol E. Hamilton: In my experience, sometimes you have no choice. That having been said, unless I know a plant extremely well already, I am unlikely to work from a single photograph, rather I will accumulate as many reference photos as possible, along with scientific texts, to help me understand my subject.
Libby Kyer: I do paint exclusively from photographs when I am asked to paint pictures of species that don’t exist in this area or that are completely out of season. If I can, I supplement the drawing with a herbarium sheet of the species, for more detailed understanding of the specimen.
I don’t like painting only from photographs, but it is required if you want to meet deadlines or if the plant simply isn’t accessible. I find that paintings done from photos only seem “flatter” with less understanding of form, and form is so important and really needs to be rendered before just about anything else. So painting from photos is not my favorite.
I generally take many photos of specimens I’m working on, using an Olympus Camedia C-3020 Zoom digital camera. Although an older camera model that has been replaced for “snapshot” images, it allows close-up shots of excellent clarity, so if my specimen expires, has to go back to the greenhouse, or changes radically as it ages, I have references at every stage.
Short answer: I don’t know if it’s wise to paint strictly from photographs, but I do know that I don’t like it very much even when I really need to. However, I think it’s really prudent to document your specimen as you work to make sure you have references for specific parts!
Rose Pellicano: I use photographs for reference. I prefer to work from live plants although I have had to work from photos when doing illustrations for magazines and the plant was not available at that time of the season.
Rayma Kempinsky Peterson: I use photographs quite a bit. I compose with the viewfinder of my camera. Often I will “transplant” other plants from other photos, but always keep the painting botanically correct. That is, I only put plants from the same habitat into my larger composition. Painting strictly from photos has its drawbacks. Colors can be inaccurate in a photo. Greens can appear bluish in a photograph. A sketch from life will always be desirable as they are always lively. However, I couldn’t draw my composition and paint it without small details. My paintings can take months to complete so I need the assistance of photos.
Wendy Smith: Photographs can be very helpful tools. Sometimes it’s not possible to work from life and using information (such as form, light and details), which can be captured in photos, is necessary. It’s very important however, when working only from photos, to have a good grasp on form and light and a keen awareness of how optical effects such as distortion, can affect the subject(s). Also, it may be necessary to use multiple photos as reference for different elements in the composition.
Botanists and illustrators strive to document conifers around the world.
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