Research Point : Lorrain & Turner Dividing Landscapes P.83

Research Point : Lorrain & Turner Dividing Landscapes P.83

A Sunset or Landscape with Argus Guarding Io - Claude Lorrain C17th

This Claude Lorrain piece is not framed by trees in the foreground as with the Turner piece but by quite a bit of interesting storytelling with the animal approaching the pond. All the action appears to be going in the foreground with the waterfall running down the right side of the picture. The mid-ground has the suggestion of a river and bridge but not too much to distract the viewer. It is as thought this part of the picture is just out of the viewers peripheral vision, creating the illusion of depth as you stare into the foreground.

Bolton Abbey - JMW Turner 1809

As we can see with this Turner piece of Bolton Abbey, the trees in the foreground are quite dominant, particularly to the right side of the picture giving the viewer the sense that they are sitting in a forest, and just peering out of the brush. A similar effect can be produced by an artist painting indoors, and including the window sill as part of the piece. The river serves to create distance by drawing the viewer, deeper into the painting as the trees become gradually smaller. The distant hills appear quite faded to suggest distance in the background.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2652217/Wind-farm-planned-for-famous-JMW-Turner-landscape-at-Bolton-Abbey.html

http://www.kunst-fuer-alle.de/english/fine-art/artist/image/claude-lorrain/6612/1/68624/a-sunset-or-landscape-with-argus-guarding-io/index.htm

Check and Log

• In what way did you simplify and select in your study? Were you able to focus on simple shapes and patterns amid all the visual information available to you.?

I think that using the viewfinder aids the artist to focus on what to put in a painting, because unlike sight, the viewfinder limits what the person sees and forces you to think about what is valuable to the painting with the space available. When looking at potential sketches, I found myself using the camera on my mobile phone as a simple way to frame what I am seeing, then to decide if the information was interesting enough to sketch.

• How did you create a sense of distance and form in your sketches?

I would follow the rules that a foreground is clearer, more detailed and richer in colour whereas the background would be vague, blurry and the colours would be much weaker. Trees can be suggested by squiggles for example and the foreground may overlap the mid ground and background being that it is closer to the viewer. Aspects within the picture, such as a winding river, or rolling hillside, give the perspective of distance as does the size of the objects, gradually getting smaller, the farther back they go.

• How did you use light and shade? Was it successful? 

I think I used light and shade well in the "Cloud" exercises, for example, using the white paper to represent light against the shading of my medium. This also works quite with the church Sketch ( Plotting Space through composition) where the eraser created cloud edges. If I am honest, the sketches in " A Sketchbook Walk" are just line sketches so I would consider those unsuccessful in terms of light and shade. My 360 degree study is better but so much as my cloud study.

• What additional preliminary work would have been helpful towards the larger study?

I think a good selection of sketches, detailing the direction of light and tone would be complimented with the use of photographs where possible, it would of certainly helped Monet with his series studies, had he had a camera. Also, having a familiarity with the study already would be useful, as stated, many artists draw at the same location which would surely help to memorize some of the surrounding detail.