BobBlast 213 "Best of BobBlast - Revisiting Collage Papers - How and Why it Works for Me

Welcome Back to Another BobBlast! In this Best of BobBlast - I wanted to show you the kind of short workshop I will do at the upcoming Trade Shows - Artisan Expo and Art of the Carolinas. The links are below. In this video I am focused on making a painting using collage elements as the underpainting - gluing paper pieces of texture and design to the entire painting surface. This time my surface is 300 lb Kilimanjaro Watercolor Paper, cold press. My collage papers are patterns of black and white - I made an original and then I Xerox® them in various percentage sizes so I will have a wide variety of the same pattern.  Then, I decide on the concept... the big idea. My idea for this painting is “Split-Level” and that’s the title. Next, I decide on the composition. By gluing the graphic shapes, I get into the painting faster. The graphic shapes support the design and composition. In starting off with collage first, my goal is a strong graphic statement. For me, adding collage elements are not “in addition to” but are part of the actual painting process.  Color Combination - Purple is the dominant color. So… I started with various color values and tones of purple - plus white mixed into the purple - this gave me the option of opaque areas, as well as the overall transparent color. Still working with the dominant color - I start to modify by doing some "reductive painting" by wiping away sections of paint. I also scrape sections (with brush end, fingers, etc.) to show the collage underneath. Next I added the focal point color - Green - I brushed on a large dollop of green at one of the Golden Section points.  Then, I add the 2 Spice Colors - Yellow and Blue - which are usually placed close to the focal point color, thereby augmenting the focal point. Keeping in mind, all the time, is the title - Split Level. At this point, I continue painting, scraping and even drawing lines with Derwent water-soluble colored pencils... just because I enjoy drawing and marking marks. Pretty cool… huh?