Color Basics Teaching. Gouache Portrait Sketch Sample

Author: Li Zhensheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Sketching begins with observing nature through one's own eyes, observing the subject. In other words, sketching is about painting what we see with our eyes, seeking depth and truth. However, this does not mean copying or imitating nature in a naturalistic manner. Short sketches should not be flat, empty, or dull, but longer works should not be overly focused on details and. Instead, one must keenly perceive and grasp the initial feeling that comes from the heart, through color and brushwork to communicate with the subject, continuously enhancing and enriching this feeling during the painting process. Painting too thoroughly can make the work stiff and lack vitality, while painting too simply or superficially can make it feel empty and dull. Achieving the "right balance" is a key training topic in our sketching process. In completing a sketch, the proportion of objective factors of the natural subject versus subjective artistic feelings determines how to handle the opposition and unity of these factors. This is also the purpose and task of our sketching training. Sketching also trains and cultivates our ability to observe objects and the subtle changes in nature in depth, discovering what truly moves us. Then, we use our brushwork and color to express the poetic and brushwork charm we feel in our hearts. The treatment of the relationship between intention and unintention, similarity and dissimilarity, is the essence of our sketching training.
Oil color sketching and gouache color sketching have now become essential subjects for art exams in China's higher art colleges. Color sketching training is also the necessary path for beginners to progress from practice to creation and artistic expression. Through rigorous color sketching training, in addition to cultivating solid realistic skills and profound color cultivation, students can accurately and skillfully grasp the inner spirit of color sketching through long-term practice. Most of the works in this book are demonstration paintings for teaching. These works demonstrate the basic methods and steps of color sketching. Although they are all practice works, they reflect the fundamental teaching norms and requirements. These works vary in style and form, including short-term sketches that pursue generalization, simplicity, and wholeness; as well as longer sketches that involve in-depth research, analysis, and depiction of objects, resulting in more complete works. Some works are detailed, subtle, and nuanced; others are concise, generalized, vivid, and painterly. When painting, I strive to fully express the subtle relationships between forms and colors, but I place greater emphasis on the depth and richness of the overall feeling. I often feel that spontaneous, expressive, and unrestrained paintings, leaving a lingering impression, are the artistic character I truly pursue.