The Academy of Music and Dance Mural Part 2

I'm happy to finally show pictures of the finished mural at The Academy of Music and Dance. It's hard to believe these were blank walls 2 weeks ago. Painting on walls is very challenging. Mostly because there is so much space to cover. It is also a challenge to make sure the design on the wall matches the original design on paper. Before painting on the walls I established a grid pattern. That way I could transfer the design to the wall square by square. 

This room will mostly be used by the youngest students in the school ages 2-6. On walking into the room the curtain is behind and the stage doors are on either side. Straight ahead is the audience sitting in the mezzanine. 

Over the course of painting the mural I used around 30 tubes of paint!

Painting at a place of business was a completely different experience than working in my home studio. It was like going to work each day. In the mornings the school was very quiet. Around 3:00pm students started arriving each day. There were lots of music teachers and kids in the hall. Many of them stuck their heads in to see what I was doing. The social aspect offered some pleasant contrast from my typical working environment. 

One very enjoyable part was seeing the reactions of the small kids. Getting their approval was satisfying. After all that's who the room is for! 

Until next time, 

Adar

The Academy of Music and Dance Mural

I am finally showing the designs for my current client project; a four wall mural at The Academy of Music and Dance in Spotswood, New Jersey. The school opened recently with a beautiful, brand new facility. I am painting the walls to add some visual flare. The intent for this mural is to simulate a theatre stage looking out into the audience where a royal family is enjoying the show. 

Each of the designs shown are about 5" x 10". Currently I am about halfway through working on the real walls. For each inch of the design I am painting two feet in real life. It is a massive undertaking! 

These designs are executed in acrylic paint. This is not my usual medium though I am enjoying it. Getting away from typical modes of operation adds variety to my experience as an artist. 

I would like to thank the folks at The Academy for the chance to work on this project ;) 

Until next time, 

Adar 

Painting Moses

For this blog post I would like to explain the process of painting Moses and the Ten Commandments.

After brainstorming I decide on the composition and create a line drawing. I intend it to show where each part of the picture goes.

Sometimes I think drawings like this one are great pieces of art on their own. Executing precise lines with design and form in mind is a pleasure. When everything locks into place it feels like finding the perfect word in a well crafted sentence.

At the next stage I paint with Raw Umber oil paint to establish basic light and shadow. I actually use a copy of the drawing printed out and mounted onto cardboard. That way I do not risk ruining the original and the painting is more sturdy.   

The Raw Umber dries quickly enabling me to go over it with a first pass of color in oil paint. 

The ability to feel the paint under the brush is wonderful. The texture of the board interacts with the paint to make a unique surface. 

After the oil paint dries I scan the painting into the computer. This is when the major refinement happens. Painting on the computer is just like painting in real life. However there are some key differences that make the process much faster and more intuitive. Finally after hours and hours I arrive at the finished result and I am very happy with it. 

As you can see I use multiple types of media in my process. I feel unlimited by tapping into the advantages of different kinds of tools. I used to hold the opinion that following a strict process to create an image is important. Now I know that as long as I get the result I want, the means matters less. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this, and maybe got inspired about something you are working on. 

Until next time, 

Adar 

Looking Deeper

I experience images on a macro (realistic) and micro (abstract) level. It's obvious that looking at the big picture tells a lot: Who are the characters? What is the action? Where is it taking place? Looking at detail can reveal something different altogether. 

When looking at an image closely, objects fade and everything appears abstract. What's left is color, shape and texture. I certainly prefer viewing and creating realistic art. That said, I enjoy the abstract areas contained within realistic images. 

The images in this post are from my current painting project, a local mural. I did not discuss with the client about showing full images publicly yet. However, I don't see anything wrong with showing small, cropped details. They definitely don't give a lot away. What they DO show is the abstraction that happens on the micro level of realistic art.

Looking at abstract art elicits a purely emotional response. In realistic art the objects of a painting bear more significance. But the way they are portrayed is also critical, color, shape and texture playing important roles.  

I hope to show the full images of these paintings soon. Until then, you are welcome to guess what any of these images might be! 

Until next week, Adar

Foray Into the Unknown

Thanks for joining me on this first blog post. My desire to start a blog goes back many months; it is only starting now because of all the worrying I do. "What do I write about? Am I committed? Do I write well enough? Despite these apprehensions, I am jumping in.

As an aspiring professional artist there are a lot of choices to make. "What subject matter do I paint? What message do I want to convey visually? What artistic medium is best for me?" I will explore some of these questions here.

As of right now I am committing myself to one blog post a week; I want to see how well I manage that.

I invite you to join me as this blog develops. Feel free to comment what you are most interested in. Do you want to read about art process or famous paintings? Or are you piqued by professionalism and business?

Until next week, Adar