Montreal Museum of Fine Arts – Painting to see : Peindre pour voir

Drawing in pen & ink :: Dessiner à la plume & encre

2014-07-232016-07-13by Jane HannahLeave a Comment

Whatever deserves to exist, deserves to be known.
— Francis Bacon

I am presently following a course Drawing in pen & ink with Jennifer Schuler and it feels so good to be learning a new medium! I love taking art classes! I have learnt that India Ink has a glossy effect and is waterproof while Chinese Ink has a matte effect and is not waterproof. We are using Chinese ink. Yesterday we did a few abstract shapes to get used to the feeling of the ink on paper, then play with a light grey wash and draw with twigs and a bamboo shoot a white object looking at the highlights, mid-tones and shadows. Today we looked at the negative space in a painting and we actually went out in the museum to paint some sculptures… of course I chose a tree! We also did another sculpture that was quite interesting to do, but I did not have the time to finish it. By looking at the negative space this means that if two objects are in front of each other, the closest object will not be drawn as it is only the outside shapes (not the inside ones) that can be used. Quite an interesting exercise -)

Je suis un cours nommé Drawing in pen & ink avec Jennifer Schuler et j’adore apprendre à peindre avec un nouveau médium! J’ai appris que du India Ink est reluisant et à l’épreuve de l’eau tandis que l’Encre de Chine est matte et pas à l’épreuve de l’eau. Hier nous avons appris à jouer avec l’encre et l’eau et faire des lavis en peignant un objet blanc et regardant les clairs-obscurs. Aujourd’hui nous avons regardé les espaces négatifs et nous avons peint dans le musée certaines sculpture qui étaient là…. et devinez? J’ai choisi un arbre sculté! En regardant les espaces négatifs, nous regardons le contour des objets et si deux objets sont un en-avant de l’autre, bien l’intérieur de l’objet qui est devant va disparaître. Un petit peu difficile à expliquer en mots… Un exercice très intéressant -)

Paper: Canson HP 9″x12″
Ink: Pigma Micron 005 black
Location: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings, Urban Sketching

Peter Doig

2014-02-232016-07-13by Jane HannahLeave a Comment

I am always interested in what we miss when we try to focus on what we see. For example, when you take a photo you will always feel a bit disappointed after the exposure, because it’s never representing what you perceived when you took it.
– Peter Doig

The Montreal Urban Sketchers gathered together (my guess is that we were 20-25) at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts today. Some sketchers went off to paint the surrounding architecture from the amazing windows (remember that it is still too cold to paint outside in Montreal at the moment), others went to the Inuit section and painted fabulous Inuit art! Some of us went straight to the Peter Doig Exhibit, artist extraordinaire. What was fascinating for me today was to try and emulate his technique… after three tries, I was still very far from his mastery, but still I was starting to get it. This got me thinking too! Can you really comprehend an artist’s point of view without trying to recreate what he does? Is this why so many painters rely on the Masters to guide them and show them the way? So this is my rendering of one of his posters of the Owl and then of his Bateau Rouge. Because of the museum’s reasonable restrictions on water-based paintings, I drew with a fountain pen what I was looking at… I might follow through later on and put in dabs of colour. For now, this is what I have.

Les sketchers urbains se sont rencontrés aujourd’hui, environ 20-25 personnes,au Musée des Beaux Arts de Montréal. Certains ont choisi de peindre l’architecture extérieure vue des immenses fenêtres du musée (il faut se rappeler qu’à Montréal en ce moment il fait toujours trop froid pour peindre dehors), d’autres ont choisi de peindre la section d’art Inuit, et certains d’entre nous ont décidé d’aller voir l’exposition de Peter Doig, peintre extraordinaire! Aujourd’hui j’ai essayé de peindre comme lui et après trois essais, j’ai commencé à comprendre sa technique ou au moins sa façon de faire — et quand même très très loin de sa maîtrise. Est-ce que quelqu’un peut réellement comprendre un artiste s’il n’essaie pas de le reproduire? À cause des règlements du Musée concernant l’usage d’eau, j’en ai profité pour dessiner à la plume fontaine -)

Paper: Handbook Travelogue
Fountain Pen: Pilot Prera F
Ink: Noodlers’ Lexington Gray

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings, Urban Sketching

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Watercolour Sketchbook :: Carnet aquarelle Musée des Beaux Arts de Montréal

2013-05-022016-07-13by Jane HannahLeave a Comment

I wanted to talk about a new sketchbook that I have been using. I have been struggling with the paper texture as it is very dry… feels alot like Arches paper as it needs alot of water. However, it does not warp nor curl which is great! However, the only caveat that I have is that it does not lend itself well to scanners as it does not spread flat on the scanner glass… In this era of digital technology, sketchbooks should be able to open up flat, in my point of view. However, even though it seems that I have some negative comments about this sketchbook, I am really enjoying it and am having a great time with it.

Je voulais parler des cahiers croquis pour aquarelles aujourd’hui car je suis en essai avec celui du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal et le papier est très bien, et sec. Il me fait penser au papier d’Arches, qui a besoin de beaucoup d’eau pour que la peinture soit absorbée par le papier. Le problème est qu’il ne s’aplatit pas quand on vient pour numériser notre peinture… bon! Est-ce qu’ils devraient s’aplatir pour être numérisés? Oui… en cette ère de technologie, c’est nécessaire, en mon point de vue. Par contre, même si je semble avoir plus de critiques négatives que positives, je le trouve très bien ce carnet et j’ai beaucoup de plaisir avec.

Sketchbook: The Colour of Water, 21st c. Paper, carboard, glue and ribbon 23 x 16 cm by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Ink: Carbon Ink
Pen: Sailor Fountain Pen, EF
Colours: Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, French Ultramarine, Burnt Umber

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings

To mix? Or not to mix? That is the question…

2013-04-222016-07-13by Jane Hannah6 Comments

My husband bought me some beautiful tiger lilies that smell like heaven. So I decided to paint them… I have been painting flowers for the past two weeks and have not posted them as they were just too awful to post :) The first painting that I did I decided NOT to mix any colours and use all of the colours that I saw. New Gambodge, Rose Madder Genuine, Serpentine Green, Sap Green, Vivianite and French Ultramarine. This represents a cacophony of colours and even though the painting is interesting, there is nothing that is holding it together–linking it.

Voici la première peinture que j’ai peint avec beaucoup de couleurs différentes… en fait, j’ai utilisé 6 couleurs. New Gambodge, Rose Madder Genuine, Serpentine Green, Sap Green Vivianite et French Ultramarine.

However, when you look at my second painting I only used three colours… Rose Madder Genuine, French Ultramarine and New Gambodge. I created the greens mixing the FU and NG together, I created the oranges with NG and RMG and the grey was made with all three colours. The painting has a sense of softness and of being held together because the colours are linked to each other.

Par contre, cette 2e peinture je n’ai utilisé que trois couleurs primaires (jaune, rouge et bleu). Les voici… New Gambodge, French Ultramarine et Rose Madder Genuine. Avec ces 3 couleurs primaires, j’ai mélangé pour créer les verts, gris, mauves, etc. Ne trouvez-vous pas que ces couleurs lient la peinture ensemble? Qu’elles appartiennent et unissent la peinture ensemble?

Which one do you prefer?

Pen: Pilot FlexiGrip, EF
Ink: Noodlers Lexington Gray
Paper: The Colours of Water Sketchbook from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Sketches / Drawings / Paintings, Urban Sketching

Bust of Empress Joséphine :: Buste de l’impératrice Joséphine

2013-01-272016-07-13by Jane Hannah2 Comments

Today the Montreal Urban Sketchers went to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. I went to the Desmarais Pavilion to see the temporary Napoléon I Gallery. This terracotta sculpture was created by Joseph Chinard in 1805 in Lyon, who was considered the most discriminating portraitist of his day. I find that my version has a comic-book rendering to it which does not reflect the actual sculpture. I am not used to drawing portraits… so I need practice!

Aujourd’hui les Sketchers urbains de Montréal se sont regroupés au Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal. Je suis allée au pavillon Desmarais pour voir l’exposition temporaire de Napoléon I. Cette terre cuite a été créée par Joseph Chinard en 1805 à Lyon, qui était considéré en son temps comme le portraitiste le plus raffiné. Mon portrait est plus caricatural et ne reflète pas réellement la finesse de la sculpture… car je ne suis pas habituée de dessiner des portraits. J’ai besoin de pratique!