‘Mint'
Australian How To Paint|Issue 31
This young artist believes there are no rules in art; that’s why ‘art’ covers such a broad range of creative activities. Some of the most beautiful artworks are those that don’t replicate a thing, but rather represent it …
Claire Foxton
‘Mint'

STEP ONE

I’ll paint on basically anything, so this experiment with ink on a .5 x 1.2-meter piece of unprimed overboard (ply) became a ‘canvas’ for my painting. I planned to be able to use the existing marks to the painting’s advantage and to also let the natural grain of the panel become a feature. The photograph I used as reference material was of a girl lying on her bed smoking, with a look of youthful attitude and dominance.

STEP TWO

I began the process of masking off big sections in color. Apart from the black ink already on the ply, I only used a combination of Burnt Umber and a cool blue for the darker areas – as sometimes black can be too harsh. The Mint Green is one of my favorite colors which I get mixed at the hardware store – it’s modern and fresh. At this point, the background started to take a very abstract form. I enjoy seeing a harmony of color and visual balance surfacing in a painting – especially through abstraction. It’s a nice escape from reality.

STEP THREE

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