Troubleshooting
The following is list of symptoms, their causes and a few creative solutions for working with chalk:
Symptoms Causes Solutions 1. streaks & grooves rocks in the chalk remove rocks 2. chalk won't blend wrong side of paper turn over paper 3. colors are dirty dust from color above blow off dust 4. colors smudged dirty hands clean before blend 5. chalk is crumbly too humid dry out chalk 6. edges blurred improper pressure restate carefully 7. chalk won't stick glazing & saturated scrape off glaze 8. sky turned green blue & yellow in sky separate with flesh 9. blend too dark blending red & blue separate with white 10.no edge on chalk ground off break or sharpen it 1. Streaks and grooves on paper are cause by rocks in the chalk. Dig out the rocks. Use your thumb nail, knife or any edged metal object that is handy. When you hear a harsh scraping sound or feel the pull of the paper change, it is usually a sign of rocks.
2. If the chalk won't blend right you may be drawing on the wrong side of the paper. The chalk needs a 'tooth' to hold to so turn the paper over. There are small circles on the back side and a canvas type grain on the front.
3. If the colors are dirty it may be dusting from higher colors. Blow off the dust lightly, or you may change color. Do this before you start blending.
4. Dirty hands can smudge colors. Clean your hands before blending on the paper or with a clean paper towel.
5. If your chalk is crumbly it may be wet or too humid. Some colors are naturally softer. Don't store you chalk in the basement. Dry it out in the sun or a less humid place.
6. Blurred edges can be caused by improper edge pressure or blending. Fine details with such a large format requires "clean hands, and a pure heart."
7. If the chalk wont stick on the paper it may be glazing or the paper is saturated. Glazed chalk looks shiny or glassy. Scrape off the top layer of glaze. Saturated paper can be emptied some for new colors by brushing it with a stiff brush.
8. If your sky turned green you may have blended blue & yellow in the sky. Separate the blue and yellow with flesh.
9. If black appears between red & blue when blending them separate them with white.
- When you can't find an edge on chalk, simply break the chalk, or sharpen it on the paper.
Some help for other problems.
From time to time I have run out of chalk on the road. Sometimes you can find light colors at a hardware store or variety store (see chapter 1), but darker colors are unavailable unless you special order.
Solution: Try a monochromatic drawing. This is a one color and white drawing. It is a very powerful forgiving way to deal with color shortages.
Mistakes
View them as opportunities in disguise. Unique problems have unique solutions.
"Whenever we have a problem we can not solve, we must use a higher form of thinking than when we created it." - Einstein
Carl Steele said, "Let your accidentals do the work for you"
Suggestions:
- Try to look at it differently. Step back from it and breathe deeply.
Be flexible, and creative.
2. List all the possible solutions no matter how remote.
Here are some possibilities:
* Remove it or brush it out
* Cover it over and re-blend over it
* Make an object cover it or just make it bigger.
* Adjust the shapes to make it believable.
* Make it into a pattern or texture of an area or form.
* Crop your whole picture and cut it off.
3. Choose the best one and organize it into steps.
4. Restate it carefully making your adjustments.
Troubles With Drawing
Drawing is hard for everyone! Even the masters had trouble with drawing. Most of it is trouble with seeing. But some of it is caused by other things.
STRAIGHT LINES
Many people say, "I can't even draw a straight line".
The reason is that our wrists, arms and shoulders all draw curves. They work like a compass. They each pivot at the joint like the pivoting point of a compass. Too draw a straight line with a compass you must stop the pivoting and drag it parallel to a ruler. In the same way for you to draw a straight line you must: lock your wrist, lock your elbow and lock your shoulder and draw the line by smoothly moving your whole body with your feet.
Drawing a straight line is like driving a nail. You have got to use your whole arm. Caricature artists lock their wrists and even draw circles with their whole arm. Even curves become straighter when you use your whole arm.
I have good news.
"There are no straight lines in nature, only areas of color one against another." - Monet
In chalk painting straight lines can be accomplished by:
1. Carefully choose the starting and ending points of the line.
2. Choose the Proper thickness for the line.
3. Choose the appropriate edge, thickness on the chalk. Chalk dulls and lines get thicker as you draw. The edge you choose will determine the thickness-at-length of the line.
Here are a few ways to keep the line the same thickness:
a. Use a thin flattened chip or sharpened piece of chalk.
- Use the longest edge on the chalk and sharpen by twist toward the sharpened edge as you draw.
PORTRAITS, PEOPLE AND ANIMALS
"A Portrait is a picture of a person where the mouth isn't quite right" - Sargent
Portraiture takes time. Professionals easily spend an hour on the just the preliminary stages of underpainting. If you draw in front of people it is unlikely they will be interested in watching that long. Here are several suggestions for shortening your drawing time for faces.
1. Smaller figures are faster because they require fewer details.
2. Formulas and caricatures are quick studies.
3. It is easier to draw faces when they are turned away from the viewer some.
Preparation
(Usually complete the background before the figures)
1. Rough in with a loose sketch.
2. Check its proportions.
3. Restate it (Slide work bypasses these steps)The underpainting
4. Fill in first with the middle tone.
5. Begin layering to reach the real colors.
6. Work from median color to dark slowly. Be careful of muddy smudges.
7. Blend with 2 or 3 fingers only where needed.
8. Layer on the middle highlights and reflected tones.
9. Blend them lightly.
10. Carve out the darkest shadows.
11. Finish with the brightest highlights.
Distance shortens these steps. If the figure is far enough away you only need step 4!
Painting by the Numbers
A survey done in 1993 in 48 states by The Nation Institute revealed some interesting trends in what Americans look for in Art:
STYLE
Only one third said the artist's style was important.
64% Prefer traditional over modern art
60% Prefer realism
Favorite motifs - Happy / beautiful / Relaxing
COLOR
88% Choose pictures based on color
34% Chose pictures to match home decor
68% Prefer colors well blended
Favorite colors in order:
Blue / Green / Red / Black / Purple
Blue - Preferred more by:
1. Central states,
2. Middle aged and middle income
3. Conservative, white, males
4. As education decreases preference for blue increases
Green - Preferred more by:
1. Older aged
2. As income increases your love for green increases!
Red - Preferred more by:
1. Northeastern States
2. Liberal
3. As education increases love for red increases.
Black - Lower incomes prefer black.
SUBJECT MATTER
77% have art in their home
88% Prefer outdoor scenes in this order of preference:
1. Water - 49% 5. Landscapes
2. Forest - 19% 6. People
3. Rural settings - 18% 7. Buildings
4. Wild life 8. Houses
89% Prefer natural settings over posed
Favorite seasons for pictures in order of preference:
1. Fall - 33%
2. Spring - 26%
3. Summer - 16%
4. Winter - 15%
Favorite Indoor scenes:
1. People - 37%
2. Flowers - 21%
3. Animals - 10%
4. Fruit - 7%
Favorite sizes for paintings:
From 18" X 20" To: 2' X 3'
75% said pictures should be enjoyed rather than tell a story or preach a message
Only 20% liked religious themes!
People are often surprised by my choice of subject matter I draw in Churches. But their is method behind it. To reach the lost we have to go where they are.
The Ten Commandments for Chalk Artists
1. S.O.S. - Scoot Over Some - so we can see what you're drawing.
2. Thou shalt not scratch thy nose; or any other place with chalk on your hands.
3. Thou shalt not leave a lasting impression - on the carpet, pews, sink, light switches, or deacons as you shake hands.
4. Thou shalt not believe thy complimenters. Defer all praise to the Lord. Leave you ego at home. Don't be blind to your own blind sides.
5. Do your best. Pastors and people will judge your work by your appearance, and by the appearance of you equipment. You may say, "That's not right!" BUT, THEY STILL DO IT! Attractive, well designed equipment communicates competence and inspires confidence. Some chalk artists say we are not here to make beautiful pictures, but to give a message. But the bible says to "Adorn the gospel of Christ, in all things." Whatosever ye do, do it heartily unto the Lord, and not unto men."
6. Check your clothing under black light. Be sure that your underclothing does not phosphorus under black light.
7. K.I.S.S. - Keep It Short and Sweet. Stand up / Speak up / Speed up / Shut up / Sit Down. Take your verbal Pepto Bismol. If it is a long story, then edit it and make it short & interesting. Pray more than you preach and you will earn the right to be heard! If the horse is dead, get off!
8. Don't apologize unnecessarily. Whatever mistake you make may be the best part of your program. People love it when things go wrong.
9. Be a blessing. Be thankful. Avoid complaining, griping, gossiping and criticism. Treat every person as a saint, and every church as a goddess (the bride of Christ!).
10. Jump in. Performance not practice makes perfect. Take every opportunity to use your gifts for the Lord and He will renew your strength. Isaiah 40:31
Conclusion
In this book we have discovered a way to bypass drawing difficulties that makes drawing easy and fun. It taps the part of us that was created in the image of God! This simple tactile process results in superior skills. Tactile study liberates us from fear and builds confidence to develop our own unique style of interpretation without fear of any subject matter. We have also learned ways to make the chalk do the work and cut our drawing time. Conquering our critical side empowers us to see to see, then to begin to draw realistically. The innovative solutions to difficult problems help us deal with and even benefit from mistakes. The common sense principles will make your efforts more effective.
Each artist paints himself into his picture. Since you are "His workmanship", and His masterpiece, it is my sincere prayer that the Lord will give you a piece of the Master through this book, and the peace of the Master through His book.
"The stronger the motive, the more beautiful the life will be" - Henri
Painting is the bridge between the life of the artist and the spectator. May I join artists of the past in saying: Be what God made you: A piece of the Master.
Modules
1. Challenge || 2. Essentials || 3. Obstacles || 4. Blindness || 5. Steps
6. Value || 7. Style || 8. Hidden Pictures || 9. TroubleshootingClick here to purchase all 9 modules and basic exercises in the book
Fine Art Painting With Chalk