To learn about fluid dynamics and how to depict it, I will now use this picture as a motif for painting:
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Having spent an afternoon learning the architecture of the upper wave, I remembered a technique that I used a while ago to learn basic shapes, namely filtering the image using paint daub in Adobe photoshop. 
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This AP filtering, I assume, is akin to what June recommends ‘squinting at the scene to make the details murky and thinking of masses as forms/shapes’.
How did artists prior to photography learn the architecture of waves? Did they spend many hours watching the rapid motion of waves to learn their possible anatomies? Or, do I have difficulty with what is child’s play for everyone else?
Birgit,
Once you catch the wave, you can use it as a dramatic figure backdrop: see http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/08/04/world/04korea3-600.jpg .
Steve,
The combo is hilarious!
I don’t know who to respond to — Birgit or Steve. Steve, you certainly did find a good ‘un. I had seen the two principals in the photo, but the context is wondrous.
But seriously, folks….
Birgit, I have always thought waves as very difficult subjects. However, I think that your advantage of having studied them will really help. The squinting trick comes directly from some book by some artist (can’t remember the name of either) who insists that that’s really what you have to do, regardless of how silly you feel.
Lucky us, who can sort of do it with Photoshop. Steve’s moving the photos to black and white in PS also helps a lot. In fact, I think that might be more helpful than squinting in the case of waves.
Perhaps you would find it easier to copy the photo that Steve sends us to — the wave is more hidden there (although nicely obvious, nevertheless) –snort–
I find being nearsighted helps with this “forms and masses” thing. If I look at something without my glasses, it automatically clumps into rough or rounded masses of color and shadow. It’s also helpful with finding the dominant color in some fabrics. The lack of detail (distracting detail, especially) in lines and shapes makes the other components more prominent.
This is such a lovely photograph, I’d be completely daunted trying to render it in another medium. Kudos for acting on the inspiration.
When I desaturated your photo, Birgit, and then blew it up to fit on my big screen, I was astonished to see how few of the pixels are white. More learning on my part. Blowing up the small web image large made clear what I have been learning slowly about small distinctions in hue values (white to dark in one color) that make a difference in form and interest.
Melanie, What an interesting idea to use unfocusing as a method for finding the dominant color.
June, Perhaps that is one of the issues with my wave painting. At first, I did the ‘whites’ with very light teal hues. But yesterday, having received my first ‘flake white’, I pigged out adding too much white to the crashing waves using a 04 sable brush. Also, so far, my crashing waves look rather ‘stylized’ reminding me of branches of a tree.
I started painting using synthetic brushes thinking that sable brushes would be too expensive. But, the very fine sable brushes are similar in price to the synthetic cones. Sable feels so luscious compared to the stiff synthetic hairs. I am tempted to invest in wider sable brushes as well.
Birgit,
I find that a having a variety of kinds of brushes works best for me. The bristle (hog or whatever kind) are good for getting lots of paint on canvas — but I don’t like them much on smooth board. The sable are wonderful for finishing and for creating certain kinds of line. But I have found the synthetic ones that are cheaper than sable also work and are good to start paintings on masonite or other board supports as well as to have on hand for the in-between times — more subtle than bristle and less than sable — I do lots of in-between painting –snort–
I’m hard on my brushes, also, because I use mineral spirits a bit like water, cleaning them as I work and then cleaning them with brush cleaner at the end of the day (rather than wiping clean and using linseed oil to store them in). The sable can lose hairs rather rapidly under this kind of regime, so I try not to use them unless necessity requires it. That said, they are the most delicious tools to have in hand.
June,
So far, I have only painted on smooth boards. I have largely used round synthetic brushes and tried bristle brushes for glazes. Now, I plan to invest in some sable brushes. As my pictures are quite small, thin sable brushes should not be too expensive.
So far, I have been cleaning my brushes with drops of Linseed oil and then stored them in Linseed oil. Synthetic brushes are held vertically, poking through the top of a yoghurt jar and resting in Linseed oil in the bottom of glass jar. For the sable brushes, I filled the plastic sleeves covering their tips with Linseed oil. I was happy to find that, upon cleaning, sable brushes yield their oil paint more readily than synthetic brushes.
Birgit:
Gee! I almost forgot what it feels like to jump in here. This summer, when not hammering or slapping away at some portion of the house and grounds, I have been ripping at my accumulations, which in aggregate have constituted a security blanket for too long. I have been aggrieved at the necessity of my so doing, but have been a brave boy in the face of it all.
Now about those waves: based on that Kim and Bill (like camembert ) backdrop, I can hardy wait to see what other pretties are waiting to be revealed in N.K. Makes me think of E. Germany and the flood of creativity unleashed by the fall of the Wall.
In reference to brushes: has anyone tried an actual sable? Dipping the frisky little critter in something hypoallergenic and having a go with it? The virtues of a fine brush are lost in my clumsy mitt, but I can see very special qualities emerging in your and June’s paintings.
Waves, it seems to me, before the advent of photography were stylized, and in its early years generalized. There are some Monet paintings where it seems that the idea of a wave is being presented, rather than anything in much detail. Maybe a little like those early street scenes where a long exposure renders traffic into clouds of action.
Jay, I am glad that you are back from after liberating yourself from THINGS. In my case, living with a minimalist, every day sees the ripping/stripping away of things. Troels finds safety in empty space.
Happily, Troels is interested in my creations and, so far, they are allowed to be around. My first attack on the stark white wall of our place outside Empire was the putting up of a wall hanging (the jpg is lost, will look for it). Two years ago, Steve’s fish was added. Now, at the end of our first decade, during the last three summer months, three of my pictures were allowed upstairs and three others grace the walls of our mudroom, my summer studio. Six pictures in three months! Will I manage to cover the walls here during my life time?
Perhaps, I will do a post on the representation of waves during history.
Birgit,
Do do a post on the varieties of waves — the japanese have that wonderful line that represents waves. I have used it at times for landforms. Obviously I can’t make it here, so you’ll have to post on it.
And Jay, congrats on the liberation work. My painting and textile inventory is almost out of control, although I keep trying to recycle bad paintings. I have my grandchild coming in this weekend to help me sand and overpaint. But I also bought some new masonite boards…. duh!
But good to hear you are still chugging.
June:
Speaking of chugging, there’s been a sale on Yinpu dark rice beer at Whole Foods. Fast becoming one of my favorite beverages. Hard choices ahead as the normal price is more than I am inclined to pay.
As I inferred, casting away hard-won mediocrity has been like tearing off a scab. But my to-do list now sags less from the sheer weight of obligation and posterity breathes a sigh of relief.
I may have gone to far in a fever of destruction. Hope that’s not happening to you.
Too far.
Jay,
Have you documented (ie photographed) your destroyed artifacts? That way, we could decide whether you had gone too far. Although, as a male, going “too far” probably doesn’t carry the same implications as it does for a female –snort–
Sorry, now I’m channeling my mother…..
June:
You know, therein lies a problem. Yes, I document, but the process can cause more heat than light. Nothing ever looks as good in real life as it does in a metered, monitored and guzzied up digital image. So I’m afraid that you might fault me in my destructions, not having been on hand to witness the objects’ sad and baleful aspects as revealed in the light of day.
Anymore “going too far” means missing my exit on the turnpike. That might be gender-neutral. Gender-neutered, that’s a different thing as Tuffy Krumrine might have told you..
I’m sure I met your mom. If I remember, your dad could put out a ceiling light bulb with a well-aimed kick. She may have applied the GTF upon the occasion of his doing so, as I can imagine your response when Jer does something the same or similar.
I fear it’s been years since either gender in this family went too far — unless it were too far up the stairs and we had to nap before we went to sleep. So Jer is at no risk. In fact, in our travels, we tend to stop for the day at 250 miles. In the US, that doesn’t take us to the edge of Oregon. No more of those 700 miles a day drives from New York to Chicago — thank heavens.
Which is more than you wanted to know. I’m contemplating another A&P post, much shorter, I’m sure.