First ETs

[brianhendrickson]

Here are my first landscapes using egg tempera. I would appreciate any comments you might have (though comments such as "I like yams" are appreciated to a lesser degree).

Overall, I'm pleased with how they turned out. I've found that the medium really does appeal to my tedious nature.

http://www.brianhendrickson.net/artimages/whiteriver2A.jpg
http://www.brianhendrickson.net/artimages/sunlitwoods.jpg

It's also nice to have an edible art supply in case times get difficult.

[PhilS]

Wow! I'm impressed! Beautiful compositions and colors. The bottom one is a little "busy" to my eyes but that isn't a criticism, just a personal preference of mine (I like simplicity).
How big are these? How long did they take?
You're off to a great start!
Phil

[brianhendrickson]

Phil,

Thank you for the comments. Your compliments are especially appreciated since I have admired your work for some time. I'm inclined to agree with you about the busy-ness of the second piece. I had considered sawing off the lower half of it more than once.

The upper piece is approximately 12 x 16 inches and the lower is 16 x 20. It's hard for me to estimate the time they took due to the scattered distribution of painting sessions (my employment frequently interferes with my work), but my best guess would be 25 to 30 hours for the upper and roughly 40 for the lower.

My observation is that ET really doesn't take me any longer than any other medium but I suspect that this is due more to my detail-crazed approach to all my paintings. I've made use of gouache extensively in past illustration assignments and found the application of the hatched brushstroke method for the egg tempera to be remarkably similar. Glazing provides the same (or better) depth of color you might achieve with oils but with the added advantage of drying in minutes rather than days. ET also seems to be gentler on my brushes, though frequent rinsing out with soap and water seems to be in order unless you are particularly good at suppressing your gag reflex.

Overall I'm inclined to pitch out my other paints in order to make room for those neato glass jars of pigment from Sinopia. My wife, now overcome with fits of "what-is-he-into-now?" eye rolling, thinks I've opened my own apothecary.

Best Regards,

Brian

[Dennis H]

Hi Brian,
They look great, though I crave to see what the actual, non-digital, surface looks like before I would venture to make any tempera-related comments.
Regarding Phil and your concerns about a "busyness" to the second work, that aspect I don't really mind. Instead of hacking off the lower portion, I think if the horizontal division at water's edge were mitigated in some way, you might like the composition better. For instance if one of those boulder forms had cleaved and tumbled down to the shore, or some dead wood were there to break the hard line. I think you could still leave the play of horizontal bands in the compostion, but just cut into it once with a good bold element. Maybe even if the foliage at lower left rose a little higher and slightly more center, that would do it for you. Or a different-colored shrub on the bank that reflects in the stream to both breakand connect the bands?
Welcome to the forum,
Dennis

[brianhendrickson]

Dennis,

Thanks for the excellent suggestions. Maybe a fallen log to break the horizontal composition and angled so that it reinforces the zig zag between the lightest areas. I'll have to leave the piece up and stare at it for a while before I make up my mind.

Thanks for the welcome also. I've really learned quite a bit just from reading everyone else's comments. It will be interesting to participate.

Brian

ps...Having trouble with my site host (arr!), apologies if the images are not currently showing

[Dennis H]

Brian,

I don't know if you ever do this, but it is a help for me when I'm afraid that I'm about to screw something up with a change on a painting. I draw or paint the new element on a separate piece of paper, cut it out, and lay it on top of the painting to see how it works. That way I can move it around and figure out if it will really help -- or just make things worse. I think it's saved me from making a bad rash decision once or twice.

Dennis

[brianhendrickson]

I used to do that quite a bit in my pre-digital days. Nowadays, if I want to see how a picture might look differently, I snap a picture of my picture with a digital camera, bring it in to Photoshop and monkey with it.

I've had some people tell me this is "cheating" though. I usually reply to that with some sort of rude noise.

[RobM]

Brian,
I would leave well alone. Perhaps take up any suggestions in the next piccy.
I think the picture is fine as is and to try and alter any composition would probably lead to frustrations and regrets. If I had to be pickie there is what appears to be a path leading from the waters edge to the right hand side. This path or swathe of landscape rises up and heads further towards the right of the picture. This has the effect of taking the eye out of the painting. If anything I would have changed this and brought the 'path' disappearing behind the two trees and leading the eye back into the picture.
Again being pickie, the three trees to the left all lean in the same direction, I would certainly have the tree on the far left leaning into the picture, again to keep the eye within the picture.
I took my lessons from Rembrandts Night Watch. If you have reference to the painting have a look at all the staffs. They lean or point towards the centre of the picture. The axe type heads also point towards the centre of the picture and there is so much inter-activity between the various elements that keep the eye from leaving the picture.
Good work.
Rob

P.s. The stone 4 inches from the left and 2 inches from the bottom does not have the correct veining. :grin:

[brianhendrickson]

Dang! You WOULD pick out my favorite stone in the whole painting...

I'm often hesitant to significantly alter the layout of a landscape since I base them on places (oftentimes well-known) that I've visited, sometimes including the name of the place in the title of the painting. This may not be a rational argument since the goal is certainly to create good artwork instead of providing an accurate snapshot of a particular place. The hobgoblins of my mind, however, are nothing if not persistent. The obvious solution would be to find better compositions before painting anything!

Otherwise, excellent points and thank you for your comments.

Since I've finished egg tempera number 3 and am now starting number 4 (I look forward to the day when I lose count), it may be some time before I would get back to the above painting in any case. I much prefer to forge ahead than look behind.

[Dennis H]

Yes, Rob has the best advice. Don't do anything to it -- except frame it.
By the way, I like yams!
Dennis :grin:

[RobM]

Brian,
I appreciate that you may want to represent the landscape as is but it is up to us as artists to produce a good painting and throughout the ages painters have had to move elements to produce a good painting. Nature is not always kind to us and cannot provide the perfect composition and in many cases there is no way a good composition can be achieved. Throughout the ages painters have had to alter aspects of the painting. John Constable had to move Dedham Church some half a mile from its location because it didn't fit in with the composition.
A little anecdote relating to artist licence..........
Many years ago, in the days of oil paints (Spit!!), I was commissioned to paint a river scene fequented by a fisherman. With sketch book and camera I visited the location. After roaming around the river bank the best aspect was found however there was a scrap yard directly in view!!! No problem, that could be replaced with trees.
Photos and sketches made and I returned to the studio and set about the painting. As a last touch I placed, from photos, the fisherman standing in the river.
A phone call later and the fisherman arrived at the studio.
"I like it, exactly what I want. But there is something not quite right. Can't put my finger on it at the moment"
I suggested that the fisherman took the painting and 'live' with it for a few days to see what the problem was.
A few days later I got a phone call.
"I've got it.....I know what is wrong"
With paint box in hand I dashed round to the fishermans house.
Fisherman. "I know what the problem is"
Me. "Go on, tell me." (Thinks that the scrap yard has been omitted!!)
Fisherman. "The legs on the fisherman are too long."
Me. (Gads, what does he know about proportions. Is he confusing the reflections etc. etc.) "Well OK, I've got my paints, it won't take long to shorten them."
Fisherman. "Lad, don't shorten them, I'll drown, where you've placed me I'm standing in 10 feet of water!!!!"
Nuff said.
Let painters paint and produce an idylic art piece that comes from the heart and photographers provide a less idylic sterile truth.
Look forward to No 4!! Keep up the good work.
Rob

Dennis,
Where on earth did Yams come from. That hat you wore in NYC has possibly adversely affected you!!!!!

[Dennis H]

OK Rob. Two answers: Yams come from the earth (sweet potatoes, you know). Also, scan back to the original post!
Forgetaboutthehat. I seem to recall a questionable scarf about yer neck.
D

[RobM]

OK Dennis - overlooked the comments re Yams in the original post, 'tis me old age. Over here we only get worms out of the earth. (Except if your name is Jen who manages to grow proper potatoes etc!!!!)(Had never heard of Yams till I visited your great country, Mona Conners invited us to dinner one night and served us Yams with oranges - pretty good eh!!)
Brian, sorry re this private conversation in the middle of your post!!!
Dennis, one day, when the world is ready I will publish the photos!!!!!
Rob

Think nothing of it Rob. I should have known better than to mention yams anyway. They've always been the most controversial tubers imaginable.

[aerdnwahs]

omg you are AMAZING they r so realistic in appearence! i must say my favorite is the first but thats just because i love the ocean, wow still getting over shock i thought they were photographs at first, u can make some serious money off of those!!! best of luck to you! :shock:

[brianhendrickson]

WoW! Thank you for the comments. You're making me blush!

But please don't let my embarrassment prevent you from praising me further... :grin:

[Bert Congdon]

:oops: Go ahead and blush. You deserve the praise. Don't change a thing.

[guest]

I was as well very impressed by the paintings. I love the detail and at a glance thought it was a photograph as well. The reflection and smoothness of the water in the upper left hand corner of the first painting is what I am drawn to most in the painting. As a college student just starting into painting, I have not had any training or exposure to egg tempera. I am researching for a paper comparing oil and tempura painting and came across this site and started browsing. I must say that I am intrigued and am interested in trying it out.
Would you mind giving me your opinion in comparing oil and e.t.? Again, I don't know a lot about e.t... what are the pros and cons? (Anyone is welcome to share). I would love to have someone's personal opinion in addition to my book research. Thanks! And I really love your works!

Laura

[brianhendrickson]

Hi Laura,

I think the first difference you'll notice is that egg tempera painters tend to be smarter and better looking than oil painters.

Aside from that, the most immediately obvious difference is that egg tempera dries in seconds as compared to days for oil. ET painters will utilize different methods--crosshatching, drybrush, scumbling, successive glazes, etc--to blend one area of color into another in order to compensate for the quick drying time. In oils, the same color blend would likely be accomplished by a stroke here, a stroke there, and a couple swipes with a fan brush in between. Egg tempera tends not to be the medium for people who want to finish a painting in an afternoon.

The quality of staying workable on the painting surface for extended periods accounts for oil paint being the more popular medium over the last 500 years or so. On the other hand, egg tempera has a luminescent quality that no other medium has. You'll need to see it in person--photos can't do it justice. Egg tempera paintings are also more durable over time. Pre-Renaissance Botticelli egg tempera paintings are just as vibrant and colorful today as the day they were painted while oils from later periods have darkened and cracked into obscurity.

You'll find plenty of paint mixing and material handling information elsewhere on this website. You'll note that egg tempera painting doesn't use any headache-inducing solvents, though some of the pigments themselves require caution in handling (this is true for both mediums, however). I can paint in peace at my living room drawing table using egg tempera, whereas I would be driven to the basement by angry family members if I were using oils.

One last thing to note is that ET painters tend to correct other people's spelling: "Tempura" is japanese fried food and, while delicious, is not at all suitable as a painting medium.

I hope this is a good start for you...I'm sure the others in this forum can give you more comprehensible information than I can.

Thank you for joining us!

Brian

http://www.brianhendrickson.net

[Dimitris C. Milionis]

its beenover a year

Did you get to frame and sell your work :!:

great detail, great work

nice site!

http://www.brianhendrickson.net/