Brush Calligraphy

Brushstrokes carry a message whether you will it or not.
The stroke is just like the artist at the time they make it.
All the certainties, all the uncertainties, all the bigness of their spirit and all the littleness are in it.

~Robert Henri

What is Brush Calligraphy? Brush calligraphy is the stylistic application of your paint. It is usually applied without overworking the paint once you have laid it on the canvas. Brush calligraphy can be instinctive as an outgrowth of your style...or an intentional approach controlled by you to strengthen the composition and design of your painting. What your brush calligraphy shouldn't be is haphazard. In other words, a conscious approach to your brush application is always preferable to an unconscious one. It is often an effective way of intensifying passages of interest and design. This approach is overlooked by many artists who
restrict their thinking in terms of color and value.

Many times brush calligraphy is the reason a small sketch has more life than a larger studio painting. The quality of a stroke you can make with the flick of your wrist becomes a challenge to reproduce on a larger scale where the effort of your whole arm is needed to gain the same outcome. When you consider the relationship between the size of the stroke, relative to the size of the canvas, you will understand the challenge when using a large enough brush with adequate paint for the result you wish to accomplish.

Paint strokes are not just about direction or size. Consider the thickness of the application. When thicker passages of paint are applied to a painting surface you create a sculptural effect. The combination of all these effects take your painting beyond the idea of reproducing what you see providing the viewer with layers of interest beyond the initial two dimensional image and your ability to render it. A purposeful approach to your brushwork helps makes your painting a forceful statement.

by
Armand Cabrera

 

---

Why Paint Small?
By Armand Cabrera

Working in a small format is the best way to break painting down to its essentials. Painting 7" x 9" or smaller forces the focus on what's important. It also limits your ability to paint too much unnecessary detail. You'll find this especially true when using a large brush on a small canvas.

I recommend to my beginner students to start small, then work their way to larger canvases after they've mastered painting the smaller format. Regrettably, I see too many artists' prematurely painting large-sized canvases outdoors---often with mediocre results.

Try painting small canvases with no smaller than a # 8 bristle brush---or even a palette knife. Painting small forces you to simplify the elements of your canvas and teaches you how to handle a brush properly.

In addition, painting small can be a valuable design tool. I find that painting a small piece onsite assures my success in painting a larger version outside. Sometimes I'll do a number of them to experiment with different designs, color combinations or value plans.

Small canvases also allow testing with elements like paint thickness and brush calligraphy. The small scale is more manageable than on a larger piece. Little paintings also offer a chance to capture effects that you would never attempt otherwise. Painting the setting sun or rising moon is easier to
accomplish when you only have a 6" x 8" surface to cover.

Another benefit of painting small outside is your reduction in gear. Small painting equipment is lighter and that translates into more energy for painting and less energy wasted on hauling your gear. Additionally, it's easier to keep a 6" x 8" kit at the ready in the car so you can paint whenever you see a landscape that catches your eye. Remember, cold and hot weather need not deter you from painting.
With a small box, you can stay in your vehicle and paint!

You'll find many small paint boxes on the market---
or try making one yourself from a cigar box and about $20 worth of hardware.

For ready-made paint box sources, try these vendors:

Artwork Essentials
http://www.artworkessentials.com

Open Box M
http://www.openboxm.com

 

---

Armand was featured in a 10-page article in International Artist Magazine
To view the complete article online
Click Here
(This is a large PDF file)