Painting II Project 2

Sarah Zilnik Project 2

For this painting I decided to go with a more organic approach, and explore the creativity of a semi-realistic, semi-abstract piece. My props consisted of an orchid protruding out of a purple glass vase. This part of the piece would be my realistic approach, achieving the high and low keys within the flowers proved to be quite a challenge. Painting a flower that to the average eye is considered white is no easy task. Discovering the natural blues, yellows and violets within the petals helped form the shape and shadows they contained. The glass vase begins as sharp and defined then decays into the background, half because it is the bridge towards the abstract and half because, when I first painted it, it didn’t look very good. Anyway, it continues towards the abstract part of the piece which is the background, in an effort to indulge in experimentation I chose to create the background out of vertical strokes of vibrant blues and reds paired with muted rainbows of violet and yellow. To continue the light that the flowers portrayed I dulled the saturated colors of the background as they grew towards the top of the flowers. In the end, I am extremely pleased at the way it turned out, though to me it resembles something that could be purchased at a department store, in a way it is not because instead of someone else’s vision and brush work, it is my own, something that can’t be found in any department store, yet. :)

Master Copy of Kathy Kollwitz " Woman Holding Child"

Color Schemes and Harmonies Project One

Sarah Zilnik Painting II
Color Schemes & Harmonies 1

Within my first attempt at this project I proceeded to paint within my
own style parameters and maintain the true color of the objects I was
using. My normal process of painting consists of short strokes and
completing one object before moving onto the next while focusing on the
background as my last task of the piece. This technique, I discovered
actually took away from my painting by lessening my ability to fuse
together the edges of my props and the background. Though, separately I
feel all of the aspects of this painting are appealing, if the order in
which I painted them was altered the piece would become more visually
appealing as well as a better rendition of my personal style. I am
particularly pleased with the form of the orange in the upper left hand
corner of the piece, the direction of light is noted as well as the
gradual absence of light that rolls the form. I also appreciate the
shadow that the pear on the right portrays, it plants the object on its
plane and reveals the reflection of light that the pear produces within
it’s shadow. Overall, I am satisfied with the piece as my first of
the semester, I have established the technique that I will continue to
grow from with an open mind to attain the proper knowledge suited to
make me a better painter.




Sarah Zilnik Painting II
Color Schemes & Harmonies 2

In my second piece I attempted the cool/warm color harmony by using
the colors yellow- green & green, plus yellow-orange & orange. In this
painting I buckled and decided to follow the direction of the
instructor and begin with painting the background and foreground and
then focus on the objects . I also went with the technique of creating
chroma strings for each object and painting large geometric splotches
of lighter and darker color where it need be. After getting all the
values in the correct spots I continued to blend and roll the form with
the brush. My attempt at the apple was an obvious first but I feel
like I got more comfortable with the squash through trial and error
with the apple. The shadows of the objects could be a bit better. At
the end I was pleased with the painting and the great ideas I acquired
through using a different approach.



Sarah Zilnik
Painting II 3

In my third painting I decided to dabble in both my new and old style of painting, in a complementary color scheme of yellow and violet. Within the banana I started with mapped out areas of color and gradually got more and more specific with my brish to create the proper hight and low lights. I alternated with short and long brush strokes to make the banana seem as though it was receding back into space proportionally. The purple pears were strictly long and broad strokes that rolled along the plane of the pear. The negative space consists of both yellow and purple but a toned and muted version of each color to provide depth and an accurate shadow on the objects.

Figure Drawings

Compare/Contrast

Though at first glace the periods of Roman Painting and Neo- Classicism would be considered polar opposites, but after investigation could be called one in the same. The period of Roman painting was considered “adopted” also known as stolen from Greek architecture, though I must admit they did put their spin on things, one upping the Greeks at their own game with their discoveries such as, the arch, the aqueduct and concrete which created new ways of erecting buildings. Now when you get down to the pen and paper aspect of what they did the trade of painting excelled within elite societies crave for portraits, unique to ones personality or etiquette of power. Another high paying job was gigantic wall paintings portraying events or landscapes. A badge of honor in any home. But probably the most mysterious part of this time in history is that some of it is missing due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, it is said that only 200 years out of the 900 were preserved. Now, Neo-Classicism on the other hand could be considered the snobby upper class of Roman painting. These were not stumbled upon artists they were well school in the techniques of it all. Neo- Classicism embodied the constant need for something new and fresh, something better than the last. They strived to portray a type of unpredictability, with muses such as a society’s revival or renaissance. Taking a keen liking to the latter Roman Style with their arches and concrete. I guess you could say it was a way for elite society to get their piece of the pie.