Impasto painting:

I wanted to try out some different painting styles and work a little bit more with texture and so I decided to create an impasto painting of a sunrise. I began by using orange and yellow acrylic paint as a mixed tone base and then mixing different shades and tones of orange, yellow and red to layer on top onto a piece of cardboard. to do this I used a pallet knife which I found difficult at the beginning because I wasn't sure how much paint to put on or how to apply it properly. To remedy this I watched a few quick YouTube tutorials on application and technique to gain a better understanding of this. During this process one issue I noticed rather quickly was the sheer amount of paint that I was using, personally, this was unsustainable for me as I only have. limited supply and cannot afford to keep buying more too often. Because of this I had to stop painting about a third of the way through and so there is a section on the left hand side that only had the orange and yellow base. 

When looking at the sunset I am immediately in awe of the vibrancy of the colours that I have used, they are bright and bold and I think that this pale yellow in the centre is effective at simulating the brightest point of the sun. Due to the application using a pallet knife and they way I layered the paint on carefully you are able to clearly see each stroke of paint, at some points the tones blend into one and other but mostly I find that they sit on the cardboard in individual blots of colour. I was inspired by classic impressionists such a 'Monet' and I think that I have managed to use the impasto technique to create the illusion of a blended sunrise. When you stand far away the colours seem to blend into each other and seem smoother compared to when you're up close. For the composition, I decided to place the paler yellow slightly off centre towards the top of the image. I often find symmetry unnatural within a work and sometimes abrupt. I wanted this piece to seem like a classic sunrise that you would see outside of your bedroom window. I think that this has been successful  and that this technique softens the overall image and allows it to be more appealing. When I look at this painting I think that there is a warmth to it, not only because of the colours that I have used but I believe that there is always something comforting about a sunrise and the beginning of a new day. I am reminded of early morning walks and getting ready in the morning, or having breakfast outside. There is a familiarity to it that makes you smile. 

For strengths, I would say that this process has given me that chance to improve of my mixing skills and colour theory and I think that the colours and tones that I have made and used are complimentary. Another successful decision that I think I made was to make the pale rays of the sun bigger. The earlier stages of my piece show a smaller section of yellow that seemed to fade into the background and get swallowed by its surroundings. I decided to add in some extra paint and extend it further across the canvas. I think that this was a good decision to make, it provided a clearer focal point and contrasts nicely to the rest of the work, I also believe that it allows the work to seem more natural and better accurately depicts a sunrise. 

An obvious weakness would be that it seems unfinished. I plan to cut off the section that only has a base layer so that it looks more professional and finished. 

I found this process to be an interesting deep dive into texture and the more traditional painting techniques, I would absolutely like to look into working with texture more. I would like to continue to use cardboard and acrylic paint and will research some artists that work with materials like cardboard and paper.