What we’re about
A friendly group for practising artists at every stage of their creative journey. We are working in the visual arts, particularly painting, and welcome beginners as well as more experienced practitioners.
We are each developing a thoughtful, explorative individual art practice and enjoy sharing and discussion with others. We provide a positive, supportive, and fun community, helping each other develop our individual styles.
For us, devoting time, an inquiring mind, and a desire to express something of ourselves, is more important than realism.
Our events are community-led by artists who have experienced the creative process. Our activities include:
- Discussion evenings: We research a topic in advance, then get together to discuss what we've learnt and how it applies to our practice.
- Virtual art days: Participants commit to a day of creativity. We start with a 30 min Zoom call sharing individual objectives for the day. We share midday results over lunch. At the end of the day we meet again to discuss how we got on, show results and share positive feedback and constructive suggestions.
- Visiting art exhibitions: We look round the exhibition then meet in a cafe afterwards to discuss what we've seen
- Film evenings: We gather to watch a film with an art or artist theme and then meet up afterwards to discuss what we've seen
- Catch up gatherings:
Get-togethers and socials where friends and family are also invited. These events will be clearly marked in the write up as ‘social’.
The group will always run on a not-for-profit basis. I'll ask regular attendees for occasional donations to share costs.
Contrast refers to the arrangement of opposite elements in a painting. It can be used to create variety, visual interest, ambiguity and drama in an artwork.
A painting that plays with contrasts might juxtapose light and dark tones, warm and cool colours, smooth and rough textures, large and small shapes.
Watch the videos and read the texts below and think about the contrasts that might be worked into a painting. How can the meaning or story within an artwork suggest contrasts to use in a composition? How can contrast create mood or emotion? As a painter do you use contrast in your work and if so how?
Note that a selection of historical and contemporary examples of contrast in paintings will be sent out to attendees the day before we meet. Please bring a means of viewing the images with you to the discussion (printouts, a tablet or smartphone)
You might also like to bring along any painters or paintings that inspire you with their use of contrast and any prints or photos of your own paintings where you have brought contrast into the design or subject matter.
Introductory videos
https://youtu.be/ocuFrOD1qEc?feature=shared 15min 50s Contrasts in Composition
https://youtu.be/FpLxzzxZZ8Y?feature=shared 3:41 About colour contrast
Videos on painting technique
https://youtu.be/gmRRCmboL2Q?feature=shared 7:52 An artist demonstrating how contrast and tension improve your painting
https://youtu.be/2Hk5-gUeysw?feature=shared 8:06 How to paint over a red priming
Videos on how contrast conveys meaning
https://youtu.be/auLrnPc5n1U?feature=shared 10:41 How juxtaposition conveys meaning. A presentation by an art tutor to his students. The most interesting part is from 2 mins 50s up to 9 mins 30s.
If you have time take a look at these websites as well:
https://www.virtualartacademy.com/contrast-in-art/ 10 types of contrast artists can use in a painting
https://drawpaintacademy.com/compressed-values/ On contrast of colour
https://drawpaintacademy.com/7-tips-for-high-contrast-paintings/ How to create high contrast paintings
https://www.theportraitplace.co.uk/artcolcontrast.php One artist's view on the value of contrast in creating interest in a painting
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Discussion: ContrastBristol Marriott Royal Hotel, Bristol
Contrast refers to the arrangement of opposite elements in a painting. It can be used to create variety, visual interest, ambiguity and drama in an artwork.
A painting that plays with contrasts might juxtapose light and dark tones, warm and cool colours, smooth and rough textures, large and small shapes.
Watch the videos and read the texts below and think about the contrasts that might be worked into a painting. How can the meaning or story within an artwork suggest contrasts to use in a composition? How can contrast create mood or emotion? As a painter do you use contrast in your work and if so how?
Note that a selection of historical and contemporary examples of contrast in paintings will be sent out to attendees the day before we meet. Please bring a means of viewing the images with you to the discussion (printouts, a tablet or smartphone)
You might also like to bring along any painters or paintings that inspire you with their use of contrast and any prints or photos of your own paintings where you have brought contrast into the design or subject matter.
Introductory videos
https://youtu.be/ocuFrOD1qEc?feature=shared 15min 50s Contrasts in Composition
https://youtu.be/FpLxzzxZZ8Y?feature=shared 3:41 About colour contrast
Videos on painting technique
https://youtu.be/gmRRCmboL2Q?feature=shared 7:52 An artist demonstrating how contrast and tension improve your painting
https://youtu.be/2Hk5-gUeysw?feature=shared 8:06 How to paint over a red priming
Videos on how contrast conveys meaning
https://youtu.be/auLrnPc5n1U?feature=shared 10:41 How juxtaposition conveys meaning. A presentation by an art tutor to his students. The most interesting part is from 2 mins 50s up to 9 mins 30s.
If you have time take a look at these websites as well:
https://www.virtualartacademy.com/contrast-in-art/ 10 types of contrast artists can use in a painting
https://drawpaintacademy.com/compressed-values/ On contrast of colour
https://drawpaintacademy.com/7-tips-for-high-contrast-paintings/ How to create high contrast paintings
https://www.theportraitplace.co.uk/artcolcontrast.php One artist's view on the value of contrast in creating interest in a painting
