Painting Problems with Windows and Doors
How to Paint Buildings Rachel Shirley |
Treating windows as a separate entity to the building itself, resulting in an impression of windows that do not belong to the same space.
Viewing windows and doors as mere rectangular forms, using the same brush marks and colours throughout, creating a regimented arrangement without truth.
Making
generalised assumptions about windows and doors, for example, all windows are
darker than the surrounding wall; all doors appear rectangular in shape and
similar in size. In the same vein, viewing windows and doors as 2-dimensional
entities without depth.
Illustrating
all windows and doors as though facing the viewer, regardless of the fact they
are placed on a receding wall.
Taking
on a draughtsman’s approach to drawing buildings, resulting in a painting that
resembles a diagram rather than an actual scene.
Tips
on Painting Detail on Buildings
In
order to make improvements to a painting featuring windows and doors on
buildings such as cottages and terraced houses, the artist must evaluate what
is going wrong. This means eradicating all previous assumptions about how
features on buildings appear to the viewer. The following may help.
Unless
situated on a wall that faces the viewer, windows will appear narrower, shorter
and closer together with distance. This squashed-up effect also applies to
other features on a receding building, be it gables or chimneypots.
Windows
have depth; some protrude from the wall such as bays, creating shadows over the
brickwork. Conversley, doors can be recessed. This will create shadows with
some highlights within.
Not
all windows panes are muted in colour, but can be darker or paler than the
surrounding wall. Seldom is much interior detail seen, except perhaps muted
colours or curtains. A little interior detail may sometimes be perceived
through lit windows in dusk. But otherwise, reflections or interior gloom will
often obscure these views.
Windows
and doors do not always appear equally spaced apart even if they are in
reality. This is due to perspectives mentioned earlier. Consider also tithe
cottages and churches which often exhibit unevenness in features that charm and
create interesting focal points. Don’t be tempted to illustrate evenness if
this is not apparent.
Tips
on Painting Buildings
The
following art tips might help when it comes to painting buildings.
Often,
a mere few brushstrokes will suggest windows and doors. This means omitting
outlines if these cannot be perceived under certain lighting conditions. Try
not to get bogged down with the detail of each window. Paint all windows
simultaneously rather than one by one, or the painting will become a chore.
Paint
the surrounding brickwork/wall first. Work up to the window/door area, applying
thinner paint here. This will minimise colour being picked up from the surrounding
wall.
Observe
how the colour or tone of the wall shifts around the window and/or door.
Express such shifts honestly.
Paint
the general appearance of the window prior to committing to detail. How do they
compare tonally or chromatically against the surrounding wall? Do they look
darker or warmer in hue? Stand back from the painting to get an overall feel of
the windows and how they key into the building. Apply the same to doors.
Remember
to express the receding edge of each window if these can be seen. Don’t treat
them as 2D squarish objects plonked on walls. Each window will exhibit a
receding edge according to how they are viewed.
Unless
the window forms the main focal point of the painting or stylised, there is no
need to express everything in a linear fashion, or it will appear
overly-illustrative. Suggest each window with a few brushmarks and work on top for
detail. Doing so will ensure the windows do not unintentionally hog the focal
point from the painting.
Art
Techniques for Painting Detail on Buildings
Look
for imperfections in the window; cracked brickwork or windows with chipped
paintwork. Such imperfections can be expressed with a few touches from a fine
sable.
Paint
the highlights and shadows on the windows and doors simultaneously. Observe how
these elements key in to the rest of the building to make them appear to
belong. Do all windows have highlights in common? Does a shadow encroach upon a
neighbouring window? Don’t treat each window in isolation to the building.
Use
a new colour mix for features on each separate wall, as one side of the
building might be in shadow, the other in sunlight.
Art
Techniques for Painting Buildings
Work
the paint thinly initially with a soft, fine brush, viewing windows and doors
not as a series of lines, but a series of colour/tonal shapes. Ensure the
underdrawing is accurate, or the painting will not look right. Take pains to
get the drawing right before laying on the paint. Never guesswork angles on
windows or it will look unconvincing. Use good quality photos or drawings that
inform on how the buildings’ features.
Apply
the pale colours first, which might be reflections on the window from sunlight,
or sun casting on window sills. Dab the colour lightly, working gradually darker.
Dry brushing detail is great for bringing realism. Dry brushing entails
stroking small amounts of neat, dryish paint over an existing glaze that has
already dried. Working over a dried glaze is also ideal for correcting mistakes
beneath. Such detail might be diamond leading, stained glass or hinges.
Ensure
the windows and doors adhere to the rules of perspectives in that each appear
narrower and closer together with distance. Standing back from the painting
periodically will ensure mistakes previously invisible become apparent.
How
to Paint Buildings with Detail
Poorly
painted windows and doors can ruin an otherwise accomplished painting of
buildings. Take pains to get the under-drawing right before committing to
paint. This means working from good quality photos. The general rule is,
windows and doors of similar dimensions will appear smaller, narrower and more
squashed up with distance. Don’t get bogged down with irrelevant detail. Work
on the general view of windows and doors rather than illustrating them in a
linear fashion. Stand back from the painting to see how these features key in
to the building. Paint all windows simultaneously rather than one by one. Last
of all, look at the windows and doors to see how they actually look. This will
guard against a building that appears childish and idealised in a painting.
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