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How to Paint a Geometric Form Composition Using Tempera Paint Demonstrated by Keith Opstad
This video has been edited to shorten the overall length and file size. It was originally a twenty-five minute classroom demonstration, which has now been edited to five minutes long.
In order to complete this activity you will need the following materials: • #4 Round brush • #4 Flat brush
Clean water • Palette • Paper towels • Red tempera paint • Blue tempera paint • Yellow tempera paint • Black tempera paint • White tempera paint
Tempera paint is a water-based paint that works well for beginning art students. Begin by mixing your colors on the palette. Work on one form at a time.
1. Monochromatic: One color and all of it’s different values 2. Analogous: Colors next to one another on the color wheel 3. Complementary: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel 4. Triadic: Colors that are equally spaced on the color wheel that
This demo will be painted using a complementary color palette (blue and orange).
This will add more depth and make it look three-dimensional. Start by painting the pure color for the middle values first.
Modify the color slightly so that you never paint with colors straight out of the tube. Use the paint sparingly; it doesn’t need to be thick. Clean your brush and water often.
If the paint dries too quickly you can add a little amount of water to slow the drying process.
You may choose to blend the paint so that the sphere appears realistic with smooth transitions or impressionistic where the values are present and appear to not blend together.
You may go back and add highlights with some water and pure white. Take your time and pay close attention to craftsmanship. Try to stay in the lines.
Mix dark values by shading (adding black) to your base color. Continue painting in a circular motion.
In order to paint the shadows you should start with a dark value of whatever color your form is. In this case blue.
Paint some of the dark blue under the sphere and add some water to the edges. Working in an oval direction mix the paint with water to make it transparent.
We will work on the cone next. Each form will begin with the middle values then the highlights and finish with the darker values and shadows.
Clean the brush and then blend the light values into the medium. You may need to repaint some of the middle values if they dry too quickly.
Rotate the paper so that it is comfortable to work on. Repeat the same method for blending medium values into darks.
Painting the cylinder is similar to the cone and is actually easier. In order to stay with the complementary theme I will be using orange.
Begin by mixing yellow and red to create your orange. Mix more than you think you will need. It’s frustrating running out of paint. It’s better to have more than less.
Start by painting the middle values. Paint the light values and use perpendicular strokes to blend the light and medium values.
You now have a completed geometric form composition using tempera paint.