Table Of Content

-****, NK1370 C7413 JP :ivivmi BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY How to Paint SEASCAPES How to Paint SEASCAPES Francesc Crespo Watson-Guptill PublicationsINew York How in l»\|NT SEASCAPES Copyright © 1987 by Parramon Ediciones, S.A. First published in 1991 in the United States by Watson-Guptill Publications, a division of BPI Communications, Inc., 1515 Broadway, New York, New York, NY 10036. Library ofCongressCataloging-in-Publication Data Crespo, Francesc. [Como pintar marinas. English] How to paint seascapes / FrancescCrespo. — p. cm. (Watson-Guptill artists library) Translation of: Como pintar marinas. ISBN: 0-8230-2472-5 — 1. Marina painting Technique. I. Title. II. Series. ND1370. C7413 1991 751.42'2437—dc20 90-49247 CIP Distributed in the United Kingdom by Phaidon Press, Ltd. Allrightsreserved. Nopart ofthis publicationmaybereproduced — orusedinany form orbyanymeans graphic, electronic, orme- chanical,includingphotocopyi—ng,recording,taping, orinformation storage and retrieval systems without written permission ofthe publisher. Manufactured in Spain Legal Deposit: B-30.142-90 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 / 95 94 93 92 91 HOW TO PAINT SEASCAPES Contents Introduction, 6 The actual painting of seascapes, 69 The Practical Process of Painting, 70 The Powerful Attraction of the Sea, 8 To Paint Outdoors or in the Studio? 71 A Suggestive and Subjective World, 12 Plcin Air and Colors in Tubes, 72 Interpretation, 73 The history of seascape painting, 13 To Construct Is Absolutely Seascape Painting Prior to the Necessary, 74 Seventeenth Century, 14 The "Stain" on the Canvas: the Pioneers of the Genre, 15 Most Important Step, 76 Venice: Canaletto and Guardi, 17 Illumination... but, Above All, Eighteenth-Century England, 18 Harmony, 78 Nineteenth-Century England, 20 Drawing with a Brush, 80 The Impressionist Movement, 21 The Final Step, 81 Japanese Printmaking and Watch Out for Reflections, 82 Pointillism, 24 Expressionism, 25 The way the masters work, 83 Fauvism, 26 Teresa Llacer, 84 The Twentieth Century, 27 Some Paintings by Teresa Llacer, 85 Teresa Llacer's Approach to Basic concepts and general criteria, 29 Painting, 86 Light and Paint, 30 Some Studies by Teresa Llacer, 87 The Painting, 32 Teresa Llacer Paints a Study, 88 The Sketch as Foundation, 34 Josep Sala, 90 Color as Spectacle, 36 Some Paintings by Josep Sala, 91 The Seascape Painter's Palette, 38 Josep Sala Paints a Seascape, 92 The Color of the Sea, 40 All Styles Are Valid, 96 Contrasts of Color in the Sea, 42 The Color of the Sky, 43 Some Ideas about Composition, 45 Materials and concepts for painting seascapes, 47 Easels, 48 Palettes and Paintboxes, 50 Color Chart for Painting in Oil, 52 Canvases, 54 Brushes and Palette Knives, 56 Turpentine and Varnishes, 58 Watercolor Paper and Paints, 60 Watercolor Brushes, 62 Perspective, 64 Color Theory, 66 Complementary Colors, 68 MOW lOI'MNT SEASCAPES Introduction Francesc Crespo, the author of this through form and color, to stand before book, is a true professional with years nature and extract its infinite, eternal pic- of experience. He has had over twenty torial possibilities. exhibitions in Spain, Italy, and other We have tried, above all, to make the countries; his drawings and paintings amateur seethe importance, in any form have won a number ofprizes; and many of art, of starting with a concept that is of his works are in different museums. clear and yet broad and universal. At the — Francesc Crespo is a good friend one same time, we have sought to avoid for- whom I have known for many years. mulas and so-called easy solutions that I have often been in his studio and had inevitably work to the detriment of the privilege of watching how he draws creativity and of true painting. and paints. Crespo always works stand- Therefore, in this book, we will present ing up. He doesn't sketch out a paint- a natural and logical method for painting beforehand. Instead, he starts right ing a seascape, always concentrating on in painting with the brush. He works substantiveinformationand omittingthe very quietly, concentrating and calculat- frills. Since the method described here ing, visually sizing up his subject. Heob- can be used with any style ortechnique, serves a form, an outline. He holds up it gives you free rein to paint your way the brush and starts making dots to the and not somebody else's. right andleft, determiningthe size ofthe The book includes a short chapter that sketch. Then he rehearses the drawing summarizes the history of seascape without actually sketching anything yet, painting sinceits seventeenth-centurybe- just swaying his hand purposefully back ginnings inthe Netherlands and a chap- and forth. Suddenly, he draws a line, terthatintroducesthe specificproblems sketches a contour, and starts painting associated with this type of painting. in all directions. Francesc Crespo is in- There is also a chapter on the basics of deed an artist's artist. perspective and color theory, topics that But Francesc Crespo is also a professor areabsolutelyessential for advancingin with a doctorate in fine arts, and until any artistic medium, and a chapter that recently, he wasthe assistant dean ofthe describes all the materials necessary for College ofFine Arts at the University of painting seascapes in oils as well as in Barcelona. I have had the opportunity watercolors. to sit in on Francesc Crespo's drawing To Francesc Crespo's knowledge and classes at the university. They were held understanding as an artist and an edu- in a large classroom, with overthirty stu- cator, we at Parramon have added our dents sketching a nude model. The stu- knowledge and understanding as dents worked with rapt attention in a specialists in publishing books on how profound silence that was broken only to draw and paint. The artists and edi- by an occasional murmur and the tors of Parramon (Olmedo, Carrasco, scratching ofcharcoal on paper. Crespo Marfil, Queralt) and I have designed circulated from one easel to another, each page of this book with great care commenting, correcting, instructing. and obtained the necessaryphotographs "Watch out! The parts must be subor- as well as the drawings and diagrams on dinateto the whole. It's not agood idea perspective and composition. I collabo- to concentrate on that hand, for exam- rated personally with Francesc Crespo ple, and forget about the rest of the in writingthe final chapter ofthe book, figure. You have to see it and do it all which describes thepainting styles ofar- at once, all at once." tists Teresa Llacer and Josep Sala. We have designed this book to be use- Youhaveinyourhands theresults ofour — ful to allthosewho mayone day feel the joint efforts a valuable tool for learn- need to express themselves, to commu- ing how to paint seascapes. nicate their sentiments and emotions If, through this book, we succeed in HOW TO PAINT SEASCAPES stimulatingyour desire to paint, we will Fig 1 F.Crespo,Garden OverlookingthePort Pa- consider ourselves well s—atisfied. For lamosCityHall,Gerona. painting is a noble activity one that re- wards the painter greatly in many ways. Wewish you the best, then, as you study and learn, and feel certain that someday you'll look back and congratulate your- selfon having decided to take up painting. Good luck! Jose M. Parramon — H<>\\ K) l'\l\I M \S( \l'l s The Powerful Attraction of the Sea * ^ 1 *~**^\.?$PI ' V. 1 'Wherever there is water, the landscape comes alive." Miguel de Unamuno The sea, the sea... the myth of the sea. Sincethebeginning oftime, peoplehave andthewaves' rhythmicbreaking, which been powerfully drawn to the sea. In- surpasses the mere physical presence of finitely flat seascapes, beaches, cliffs, a body of water, has the power to keep and peaceful coves have always stirred us endlessly absorbed and meditative the soul deeply, arousing sensations of often inflamed with an inexplicable sen- grandeur and infinity. The mystery of sation that immediately awakens our en- the sea, storm-tossed or majestically tirebeing? It's as ifa strangepower im- calm, excites the imagination and pels us to cry out, to express ourselves... arouses fantasies. But for the artist, es- with a brush. pecially the painter, the sea irresistibly Someone once compared the magnifi- — stimulates the creative impulse the cently flat and simple surface ofthe sea — urge to realize a work of art even if to the "pure and perfect harmony of it's only a question of capturing the Bach and Haydn." It is anapt compari- splendid variety ofmovement and color son, suggesting the most sublime intu- thatthe seaoffers us in different regions itions of beauty. and climates. The sea. What a wonderful theme for a Haveyouever stoppedtothinkhowcon- painting! templation ofthe sea's infinite expanses