How to design your artwork

Do you make prep drawings of your painting? ~

In all the arts, from dance to cinema, from music to literature, a work is planned, rehearsals are carried out and parts are rewritten before performing it. But many amateur painters are surprised that even in painting it is necessary to do all of this. However, I can't remember of a great master in history - from Leonardo to Hopper - who did not invest in studies and preparatory sketches.

A thought before picking up the brush

This photo it's a good example of the process of composing and designing a painting, regardless of the media we're going to use. Here we see the studies of my student Daniel, which in this case will be developed into a watercolor artwork.

Some steps before making a watercolor (Daniel)

Draw to get into know your subject

At first glance a photograph or life scene may look simple. But it is only by drawing it (therefore observing it in detail) that we realize its complexity. We must learn to simplify it to make it manageable according to our project.

The importance of a tonal scale

We translate the initial photo into a tonal drawing of a credit card size, at most a postcard. Here we are working on a toned paper that corresponds to value #2 in the five-value scale I use and suggest. The value #1 (white) is applied with a dense opaque watercolor titanium white.

These studies give us, among other benefits, these opportunities:

• simplify the subject and crop the framing and format
• consider more design options, for example varying some tones
• establish a focal element (such as the bell tower)

In version A (red dot) the mid field is cleaned of chiaroscuro details. Both the strip of land on the horizon and the sky become lighter (tone  #1). Clouds are grouped up except for a few accents, which will become blue in the painting.

The reference image of our painting

In version B on the right, the light of the clouds is reduced to spots and has a V-shaped direction. The ground on the horizon becomes darker again as in the original picture.

The monochrome preview in watercolor

The two pencil sketches are repainted in a monochromatic watercolor on cotton paper. Black is obtained by mixing complementary colors and dosing the dilution in five degrees. This phase brings us closer to the pictorial stage. Here we consolidate the lighting and atmosphere that we want to maintain in the final color version. Please note that in the watercolor draft A the ground below the skyline is darker than in the sketch. Daniel got 'distracted' by the photo rather than following the instructions implied in his pencil drawing.

 

Another example of value study before painting (Stefano)

The distribution of weights and shapes

The two first steps are very important to get familiar with the subject, both visually (light/dark) and as an anticipation of the type of brushstrokes to use, layering, dampness of the paper and for the edges and effects we desire. The compositional part definitely includes many other aspects, for example the distribution of forms and their weights in the space. Not to mention the color palette and harmony choices. But let's not go into more detail here.

These topics need a longer course to be covered. But you can comment and ask questions here or by email. In the next episode we will see how Daniel resolved his final painting.

Happy Art Life! - Francesco

PS. I you want to learn more about this, ask for a free 20 mins Zoom individual call at workshops@francescofontana.com We'll figure how to plan a set of mentorship sessions. 

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My 9 Ways to Overcome Creative Crisis

Stuck in a creative slump? Fear not!

Late last year I've been not so willing to paint new projects. Kinda of waiting for fresh ideas. That feeling of being stuck in a creative slump as an artist, can be frustrating and disheartening. If you're there, fear not!  I know the proven measures I've used to go through this transitions. Not a drama, chances are we simply have exhausted the potential of our previous path. 

Be confident you'll find the next direction

Stagnation is a natural part of the creative life. Embrace it as an opportunity to learn and grow. It's how we respond to setbacks that truly defines our artist journey. You'll find the road to the next station!

Inspiration is found in the action

Tree in Basilicata ~ Watercolor by Francesco Fontana

Inspiration meant as magic is overrated. Writer Alberto Moravia -- who lived in typewriter times, said: inspiration is one page after the other thrown in the trash bin! To me inspiration is nothing but activating new connections from /to what we already know. 

Small goals and little routines

Start by setting small, achievable goals for yourself. Whether it's completing a painting within a certain time frame (I often set the timer) or experimenting with a specific technique, having a clear objective can give you a sense of purpose.

Search in you not on the net

Museums and art galleries are a great way to find ideas that resonate to me. The venue itself is often a source of meditation and self search. Drawing to study great masters is a great experience. Browsing art online is to do with caution, I do 15 min day tops: it's become overwhelming and a distraction from hearing my inner voice. Contemporary art galleries might also  trigger creative thoughts.

Let me recap and add a few pointers

1. Display on a wall old and recent paintings and find what they have in common (a color, a subject, a mood,.. ) (Jerry Saltz's totem concept)
   
2. Play Mode. Set a game with one or two simple rules (see my article) (size, medium, time)
3. Remake some of those you like in a different media. If anything you'll learn more about the peculiarities of your typical media.
4. Join a group and ask for feedback. They see what you don't see!
5. Travel, meet people, go to not art museums (aviation, design, history..).  
6. Recall what you loved to draw/paint at the very beginning. The real you may be there
7. Draw, scribble with no purpose, but a giving time and slot every day
8. Paint unfamiliar subjects, those you think you're not good at. Surprise!
9. Use the internet as a newspaper, not as an art book. Real art is in real life. 
   

Seek support from fellow artists

One of the best ways to overcome a creative slump is to connect with other artists who understand what you're going through. Join local art groups or online communities where you can share your struggles, seek advice, and receive constructive feedback. 

Hope this helps. It's only a small part of the practice I do. Talk to me and ask questions, that will pull out more inspiration. 

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Masters Who Inspire Artists (Me)

What makes a painter a great role model? ~ 

I am often asked who my reference artists are, great masters of the past and contemporary authors. Not an easy answer, artists in history are endless! And just as many today, when visual access to art is global and often overflowing. I look with admiration at Turner, Monet, Hopper, Fattori, Segantini. But also living artists the like of Dean Mitchell or Sean Cheetham. Each of them has something specific that inspires me and pushes me to learn.

Under the Awning, on the Beach of Zarautz

See more of Sorolla's works

However there is one who somehow represents them all: Joaquin Sorolla (b. 1863, Valencia, Spain). I was blown out at his exhibition at Palazzo Reale in Milan in 2022. It completely overwhelmed me! Not even the visit to the Sorolla Museum in Valencia had such an impact on me. 

Why Sorolla?

Because his work expresses a complete range of fundamental aspects of pictorial art, in his case in oil but not only.

• The composition of his scenes, often complex, with unusual angles and a combination of figures and landscape, never intimidated by very large size. 
• The absolute mastery of drawing, which emerges from proportions and anatomy.
• His tonal strategy and his sense of light. For me his dynamic power surpass Caravaggio, the monument to tonalism.
• Sorolla's palette is an infinite vocabulary of colours, warm and cool, often high key -- which make his phrasing very rich, like the timbres of an orchestra.
• Finally his alla prima brushwork, energetic, fat and sensual. It ties everything together in a rhythm and a fantastic dance!

As if that weren't enough, many of Sorolla's masterpieces were painted en plein air. He's not the only artist to do this for sure -- Monet and Cezanne even a little before him. But he worked outdoors on larger formats and in challenging conditions, on the seashore, under blinding light and with water, boats and figures in motion. For days.

He was able to transfer this vibrancy to his studio works as well. 

Studying Joaquin Sorolla therefore means for me studying almost everything about the artistic practice of painting. He   became a model later in my career. This means to me that reference models change over time and are perhaps an achievement of maturity. Just at the stage where you no longer need to imitate them.

Happy Art Life! - Francesco

PS. Sorolla is a genius of  alla prima painting, which was re-actualized by a great personality of recent times, Richard Schmid. The American master who passed away a few years ago, influenced a couple of generations of oil painters around the world with his iconic book Alla Prima.

PPS. There are so many historical and contemporary artists that I admire. I think I will need more posts to talk about it. So be ready by signing up now and receive my (News) Artist Letters!

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Paris 1: Art, Love and my Bohemian Life

Myth of broken artists and the struggle to make a dream come true ~
Paris Memoir Part Two | Part Three

As you may have heard from some interviews with Eric Rhoads, I started my career in Paris in the eighties. But never shared details that I believe might interest the fans of artists' life. I was twenty years old and earned my bread as a tourists' portrait artist. The most iconic place I worked was Montmartre. This early experience gave me an artistic and ethical imprint for life, and is still an inspiration 40 plus years later. Maybe some of these memories can inspire you too.

Van Gogh and his time in Montmartre

Van Gogh's Le Moulin de la Gallette.

The Basilica of Sacre Coeur at the top of Montmartre hill can be seen from many corners of Paris. Behind the large white church lies the famous Place du Tertre, jam packed with artists' stand and cafe terrace. 

Back in the day it was already a tourist attraction, with many souvenir shops. But it was still the place where Gauguin, Pissarro, Toulouse-Lautrec used to be and where Van Gogh lived for a while with his brother Theo in Rue Lepic and painted the nearby windmill: Le Moulin de la Gallette.

The fight to grab a spot

Permitted artist a their official spot in Montmartre, Paris

The space was limited. In addition to the official permits that the City had recently established, the square was kinda bossed by a clan of Slavs. I guess that was the legacy of the first come first sat up times. No longer than ten years earlier, the artists daily battle to grab a spot began at 5 in the morning, still dark. (1972, The Underdogs of Montamartre, video).The many unauthorized walking artists at the entry of the square, are a tradition too. 

New romance every day 

Therefore the street portraitists who continued to arrive from abroad had occupied the large Beaubourg plateau, in front of the Centre Pompidou. In the evening we moved to the Latin Quarter, especially on the legendary Boulevard Saint Germain. Which I remember as romantic stroll place, where new romance started every other night!

I was one of these kids attracted by a bohemian dream, who had left Sicily and landed in France with no money nor a word of French.

When the fakirs attacked us

On the Plateau du Beaubourg it was tough, there were about 40 painters and as many street artists including fire eaters, fakirs, acrobats. One day a group of them attacked us, throwing our stools and easels into the air. To make room for their special event. I proposed myself as a negotiator between calling the police and go for revenge. We ended up shaking hands and share a drink with the fakirs!

Walking portraitist at the entry of Place du Tertre, Montmartre

Nevertheless I had the chance to be head butted in another fight and had my front teeth almost knocked out. I had tried to defend a girl who had her necklace snatched by an Arab gangster, - as she approached for a portrait. My mouth bleeding, I was taken to a dentist who saved my smile!

Part 2 next week. Stay tuned for Picasso around the corner, Love and the great old masters, Lifetime friendships and more stories!

Happy Art Life! -- Francesco
PS. What story would you like to read in my MuseLetter? Comment below or reply to the email
Paris Memoir Part Two | Part Three

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Paris 2: Friendship and Resilience in the Artist's Journey

Light and dark of bohemian life ~
Paris Memoir Part One | Part Two

Saint Germain is a mythical boulevard, writers such as Hemingway, Sartre or Henry Miller used to seat at the Cafe De Flore or the Deux Magots. At different times in history masters the like of Sargent, Boldini, Modigliani, Monet and countless others, had hung out in the neighborhood. Pablo Picasso finished Guernica in his studio at Rue Des Saints Augustins, three minutes walk from my center of gravity: Rue Mazarine, where my American girlfriend live in a chambre de bonne, a tiny messy attic!

Love and violence

She too is an artist, a beautiful and sensitive soul. Originally from the Antilles, she was an air-hostess (as they say) and a stylist for Pan Am, before fleeing to Europe after the drama: an intruder broke down the door of her condo in New York and God knows how she survived. 

• We conceived a baby and decision was hard

We conceived a baby. But her health is poor, I am too young and stupid, and we are both penniless. Before I know it she decides not to be a parent. I visited her for a few years, trying to give a little help, until she breaks off even as friends. Now she's left this world. Rest in peace my sweet Jeanne Marie!

Ian Hargreaves with on of his oil painting of Morocco

Talents from Countries at war

Among the many young expatriate artists there are Iraqis and Iranians who coexist amicably on the Beaubourg pave while their countries are at war. We are in the 80s, The Poles arrive from Poland as the Country is inflamed by the Solidarnosc protests, nine years before the Wall falls. Many of them are very talented and have a strong art education from the academies of Eastern Europe. There is Ian from London, Omar from Argentina, and Davy who is a British-Malaysian. All landed into Paris in different ways. 

Ian Hargreaves by the art studio he's built in his backyard in Dorset, UK

• We were young and looking for adventure

Ian had to leave London for he was on the spot where a gang attacked one of the portrait artists in Piccadilly one evening. Blood is pouring from his head, and he lay on the floor unconscious. Many people stand watching as they beat him and kicked him, but nobody does anything. Except Ian. He decides to help him and grabs the leader from behind before the artist gets killed. "A few minutes later a policeman arrived and the gang run off - Ian recalls -- but the gang leader swears revenge. I felt I had to leave the city for a while. That's how I landed in Paris and met you Francesco"

Ian Hargreaves and Francesco Fontana at Ian's art studio

A lifetime friendship

When I returned home in Sicily, Ian joined me for some time and we painted portraits on the street of Palermo. We imported this custom totally new to the city. His love for the sunny views of the Mediterranean begins here. Many years passed and we kept in touch, even before cell phones and the internet were invented. I went to visit him in the south of England a couple of times a dozen years apart. 

Ups and downs of art business

I love to browse through his canvases in the studio he built in the garden. We chat over art and tennis and eat fish and chips. Definitely the friendship of a lifetime! From the streets of Paris, and thru the ups and downs of art business, Ian finally has anded in many prestigious galleries and built a solid career with his splendid oil views of Italy. You can admire them here: https://ianhargreaves.net/

The story of my Paris times can't stop here! 
Be ready for part 3 next week. Meanwhile please interact in many ways

Paris Memoir Part One | Part Three

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Paris 3: The Struggle of The Street Artists

Is becoming an artist worth a lifetime of sacrifice? ~
Paris Memoir Part One | Part Two

It's dark but my memory is clear. I see myself in the evening in the Latin Quarter, together with Davy Lim. Me and him with our drawing boards and camping seats,  scoping boulevard Saint Michel in search of a spot to work overtime. Just to raise some extra francs with a couple of portraits under a street lamp, perhaps of some tipsy tourists.

Davy Lim today at his spot in Place du Tertre, Montmartre

Oh yes, the street lamps evoke other jobs, indeed we too were hookers after all!

Davy Lim back in the 80's

Davy is a British citizen of Malaysian origin, and I immediately had great admiration for him. He's a terrific draftman! While he draws I try to learn from him, to steal his craft. I look at him like you look at a mentor, even though he is only two or three years older than me and never tried to teach me anything.

My escape from drugs and terrorism

I am very atypical for a southern Italian. We are in the 80s. At such a young age I lead a totally unique life! At twenty years old, my peers go to college, have middle class ambitions or in any case do not leave the comfort of mamma cooking pasta for them. Those who reject this prospect end up involved in the political violence or devastated by heroin and then by AIDS. Hundreds of them. Ultimately, my trip to Paris was an escape from both of these deadly destinies.

Davy Lim's artist studio view in the South of France

Nevertheless it seems to me that I am far too respectable compared to Davy. He smokes and drinks the English way, that is, on an empty stomach. At most he grabs some junk food. I'm too Italian: picky about eating, matching shirts with trousers and drinking like an altar boy!

• I was a chain smoker and drank a fast beer after almost every portrait. At the St Michel pitch, near the old Gilbert Jeune bookshop, there was a bar right opposite the lamp post I claimed for the night shift. Yeah, all I ate was junk food. I've got emphysema now because of the cigarettes, and I've had to give up the booze..

Davy lived outside Paris with his girlfriend, a French sculptor. One day we go to Montreuil, I think he hosted me for a couple of nights, I don't know why. But above all he paints a portrait of me in acrylic on green pastel Canson paper, like the one we draw charcoal portraits on. It's the dearest souvenir I have from that era! I've kept it in a drawer all these years like a relic, but now is time to frame it and hang it on the best wall of the studio!

Buying a house with portraits money

Later, once the story with the sculptress is over, he will tell me that he bought a house. He takes me to a small apartment, well not exactly an apartment!

• My room was 12 sqm. Yep, there was a mezzanine and just enough space for a studio easel and painting equipment. There were no cooking facilities. Turkish toilette on the landing. There my neighbour (absolutely horrible character) used to leave me disgusting presents up and down the walls. It cost me 65,000 francs (some $36,000 of today) No regrets at all!

In that period Davy took on some commissions for sacred paintings. I think it was his plan B for the winter. I admire this about him too. That ability to build brick by brick, with sacrifice but with the clear priority of financial security. Quite the opposite of me!

Four decades later

We met again a few years ago. I discovered that Davy is a YouTube star and to my surprise, that after forty years he is still working in Montmartre! Despite his precarious health, he insists on riding his scooter three times a week to the same spot that was assigned him many years ago.

• I got my official authorization in 1994, and my first "pitch" was no. 101. I am still sitting on the same spot. Though it's now called no. 84.

We had lunch and he congratulates me for having the guts to get off the street and develop my art. “I think you had a natural talent and so much potential” - says Davy. I know that his amazing talent could be expressed in different ways but he preferred to win his bread on the field. The road allowed him to send the son he adopted with his partner Agnes to an International school. Much respect!

• As decrepitude goes up, it’s more and more difficult to work on the street now, especially in winter. But I feel totally blessed to have spent my whole life being free and doing something so enjoyable! I hope to spend more time to serious painting in the small atelier we have in the South of France. But it's still nice to have access to an easy and fun source of income in a legendary location like Montmartre!

If you happen to be in Paris, you know who to ask for a portrait! You can also visit Davy Lim online https://www.davylim.com/ ~ https://www.youtube.com/c/DavyLimvideos/videos

Happy Art Life! -- Francesco

PS. I realize my Paris story could go on forever. I should  consider writing a book. Please let me know if you want to read more about it. 

Acrylic portrait of Francesco Fontana by Davy Lim, Paris 1982

Through Ian, Jeanne Marie and Davy I told the stories of some different ways to experience the journey of painting starting from my youth. I understand that these stories of mine can demystify the legend of bohemian Paris and demolish the belief that the life of the artist is always fun and privilege.

The truth is that choosing from a young age to make a living from your art almost always costs enormous sacrifices and sometimes terrible misadventures. Is it worth it? Yes, definitely! The reward is a strong sense of identity, the realization of who you truly feel you are. Belonging to some kind of brotherhood, even if your real friends in the business are two or three.

This generates a form of happiness that is not visible to others but very profound. People think success is fame and wealth, but before that there is the pride of having carved out a place in the world based on your talent and tenacity. The fulfillment of being able to give people emotions through your art, which can sometimes last a lifetime.

Paris Memoir Part One | Part Two

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A Story of Everyday Love

Why Art makes people so happy? ~

A couple of Sundays ago I was in my hood church to host the charity sale of 60 paintings that a local painter bequeathed. The exhibition is set up in the room right next to the altar where kids are babysitted during the mass. Here I meet Marco and Monica, middle-aged parishioners who help with the exhibition. He tells me about his amateur watercolorist father, she tells me about his talented mosaicist father, who disappeared mysteriously years back. Kind people, can't help but invite them for coffee in my studio a few days later. Love in little everyday things While chatting about the neighborhood, they browse trough my larger figurative paintings. They love at least a dozen of them but often return to the same piece. An image of a senior couple in the kitchen getting coffee. It's the portrait of Bill and Randy, who hosted me as invited artist at plein air Texas festival. Two sweet people, who collected at least two of my paintings. -- Marco says: See how in the painting she looks at him sweetly, while he pours the coffee into the cup for her. -- You can see that he takes care of her, who is probably a safe harbor for him for many regards -- replies Monica. I let them comment for a while. I could feel something is making its way into their hearts. I tell myself that this couple play in unison! Than I say: -- Do you know how this painting is called? Ordinary Love Ordinary Love ~ Watercolor by Francesco Fontana, 50 x 65 cm -- Yes, they reply -- that's exactly how we feel! This painting is the perfect representation of how we want to grow old together! We are overjoyed to purchase it! I smile to myself proud to have captured a moment so full of meaning for me, and apparently important for others too. They can totally identified with the subject. When this happens people's emotion and gratitude are gigantic. For me as an artist that is the greatest reward!  Now it's your turn You too can find the painting that resonates with your feelings in my Small Works Studio Sale 50% Off Black Week. This is valid only until Tuesday, Nov 21 at midnight PT. The discount is automatic and includes free shipping! Get your slice of love now! Don't feel guilty if you like a painting simply because it decorates your living room. This too is daily love! Choose your favorites now! Black Week Sale 50% Off Follow me on Instagram Sign up and get a Gift Share and have a friend subscribe Send Francesco an email