Calvin Liang's workshop. Day 3.

The "Overseas Painter from China" a.k.a Calvin Liang performed a looser demo today at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach. By the way, that "overseas" alias is the title of his published monography . A book worth having for sure but whose title is either badly translated or claims Calvin as a Chinese national a little too strongly or both. Was Picasso the "Overseas painter from Spain" ? or Chagall, the "Overseas painter from Russia?"...but I digress.

Besides hammering down "form, color, value and edges" today Calvin had an inspired moment. Pointing to the tip of his brush he said all four elements are contained in every brush stroke. Aha! So every brushstroke counts. I also realized today that what he means by "detail" is not what us westerners would consider as such per se, that is busy work, branches an pebbles. Rather, it is the just as precise and just as deliberate blending and enhancing of the initial masses.
Different today was the palette as well. Just because he demonstrated how he keeps three premixed piles of color, one cool, one warm (made of whatever is left he said) and a neutral grey one. Calvin winces when I say my colors are dirty. He believes it's all in the greys anyway. He also demonstrated the use of black ....in the sky nonetheless.

The use of covering a canvas quickly has become very apparent to me as light kept changing and shadows moving in the cliffs. I post here a bit of my evolution throughout the workshop in the shape of my three pieces. The first one looks quite tentative and confused, the second one of Crystal Cove looks a bit dirty but the basic methods are there, specially in my "Calvin cloud" in the upper corner right ha ha. My third piece -and may be- my most accomplished at this stage- took a lot less time and paint because I finally slowed down enough to become quicker, that is, less mistakes make a faster painting. Even Calvin liked it. He had some awesome suggestions I'll keep to myself.

I really focused on the "form" part today . And it made quite a difference When you think "form", and design, things start to slow down. You want to create forms in the most organic way possible, no parallel strokes or repetitive moves.

And that's that.

Calvin Liang's workshop Day 2.

Oh look! Our dehydrated and roguish group!


Day 2 of Calvin Liang's workshop took place in Crystal Cove State Park. Calvin set up for a morning view of the cliffs below: Calvin used his "cover the canvas" approach again but he was a lot more detailed than during day one. He traced his usual charcoal design. He carefuly laid the pigment being quite accurate in his color and shape choices. He didn't leave so much detail for the end as in his first piece. Again, he started with the darkest darks, the fence climbing up the left in this case.
But for me it was all about the edges. One thing I noticed is how cleanly Calvin applies the painting and chisels his edges. He was deliberate and very careful. One would expect a slow process and yet, his painting was done in no time, no messing around, no mistakes.

Some quotes from Calvin (in my own words): 1) When you apply a color, do not look at the area you are painting, rather look at any other area. You are constantly comparing and looking for how color compares, not what color it is.
2) It is good to cover the detail in a sort of clockwise move, going from one area to the next and then coming back, it's difficult to make decisions without knowing what's around the corner.
3) Top of the sky is cooler. Bottom is warmer. But we knew this , righ?4) Again, form, color (and color temperature), tone and EDGES. Here is a slightly more colorful puddle. This is -all_ the color Calvin used in his 1 hr, 30 mins painting which is shown at the bottom.

Calvin Liang workshop Day 1

Thanks to the Laguna Plein Air Association, I received a scolarship to take a workshop of my choice. So who happened to be teaching close-by but the master Calvin Liang. I've always admired his rich luscious masterpieces so I took (even more) time from work and took myself to Newport Beach.
- I will try to synthesize some basic points of his amazing demo.
-For starters, Calvin doesn't use expensive or sophisticated materials for his plein air work. His setup feels comfortable like a pair of old slippers. It's what he is used to. There is a message here, it's not the materials that make the painting. His palette is limited outside, but in the studio he confesses to using a wide palette of up to 23 pigments.I took a picture of his setup and his palette for reference. Nothing fancy. However, Calvin was adamant about one necessary ingredient: "You can't start a painting without a clear design." A concept if you will. It is good practice to have a design in mind before even touching a brush. Then comes the question of form, color, tone and edges. The only things that can go wrong are those four components and any error can be traced to them . "The only trick is no trick" he answered when queried about that deadly question people always ask.... what color is that?. ... A color is the result of the colors around it and there is definitely no recipe. Calvin basically used the same puddle of color for the whole demo hat took aprox. 1 hr an 30 mins.


Calvin showed us his color wheels, some fine examples of his design work and examples of his oeuvre in books and magazines. But soon it was canvas time. First he did a soft charcoal design to be certain of where the elements of the design would be. After the drawing, he applied some dark shapes outlining some foreground boats and deep darks. But he had no hesitation moving on to a thick paste for the rest of the canvas. No liquin or turpentine. Lying the shapes thickly as if applying tile. The goal is to cover up the canvas and create unity.


Calvin never looks at "things", just shapes. And he creates the shapes with an incredible lack of detail initially. He believes, and I agree, that the detail practically paints itself once the main shapes are laid out. In this demo, there were two clear phases. An initial phase when he just lays and covers color to achieve unity. The brushwork has bravado and variety. No reviewing or massaging colors around. Barely a paralel brushtroke.

The second phase is methodical and "fun" according to Calvin. One segment at a time, detail is added. But detail is not a reason to look at things "in detail" . Detail now will be kept together by the fact that the whole canvas is thickly covered. Mind you, some of the canvas peeks through in places.One thing Calvin avoids like the plague is the creation of lines or edges by tracing them with the brush. When he needs to paint an edge, he kisses with paint and "overshoots" the color. Then , with the background color, he picks up the edge and creates a very distinct and clean edge where the one layer of paint overlays another in the right places.


I have to say Calvin is incredibly deliberate and quick because mistakes are few and far between. When he makes one, he mixes back the color, and covers it up to redo the area until he is happy. No matter how many times. It's a "schoolboy" approach that I find attractive since it is common to believe everything we put down is precious.

Tony Pro Workshop Part 3 and final.

After some more thought I decided to add a few notes about what I got from Tony's workshop.By adding some artwork that relates to it. First, I attach here a picture of Teale holding an artichoke. I did this one week before the workshop. You can see the harsh edges in the wrong places and the overall "hacking" at it. It is very apparent on the nose and the shaded side of the face.

Next, is the portrait of the model we used at Tony's workshop. The method I used here is a lot more "thought out". First I applied the overall simplified blocks of color, then the secondary details, most detail was actually added at the very end. You can see how the portrait becomes a lot softer and how it resists distance watching a lot better. Progress is evident from the example above. You can barely see also one classic "trick" , the adding of a thing fringe of color to the illuminated side of the face, to avoid a very sharp delineation a and create a sort of "glow".

I add here the other two paintings we did during the workshop. One is a landscape where Tony had some input but an area where you can tell I am more confident. The other, the blocking of Tony's wife posing in the park, no details. The dirt on the canvas was the result of the hefty winds.

Tony Pro's Demo Part 2. Methodology.

Tony Pro's style is lush, rich and rooted in classical tradition and many influences (as it should be). He is a master of "alla prima" and his demo was in that style.

The basis of his method during the workshop was to start with the average of the main blocks of color and work towards the lights and darks. His canvas was primed in a neutral grey.

A preliminary drawing is necessary. Through comparative measurement and shape relatedness, the basic angles and key lines are rendered, a map of the main features.


The likeness of a model, says Tony, really hinges 85% on the triangle formed by the eyes and the nose tip. How far, big or wide the eyes are with respect to the nose. The way this triangle rests on the remaining head structure determines 15% of the recognition of a character. Of course this is just theoretical but hints at where likeness can derail easily.


Once the preliminary drawing is enough to map the features of the model, we proceed to block the main areas of color with a careful assessment of the light temperature and how its relative tone and chroma might affect the final result.

Squinting provides the necessary abstraction of shape and color to start blocking in the shapes. The main planes of the head are covered paying special attention at the tone and color. No hurrying here, no fireworks, the foundation of the whole portrait needs to be solid.

As reference, Tony pointed to Assaro's head to get some clues as to where the primary planes fall. Observe how he just blocked in the eyes as reddish shadows, and the cylinder containing the muzzle as a basic shape, no lips or eyelashes . We will "sneak in" into these details at a later stage, when we are sure the main and secondary planes are properly featured.





The main areas of color, including the background needs to be placed to get an accurate idea of the relative value of all colors. For example, the model's pale skin looked dark until it was compared to the deeper blacks of the background. Ditto for the color temperature on both sides of the face.

Most areas will remain simple, most of the modeling and work will occur where the warm light meets the edge of the cool area.

No mysteries here, no magic brush, the modeling and chiseling of the face proceeds in the same manner, always looking for the simplest shapes. No hesitation to wipe them out and revert to simplicity when things get out of hand.

It is easy to get "muddy" in a hurry by overworking details and adding information that adds nothing. That is why it helps to have the main areas "solved" before moving on. You get the idea. Down here I post the final or almost done result.

My very first workshop

At the request of the San Gabriel Fine Art Association, I conducted my very first workshop with five "students". It was a two day affair. The first day we painted at the Arboretum while I talked about my every thought for three hours. It was exhausting. It was a cloudy day so we did a low-key painting and discussed selecting subjects , materials , the paradox of overworking the areas we want to focus on and how the fastest paintings are those which have no mistakes. We created thumbnails, used red gels and all kinds of devices to aid our thought process. Mostly it was about the importance of thinking before starting to lay paint.



The second day it was the turn of Liz, Barbara and Rod to try out the new techniques...I chose an urban/gritty setting and so we all launched into our paintings. As expected, there was a bit of initial fear and fumbling because it is hard to break old habits or merely try new approaches but slowly things started to happen....and each persons' style found its way . I think style finds us and not the other way around, we just need to stop worrying about "finding" it and experiment, be playful with it and even try to go against it just for kicks, for example copying the masters. That is the role of workshops and classes, to exercise our "alternatives" so we can come back to our style.

Most importantly, I think we all had a lot of fun despite the light showers, blustery winds and graffiti artists in the alleys. Some of them even paused to admire something other than spray painted walls for a change.

Sean Cheetham Workshop. Day 2

During the second day of the workshop. Sean entered into some detail about his supports and his approach to alla prima painting. His "pieces de resistance" use wood as a support. He uses MDO wood or some panels form a provider which already come framed in the back to avoid bending.

1) He then applies an acrylic sealant that he lets cure for at least a week.

2) He applies several layers of gesso allowing drying between them and some texture to occur. No sanding. Chemicals from acrylic materials easily get in the air and can be dangerous.

3) The last step pictured here is using a big trowel to smooth a last layer of molding paste which gives the surface very smooth but absorbent.

The process takes minutes in every layer but it takes two to three weeks to complete as the layers have to dry and cure completely.

He then uses graphite rubbed on a paper to transfer the drawing onto the board. The graphite in this stage is loose so he will wash it very lightly with acrylic paints. he will recreate the whole painting using acrylics almost as if they were watercolors in very very transparent layers but with accurate local colors.


We then moved on to the "interactive" part of his demonstration. Painting from a live model he demonstrated that even in a larger format, the same principles can be applied. He used a Fredrix support with Belgian linen onto which he applied a wash mostly consistent of Burnt Siena. He then established as tight a drawing with his brushes as one could hope for and moved onto the darker areas of the subject with a mix of burnt Siena, Alizarin and Olive green.Right after this stage, he mixed his fluorescent light Manganese Blue+ White mix (something ,by the way, that also Jeremy Lipking is fond of doing) and his "main" tone. From then on, he systematically built the face form the darker to the lighter areas with some balancing in between. The result was "sorollesque" and loose. Never or very rarely did he go over trodden territory. I won't post my attempt at the same subject because I made a mess of it.

Sean Cheetham Workshop. Day 1 (b)

For an excellent review on Sean's workshops click on this link and do not miss the graphic of his palette. This are some common weaknesses he points out:


*Starting to paint without a tight and accurate drawing. Impatience costs in time and it doesn't improve spontaneity.

* Starting with powerful darks maintains the luminosity of the shadows and allows the painter to not have to revisit them later and making them muddy.

*Transitions between light and shadow are more subtle than novice painters make them.

*An organized palette saves most of the guesswork as the painting progresses.

* Regular painting helps the artist remember and consolidate what he/she learns.


After Sean had placed all the dark areas with a rich mix of burnt siena and olive green, he made a large pool of mid-tone color and a smaller pool of fluorescent or cool light with manganese blue and white. He then carefully proceeded to add the mid tones. I think this might be one of the most critical parts as it forces to distinguish what is in light and what is receding. Depending of the degree to which each area is exposed to light, cooler or warmer tones will be used. Into consideration as well is the reflection of the background, clothes, etc. ..


Finally, Sean tackled the most luminous areas never for a second jumping to highlights or touches of "effect" which are so frequent in other painters which shall remain unnamed. For a more realistic effect, he used some of the more worn out brushes to blend the paint a bit afterwards loosening the almost graphic effect of the result. This sobriety and uncompromising approach is what makes Sean's paintings so appealing and contemporary as well as the subject matter which shuns the precious and picturesque. You just can't beat reality.