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Tuesday, November 07, 2017

5 More Reasons to Paint Small

'Fall Fantasy 6'         2.5 x 3.5
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How small can we go? Have you tried painting a mini pastel? I used to think 5x7 was small until I gave minis a try.  I choose 2.5 x 3.5 as my mini size because ready made frames and mats are available. I will share storage and presentation ideas later this week. Mini Week continues with a look at 5 more reasons to paint small. If you missed the first 5 reasons click here to read them.

6. Economical. Minis are great because they don't cost much in materials. I don't use much pastel at all and I cut my scrap papers into 2.5 x 3.5 pieces. I buy my pastel paper in full size sheets and cut them down to size. I am always left with thin strips. I save these strips until I need paper for minis then I cut them down to size.

'Fall Fantasy 7'           2.5 x 3.5 

7. Eco-Friendly. Save the environment and recycle paper for minis. Not only do I use my paper scraps, I also recycle failed paintings and cut them up for minis. Instead of throwing away a failed painting I do an alcohol wash over the offending painting, let it dry and cut it up. I get lots of nice dark toned paper to paint on!

'Fall Fantasy 8'          2.5 x 3.5

8. Fine Motor Practice. Painting small is one of the best ways to develop and fine tune control over your pastel sticks. Sometimes a chunk of pastel can seem awkward and unwieldy. It take practice to figure out just the right touch to make the marks you want. 

'Fall Fantasy 9'          2.5 x 3.5 

9. Experiment. Painting small leads to getting more creative and experimental. I find it less daunting to experiment on a scrap of paper. If it doesn't turn out I didn't waste much. I have tried many interesting techniques on a mini before I did a larger version.

'Fall Fantasy 10'           2.5 x 3.5 

10. FUN!  The best reason of all to paint minis is because it is fun and relaxing. I like to sit when I paint the minis. I find that the more I do, the more I want to do. The more I do the more expressive they become.  Working small allows me to gain experience with the important parts of good painting....composition, value, color, drawing. I learn while I am having fun....can't beat that!


2 comments:

robertsloan2art said...

Beautiful series! I own one of your minis and love it, the detail and exquisite perfection of that little landscape still takes my breath away. The digital images don't show how rich and beautiful they are, I was stunned when it arrived.

And I'm still trying to get my smaller pieces to come out that well.

Unknown said...

I agree! I own a KEM original and the photos don’t do the painting justice!