As an experienced art writer and creative consultant for Pencil and Paint Muse, I’ve had the privilege of exploring a wide range of artistic techniques, from pencil drawing and painting to mixed media approaches. In our 15 years installing… One of the fundamental elements that I’ve found consistently separates great animal artworks from the rest is the mastery of composition.
Now, this might seem counterintuitive…
Composition – the arrangement and interplay of visual elements within a piece – is a crucial skill for any artist seeking to create captivating animal-themed works. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an emerging artist, understanding the nuances of composition can mean the difference between a good artwork and a truly exceptional one.
In this comprehensive article, we’ll dive deep into the art of composition, examining the techniques and strategies employed by master pastel artists like Edgar Degas, Rosalba Carriera, Odilon Redon, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. By studying their approaches, we’ll uncover insightful lessons that you can apply to elevate your own animal artwork, from pencil sketches to mixed media paintings.
Expressive Use of Color
One of the hallmarks of soft pastels is their vibrant, punchy color. Unlike colored pencils, which can often feel muted, pastels allow artists to harness the full intensity of the pigment. The masters we’ll explore were truly virtuosos when it came to leveraging this quality.
Rosalba Carriera, the renowned 18th-century Italian portrait artist, was renowned for her exceptional ability to create soft, glowing color in her pastel works. In her allegorical series “The Four Elements,” Carriera demonstrated a keen understanding of how to use nuanced color transitions and muted palettes to convey the essence of each element. Her portraits radiate an elegant, Rococo-inspired aesthetic, with gentle hues that captivate the viewer.
In contrast, Odilon Redon and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec were known for their bold, expressive use of color. Redon, a French Symbolist painter, often selected vibrant hues for their symbolic and emotional resonance, using color to tell a story through his imaginative, dreamlike imagery. Toulouse-Lautrec, the influential Post-Impressionist, had a remarkable talent for conveying mood and atmosphere through his unconventional color choices, which added dynamism and energy to his depictions of the Parisian cabaret scene.
As you approach your own animal artwork, consider how you can harness the power of color to elevate your compositions. Experiment with subtle color harmonies à la Carriera, or embrace bold, unconventional palettes in the style of Redon and Toulouse-Lautrec. Allowing color to play a more expressive role in your work can help you imbue your animal subjects with a heightened sense of emotion and personality.
Capturing Movement and Gesture
The ability to capture the movement and gesture of an animal is a hallmark of truly exceptional animal art. The masters we’ve highlighted were all virtuosos in this regard, using their keen observational skills and technical mastery to infuse their works with a palpable sense of life and energy.
Edgar Degas, the French Impressionist known for his ballet dancer paintings, was a master at conveying the fluidity and grace of movement. His pastel works feature gestural strokes and dynamic compositions that evoke the very essence of his subjects in motion. Degas often employed strategic cropping and varied poses to emphasize the expressiveness of each movement, drawing the viewer’s eye to the most captivating aspects of his animal subjects.
Similarly, Toulouse-Lautrec’s artwork is characterized by a vibrant sense of movement, with his subjects engaged in lively activities and interactions. The artist used techniques like blurred outlines, overlapping figures, and strategic arrangement of elements to create a heightened sense of energy and dynamism, inviting the viewer to experience the scene as if it were unfolding in real-time.
To capture movement and gesture in your own animal artwork, consider taking inspiration from these masters. Experiment with gestural brushwork and varied body postures to convey the unique personality and physicality of your animal subjects. Pay close attention to the anatomy and musculature of your subjects, ensuring that their movements and gestures are grounded in anatomical accuracy. By mastering these techniques, you can breathe life into your animal compositions and captivate your audience.
Expressive Mark-Making
The soft pastel medium lends itself beautifully to expressive and varied mark-making techniques, and the artists we’ve explored were true masters of this approach. From Degas’ gestural strokes and Redon’s scribbled lines to Toulouse-Lautrec’s bold, unblended brushwork, these artists understood how to use the inherent qualities of the medium to enhance the visual impact of their animal-themed works.
Degas, for example, often employed a combination of detailed brushwork and looser, more gestural strokes to create a sense of depth and movement in his pastel paintings. He would use tightly rendered details to draw the viewer’s eye to the focal points of his compositions, while broader, more expressive marks would suggest the surrounding environment and atmosphere.
Redon, on the other hand, embraced a more unconventional and experimental approach, incorporating scribbled lines, blocks of unblended color, and even allowing the raw surface of the paper to show through in strategic areas. This approach lent his fantastical, symbolist-inspired animal imagery a sense of energy and spontaneity, inviting the viewer to engage with the work on a more intuitive, emotional level.
To incorporate these expressive mark-making techniques into your own animal artwork, experiment with a variety of pastel application methods, from bold, gestural strokes to delicate, fine lines. Embrace the inherent textural qualities of the medium, allowing the unblended edges and exposed surfaces to contribute to the overall visual interest of your compositions. By combining a range of mark-making approaches, you can imbue your animal subjects with a distinct sense of personality and dynamism.
Composition and Design
While the masters we’ve explored were unquestionably skilled in their use of color, movement, and mark-making, they also demonstrated a deep understanding of composition and design – the foundational elements that give a work of art its structure and visual impact.
Edgar Degas, for example, was known for his carefully planned compositions, often creating numerous preliminary sketches and studies to refine the placement and relationship of his animal subjects within the frame. His pastel works frequently featured dramatic cropping and unconventional vantage points, capturing the essence of movement and energy through the strategic arrangement of his elements.
Similarly, Toulouse-Lautrec’s compositions were heavily influenced by his fascination with Japanese print aesthetics, featuring bold outlines, flattened forms, and a lack of traditional shadow and depth. This approach lent his animal-themed works a sense of dynamism and visual interest, drawing the viewer’s eye through the use of strategic tangents and asymmetrical balance.
As you approach your own animal artwork, take the time to experiment with composition and design. Explore thumbnail sketches and quick studies to refine the placement and relationship of your elements, and don’t be afraid to challenge traditional compositional norms. By embracing the lessons of the masters, you can create animal artworks that are not only technically proficient but also visually captivating and emotionally resonant.
Artistic Inspiration and Observation
Ultimately, the ability to create exceptional animal artwork stems not only from technical mastery but also from a deep well of artistic inspiration and observation. The masters we’ve explored were all keen observers of the natural world, drawing inspiration from the diverse forms, behaviors, and movements of the animals they encountered.
Degas, for instance, was known for his meticulous studies of horse anatomy and movement, which he then incorporated into his dynamic equine-themed pastel works. Redon, on the other hand, often drew inspiration from the symbolic and transformative qualities of creatures like butterflies, using them to explore the mystical and fantastical dimensions of the human experience.
As you embark on your own animal-themed artworks, make a concerted effort to immerse yourself in the natural world. Observe the animals around you, taking note of their unique postures, expressions, and behaviors. Sketch from life whenever possible, using these observational studies as a foundation for your more polished pastel paintings or mixed media compositions.
Additionally, consider exploring conceptual and symbolic interpretations of your animal subjects, much like Redon did with his butterfly imagery. What deeper meanings or emotional resonances might your chosen animal evoke? By combining your technical mastery with a rich well of artistic inspiration and conceptual exploration, you can create animal artworks that truly captivate and engage your audience.
Conclusion
The mastery of composition is a critical skill for any artist seeking to elevate their animal artwork. By studying the techniques and approaches employed by the pastel masters we’ve explored – from Degas’ dynamic movement to Toulouse-Lautrec’s bold design choices – you can unlock new levels of creativity and expressiveness in your own work.
Remember, the journey of artistic growth is an ongoing one, filled with experimentation, observation, and a deep well of inspiration. Embrace the lessons of the past, but don’t be afraid to forge your own unique path, infusing your animal artworks with your personal vision and creative voice.
As you continue to hone your skills and explore new artistic frontiers, be sure to visit Pencil and Paint Muse for a wealth of resources, tutorials, and community support. Together, we can push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of animal-themed art, creating works that captivate and inspire audiences far and wide.
Statistic: Studies reveal that engaging with diverse art techniques boosts creative output by over 40%