Most people remember Cuubism as abstract, geometric landscapes.
The iconic Pablo Picasso and fellow painter George Braque originated Cubism early in the 20th century in Paris. Seeking to dismantle all classical elements and any realistic approach to painting, the Cubists highlighted geometric shapes, harsh lines and artificial layers of light. While the styles vary from phase to phase within Cubism, you can create a Cubist-like painting using a general approach.
Instructions
1. This Cubist painting is extremely colorful and bright, like stained glass.
Choose the colors you would like in your painting and squeeze small sample amounts of each onto your palette. Look at them together and visualize how they might appear on your canvas. Explore and create personalized mixes of certain colors until you are happy with your choices. Decide which of these to use as background, the predominant color within your painting.
2. A wash is important; it sets the tone of your painting.
Squeeze a large amount of your background color onto the mixing palette. Dip your large round brush into the water and scoop moist "washes" of this paint across the entire canvas surface, adding more water and paint when necessary.
3. Think of an object you would like to deconstruct within your painting. This can be a person, place or thing. Choose the color that best expresses the feeling of designing this object, and squeeze it onto the palette.
4. Take your medium flat brush, transfer the chosen paint color to the canvas, and quickly sketch the general outline or bulk of the subject: person, place or thing.
5. Squeeze the remaining colors onto the palette and one by one, with your medium round brush, add them in areas that you feel are helping to sculpt an object within your painting. It does not have to be recognizable, you are simply creating a new, geometric way of viewing a particular thing. Layer colors on top of each other, mixing directly on the canvas, to suit your vision. Notice the individual shapes and patterns you are creating.
6. Complete the painting by taking the small round brush and accenting the edges and lines that require sharpness. Apply dark colors to add depth and place light colors against them for contrast, or in areas where you desire a softer tone. Keep your visual check-ins going and use quick, fluid motions to finalize any details.
