Black and White

This second assignment focuses on using black and white paint mediums only, including both backgrounds and object images. With 5 black backgrounds, and 5 white backgrounds, I used the following materials on each: black ink, black acrylic paint, white gouache, white acrylic paint, and grey gouache. I systematically used one painting medium atop each of the black and white surfaces, which was interesting to work with when for example it was the same colour – black acrylic on black background and vice-versa for the white paints.

I chose to focus on one image only so I could appreciate the difference in the black and white mediums, and I was interested to see how my painting may differ for each image. The chair was one of the more simpler images to paint, and due to its bold shapes and line I thought this could be a good choice for this exercise.

Black Ink

You can only just about see the black ink on top of the black background here. It’s more noticeable in the sunlight and has a kind of iridescent sheen to it. On top of the white, the shapes and outline are very striking.

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Grey Gouache

This grey gouache feels very flat on the surface of either background with only the layers of paint build up providing any depth.

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White Gouache

I liked working with the white gouache on top of the black surface, with this example it provides a ghostly feel to the image, and on the white surface it’s barely even visible.

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Black Acrylic

As with the grey gouache the black acrylic also offers a very flat, stark contrast, and is almost entirely invisible on the black surface aside from the ridges of built up paint at the edges.

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White Acrylic

The same ghostly feel from the white gouache on black background can be seen here using acrylic although not to the same extent.

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Entire Series

Here is the entire series of black, white and grey scalloped chairs, some boldly visible in black and white, others more ghostly, and iridescent, and some don’t appear to be there even at all!

Here we have the entire series of black and white scalloped chairs.