Okay, so today I'm gonna walk you through this thing I was messing with – trying to figure out how to create something inspired by a "famous cadmium artist". Never really done anything like it before, so it was a bit of a dive into the unknown.
First off, research. I started by googling "cadmium artists". Turns out, cadmium is a pigment, and it's used to get really vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. Thing is, it's also kinda toxic, so you don't see it used as much anymore. Anyway, I looked up some famous artists who used it a lot – names like Matisse and some of the Expressionists popped up. I spent a good chunk of time just soaking up their styles.
Next, I decided on a subject. I didn't want to just copy someone else's work, so I thought, what could I put my own spin on? Ended up settling on a portrait. I grabbed a photo I took of my dog, a goofy-looking golden retriever, as my reference. Seemed like a good starting point.
Then came the fun part: actually trying to paint something. I don't have real cadmium paints (for obvious reasons), so I had to improvise. I used acrylics, focusing on getting those super-saturated, almost unreal colors that cadmium is known for. I started by blocking in the basic shapes and colors of my dog's face. It looked terrible, honestly. Way too bright and cartoonish.
Iteration was key. I kept layering on paint, trying to tone down the intensity without losing that cadmium vibe. I mixed in some burnt umber and raw sienna to add some shadows and depth. It was a constant back-and-forth, adding color, taking it away, adding more, taking away even more.
I also played around with texture. Cadmium paints are supposed to be really buttery and smooth, so I tried to mimic that with thicker applications of acrylic. I used a palette knife to create some interesting impasto effects, especially in the fur around my dog's face. It gave it a bit more visual interest.
After a few hours (and a lot of frustration), I ended up with something that was...well, not exactly a masterpiece. But it definitely had that vibrant, slightly unsettling feel that I was going for. It looks like a fever dream version of my dog, which is kinda what I wanted.
Learnings? Acrylics are not cadmium, and I'm definitely not Matisse. But it was a cool exercise in exploring color and style. I learned a lot about mixing paints to get specific effects, and I got a better appreciation for the artists who actually knew how to use cadmium paints properly. Would I do it again? Maybe. Probably with a different subject next time. And maybe I'll try oils next time around – they might be a bit closer to that buttery cadmium feel.
- Research: Looked up famous cadmium artists and their techniques.
- Subject: Chose a photo of my dog as a reference.
- Painting: Used acrylics to mimic cadmium colors, focusing on vibrancy and saturation.
- Iteration: Layered paint, toned down intensity, added shadows and depth.
- Texture: Used a palette knife to create impasto effects.
That's pretty much it. Just a fun little experiment in art history and color theory. Hope it was interesting!
