Something I would really love to do (once financially steady) is to explore the array of art mediums out there; from photography (of course) to watercolor to pastels to sculpting. One day, I would like to have a room in my home filled with canvases leaning against the walls, photographs hanging from yarn string and clothe-pins, handmade pottery and abstract sculptures sporadically placed on the floor, and sketch books towering over you. I want to let my inner artist completely take over me; leaving the reasoning, analytical, cautious and prudent self behind.
If you feel the same, take a look at the diverse art forms below and maybe pick one, three, or all of them to experiment with. Maybe create your own room cluttered with art.
Fumage
This technique is something I plan on doing sooner rather than later. Fumage is a surrealist technique in which impressions are made by smoke from a lighter, candle, or match on canvas or any selected medium. This art form was created by Wolfgang Paalen; later it was utilized by Salvador Dali (one of my favorite surrealists); he called it “sfumato.” Not only can this technique be used alone, but it can also be used a base for an oil or pastel painting.
Below are some examples, although I couldn't find a whole lot out there (just two). So if you succeed at this technique be sure to put it up online. I know I will.
Encaustic Painting
This technique is also known as hot wax painting. Using heated beeswax with colored pigments added to it, apply the liquid to your surface of choice; either prepared wood, canvas, glass, etc. This art form is widely known, so you can actually buy ready-made wax with pigments already added to it.
An encaustic painting seems a little out of my league. It sounds like you have to work fast and be five steps ahead of yourself- not me at all. Below are some examples that do have that advantage.
Oil Pastels
I remember back in elementary art class, we got to experiment with oil pastels. I made a man playing a golden saxophone with the bright purple, black, blue and yellow cityscape illuminating from behind him. I even had the keys on the saxophone.
Oil pastels are soft waxy crayons, basically. Some “sticks” have paper around them, to keep from making a mess, but the ones that I like are paperless. There are others that have more of a chalky feel, leaving the image with a much lighter appearance, where as the waxy pastels has more of a heavy, brighter and complete look. You can blend, scratch, and layer with pastels.
Oil pastels are really fun to use. It's great for the professional artist and for a little kid to play with- just not on carpet... Below are some great examples.
Ink Wash Painting
This technique is an East Asian type of brush painting. Artists favored to this form usually grind their own ink with an ink stick and a grinding stone, but, like the encaustic painting, ready-made ink is easily available. Because it's ink based, it's best used with drawings with more detail than in an oil pastel drawing.
I would like to try this in its purist form- meaning making my own ink and using vintage fabrics. I think it would make some pretty incredible works of art.
Screen-printing
Screen Printing, I've noticed, come hand in hand along with alternative photography. I haven't tried it yet, but I have ideas of mixing alternative photography and screen-printing together. This is a printmaking technique that creates an image from using a stencil and thick paint or ink. Not only is this just for the fine artist, but there are also many uses for commercial purposes such as t-shirts, hats, CDs, DVDs, etc. You can even use this technique from applying the ink to your medium from using an ink jet printer.
It's very similar to pop art photography; I love pop art, so there's no question why I'm so attracted to screen-printing. Check out some examples below.
Assemblage
I've never heard of this art form before; seen it, but not heard it. Think of a 3D collage. This form can be popularly traced back as early as 1950 to Jean Debuffet, however Picasso had been working with this form for many years before that. It's a collage of found objects fused together artistically.
I think I would enjoy taking a try at this. Although, I bet collecting all the objects could get a little pricy. I'm drawn to how creative you can get with this; I mean with any type of art you get creative, but I'm not a great illustrator, so this could be right up my alley.
After researching some artists, I really like the work of James Chase. It's really dark and bizarre. Take a look at these other not-so-dark examples of assemblage.
Watercolor
Like with oil pastels, watercolor is something I experimented with as a kid as well. Good ol' Crayola, right? I never did get a good grasp on watercolor painting. My painting always came out as just a bit of colors on a soaked and deteriorating piece of paper.
It's one of the oldest and traveled forms of art, dating back to Paleolithic Europe mostly for use of manuscripts and large scale sketches and covering countries from Japan, China, India and Ethiopia.
Take a look at some examples below. –Geeze, my watercolors would never look like that no matter how practiced I was...
Scratchboard
I really admire the artists who can do this type of art. This is a technique where images are etched with sharp tools, often sculpting tools, into a layer of China clay that's coated with ink. Before it was considered an art form, the scratchboard was a very innovative medium for reproduction purposes. This type of work is extremely detailed and precise- so, I'm thinking this is not for me. I would certainly try though if I got the chance.
Here's an accelerated video showing an artist demonstrating his skills in the art: