A touch of the airbrush can do a world of good to an acrylic painting. Or a textured background can make a watercolour work appear stunning. Techniques such as these are what make a painting professional. At ‘The One Art Gallery’ in Panampilly Nagar, artist T.R. Suresh conducts classes for self-taught and hobby artists on fine-tuning their art and marketing it.
Self-taught
A self-taught artist himself, who has been in the field for over 25 years, Suresh says he did intensive research and practice to learn the finer aspects of presentation and saleability. He also learned a handful of techniques watching senior artists working. The course will guide the artists through the intricacies of their own works and how to perfect their craft. “After a couple of classes itself, one can identify the strengths of an artist. All we do here is help them improve their skill,” he says.
He details the use of the airbrush: “Using an ordinary brush has its limitations. It can draw lines of only up to 5 cm at one stretch. With an airbrush, one can go on drawing continuous lines or curves. It is a popular technique used by professional artists worldwide.” Also, by adding textures to the background or the foreground of a watercolour painting is a tip that will help watercolourists add layers and depth to their work. “One can even create cloth textures on canvas, such as denim,” Suresh adds.
The course, however, is for people who already know the basics of art/painting. The students will be taken in small groups of about five and six. They will be divided into groups based on their level of expertise. They will be urged to think differently and apply their newly acquired skills. Within 15 to 20 days, Suresh says, they will have become professional. “Here, we are not going to tamper with their original style. They will continue to do what they are best at. Only surface level modifications of craft will be done,” he says.
The course will place special emphasis on portrait painting. The number of artists taking to portrait painting has dwindled mainly because of its time and cost consuming nature. In order to promote the art of portrait painting, Suresh will teach the basics of portraiture too.
The course will also impart training in preserving art works. “Paintings, especially oil works, need to be taken care of,” says Suresh. He plans to conduct a group show of the works of the students. For details on the class: call 0484-2310579.
