How to Paint with Smoke

Posted on 30. Mar, 2010 by amauto in Uncategorized

Most of us have dabbled in painting a few times in our lives. An important step in any artistic creation is deciding which medium you will use to work with. From a historic perspective, painting involves a canvas or any other flat surface upon which the image will be created; it also involves the right medium that shell be used to paint the image. Some of the more popular media include watercolors, acrylics, and charcoal, among others.

For the more daring, there is a totally different technique that involves smoke. Also known as fumage or painting with smoke, this technique is popular. Wolfgang Paalen developed and first used fumage techniques. Smoke painting can produce images that range from surreal and disturbing to mesmerizing and extraordinary. The following tips will be very beneficial to those who are interested in smoke painting.

Visualize your design in your mind's eye. Visualization is the first step to starting all creative projects. Generally speaking, not all persons possess the ability to picture what they want to bring to life in their minds. Thus, it is a good notion to imagine the overall image that you want to achieve by manually sketching the design or by using a form of computer software that will let you produce a rough drawing. It may be best practice, given the nature of the medium to keep your designs simple and/or abstract (e.g., simple shapes, the human form).

Gather together your chosen materials. Candles or a kerosene lamp are examples of items that make smoke that can be ideally used for this type of project. Since this project is for beginners, candles of varying thickness and wick lengths are ideal. This is because longer wicks produce smoother patterns, while shorter ones produce solid and dark shades and forms. In this way will help you to end up with diverse pictures with different shading or intensities. Aside from the candles, you will also require a canvas and protective goggles and gloves for your eyes and hands.

Paint with smoke. Never begin the process of painting in an area where there is a risk of items catching on fire. You should prop up your canvas in a way that will allow you to easily move the it about as you create. You might need to paint from the side or beneath the canvas. The next step is to begin designing by using one of your candles to apply the coloring. To produce various hues, be mindful that the speed and angle that you move the candle flame across the surface is fundamental. If you are cautious, try doing some practice strokes on a different canvas prior to applying anything to your ongoing project. Keep in mind that you are allowed to be as imaginative as possible and thus, you might want to try out different methods to produce images using smoke.

Applying touches for a finished look. One step that must not be forgotten is the application of a fixative when the work is finished. The reason that this is done is to help preserve the image that you have designed.

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Tags: design, fumage, painting, smoke painting