Scott - Finger painting weekend workshop: a beginners guide to creating brush-free works of art

A Beginners Guide to Creating Brush-Free Works of Art

IRIS SCOTT

Text and original art 2016 Iris A. Scott

First published in the United States of America in 2016 by

Race Point Publishing, a member of

Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

142 West 36th Street, 4th Floor

New York, New York 10018

quartoknows.com

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.

Digital edition:` 978-1-62788-769-4

Softcover edition: 978-1-631-06143-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

Author: Iris Scott

Editorial Director: Jeannine Dillon

Managing Editor: Erin Canning

Project Editor: Jason Chappell

Senior Design Manager: Heidi North

Interior Design: Leah Lococo

Production Design: Bob OBrien Design

Cover Design: Leah Lococo

To Barbara Quirie, my first grade teacher, an artist herself who taught us how to save all of our painting mistakes like pros.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to my editor, Jeannine Dillon of Quarto Publishing Group, for pitching this book and making the idea a reality. Very special thank yous to writer Jackie Bondanza for her help translating my workshops into a cohesive book, and to photographer Rick Schwab for capturing these lessons with his crystal clear Nikon. I also want to thank my mentor, Michael Smith, for his guidance, his think big mentality, and his business sense. Deep gratitude goes out to my mommy and daddy, Celia Cazzato and John Scott, for just being fabulously artistic parents. And a loving thank you to my sister, Nina, for being crazy cool.

I would also like to extend my thanks to the art teachers I had throughout my schooling in the Tahoma school district: Ms. Mjelde, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Sims, and Ms. Gardner.

Finally, I wish to thank my friends and fans on Facebook, for not only consistent and thoughtful feedback, but for your ever-encouraging comments, likes, and shares that have kept me motivated to keep practicing finger painting.

It is easy to reconnect with your inner child when finger painting. No matter your artistic background it is a fun way to create something beautiful. All you need before embarking on your first oil finger painting is a love for thick oil texture and bright colors. Ive spent years teaching beginners how to leave their stress at my door when they attend my workshops. The lessons within Finger Painting Weekend Workshop are designed to simplify and demystify the artistic process so that anybody, whether a beginner or an expert, can pick it up.

One of the best things about finger painting with oils is that anyone can do it. But there are tons of other benefits to skipping the brushes:

1. You dont have to lose time doing the boring brush-cleaning step. Finger painting is much faster than brushes!

2. You dont need to use smelly solvents or thinners to clean your brushes. Just two seconds with a paper towel does everything to clean your gloves!

3. You can FEEL your paintsliterallybecause youre not separated by a brush on the end of a long stick. Youre closer to your art!

4. Finger painting as an adult is therapeutic. Add it to your yearly entertainment budget. You only live once!

Who says painting has to be done with brushes? Id argue that if surgical gloves had been invented a hundred years earlier, fine-art finger painting would have gone mainstream years ago. I receive messages every day from new finger painters the world over that are delighted with this crazy new medium. Ive met adults that have used finger painting to cope with trauma, including the loss of loved ones. There are therapeutic qualities to touching a rainbow of colors. Finger painting is like cake frosting but sugar-free, and the colors have way more punch and lasting beauty.

Now bear in mind that there is no single way to paint with fingertips. I discovered finger painting accidentally in 2010, after a bout of laziness around cleaning my brushes lead me to experimenting with my fingers. I was so astounded by the ease with which I could fly through different colors that I took up finger painting full time. Since then Ive learned from my experiences and will share tips and tricks to help you create a painting you can be proud of.

Before we get started I want to talk about start-up costs. Please give yourself permission to buy the good oil colors. Quality paint makes a huge difference in the end results. I use Holbein Duo Aqua Oils because they can wash off surfaces with water and their colors are the brightest in the industry. If you already have your own oils, you can mix them with these; however once combined with regular oils, the Holbein oils lose the ability to wash away. Also if you choose not to buy the specific colors I suggest, do your absolute best to color-match before getting started.

Why not take a day off to finger paint this weekend? You can spruce up your home dcor with a painting or give a beautiful handmade gift to a friend. Finger painting has been claimed by kindergarteners for too long; its time for adults to reclaim the magicand funof this amazing technique. Give your brushes a rest and join the finger-painting revolution!

Artfully yours,

Iris Scott

TIPS AND TRICKS OF FINGER PAINTING SUCCESS

Many people ask me how finger painting is different from brush painting and why its so wonderful. Brushes are hard to clean because they have so large a surface area. Is it easier to wipe paint out of a shag carpet or off of linoleum? The same principle applies to finger painting. We gain so much by working with one point of contacti.e., your fingertip(s)thats fast to clean because we can switch between colors without as much muddiness. With finger painting, we also dont need to use water or solvents or soap to clean all those bristles. Moreover, unlike a paintbrush your fingertips have tiny nerve endings, so I find that I can really feel the paint!