Method of creating vivid paintings using clear canvas

Details Method of creating vivid paintings using clear canvas Method of creating vivid paintings using clear canvas

1999-06-02

2001-01-02

Rimell, Sam (Department: 3712)

Education and demonstration

Visual art or craft, artistic adornment, or color training...

C434S084000, C434S088000

Utility Patent

active

06168438

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to artistic paintings and more particularly to painting techniques for reproducing a selected image in acrylics or oils on a clear or translucent canvas.
BACKGROUND
Painting is an age-old art form dating from at least as early and man's cave dwelling ancestors to the paintings of the middle ages, to modern renderings. Historically, high quality paintings acceptable for framing and display have been the domain of professionally trained fine artists who develop their skill and talent after years of study and practice. This is particularly true of certain types of paintings and techniques of painting, such as portrait painting, which generally require exceptional artistic skill and experience. Although many less experienced artists and even novices or craftspeople would like to produce high quality paintings and portraits suitable for display, many are often frustrated by the results they are able to obtain using traditional painting techniques.
Attempts have been made in the past to provide various guides and tools that can be used by novice artists to create high quality paintings. One well known method is the classic “paint-by-numbers” system wherein outlines of various portions of a scene are printed on a canvas with numbers printed in each outlined portion. Paints are provided with colors corresponding to the numbers and the painter applies the appropriate paints within the outlined portions to produce a finished painting. While millions for relaxation and entertainment over the years have used the paint-by-numbers technique, it nevertheless tends to produce paintings that lack the vivid natural qualities of paintings produced by professional artists. In fact, paintings produced with the paint-by-numbers system generally are very recognizable as such and usually are not considered to be of a quality and character suitable for framing and display. Further, when using the paint-by-numbers system, an artist is strictly limited to specific scenes that are provided by the makers of the painting kits and are thus unable to create unique paintings or portraits of family members or friends. Thus, paint-by-numbers techniques are at best a crude attempt to allow a novice to produce high quality paintings.
Most novices are more comfortable when they are able to trace a scene or portrait they wish to paint. In addition, tracing allows one to recreate familiar or favorite scenes and even portraits and thus overcomes some of the limitations of the paint-by-numbers technique. The tracing process can also provide valuable training and instruction to the novice artist. Painting techniques that take advantage of these facts have been made available in the past. U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,233, for example, discloses a method of art instruction wherein a clear sheet of plastic is adhered to a television screen. An image is projected on the screen and a student paints over or copies the image as seen through the clear plastic sheet. The sheet is then removed and the painted image is transferred to a canvas or other sheet material for mounting and display. While this technique is intriguing, it nevertheless is fraught with problems and shortcomings. For example, an expensive television screen and a VCR or other source of images is required. The inaccuracy of color reproduction by a television is also a problem as is the transfer technique itself, which can require special heat transferable paints and can produce results that lack the vivid finished quality of fine artwork.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,517,664 of Hill discloses an educational drawing device wherein pre-printed drawings are traced onto a sheet of tracing paper in stages of complexity to provide instruction and training in drawing techniques. In a similar vein, U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,250 of Van Savage discloses a painting guide kit wherein a clear sheet of material is placed on successive portions of a scene printed in reverse or mirror image form. The sheet is first placed on portions of the scene representing foreground images and these portions are painted. Next, the sheet is placed on portions representing intermediate objects and finally on portions representing background objects, and each portion is painted in turn. When painting is complete, the finished image is revealed when the sheet is viewed from its front side. The techniques of these patents, while interesting, still require specialized preprinted guides and drawings and are thus limited to specific scenes. Further, the finished painting also lacks the natural vivid quality of fine artwork.
Thus, a need exists for a painting method that will allow the novice painter to produce vivid life-like professional looking paintings, that is not limited to specific preprinted guides or scenes, that will allow the painter to reproduce familiar scenes and portraits of loved ones and friends, and that is easy to use by almost anyone wishing to indulge in the art of painting. It is to the provision of such a painting method and technique that the present invention is primarily directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, the present invention, in one preferred embodiment thereof, comprises a method of creating vivid life-like paintings using a clear or translucent canvas having front and back sides. The method comprises the steps of overlaying the canvas atop an image such as a still life, landscape, or portrait to be reproduced on the canvas with the front side of the canvas exposed and with the image visible through the canvas. Preselected outlines in the image are then traced onto the front side of the canvas to define the basic shapes of the painting. Next, preselected portions of the image, preferably individual highlights, shading, or foreground elements are painted onto the front side of the canvas with the colors of the image providing a guide to the selection of colors painted onto the canvas. The canvas is then removed from the image and turned over so that its back side is exposed. Broad field and background colors are painted onto the back side of the canvas using the previously traced outlines, which are visible through the canvas, as a guide. Preferably, field colors, that is the colors of objects in the image, are painted first followed by background colors and successive colors are painted onto previously applied colors without the need for great care in delineating borders between the two. Finally, the painted canvas is turned back over and a clear coating is applied to the front side of the canvas to enhance the appearance of the painted image and to simulate texture and brush strokes in the painting. When dry, the finished painting is viewed from the front of the canvas. The result is a surprisingly vivid and life-like painting with the background and field colors, somewhat muted by the clear or translucent canvas, visible through the canvas and with the highlights, shadows, and foreground objects clearly visible on the front of the canvas. The painting can then be framed or otherwise mounted and displayed in the usual way.
Thus, an improved method of creating vivid paintings is now provided that successfully addresses the problems and shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, with the method of this invention, a novice or craftsperson can recreate in paint any image that is desired without the need for special guides or pre-printed images. The method is therefore especially suited to creating portraits from photographs and the result is a correctly proportioned, life-like, and surprising vivid reproduction suitable for framing and display. The invention also contemplates a painting kit provided with one or more clear canvases and a selection of paints specifically chosen for particular subjects such as landscapes, portraits, and still life renderings.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of creating vivid paintings that can be practiced by amateur or novice painters with results more akin to the work of experienced professional artists.
It is another object of the invention to provide a techni

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