• Artist Jackie Little Miller
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Vivid Imaginations Studio

~ “My desire as an artist and as a fellow sojourner on this earth is to truly touch the lives of those around me with my life and my art.” ​Jackie Little Miller

Vivid Imaginations Studio

Tag Archives: nature

It’ Not White

18 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by Jackie Little Miller in Painting In Progress

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Tags

art, art class, art lesson, artist, artistic view, blues, chroma, color, computer, drawing, DYI, grays, lights, nature, painting, values, white

I am an art instructor at our local Ye Old Art Shoppe , and have been trying to explain to my students that in actuality white is hardly ever pure white. Even thought our eyes perceive it that way. So to demonstrate this I took the below photo and took it into photoshop and pulled touches of color out of it’s surroundings, just so the student could see the true color they were seeing.

tigers-color-breakdown

Not only is white not always white, it is not necessarily as light as our mind thinks it is either. You will see here how dark some of these “whites” actually are and how they are not really white at all. We have mauves, blues, and beige, warm gray, cool gray and sand colors; but Wait! Where are the whites?

Making a chart like this is so helpful even to an experienced artist as our minds lie to us constantly. It is nice to be able to hold your color pencil right up to the local color and be able to make the correct decision even if it feels like it is totally wrong.

It will be difficult to trust it and actually put that color down, but until you do your paintings, drawings are not going to read as real.

My students give me a hard time because I am always talking about getting the values (Light and darks) right. Values are the most important thing in being an artist, at least as far as I am concerned. This photo shows us that even a dark gray can appear to be white when it is place where it is surrounded with darker values. In fact if you practice at getting the values right, soon enough when your dark values are right, you will start to notice right away that placing the white beside it is way to bright and to great of a contrast!

Another note to shades of white is that white that is facing a light source will be warmer. Yellows, pinks, or beiges may be used. Those whites that are in shadow or even facing the sky will be more Blues, purples or greens. Depending on that colors surround them will decide the value of the “white” Not white areas. You should practice this by painting something that is white. Paint a white flower, or a white cat! Something that will force you to see the other colors that are in the whites.

This is also truth for Black. Black is hardly ever black. In fact, using straight black will also make your painting look flat and boring. Mix some blues or purples, maybe some reds or browns in with your blacks. Just as white has warm and Cool tones, so should your blacks.

Remember that your mind lies to you. We have an amazing brain designed by an amazing God. This brain fills in the gaps of us so that the brain doesn’t have to work so hard. This is why we see “White” or “Black” when there is no white or black present. Our mind makes it consistent and simple for us to understand so our mind can rest and not burn out by being too stressed.

Once you train yourself to see the other colors in whites, and the blues and purples in the shadows… It will blow your mind! I love it! I don’t look at anything the same anymore. If I am sitting looking at a beautiful landscape, I am marveling at the colors. If I am sitting and talking to you, I am wondering what colors I would mix to get that beautiful reflected light that bounces off the underside of your jawbone or the underside of your brow.

Color and value, shadows and light, they are so very beautiful and so necessary to show case one another. If your artwork is looking a little flat, you probably need to punch your not black darks darker and your not white lights a little lighter.

 

Hope this was helpful! Have Fun Creating!

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Check out my online Portfolio @ Jackielittlemiller.com

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Poetry ~ Entwined

08 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Jackie Little Miller in POETRY

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Tags

Autumn, autumn leaves, Birds, christianity, church, family, holy fire, holy spirit, leaves, life, love, marriage, meadow, nature, plants, poetry, relationship, spirituality, storm, tree colors, wind

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Entwined By Jackie Miller

Deep in meadow alongside country church,

Grew proximity close a maple and birch.

Placed by design with the Master’s own hand,

Winds strengthen and prune as part of His plan.

Storms threaten the two, harsh wind against wood,

But by embracing each other the little trees stood.

Leaning on each other through heartache and pain,

They struggled together through long drought and hard rain.

Branches would marry as wood weaves and entwines,

aided only by God and the passing of time.

Little leaves dance around and laugh as they play,

while lovers kiss ‘neath the arms of their shade.

Each tree knowing its purpose, it’s individuality,

but to the young lovers, stands one magnificent tree.

For they do not make distinction between the two,

but delight in the spectacle, enjoying the view.

Love carved initials engraved in trees heart,

a vow to each lover never to part.

As summer greens change into autumn’s bright colored dress,

As if a kaleidoscope of angles have come here to rest.

Rays from behind cumulonimbus, light beams,

Illuminating leaf in Holy fire it seems.

How wonderful the Master to garnish and display,

Two such ordinary trees in such an exquisite way!

 

 

Find my work on these fine sites…Happy Shopping!

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I Love My Life! ~ Back Yard Birds

23 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Jackie Little Miller in FOOD FOR THOUGHT!, I LOVE MY LIFE!

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Tags

beloved birds, Birds, finch, gold finch, Humor, laughter, leaves, life, love, moring doves, morning doves, nature, plants, robins, singing, tree colors

So, A couple of years ago we cut down the cherry tree that was in our back yard. But when the tree went away so did my beloved birds. I quickly planted more trees to create shelter for them, but trees are slow in growing. I hung bird food out for them, but to no avail. Not even my usual sparrows would have anything to do with my yard. It was very sad for me as I love music and the bird’s songs are the most beautiful music on the planet. So Peaceful!

So this year I Put a beautiful birdcage on our back deck and hung the seed inside of it, To protect any little birds from any big birds that might bully them.

I sat at my back window for days, hoping and praying that birds would return. But it just kept raining and raining. Then after several weeks of nothing, one day one single bird came and partook of my grain offering. I told my sister “ I hope he goes and tells all his friends about the beautiful bird cage restaurant.” The next day there were two birds, the next 5. After about a month of the birds being back, I wake this morning to a beautiful serenade from many birds so loud that it sounds like a nature sound track playing.

I open my curtains to see Gold Finches, Sparrows, some unknown black bird with yellow feet and beak and to top it off a pair of Morning Doves. Thank you Jesus for bringing me the desire of my heart!

 

Psalm 84:3Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God.~~~ I love my life!

 

 

 

 

Find my work on these fine sites…Happy Shopping!

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