Class Notes: Clear as Glass

 We spent several painting sessions in class last month looking at glass; one of my
favorite still life subjects. With these 2 little water glass demos,  I took a minimalist approach, with a focus on the distortion - behind the glass.
This is the route I encourage students to take:  say as little as possible in paint and allow the eye to fill in the blanks. More explanation can be beautiful - or just redundant.  Clarity is key when interpreting clear glass.
"Duh"- you say,
but beginners always try to describe too much "glass"- which, when you think about it - if it is clear, should hardly be seen at all.
I use hard highlights and hard accents (the darkest marks) to communicate the hardness of the glass.

The lower photo is a quick study in colored glass.
So, how do you make glass look clear and still show the color? Think CLARITY.
If the glass is clear/transparent or colored/transparent, you have to be able to see through it.
Well, I got a little carried away with this colored glass - probably a result of too much time, alas.

Class Notes, - Colored Glass- What?

Two takes on colored glass. Key in both is the clear factor. Unless the glass is opaque you still have to be able to see through it. What stumps the beginner is how to make the glass look clear and still show the color. The painting on the top is probably closer to reality but the lower one also "communicates" colored glass with out the color inside.
Personally, I believe that communication is one of the primary, if not THE primary function of the painter, right up there with expression, so I am willing to go with simply communicating the subject. Any more explanation can be beautiful - or just redundant. They both work because they are both clear, shiney and show some color in the glass.
Stay tuned for cut glass.