Pop Painting: Inspiration and Techniques from the Pop Surrealism Art Phenomenon

556 Pages·2016·158.4 MB·English

by  Camilla d’Errico

DEDICATION
I hereby dedicate this book to those who have put up with all my crazy
artistic habits. You know who you are!
It goes without saying that my life has been a culmination of ups and
downs, sorrows and joys, frustrations and elations, and throughout the
roller coaster that is my life, you have stuck by me, even when I may
not have deserved it. If I could, I would write a chapter on how to train
an artist, but then it would be the only fictional part of this book.
Because as you all know, that is impossible. Even though I’m still not
housebroken and I may throw a few tantrums, obsess way too much
over vampires and zombies, and paint outside the lines, I know that I
have the foundation of your love and strength to tether me to the real
world and keep me from scattering to the winds.
So this is for you Poe-hulk, Llama, Frosted Flakes, Bean, Mammacia,
Pappalino, and Loki. Yes, even the dog gets an acknowledgment, since
he’s the only one that will let me dress him up in silly outfits that make
me giggle.

CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Foreword by Greg “Craola” Simkins
Introduction
PART 1 CREATING POP SURREALISM
CH 1 Pop Surrealism: What Is It?
The Evolution of Pop Surrealism
Pop Surrealism—Be Inspired!
CH 2 Originality, Inspiration, and Intuition
What Inspires Me
Finding Inspiration
Using Intuition: Go with Your Gut!
Choosing Colors Intuitively
Choosing Titles Intuitively
Becoming a Better Artist
CH 3 Tools of the Trade
Paint
Drawing Tools
Brushes
Painting Surfaces
Easels
Other Helpful Tools
Selecting Your Tools
CH 4 The Artist’s Studio
Setup
Organization
Safety
Creative Space: What Is Needed
Outside Studio vs. Home Studio
CH 5 Sketching, Studying, or Just Doing It?
Sketching: Trials and Errors
Practice First
Do It!
CH 6 Composition
Juxtaposition
What to Do if You Run Out of Room
What to Do When Something Is Missing
CH 7 Pushing Boundaries
Paint with Your Gut, Not Your Head
Dealing with Blocks and Dry Spells
Don’t Let Failure Get to Your Heart: Move On!
CH 8 Evoking Emotions
Tapping into Emotions
Your Emotions While Painting
Getting in the Mood
Coloring Emotion
Subject Matter and Emotion
Expressing Your Emotional Meaning
The Power of Emotions
CH 9 Blending
Blending Basics
Blend, Set, Go!
Light and Shadows
Depth: An In-Depth Look
PART 2 PAINTING POP SURREALISM
Top Ten Questions
Tips and Tricks
CH 10Step-by-Step Examples
Humans
Eyes
Lips
Hair
Skin
Depth
Animals
Fur
Wings
Baby Animals
Rainbow Tigers
Melting Effects
Pools of Color
Melting Rainbow
Twisting Reality
Combining Cuteness
Tentacles
Cartoons and Caricatures
Butterfly Kisses
CH 11 Black and White: Paint Drawing
Surface Preparation and Underdrawing
The Paint Drawing Process
How to Paint Straight Lines
How to Paint over the Canvas Edges
CH 12 Passion to Profession
My Art Evolves
How I Learned to Love Painting
Finding My Creative Home in Pop Surrealism
On Being a Professional Artist
Approaching Galleries and Getting Started
Presenting Your Portfolio
Dealing with Rejection
Validate Yourself
Afterword
About the Author
Art Credits
Index