Designing Your Drawing - Mood

Good artwork happens all the time. Great art takes thought. Make your next drawing happen on purpose.

Now we've talked about a few things, such as centering, leading the eye, balance, and flow. It's time to think about a message.

Your art should say something, even if no one else knows the true message but you. Great art speaks to people. That's why we love the Mona Lisa. Everyone has their own interpretation of her mysterious smile.

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/L/leonardo/monalisa.jpg.html

I love looking at a piece of artwork that makes me think. I'm delighted by artwork that makes me look twice.

So, today, my challenge is for you to choose a mood: Happy. Peaceful. Sad. Hopeful. Regretful. Redemption. Rage. Love. The list goes on for miles.

Once you've picked one, think about the colors that will best reflect it.

What would you pick for sad? Grays, browns, blues?

Which work best for happy? Warm colors like yellow, orange, pink, maybe even red?

What about hope? Maybe sunny yellow?

It doesn't mean that the whole picture is done in these tones, but that they flavor your artwork. They can surround and enhance your point of interest.

Take a few minutes and look at some well known masterpieces. Can you pick a mood? What colors did they use? Do you think they did it on purpose?

http://www.freewebs.com/gilcarosio/photos_Claude%20monet%20%20-%20Impressist%20Painter%20-%201840%20-%201926/Claude%20Monet%20-%20The%20White%20Water%20Lilies.jpg

http://ffog.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Van-Gogh-Back-to-Rome-after-22-years.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Vermeer_(1632-1675)_-_The_Girl_With_The_Pearl_Earring_(1665).jpg

http://www.mentalfloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/the-scream.jpg

http://www.brainygamer.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/02/15/sundayseurat5_3.jpg

Well, now it's your turn. Give it a try!