Rosco Spectrum: I worked with Wendy Waszut-Barrett, President of Historic Stage Services, LLC, to teach a two-day scene painting class at CITT/ICTS RENDEZ-VOUS 2018. We merged historical scene painting techniques with modern materials. The class was not about replicating any particular composition, but exploring various painting techniques, as each student created unique composition. For the project, we focused on artistic process, coloration, contrast and brush stroke.
4 comments:
Wow. I really enjoyed this article. The photo from 1910 at the beginning spoke so many volumes. First thing I noticed was that there were no women in the photo. All men and in dress clothes at that. I am not sure I would be comfortable wearing a shirt/tie, dress pants, and dress shoes in the paint shop. How did they stay so clean? Also, it would be interesting to see when women were able to break into scenic painting. It was nice to see the article list out the steps and processes for (re) creating these works. The only downside I would have to say about the article is that it felt truncated when laying out the processes that each of the students underwent. I would have also like to have seen tips and tricks of the trade, such as type of brushes that work better than others and so forth for this kind of work. I also would like to have heard more from the person who led the workshop on any tips or techniques that could be enjoy that she has developed over the years. Some good techniques. Could be better. Definitely worth the read for a starter.
In order to advance in any new skill, it is important to remember the foundations. This article explains the basic techniques of scenic painting, as well as the history behind it. In the past, efficiency was essential, so large warehouses were filled with the hopes of pumping out backdrop after backdrop. I appreciate how this piece shows a more artistic standpoint, with time and thought being placed into each drop. If theatre becomes to commercial, one runs the risk of escaping the essence of the art. It is important to remain true to who you are as a designer, as the author of this article did. She also spread her knowledge by hosting workshops to train all levels the basics of scenic painting. The skillset was varied, but everyone had a positive attitude and just wanted to learn. Having the mindset of growth is one I try to implement every day, because I know I cannot always succeed. At least if I focus on learning, I can always take something away.
Going back to the basics is super important in order to develop new skills. I love that this is exactly what we do in the School of Drama, especially considering that I have zero painting experience aside from rolling base colors. It forces experienced people to break bad habits and prevents everyone else from feeling behind. I liked that the students were shown how to do something, but were still able to add their own style and try something similar although it is not exactly something I would be comfortable doing. The phrase "you simply can't screw this up" seems like a challenge to me more than anything, but it is encouraging to read that there were people of all different career paths and skill levels completing the artwork. I love how unique each piece is and am slightly excited to start painting in both Basic Design and my paints mini stagecraft course.
Ok, this is something I am always in love with and have been for the longest time. As someone who has done a lot of scenic painting in my time, I have found the various techniques used in order to create the looks on stage and in the film and entertainment industries that dismay and defy expectations. One of my friends Karen Maness is an incredible scenic artist who teaches in Texas and has written a book "The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop" which digs deeply into the history of what and how the backdrops of film were made and kept to this day. It is decently worth a read if you found this article intriguing in any way. However, looking at this article, I was left feeling a little disconnected from the process that they were going through. It might have been merely the writing style or how short the article was and trying to deal with such a dense subject matter.
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