Angelika Biber is known for her atmospheric, often abstract acrylic paintings. Here she explains how she harmonizes colors and design in her pictures in orderto
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Today’s post will be a little different from what I usually write. Why?
Because I just want to tell you today. Without frills. Just the way it is. And it would be nice if this post could be useful to you …
“I like your style very much!” Is probably one of the most common compliments I get for my interior pictures. Whenever I read this, I am of course very happy about it, but at the same time I also ask myself the question:
WHAT IS ACTUALLY MY STYLE OR HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR OWN STYLE?
Well, there is actually a connection with the blog’s name – Boho and Nordic . The blog embodies what I like very much. It doesn’t really matter whether it’s Scandinavian, Boho or Vintage. I like a lot of different things that often have nothing to do with each other. That’s why I just combine all the things with each other, even if they don’t go together at first glance.
Of course, I don’t mix everything up, but slowly feel my way and let it affect me first. Sometimes it just takes a little time and often it fits right away. There are (unfortunately) no insider tips or anything. I just try it out.
I used to leaf through living room magazines for inspiration. Today, for me, Instagram is the biggest source of inspiration for living. There are so many people who live so beautifully and individually. That is why I am often and gladly inspired by them.
What I don’t do is copy everything 1: 1.
Your own handwriting / personality
Honestly? This is for me the most important thing in setting up and decorating a room. Since I’m a DIY junkie, we naturally have a lot of home-made decorations and furniture. These things alone make a big difference because they are unique. Even if someone else makes the exact same thing, it will (probably) never look exactly like yours.
There are many good reasons why you should do some things yourself. But I am well aware that not everyone likes to do handicrafts or build or have the time to do so and therefore prefer to buy. And that’s not bad at all. Everyone should do what they think is best.
Even if the things have been bought, you can incorporate a lot of personality into decorating. Be creative and think outside the box (I like this saying).
MIX OF STYLES? NO PROBLEM!
Some say that a mix of styles doesn’t work.
And I say: why not? If I like it.
If you take a closer look, you will see a lot of furnishing styles with me. The Scandinavian style is most prominent but other styles such as boho, vintage etc. are at home here as well. I buy what I like. No matter if it is Scandinavian or not and then try to find a nice place for it. Sometimes it doesn’t always work out the same way. Because unfortunately it is not always that easy to combine different styles. But at some point you develop a feeling for that too.
So decorate, move, try new things and listen to your heart. I think you will find your own style at some point.
Oh yes, don’t forget: Have a lot of fun!
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Angelika Biber is known for her atmospheric, often abstract acrylic paintings. Here she explains how she harmonizes colors and design in her pictures in orderto createan atmospheric whole .
Light, colors and your own mood
The atmosphere of a picture depends very much on the light in the picture and the light depends on the colors used. But your current mood usually also plays a major role. We often choose colors that are comfortable for us. We use it to convey our own mood , perhaps even unconsciously .
Sometimes we also use certain colors when painting because we have special associations or memories or because they are simply good for us at the moment. Blue areas tend to leave us alone because they cautiously go into the distance. With orange-red pictures, the room feels a few degrees warmer.
The warm red and yellow tones of autumn come into direct contact with the viewer. The mood is positive. Color combinations and contrasts
With special, own color combinations we can very easily express our personal style , because the color is the first thing that affects us when we look at a picture.
But the way in which colors are combined and placed next to each other also influences the mood in the picture. Are the colored areas rather sharply delimited from one another or distorted softly and foggy? Are the colors very opaque or more transparent? And how strong are the contrasts? Little, like in a fog? Or strong, like in glaring sunlight with strong shadows?Angelika Biber is currently experimenting with new lighting situations in her pictures in order to depict interesting moods. Usually she works with a lot of color. Nevertheless, she dares an experiment every now and then and paints with her actually strange colors. But more on that later.
The blue and green tones typical of a seascape result in a rather cool color tone. In this picture with a bitumen fill, naturalistic color tones that are classic for a sea picture and have a rather cool color tone were used. The picture looks fresh and just as you would imagine in clear weather by the sea. The contrasts between light and dark create tension , but otherwise the design is unspectacular.
Focus in the picture
The mood is a little different in this example. Here, too, the colors are not expressively alienated. By using cloudy and pure colors, the atmosphere is a little more differentiated . The sky is made of cloudy blue-gray and looks foggy and diffuse. The foreground is more intensely colored and therefore stands out more. The special focus, however, is on the horizon, which is given special attention through the use of fluorescent yellow, orange and pink tones . The yellow accents also look like they are being lit by the sun. It could look like this on a hot, hazy, humid day when the sun’s rays push their way through the cloud cover in a few places.
The fluorescent yellow, orange and pink tones between the tinted sky and the green foreground focus the gaze on the horizon. In order to create an evening mood and at the same time to focus on the sky , in this picture I have resorted to warmer and yet bright colors, which I have distorted in many layers of cloudy on the sky. Due to the pink-yellow component, the clouds shine very intensely and this special mood is reflected in the colors of the horizon.
The warm colors of the clouds create a spectacular evening atmosphere. The viewer’s gaze is on the sky. Experiment!
Here Angelika Biber dares to experiment with partially achromatic colors . She says: “Did you think this picture was not from me? I definitely felt the same way when I painted it. 😉The colors are not exactly typical for me, but I still wanted to demonstrate to you what the effect of such a color scheme is. It took a bit of effort, I’ll admit it. “
The achromatic colors are not at all typical for Angelika Biber. Nevertheless, it has added a strong contrast to the turquoise tone on the horizon. Despite the deviation from her color scheme, she couldn’t help but build in a strong contrast between the light, fresh light blue and the cloudy gray-beige tones. This contrast should at least breath some tension and life into the picture . The picture would have looked even more diffuse and foggy without the Payne’s gray accents on the horizon. This is how you can imagine a cloudy wintry day at the sea.
Angelika Biber’s favorite is this picture with a spectacular mood . “In terms of the color scheme, it suits me completely and I love this mood and radiance that seems to glow from within.” The warm colors are sometimes purer, sometimes broken and are enhanced with cool yellow. She achieved the luminosity through thinly glazed layers with neon pink and neon orange. The dark area with umber-colored ink on the horizon forms a further contrast and thus focus. This is how she imagines a sun-drenched landscape in the south.
The warm yellow and orange tones are sometimes pure, sometimes broken. They are made even more vivid by the cool yellow and the dark accents on the horizon. Deliberately paint different moods
How about working consciously with different moods in the picture? For that there are different possibilities:
- Enhance the light and dark areas in the picture : The contrast is more pronounced and it looks like light reflections next to shadow areas.
- Make the light areas warmer, the dark areas cooler: If the light areas are partly set with different yellow or warm colors and the shade tones are not black or gray, but rather purple or cooler colors, this increases the mood. In addition, this creates a strengthening of the complementary contrast (yellow – violet).
- alienating the colors: It can be very interesting to break away from the naturalistic depiction and to experiment with the color tones, regardless of whether you are working objectively or abstractly. This often makes the images more vivid and expressive.
Have fun with all experiments. Let the color flow!
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Pastels fascinate with their velvety application and their enormous depth of color . Just looking at a box of pastels, neatly arranged according to color, is an aesthetic experience for me.
“There are few things that bring more joy than sitting in nature with a box of pastels and painting on a beautiful day. However, pastel is not an easy technique. It requires particularly careful drawing and composing … ”
Simon Fletcher
Immediate painting experience
The powdery pastels offer an immediate result: You don’t have to wait for the colors to dry and the color tones do not change through drying processes, as is sometimes the case with liquid colors. Primers and underpaintings are usually not required. The colors do not have to be mixed or diluted, but can be used directly. You don’t have to clean a brush, just wipe your fingers on a rag every now and then.
Various pastels – conventional pastels, thicker and thinner oil chalk pens, water-soluble colored chalk Pastels are also wonderfully suitable for painting outdoors or on the go, because they are light, easy to transport and you don’t actually need any additional material. Of course, we recommend a folder in which you can keep the pictures. If you have several pictures, you should definitely place unpainted sheets between the pictures so that they do not rub off on each other.
Hard and soft pastels
With pastels, a distinction is made between soft and hard pastels. In addition to the actual color pigments, they consist of binders, e.g. B. gum arabic, and chalk or clay as a filler. These ingredients are mixed with water to form a dough – hence the derivation of the term pastel from Italian pasta for dough.
Soft pastels , and soft pastels called, contain fewer fillers than hard pastels. This means that they have a higher proportion of pigment than hard chalks. Very soft pastels often do not even contain any fillers and are therefore extremely color-intensive.
Hard pastels like the soft ones, consist of pigments, binders and chalk, only the consistency is denser. You can draw better with them than with soft chalks because they allow fine lines and smaller details. Due to the higher proportion of binder, they are also more break-resistant than the soft chalks and can be used, for. B. be sharpened with a knife.
Pigments Oil pastels
There are also oil pastels. Here act e.g. B. mineral waxes, beeswax and / or poppy seed oil as binders. This creates a different consistency than hard or soft pastels. Oil pastels are more reminiscent of the wax crayons that you know from childhood. The consistency is firm, but can make a creamy application.
Due to the type of binding agent, oil pastels, in contrast to hard and soft pastels, also adhere to smooth paper. But they are difficult to mix.
Because of these properties, we will not go into more detail here on oil pastels.
Oil pastels Draw with pastels
The color application of the pastels can be varied wonderfully, more delicate or thicker, depending on the desired color effect. The colors can also be applied “glazed”, especially with soft pastels: If you carefully place different colors on top of one another, a unique depth effect is created.
Drawing can be both soft and hard pastels.
Hard pastels enable a precise applicationwhich makes them more suitable for lines and hatching than soft ones. If you place fine lines close to each other in hatching or superimpose them to form cross-hatching, textured areas of color are created. Different, superimposed shades of color visually merge into a new shade. Soft color transitions can be achieved with gentle pressure, while sharp lines can be drawn with the edges of the angular chalks.
The traces of the soft pastels are rather thicker and more gently contoured . They are ideal for spontaneous, moving lines that can merge into the flat and picturesque by blending with your fingers or a paper wiper.
Various pastels, mostly oil pastels, in a box Paint with pastels
As already indicated, soft pastels are more suitable for painting than hard ones. Due to its pasty consistency, the paint dust can be rubbed onto the paper, creating colored areas. With soft pastels, you can achieve a rich color application with gentle pressure .
You can mix colors directly on the paper or let them “flow” into each other by laying layers of color on top of each other and rubbing them with your finger.
Hatching and strong lines can also be created with soft pastels, which liven up the composition of a rather two-dimensional pastel image.
Generally speaking, pastel that has not been painted or smeared will result in an uneven, broken application. The color of the paper or an underpainting shines through. This pastel-typical effect can be incorporated into the composition of the picture in a very attractive way. The grain of the paper is very important for this effect: the rougher, the more granulated the application, because the chalk sticks to the raised areas of the paper but does not reach the depressions.
Square soft pastels paper
There are special, acid-free, high-quality artist papers for pastel painting . They have a rough surface on which the pigments can adhere well and thus form a soft, velvety surface.
These papers are available in different tones , so that the background can be included as a design element in the composition of the picture.Workplace
Drawing and painting with pastels creates a lot of color dust , fine color particles that can deposit and rub off on the surroundings. Therefore you should cover the workplace with a soft, fluffy material, e.g. B cover a terry towel or an old fleece blanket . A smooth board is then placed on top as a base for the pastel paper.
An old terry towel that you place over your lap is suitable for wiping your hands between the applications of paint.
Basic equipment
Because pastels cannot be mixed with one another to create new shades like liquid colors, the trade offers pastels in a very diverse range of colors .
To get started, you should use a quite extensive sentence. The pastel sets offered mostly contain the basic colors and their tinting with white up to very light tones.
Pastels were in the box in which they were purchased, stored will prevent them from cracking. There are also special empty boxes with foam rubber compartments.
Blur can see the pastel colors very well with the fingers. Soft towels are also helpful here. And for finer details or structures, commercially available paper wipers made from rolled up absorbent paper with a conical tip are suitable .
The finished and very sensitive pastel pictures should be sprayed with a fixative so that the color particles adhere better to the surface and cannot be smudged so easily. There are z. B. Spray fixatives in stores. -
Art without colors is inconceivable. Our brain translates even the shading in monochrome drawings into colors. Colors express moods , convey harmony or show extreme contrasts . Depending on personal preferences or cultural influences, their interplay has a calming, warning, interesting, aggressive or boring effect.
Color theory with a difference
Peter Boerboom and Tim Proetel dedicate themselves to this complex topic in their book “Color – Perceiving and experimenting material and effects” , published by Haupt-Verlag . They explain the basic concepts of color theory, outline the most important aspects of the effect of color and go into their artistic application possibilities.
Color knowledge in the picture
Fortunately, anyone who expects a scientific-theoretical treatise on primary, secondary, complementary colors, etc. is wrong. Instead of approaching the topic with explanatory texts and many small sample illustrations in a didactic way, the two authors have placed the focus on the picture . In full-page pictures, paint spreads with a wide variety of color materials are shown, technical examples, color gradients, contrasts and much more. Very brief texts explain what it is about and how it was created.
Suggestions, ideas, experiments
The book is divided into the most important areas of color theory – including “Color signals”, “Cold and warm”, “Space through color” – but here too the introductory text is limited to half a page. The focus is clearly on the suggestion, the idea . A wide variety of color materials are used in the paint spreads and sample images – even if they are usually not specified in detail: watercolor and acrylic paints, Indian ink, water-soluble colored pencils, pastels, gouache.
Playing with color
With all the meaningful and clear demonstration, it succeeds in making Peter Boerboom and Tim Proetel’s use of color appear very playful . In many cases it almost seems as if they have tried completely impartially what e.g. B. happens when orange meets blue. Or what different effects it has if you just scatter color pigments or rub them in with your finger. Points versus area.
The result is an unusual non-fiction book – a surprising fund of color knowledge and ideas for artistic application.
The book itself is already putting color theory into practice. The reader, or rather the observer, gets itchy fingers because you really want to use paint, brush or pencil and try everything out yourself.
Color picture book
I don’t even know how often I’ve flipped through this handy book. And again and again I was amazed at the surprising color effects and their striking effect caused by the full-page images. “Color: Material and Effect” is a non-fiction book on the subject of color that is condensed to the essentials . For me it is even more: a wealth of ideas and a fascinating color picture book !
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The artist Angelika Biber has been bringing her creativity to canvas in abstract acrylic paintings for many years. Her pictures convey both lightness and dynamism. In doing so, the graphic artist and designer manages the difficult balancing act between spontaneous, intuitive action and a planned approach , the composition.
In her seminars, Angelika Biber supports the participants in finding their own images and conveys the basics of composition without understanding them as rigid rules. Now, after numerous successful books that first appeared in the English and later in the Christophorus Verlag, she has now made the decision to make her thoughts on composition accessible to even more people. The result is an ebookthat can easily rival any printed book!
Practice-oriented
Composition, as she writes in the foreword, mostly sounds “more like theoretical knowledge and rigid rules than playful, pleasurable, free painting.”
That both are not mutually exclusive and how composition can rather serve as a supporting framework for the implementation of the individual picture statement , she explains with many examples.
With numerous step-by-step developments of a work as well as serial work sequences, this book is a practical aid for more exciting pictures !
Tension in the picture
In clearly structured chapters, Angelika Biber explains the essential aspects that bring tension and dynamism into a picture, e.g. B.
- the choice of format
- the effect of colors and the different contrasts
- the relationship between point, line and area
- Proportions and arrangements
Composition and experimental painting
In order to create the basis for the application of her compositional considerations, Angelika Biber first briefly shows the basic techniques of acrylic painting. After that, however, she places much greater emphasis on a relaxed, individual style of painting and on free experimentation.
Trying out, discarding, painting over are part of the creative process, during which the picture is gradually created and can also be changed again.“With a few simple steps, the focus can be shifted, new lines of sight are created or the contrasts increased so that the tension increases. The picture will be more expressive and central points of view will emerge. “
Playful and spontaneous
In doing so – and this is very important to Angelika Biber – you don’t need to have a certain result in mind in advance. Rather, creativity flows better when you play with colors and shapes . The picture can then be gradually sorted until it is consistent.
In the course of time, once you have internalized the essential basics of the composition, you use them intuitively. Because spontaneous painting, with freer expression and ease, is the goal.This book is a win for everyone – experienced artists as well as beginners – who want to understand how and why a picture works and how you can apply this knowledge in your own pictures. And who do not want to work through an extensive theoretical work for this, but want to explore the essential aspects in a manageable and clearly structured way!
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We encounter birds everywhere, regardless of whether we live in the city or in the country. Blackbirds hop around on the lawn, pigeons coo in the trees and titmice watch us weed from the branches of our garden bushes with interest.
The whole range of bird display
Art expresses this omnipresence of feathered beings across the ages in countless paintings and drawings. In their illustrated book “Birds in Art” , the authors Angus Hyland and Kendra Wilson show the whole range of bird representations in art from the early 16th century to the present day.
Symbolic meaning
The 180 illustrations are supplemented by background knowledge about the artists, the creation of the works and the different bird species.
“Birds have always had great symbolic importance. Since they can fly, they are considered to be wanderers between the worlds, such as the dove, which hovers with an olive branch from the land above the declining flood, or the raven, which is regarded as a messenger of death. “
This is what Angus Hyland and Kendra Wilson write in their foreword. In their book they also do justice to the symbolism that the bird as such and one species or another in particular has for us humans.
Noticeable affection
In short but informative texts, the reader gets an insight into artists, art styles and the role that the bird takes on here. From one or the other sentence of the lovingly formulated texts , the affection that both authors obviously show for the winged main characters of the pictures becomes clear.
They are not limited to the western world, but also show fascinating depictions of birds, e.g. B. from Asia.
Nice typography
In the book, full-page illustrations and pictures alternate with explanatory texts with “Spruch” page n . The bird pictures are then accompanied by aphorism-like sentences that are typographically very beautiful and sophisticated.
from “Birds in Art”, Matt Adrian, “In the moving moment of finiteness, the vibration of the atoms sounds like song”, 2009, p. 88 Fixed place on the coffee table
This illustrated book initially surprised me with its somewhat small format, but quickly convinced me with the selection of paintings, drawings and graphics . The text and the extremely aesthetic design of the book did the rest. For me, “birds in art” will have a permanent place on the coffee table.
By the way, my favorite picture – with the accompanying text – is “Woman with a Crow” by Pablo Picasso. But see for yourself! -
It was actually planned that this post would go online a little earlier. But as you probably know, things don’t always go according to plan. This time there is even a good reason why I didn’t get around to finishing this post here sooner. And of course I’ll soon tell you why everything has been upside down for us in the past few days. So stay tuned.
Today I brought you a few pictures of our living room decorated in autumn. I am always amazed at how little it takes to achieve a change in the home
LIVING ROOM IN AUTUMN
I actually just bought a couple of new pillowcases in autumn colors. I then combined them with the existing pillows and I am really super satisfied with the result. Although I’m not really a fan of orange, I really like the dark orange pillowcase. With such dominant colors it probably also depends on how and with what you combine them. I have to admit that at first I wasn’t so sure whether I would like it either. Because in general I’m not that colorful type. But now in autumn I really like the pillow arrangement in these colors!
On the coffee table and side table you can see the autumn chrysanthemums and dahlias that I always get from the flower field. They look great and last a long time if you change the water regularly. So I really like her very much.
In my opinion, of course, it won’t work without pumpkins. This year I was even able to get hold of a few mini pumpkins in white, not a Baby Boo but still super cute!
I’ve already shown you the corner next to the sofa here . In autumn, the fairy lights are often turned on and I think it looks a lot cozier. It’s autumnal in our living room. In the rest of the rooms I just distributed pumpkins here and there, but not really anymore. I have enough.
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In this post I want to answer the most common questions you have asked. Some of you often want to know more about our dining table. I get messages every day and most of the time it’s the same questions. Unfortunately, I don’t always have the time to answer all the questions and I’m a little sorry for that. Hence this post. At some point I had the idea to write an FAQ post in which the answers can be found. I really hope it is helpful to everyone.
Q: WHERE CAN I BUY THE DINING TABLE?
A : That is unbelievably the most frequently asked question EVER. Our dining table cannot be bought like this because we built it ourselves. How exactly and more details about the dining table can be found in this post .
Q: WHAT WOOD IS IT?
A: Well, these are old building boards and we got them as a gift from my father-in-law. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what kind of wood that is. As I said, the boards are old.
Q: WHERE CAN I BUY THE PLANKS?
A: As far as I know, there are old building boards on classifieds as well. Of course, the wood won’t look exactly like ours. But that’s also what makes a DIY project so exciting. A very special piece of furniture is always created. Probably nobody will have one anymore.
Q: HOW DID YOU TREAT THE WOOD?
A: Not at all. To be honest, I don’t really plan to work on the wood either. At least not in the near future. I like the wood as it is and at the moment I wouldn’t have the time to start such an important project anyway.
Q: HOW DO YOU CLEAN THE TABLETOP?
A: Well, probably as well as everyone else. Wipe with a damp cloth … And if the crumbs get lost (which also happens), then they are vacuumed again. That was it. Oh yes, we use tablecloths and placemats, that helps a lot. Thanks to the extra protection, there aren’t that many stains, even with children.
Q: WHAT KIND OF TABLE FRAME IS IT?
A: We built the table frame from the old dining table ourselves years ago. This table frame is actually only an interim solution, because at some point we want one made of metal to move in.
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I actually moved the living room. It happened very spontaneously, almost out of inspiration. The changeover took place a few weeks ago and I have to say that I am still very satisfied with the result. But see for yourself.
LIVING ROOM BOHO AND NORDIC
What exactly happened?
Actually, the entire seating area was moved. The whole thing is now more or less in the room. I really didn’t think I’d like it that much. The whole family actually likes it and that makes me very happy!
There’s some news in the corner too. The hanging plant and some new decorations were recently allowed to move in with us. I still like this corner very much, precisely because I can decorate it again and again. Such a hook rail is already practical. We made this one ourselves. You can find the instructions for the hook rail here .
And I’m really looking forward to being able to carry out my new straw bag. I have been looking for such a bag for a long time and I am totally happy to have found it. You can find them here, by the way .
The large armchair is now on the other side of the room. Now that the seating furniture is together, it looks even more comfortable than before. And we also have a new carpet. It’s really really beautiful. The colors are super nice – beige and green. And the pattern is just great too. You can find it here .
At the moment I really like anemones as cut flowers. It was only this year that I discovered the beautiful flowers for myself and cannot get enough of them. I think the variety of colors of anemones is particularly great. There are many colors …
As you can maybe see, I let off steam a little in the dining room. It’s almost like sweets, when you start with sweets, then somehow you can’t stop….
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Renate Linnemeier loves to experiment with materials and topics. One of her favorite subjects is people, portraits, realistic or graphically experimental like here. The little queen is a work from the series “Queens and Kings”.
They are spontaneous pictures , the focus is not on the exact representation, but on your own artistic expression. It is a pleasure to paint such quick works in series: different colors, different lines – and it looks different, new.Interplay of line and surface
What is exciting here is the interplay of graphic lines and painterly surfaces and the mastery of “controlled chance” .
If you do not dare to paint a face immediately, you can make preliminary drawings with a thin pencil or watercolor pen. Preliminary exercises on simple drawing paper also give you enough security to paint freely on the watercolor paper.You need:
- Watercolor paper , from 250g, DinA 4 or 30 x 30 cm
- liquid watercolor paints (e.g. Aqua Drops from Schmincke) in magenta, neutral gray and amber
- Medium size watercolor brush
- some table salt
- Vessel with water
1Draw the first lines in neutral gray directly onto the paper with the pipette . Should too much color get onto the paper at once, paint it with the brush and use it to create the background. When painting directly from the pipette, please never press too hard !
2Then paint the gray paint on the right and sprinkle in some table salt . This gives the background a structure and makes it more lively. Create the background with the amber tone on the left. Use the same tone to accentuate the face .
3Now the third color is added: magenta . After applying from the pipette, apply the wet paint immediately with the brush. As long as the paint is still damp, sprinkle some table salt on this too.
4thWhen the colors are dry, use the pipette to set accents or glaze individual areas . This creates an exciting, high-contrast picture that does not appear restless.
5The portrait of the little queen is ready!
The use of two warm tones and the contrast with the dark color creates a colored, but not colorful, image .
Renate Linnemeier, “Flower Girl”. Watercolor paints on watercolor paper. If you want to use other tones or more colors, you should make sure that one color family dominates . As with the “flower girl”. The colors green and yellow dominate, contrast and accents are set by the color red.
