Réal Fournier | Featured Artist
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Webster Galleries & Avenida Framing 2-625 77 Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2H 2B9
Réal Fournier, “Enjoying Skating,” no date
oil on linen, 24 " x 30 " (courtesy of the Gallery)
3D Technique by Réal Fournier, Canadian Artist
Since I started drawing and painting as a young child, I have always been impressed by how color could create depth. My passion for the 3D began at an early age by observing comic books with 3D glasses (blue and red lenses). The more I was looking, the more I could find mistakes from these comics; some colors from the background were not always positioned correctly from the perspective of the drawing. From that period of childhood to young adult, my quest began: how can I control color and space. The transition started there by looking more closely at the 3D effect.
Then the period of clair-obscur (chiaroscuro or light and dark) was for me a good learning experience, Leonardo Da Vinci’s work is a good example among others.. So by looking to these paintings, they helped me tremendously to discover the first steps to create 3D painting which is the 'contrast'. The contrast of warm color over dark color was the starting point of my research. Immediately, I used a black glossy paper on the floor, and with a prism I could see the colors of the rainbow floating at a certain distance. I even used many other color paper on the floor to see where the rainbow would float in space. After these experiments, I used different color of oil paint over sheets of paper from dark to pastel. It was a second revelation to learn that 'complementarity' of color was very important in 3D. And the 'tones' of color was the third step to create beautiful 3D painting.
Many more experience happened after that, I have started to do artwork on heavy glossy paper with vaseline, baby oil, candle wax and ink. I have practiced and created with these mediums for a few years but the results were not perfect yet, so I decided to try sometimes with oil painting and at the end, there was always some mistakes. The hardest challenge was to paint a portrait.
During a few years, I even abandoned the project. There was always some color not perfectly in the right place. One night I had a dream and the solution has been revealed to me. The next morning I tried what was proposed in the dream and … EUREKA! I decided that day that for the next 6 months, I would prepare a series of painting. That first 3D exhibition in 2007, was a great success at the gallery, and from that moment on, I have decided to pursue my career to master the 3D art.
Naturally my style and the way I compose my work was already a great attraction for the public. Starting eyes closed, the first steps of my drawing, for some of my paintings were creating an unusual composition and contribute to my success. I do believe if you are able to connect to your soul and reveal its splendor, there is a great possibility of touching human hearts and create happiness, those are my goals. My passion for color is just growing and growing infinitely. And paintings after paintings I am getting better at controlling the color in their proper space. This research pushed me to prepare new subject content that challenges everyday my skill in order to find solution for better 3D effects. At each step, I feel happier and more confident and above all, I follow my dream. I realize that when I look at my work through the 3D glasses, I am discovering a deeper meaning of my life. It is like a new world revealing itself, surprising you, enchanting you and profoundly touching you. At this moment, I am silent and I am deeply back into my joyful soul as a child.