Australian Dot Paints

Within the Dot Painting style, many Indigenous artists will blend or overlap individual dots in a bigger dot, or they can be closely connected to other dots to create the illusion of bold lines, or that some areas are sharper than others – but nevertheless, for a dot painting, the dot must still be clearly visible. Most commonly the artist will just draw an oval, a straight line, a circle, or a diagonal that encircles the image that is to be painted. With this simple tool, an artist has the ability to convey a lot about a particular culture, the experiences that their people have gone through, and to showcase the beauty and artistry of the Indigenous people. In addition, because of the nature of this style there is room for a lot of variation, as different paintings can be created based on the same subject, yet with very different ‘twist’ or ‘sway’. Here we will look at some of the more common styles of this style and some related practices and examples of the kinds of images that can be produced.

One of the most common forms of dot painting in Australia is the simple charcoal sketch. This style highlights the natural beauty of the country as seen from above, making it ideal for this application. The advantage of this type of application is that there are no strict rules as to how many or how few colours should be used, although having more colours makes the work more attractive and dramatic. However, using too many colours can take away from the aesthetic impact of the piece. Traditional aboriginal art style artists are able to take advantage of the freedom in this type of application by incorporating different colours in the same design, while also adding varying line lengths, sometimes up to three-fourths of an inch, allowing a complex rendering of the scene or subject.

house painters Sydney

Two other popular types of dot painting in Australia include water colours and mosaic art. Water colours are typically blended with different levels of shading to create subtle highlights on the image, mimicking the way that the sky is lit up by the sun throughout the day. It has been said that Mokai is an indigenous form of art, but this may not be true, as it is also possible to employ the use of other types of media in place of actual paintings, such as bead craft, clay and wool. A particular characteristic of Mokai art is that it usually depicts a particular element of a scene that has special meaning for the aboriginal people. Examples include birds, fish, rocks, rivers and geysers. However, it is important to note that although it may use traditional indigenous elements, it does not necessarily follow these strict rules.

Where to Paint Dot Painting

Another form of dot painting in Australia is the usage of the metzinger. Unlike the charcoal sketch, which is applied directly on to the canvas, the metzinger requires that the paint be rolled onto a brush before being applied. The brush used should have been made specifically for use with the application of the metzinger and thus creating an entirely unique art work. Like its name, the metzinger is a form of a cross-hatched pattern, which is typically seen on acrylic canvases.

The oil painting and the metzinger are by no means the only types of dot paintings in Australia. In fact, this style of art is one that has developed through the years, incorporating elements from various other countries, as well as locales within Australia itself. This means that if you find a specific painting on Australian clay pots, for example, you could incorporate elements of a Japanese garden, a windy beach, or even an aboriginal lifestyle in your own home, right on your own piece of Australian art. These paintings can serve as a living room accent, an addition to a home office or a conversation piece for any wall in your home.

There is no one stereotypical type of painting that these artists have produced. Each and every one of them takes into consideration the surroundings, as well as the preferences of their clients. However, there is one very common denominator when it comes to these artists: their love of the Australian outback. This is evidenced in the subject matter, in which many of these paintings deal with the natural environment, such as flowers and landscapes. There is also a great deal of focus on aboriginal life, which is represented throughout these paintings as animals, nature, tribal masks, as well as native plants. This type of artwork is something that has stood the test of time and will continue to do so, as the tastes of contemporary consumers continue to evolve.