YPGTTO: Kingdoms Of Sound Speed Paint Challenge #12 The Brass City / The Trumpet District

Speed Paint Challenge #12

The Brass City / The Trumpet District

Trumpet: The trumpet is constructed of brass tubing bent twice into a rounded oblong shape. It has the highest register in the brass family. As a signaling device in battle or hunting, trumpets have a very long history, dating back to at least 1500 BC.  The trumpet’s sound is metallic, bright (but also dark in the lower register), intense, brilliant, powerful and stately.

You can listen to the extract (below) as many times as you like. We don't want literal images of the instruments associated with the extracts, but we do want your concept paintings to associate with the shapes, forms, structures, mechanisms, colours, materials and special characteristics of the specific instrument - and the moods evoked by the music extract itself.  

We do want to get a sense of spaces and places - of being 'within' these various districts of our Kingdom Of Sound.

Think of the relationship between the instrument and the extract in the following way: the structure, shapes, mechanisms and movement of the instrument gives you your vocabulary of architectural components, and the music extract gives you the art direction (i.e. the mood, colour palette, composition etc.)

In regards to setting up your speed paints in Photoshop - a few basic rules: can you ensure you're working at the following settings: 2560 pixels x 1440 pixels / 300dpi.

Feel free to go even more panoramic if your vision demands it and feel free to flip between landscape and portrait as your imagination requires. Once you've completed your digital painting(s), can you upload it to your blog entitled YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge, and include the number and title of the challenge too:  YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge 12 : The Trumpet District

Please can you keep all your original Speed Paint files safe and sound in a folder, as I'll be collecting them in as an archive of the project at the end of the challenge.

Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op. 34 - Trumpets / Benjamin Britten

Need more inspiration? Visit the original YPGTTO brief here.

YPGTTO: Kingdoms Of Sound Speed Paint Challenge #11 The Brass City / The Horn District

Speed Paint Challenge #11

The Brass City / The Horn District

French Horn: The French horn is often played with the right hand inside the bell. It is the only brass instrument with a funnel shaped mouthpiece. The French horn consists of about 20 feet of narrow tubing wound into a circle. The player obtains different notes on the horn with a clear mellow sound by pressing the rotary valves. The French horn has the reputation of being one of the hardest brass instruments to play, though also one that produces one of the most beautiful sounds...

You can listen to the extract (below) as many times as you like. We don't want literal images of the instruments associated with the extracts, but we do want your concept paintings to associate with the shapes, forms, structures, mechanisms, colours, materials and special characteristics of the specific instrument - and the moods evoked by the music extract itself.  

We do want to get a sense of spaces and places - of being 'within' these various districts of our Kingdom Of Sound.

Think of the relationship between the instrument and the extract in the following way: the structure, shapes, mechanisms and movement of the instrument gives you your vocabulary of architectural components, and the music extract gives you the art direction (i.e. the mood, colour palette, composition etc.)

In regards to setting up your speed paints in Photoshop - a few basic rules: can you ensure you're working at the following settings: 2560 pixels x 1440 pixels / 300dpi.

Feel free to go even more panoramic if your vision demands it and feel free to flip between landscape and portrait as your imagination requires. Once you've completed your digital painting(s), can you upload it to your blog entitled YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge, and include the number and title of the challenge too:  YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge 11 : The Horn District

Please can you keep all your original Speed Paint files safe and sound in a folder, as I'll be collecting them in as an archive of the project at the end of the challenge.

Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op. 34 - Horns / Benjamin Britten

Need more inspiration? Visit the original YPGTTO brief here.

YPGTTO: Kingdoms Of Sound Speed Paint Challenge #10 The String City / The Harp District

Speed Paint Challenge #10

The String City / The Harp District

The Harp:  Harps are essentially triangular in shape, and are made primarily of wood. Harp strings are made of metal gut and sometimes nylon, and are coloured to give the player a visual aid to find the right string, with all the Cs red and all the Fs black. The lowest strings are made from steel and the rest of the strings are made from gut, although some players use nylon strings for the very highest notes, as gut strings tend to break more often. The harp's neck sweeps up and forward like a snake and is often decorated with animal or human-like mythological figures. 

Gentle, metallic, blurring, resonant, short, hard, drifting, full-sounding, rushing, clear, brilliant, glittering, flowing, dull, mellow, sharp, crystal clear, reverberating, splashing, cascading.

You can listen to the extract (below) as many times as you like. We don't want literal images of the instruments associated with the extracts, but we do want your concept paintings to associate with the shapes, forms, structures, mechanisms, colours, materials and special characteristics of the specific instrument - and the moods evoked by the music extract itself.  

We do want to get a sense of spaces and places - of being 'within' these various districts of our Kingdom Of Sound.

Think of the relationship between the instrument and the extract in the following way: the structure, shapes, mechanisms and movement of the instrument gives you your vocabulary of architectural components, and the music extract gives you the art direction (i.e. the mood, colour palette, composition etc.)

In regards to setting up your speed paints in Photoshop - a few basic rules: can you ensure you're working at the following settings: 2560 pixels x 1440 pixels / 300dpi.

Feel free to go even more panoramic if your vision demands it and feel free to flip between landscape and portrait as your imagination requires. Once you've completed your digital painting(s), can you upload it to your blog entitled YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge, and include the number and title of the challenge too:  YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge 10 : The Harp District

Please can you keep all your original Speed Paint files safe and sound in a folder, as I'll be collecting them in as an archive of the project at the end of the challenge.

Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op. 34 - The Harp / Benjamin Britten

YPGTTO: Kingdoms Of Sound Speed Paint Challenge #9 The String City / The Double Bass District

Speed Paint Challenge #9

The String City / The Double Bass District

The Double Bass: The double bass is the largest and lowest-sounding instrument of the string family. It doesn’t have a huge amount of solo repertory but it plays a very important role in both jazz bands and classical orchestras. The double bass is so large that players have to stand up or sit on a high stool to play it. Like all stringed instruments in an orchestra, the bass can be played with a bow or plucked with the fingers. 

Heavy, weighty, dark, weightless, wafting, somber, earthy, resonant, rasping, broad, hollow, dull, mighty, menacing, violent, mellow, sustaining, aspirate.

You can listen to the extract (below) as many times as you like. We don't want literal images of the instruments associated with the extracts, but we do want your concept paintings to associate with the shapes, forms, structures, mechanisms, colours, materials and special characteristics of the specific instrument - and the moods evoked by the music extract itself.  

We do want to get a sense of spaces and places - of being 'within' these various districts of our Kingdom Of Sound.

Think of the relationship between the instrument and the extract in the following way: the structure, shapes, mechanisms and movement of the instrument gives you your vocabulary of architectural components, and the music extract gives you the art direction (i.e. the mood, colour palette, composition etc.)

In regards to setting up your speed paints in Photoshop - a few basic rules: can you ensure you're working at the following settings: 2560 pixels x 1440 pixels / 300dpi.

Feel free to go even more panoramic if your vision demands it and feel free to flip between landscape and portrait as your imagination requires. Once you've completed your digital painting(s), can you upload it to your blog entitled YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge, and include the number and title of the challenge too:  YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge 9 : The Double Bass District

Please can you keep all your original Speed Paint files safe and sound in a folder, as I'll be collecting them in as an archive of the project at the end of the challenge.

Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op. 34 - Double Bass / Benjamin Britten

Need more inspiration? Visit the original YPGTTO brief here.

YPGTTO: Kingdoms Of Sound Speed Paint Challenge #8 The String City / The Cello District

Speed Paint Challenge #8

The String City / The Cello District

Cello: The cello is a lot bigger than the violin and the strings are a lot longer. As a result the sound it makes is much deeper and richer. Like the violin and viola, the cello began life in the 16th century. Since then many composers have written large-scale solo pieces for the cello, making the most of this wonderfully warm sound.

The cello possesses a wide variety of differing tone colors and means of expression, ranging from the calm and solemn in the lower register to bursts of passion in the uppermost register. Its underlying character has often been compared with the male voice. The transition between registers is smooth, although it cannot be denied that the individual strings have their own character, as they do on the violin and viola too.

Basically, the cello is something of a split personality; one the hand it plays the part of the solid, reliable bass instrument; on the other hand it aspires to the passion of a heroic tenor.

Sound characteristics of the individual strings

C string 

This string sounds weighty, dark, powerful. Its darkly powerful sound makes it highly suitable for performing a sonorous fundamental bass.

G string 

This string lacks the power and sustaining quality of the bottom string and is used to carry the bass voice. Suited to softer tonal effects. Resonant pizzicato on the C and G strings.

D string 

The D string is often described as the most musical and soulful and without doubt has the most pleasing sound. Used to play soft, silky, intimate, warm and lyrical cantilenas. Its weighty clarity is virtually unsurpassed.

A string 

This string has a bright, penetrating, shrill, incisive and dominant sound.

Mellow, warm, sonorous, full, clear, brilliant, vibrant, singing, bright, lustrous, stately, lyrical, cantabile, thick, weighty, powerful, silky, lively, incisive, eloquent, transcendental, supernatural, sensuous, calm, round, pure, muffled, dark, open, sustaining, solemn, wafting, gentle, sweet, veiled.

You can listen to the extract (below) as many times as you like. We don't want literal images of the instruments associated with the extracts, but we do want your concept paintings to associate with the shapes, forms, structures, mechanisms, colours, materials and special characteristics of the specific instrument - and the moods evoked by the music extract itself.  

We do want to get a sense of spaces and places - of being 'within' these various districts of our Kingdom Of Sound.

Think of the relationship between the instrument and the extract in the following way: the structure, shapes, mechanisms and movement of the instrument gives you your vocabulary of architectural components, and the music extract gives you the art direction (i.e. the mood, colour palette, composition etc.)

In regards to setting up your speed paints in Photoshop - a few basic rules: can you ensure you're working at the following settings: 2560 pixels x 1440 pixels / 300dpi.

Feel free to go even more panoramic if your vision demands it and feel free to flip between landscape and portrait as your imagination requires. Once you've completed your digital painting(s), can you upload it to your blog entitled YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge, and include the number and title of the challenge too:  YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge 8 : The Cello District

Please can you keep all your original Speed Paint files safe and sound in a folder, as I'll be collecting them in as an archive of the project at the end of the challenge.

Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op. 34 - Cellos / Benjamin Britten

Need more inspiration? Visit the original YPGTTO brief here.

YPGTTO: Kingdoms Of Sound Speed Paint Challenge #7 The String City / The Viola District

Speed Paint Challenge #7

The String City / The Viola District

Viola: a musical instrument which is similar to the violin and cello. The viola sounds lower than a violin, but higher than a cello. It has four strings, called the C, G, D, and A strings. The highest string is the A. The viola is played with a bow in the right hand. Playing with the bow is called arco. Sometimes the strings may be plucked (pizzicato). Even though the viola and violin can play many of the same notes, they each have a special sound quality. Sometimes people describe the viola's sound as more "dark", "earthy", or "mellow" than the violin's sound.

Dark, stately, reedy, warm, distinctive, full, lively, singing, eloquent, introspective, sensuous, round, muffled, solemn, austere, muted, rough, wafting, veiled, sonorous, powerful, robust.

Sound characteristics of the individual strings

C string (C3–D4)

Has a fundamentally powerful, resonant, clear, pleasing, rich and dark timbre which is used among other things to convey a feeling of foreboding. It can also evoke very somber and gloomy moods. The same notes played on the cello sound more powerful and intense.

G string (G3–A4)

Sounds rather bland, cannot assert itself particularly. It is weaker and projects less well than the same notes on the violin and is suitable as a filling-in part and for figurations.

D string (D4–E5)

Sounds rather bland, cannot assert itself particularly. It is weaker and projects less well than the same notes on the violin and is suitable as a filling-in part and for figurations.

A string (A4–E6, A6)

Contrasts starkly with the other strings, has an individual character, penetrating, austere, nasal, rough, forceful and distinctive. It is noticeably different from the rest of the string orchestra and is used to express sentimental moods and pain (played forte).

Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op. 34 - Violas / Benjamin Britten

Need more inspiration? Visit the original YPGTTO brief here.

YPGTTO: Kingdoms Of Sound Speed Paint Challenge #6 The String City / The Violin District

Speed Paint Challenge #6
The String City / The Violin District

Violin: Full, lively, singing, eloquent, introspective, supernatural, sensuous, lustrous, bright, metallic, vibrant, clear, glassy, flute-like, shrill, brilliant, sparkling, calm, thin, whistling, round, pure, muffled, solemn, austere, dark, muted, open, sustaining, rough, wafting, soft, sweet, merry, dancing, veiled.

The differences in the violin’s sound – and those of stringed instruments in general – result from a combination of the following factors: string thickness (diameter or gauge), choice of string, point of contact of the bow, bowing speed and bow pressure. These factors determine the level of oscillation of certain partial vibrations, i.e. the timbre. Which of these tonal options he or she uses is up to the violinist. The sound characteristics of the violin are therefore not predetermined; no single timbre predominates in any register. It is the musician who gives the instrument the timbre he or she desires.

Open strings sound brighter than fingered ones. Sometimes this extra brightness is exploited, sometimes it is avoided to maintain the homogeneity of a line. Frequent changes between strings reduce the need for changes of position (timbre is altered); conversely, frequent changes of position mean fewer changes between strings (timbre is more homogeneous).

Sound characteristics of the individual strings

G string (G3–C5, G5)

Dark and sonorous in the low register with a tendency toward roughness. Highly expressive and soulful cantilenas can be expected in the high register. The sound becomes more intense.

D string (D4–G5, D6)

Very full sounding and mellow. The string’s pitch corresponds to the human voice and is used for melodious cantilenas.

A string (A4–D6, A6)

More mellow than the D string.

E string (E5–A7, D8)

Lustrous and metallic, dominates lower-pitched middle voices. Very bright in the upper register though less full sounding. Its brightness makes it more audible.

You can listen to the extract (below) as many times as you like. We don't want literal images of the instruments associated with the extracts, but we do want your concept paintings to associate with the shapes, forms, structures, mechanisms, colours, materials and special characteristics of the specific instrument - and the moods evoked by the music extract itself.  

We do want to get a sense of spaces and places - of being 'within' these various districts of our Kingdom Of Sound.

Think of the relationship between the instrument and the extract in the following way: the structure, shapes, mechanisms and movement of the instrument gives you your vocabulary of architectural components, and the music extract gives you the art direction (i.e. the mood, colour palette, composition etc.)

In regards to setting up your speed paints in Photoshop - a few basic rules: can you ensure you're working at the following settings: 2560 pixels x 1440 pixels / 300dpi.

Feel free to go even more panoramic if your vision demands it and feel free to flip between landscape and portrait as your imagination requires. Once you've completed your digital painting(s), can you upload it to your blog entitled YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge, and include the number and title of the challenge too:  YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge 6 : The Violin District

Please can you keep all your original Speed Paint files safe and sound in a folder, as I'll be collecting them in as an archive of the project at the end of the challenge.

Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op. 34 - Violins / Benjamin Britten

Need more inspiration? Visit the original YPGTTO brief here.

YPGTTO: Kingdoms Of Sound Speed Paint Challenge #5 The Woodwind City / The Bassoon District

Speed Paint Challenge #5
The Woodwind City / The Bassoon District

Bassoon: The bassoon is a long pipe, doubled in half, made of wood, with many keys. The bend in the pipe makes it possible for musicians to play it comfortably. If it were straight, the bassoon would be around 9 feet long! Like the oboe, the bassoon uses a double reed, which is fitted into a curved metal mouthpiece. There are 2 to 4 bassoons in an orchestra and they have a similar range to that of the cello. Bassoons usually play lower harmonies, but you will sometimes hear their hollow low notes featured in a melody. You play the bassoon by holding it upright and blowing through the double reed. The air travels down the tube and then makes a u-turn and goes up and out the top.

The bassoon is the lowest sounding member of the woodwind family. The bassoon's double reed gives it a rich, slightly buzzing quality in the lowest notes and a sweet nasal sound higher up. Bassoons can be extremely expressive as solo instruments and their warm vibrato enables them to sound remarkably human, a little like a resonant baritone singer. They are also great for creating punchy rhythmic lines and as bass instruments they help provide support for the whole orchestra.

The bassoon’s timbre is rich in harmonics, which gives it particular color. The differences between the registers are very pronounced, which is one of the instrument’s most striking characteristics: full and sonorous in the lower register, slender, elegant and melodious in the middle and narrow and compressed in the upper register.

In all its registers, the notes of the bassoon – especially staccato notes – are well suited for the performance of humorous, comic effects and the depiction of musical caricatures.

You can listen to the extract (below) as many times as you like. We don't want literal images of the instruments associated with the extracts, but we do want your concept paintings to associate with the shapes, forms, structures, mechanisms, colours, materials and special characteristics of the specific instrument - and the moods evoked by the music extract itself.  

We do want to get a sense of spaces and places - of being 'within' these various districts of our Kingdom Of Sound.

Think of the relationship between the instrument and the extract in the following way: the structure, shapes, mechanisms and movement of the instrument gives you your vocabulary of architectural components, and the music extract gives you the art direction (i.e. the mood, colour palette, composition etc.)

In regards to setting up your speed paints in Photoshop - a few basic rules: can you ensure you're working at the following settings: 2560 pixels x 1440 pixels / 300dpi.

Feel free to go even more panoramic if your vision demands it and feel free to flip between landscape and portrait as your imagination requires. Once you've completed your digital painting(s), can you upload it to your blog entitled YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge, and include the number and title of the challenge too:  YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge 5 : The Bassoon District

Please can you keep all your original Speed Paint files safe and sound in a folder, as I'll be collecting them in as an archive of the project at the end of the challenge.

Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op. 34 - Bassoons / Benjamin Britten

Need more inspiration? Visit the original YPGTTO brief here.

YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenge / More Extraordinary Visions

Sam Niemczyk / The Flute District

A selection of the latest imaginings from CAA in response to the YPGTTO Speed Paint Challenges!

Sam Niemczyk / The Flute District

Charlie Serafini / The Oboe District

Lewis Punton / The Oboe District

Vlad Yankov / The Oboe District

Tom Smith / The Oboe District

Cat Barber / The Oboe District

Rosie Fenton / The Oboe District

Will Huntley / The Clarinet District

Deanna Crisbacher / The Clarinet District

I want many more visions of this instrument-inspired environments, so don't be shy - all styles are welcome and likewise time commitments - give me five of your precious minutes, give me twenty-five!

Four Speed Paint Challenges have been announced so far and remain live!

1. Go here for 'The Map'.
2. Go here for 'The Flute District'.
3. Go here for The Oboe District'.
4. Go here for 'The Clarinet District'.

Get involved, have a go, paint!