Working with pen and ink can be quite freeing as the values are simplified by the ink. The lack of erasing mistakes creates a natural flow and the artist learns to work with the lines he has put down whether good or “bad”. Phrasing Rembrandt’s quote in sketching terms: putting down the visual lines you see in ink makes what you do not “know” or “see” more apparent. Note in the sketch above how few lines are needed to create the woman. This is a great way to develop your artists’ eye by trying to use a few lines…
Category: Art Facts
Degas once said, “No art is less spontaneous than mine.”
I recently went to the Degas exhibit at the Denver Art Museum and was struck by the wonderful combination of showing his sketches and sketchbooks with his oil paintings and pastel works. It really gives the viewer the experience of discovering what goes into the making of a masterpiece. Many of his large works have a loose use of brushstrokes and hints of his black “sketched” lines that he used to lay out his compositions with. The effect it creates is one of art done with some spontaneity and life to it. …
Rodin once said, “There is no recipe for improving nature. The only thing is to see.”
Recently I was discussing with an enthusiastic group of adults drawing students about really learning to look. I help them improve their drawings by pointing out subtle details in their reference pictures. I also help with techniques to use to create that look. One student commented on how amazing things look when you really “see” them. That is one of the amazing things of learning to draw or paint, it changes how you perceive the world around you ! As the famous sculptor Rodin said once “There is no recipe for improving nature. The only thing is to see.” Rodin…
Matisse said, “It is the imagination that gives depth and space to a picture”
Matisse exclaimed, “It is the imagination that gives depth and space to a picture.” For example in the student’s work to the left, they placed their symbols for the main design first. Next came the free flowing imagination when they experimented with watercolors and water. The student did not have a plan but put down the watercolors letting them flow together at will. This ends up being the most striking thing in the composition and the least structured! So if you are new to art or experienced try to add something free form. You could just take a paper…
Frederic Remington once said, “The artist must know more than the camera.”
Western artist Frederic Remington said, “The artist must know more than the camera.” Today even in this age of the digital camera working outside or “Plein air” to create work is coveted by many artists’. They find many subtle aspects such as color blends, shadow depth, blurred details that the camera misses. How many times have you take a picture and thought later that is not quite what I remembered. Develop your eyes and notice what you may have been missing by looking through your camera lens or screen. Remington was great at observing and “seeing”. He was the…
Artist Renoir’s ideas about subject matter for artists.
Renoir once stated, “There isn’t a person, a landscape, or a subject that doesn’t possess at least some interest-although sometimes more or less hidden. When a painter discovers this hidden treasure, other people immediately exclaim at its beauty.” When you just do not have the “inspiration” to draw or paint something don’t give up! There is an unlimited number of options out there. Try something opposite from your usual, instead of looking at the large landscape look at the plants creating the landscape. Or get even smaller and get out a hand held magnifying class to see your house…
Leonardo Da Vinci’s thoughts on sketching
Da Vinci said, ” Sketch quickly with light strokes on your pad (which you should always have with you), and when it is full, start another, never rubbing out but keeping all carefully, because the forms…….are so infinitely various that they cannot possibly be retained in memory. Therefore preserve your sketches, for they are your assistants and your masters.” The first thing to gleam from this quote is how important it it to keep a sketchbook. It is our practice place, a place to experiment with techniques & composition,and also to preserve visual lines and ideas. As Da Vinci…
Spanish painter Francisco De Goya on “masses of light and dark”
De Goya once stated, “who always talks about line, never about masses. But where does one see lines in nature? I see only masses in light and masses in shadow, planes come forward and planes into recession.” Now is the time as it warms up to get out and sketch. The vastness of the outdoor landscapes can be a stumbling block for many. But there is hope follow De Goya’s advice an look at the large masses of dark and light shapes. Squint at the photograph of the Third Flatiron below, notice there are distinct shape areas. Start with sketching…
Picasso said “Painting is just another way of keeping a dairy”
Put down those electronics and start a sketchbook to record the visual life around us! Painting, drawing, sculpting and “life” can all benefit by keeping a sketchbook or two. Sketchbooks can record the bountiful colors and shapes of life, if paints are too messy for you try colored pencils (my favorite!) in your sketchbook. Georgia O’Keeffe stated “Color is one of the things in the world that makes life worth living….” Observe how the same color looks totally different next to another color. Colors play off of each other, influencing how we perceive them. In this time…
Degas and art: “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see”
Artist Edgar Degas lived from 1834 to 1917 in France during a time of great artists who were forging new paths in art. One of his close friends’ was the painter Monet who had his own unique style of painting. Both took inspiration from each other but kept their individuality. This is an exciting aspect of the arts so take advantage of exploring past master artists and the artist down the street from you. The possibilities are endless. Degas was known for his figures that were shown in motion, a “snapshot” of a moment in time. He did lots of…
April Christenson artist 