understanding painting and drawing
especially the process on how to reach the end goal
(a finished image we are “happy” with)
is really just
the art of asking
questions.
AND
these questions are the basis for visual study
Studying:
the search for
The foundational Visual elements
of what it is you are looking at
so
You can begin to see what is in front of you
Painting a realistic winter scene of naked trees
or
Painting an abstracted complex branch latticework
how might the painting be hindered or aided by:
working from a photo
verses
standing in the cold drawing?
What information is carried in a photo and available to our senses?
verses
What information is available to us (and our senses)in the moment?
which is better suited to assisting our aims in creating a painting?
find the easiest and most direct answer to a question
the more you ask
the easier
the process gets
Start in the most
unlikely places:
WHy am I painting Trees?
WHy not?
WHat is the difference between a tree in summer verses winter?
Is the difference purely physical?
DOes the particular season of the tree aid in my artistic expression?
How does a tree in winter verses Autumn look?
How do those physical characteristics effect me emotionally?
Which characteristic better aids my goal?
What am i trying to say with this painting?
Already with just those few questions the image
which I’m sure you weren’t thinking about before this article
is already becoming more
clear
That is really it!
Becoming more clear in the direction you wish to go
A visual roadmap
Like all road trips it is your decision on where to turn
change direction or even
stop
An artist can choose whether or not to stick with convention
but movement in any direction
is easier if you are standing on a stable
foundation
Good Luck
and as always