You make things look so easy, great artists always do. What makes you MY mentor is the way you deliver your message and break up fundamentals into separate lessons. I can then direct my focus on the theme and really see it happen in your demonstrations. Timing of your comments paired with the execution on your paper, to see it happen as you explain it is extremely beneficial to me. For this lesson, it clicked when you said "The only difference is, it's a bigger brush!..." The simple fact that we cannot attain photo-realistic perfection due to brush size seems logical but your rendition of the "imperfect" eye is a skill that I aspire to. I am grateful to have found your lessons. Thank you for sharing your insights. My drawing skills are good and help me attain likeness to my subject, but my stubbornness in using a small brush to lay down paint on large areas make those areas chaotic with unnecessary brush strokes that draw attention where not wanted. I now will practice painting with a larger brush and hopefully will be comfortable laying down color in large deliberate strokes, it would make my teacher so happy!
thanks Anne. I took watercolor in college and got a "C". Primarily because the teacher was terrible. I recall thinking, if I ever figure out how to do this, I will tell people what one needs to do to learn how to paint well. Not being a naturally gifted painter I think helps me be a better teacher. So many good artists learn intuitively. I leaned mostly the way one learns to build a house, what's the sequence, the procedure here? Glad my lessons are helpful.
Wonderful,thanks so much for your videos,you are a master! I painted a portrait of Marlon Brando,in all the colours under the sun,but got the values right,and it looks fab!😀
I did a series of US Presidents and I just don't remember it being that tedious. God Bless you because as patient as I am, I could not hang with an entire face at this pace. You deserve a standing ovation, lol.
my gosh you are amazing!!! I like how truthful about time and accuracy because a lot of the u-tube videos speed the time up so one never really gets an idea of how much work is put into the painting/drawing. Then when I try to do as they did I get frustrated because it is looking so bad for so long!! I struggle with Value so your videos on that are very helpful, too. Thanks!!
If you want to paint realism, every single micro brush stroke is done as intended. Its really a matter of how much time you are willing to spend on a tiny square section. You are constantly reassessing value and color in ever little pixel and seeing if they match up with the original. Additionally, there is no illusion of detail because the intention is immaculate exactness. An artist would have such an attention to detail that the viewer should be confused about what sort of "technique" he used to paint it all. The secret? There is no "technique". Photo-realism is hard. There are few shortcuts and generally one tries to hide evidence of any painting at all. You cannot tell where the strokes are because colors/values are blended in to obliterate any. Impressionism on the other hand uses color and value contrast for effect (to make certain parts stand out and to create movement) and varied brushstroke lengths (usually small, thick strokes) but so many layers of them that one surface stroke seems to smear several unblended colors beneath the top layer. Looking at it up close as if it were a realistic painting, the colors dont make sense but are done intentionally (and maybe less precisely) for the purpose of creating color vibration at a distance. For example opposite colors such as yellow and purple seem like a bad idea, but if they alternate, they can produce an almost psychedelic look. Neither style is more difficult than an other. When done well, both are very difficult to master. Realism requires extreme focus and patience. It is time consuming but the goal is pretty straight forward. If your painting looks "childish" and unreal, its usually fairly easy to point out parts that need work or simply become even more engrossed in the pixilation. When an artist paints in the impressionistic style, planning is very important and improvisation is (at least in my opinion) crucial because the "goal" is constantly shifting with our changing taste. Impressionism is also heavily focused on technique. Also I should note that combining the styles turned out a disaster for me and generally speaking rarely works well.
+Andrei T Well said Andrei. Then, when one considers that many if not most paintings are done using multiple styles, from more photo realistic sections, to more impressionist sections, to abstract; the integration of the varied sections, styles and techniques creates the ultimate challenge for the artist.
+Stan Miller That is fascinating! I never quite thought of it that way. I suppose this was how Dali, after mastering different styles throughout his career, eventually came to develop his own unique forms of expression.
You are right. I keep wanting to combine both! It rips at my soul and I struggle. When I was starting out in 2008, I took a 5 day watercolor workshop from a very well known impressionist watercolorist (I wont mention his name) who even had a TV show years before and according to him, anything with too many details was realism, photo real or not. I could make the loosest painting and could not resist a detail or two and he would tell me I was painting realistically and realism is not true art. He even showed samples of realism and I'm thinking No Way! Thats cartoon! Then, by 2009 I read Susan Harrison-Tustains book and that put me at ease right away and I ended up taking one of her workshops. Best thing I ever did. Thank you for your input. I do love impressionism though and wish I could master it.
I have no problem painting realistically BUT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BACKGROUNDS. It may be because I've spent so many hours on the subject I get bored and want to finish it to get on to another painting. I use watercolors and Holbein Acrylic Gouache, sometimes adding color pencil on Aquabord. I love painting birds and wildlife but would like to get back to portraits.
Allô Stan, i would like to know what kind of paper are you using? And what kind of watercolor paint also. I just started using watercolor for painting and thank you for your video I am learning a lot 🙏💕💐👩🎨
hi Stan,I paint realistically and impressionistically and sometimes abstract. How do you hone in your style? I'd say in general I like painting impressionistically the best. I feel like my breath of work is so all over the place. Thanks!
Hi Lauren, I'm all over the place as well, concerning style...like a musician who plays too many instruments. My primary style is photo realism (my major work is in this style). I've learned the other styles because of teaching and needing to paint quicker for my students. Can't answer your question Lauren, your style is up to you. But, as a music teacher would say, too many instruments we will never be really good at one instrument. Too many styles and we'll never be strong in any one style, it's our decision.
sir, is there any difference using a round brush and a flat? i notice you use flat brush and i must admit is quite hard to control.tq for all the lessons
In this lesson I use a round brush. When I am detailed I always use a round brush. I use a flat brush when I do larger paintings that are not so detailed.
Could you recommend a good printer/copier to purchase that gives high quality presentation in copying a photo from computer to the printer for a reference photo to use in painting? Also, what type of lighting is best to use when painting?
Hi Jane. Any printer today will make quality photo images. However, the user of the printer needs to know how to use their printer...it seems most do not. 1. One needs photo paper that matches the brand name of the printer. 2. One needs to set the printer settings to professional, or high quality before printing their image. Also in settings is selecting the type of photo paper you are using, gloss, matt, etc. You might need to consult someone who knows how to use computer printers, how to set the printer and computer so that one gets quality image. 3. The biggest mistake one makes when printing an image is using an old printer and using common printing paper. This results in very poor photo images. Good luck.
Stan, I so appreciate your taking the time to answer my question and help me in my decision to purchase a good printer. The added advice will aid me so much. Thank you very much.
Perhaps the title of the video could be changed to "photo realism to realism". That would more accurately describe the process shown. The final " impressionistic" eye isn't really in the Impressionistic style. It is just less hyper- realistic...less photorealistic than the first painted eye.i consider the photorealistic painter to be more of a technician than an artist, really. Frankly, I don't " get" photorealistic painting. The painting looks exactly like the photo. Where is the art in that? There is great skill and mastery of the technical aspect of painting but those skills have not been employed to express or interpret what has been seen. Can a photorealistic painting be done without using a photo as it's source? When I look at a painting that is so realistic that I can't distinguish it from a photograph, I feel like the painter is saying " look what I can do!". I marvel at the technique but it ends there. The real test would be to take a black and white photo and paint it using color. Then the artist would need to understand all it takes to create a successful painting. He would have to know how to choose colors that harmonize, for example. How to use contrast to direct the attention. How a color is affected by those around it. How to paint shadows etc.
In lesson 16 Gerald, I use a black and white photo and paint it in color...the color is totally imaginative. In my teaching I teach photo realism, impressionism and abstraction. Trying to determine when realism turns into impressionism is an argument that no one will win...it's opinion. As well, I jury exhibitions around the U.S. These exhibitions include everything from photos, photo realism, impressionism to abstraction. When I hand out the awards I let everyone know that I the greatest element in any work of art is it's unity counter balanced with it's creative diversity, in other words, the overall composition, the design. The style for me, as a judge, is pretty much irrelevant when it comes to determining what great art is...at least in my opinion. Do we love the whole painting?...or just parts of it? The whole movie, book, concert, performance...or do prefer only certain parts. The award winners always have a unified, but, diversified work of expression. Whether it be fiction or non-fiction, a documentary or a fairy tale, a realistic...or even photo realistic painting or an abstract painting....it isn't the style that wins points...it's the originality and overall unity of the statement that wins the award.
I agree with the 'don't get photo realistic' part. I don't understand why people who do flat, basic photorealism don't build on it and get creative. Modify it and turn it into something a camera can't. See hundreds of accounts on instagram when someone has spent 200 hours drawing every pore on some generic celebrities face like Kim Kardashian and people just lap it up in the 1000's but when you see it for what it is, it makes you scratch your head about why people love it so much.They have the skills to produce amazing things, yet they just carbon copy a photograph taken by someone else.
lthanks by yours videos What kind of paper you work Mr. Stan? In my country only sends some hot press and rough press.. Send my regard from Costa Rica.
I use all kinds of watercolor paper. Strathmore, Arches, Winsor Newton, Canson. I like Arches wc paper best, use mostly cold press, sometimes hot press.
I have heard by some impresionistic watercolour artist that copying and spending time to get exact detail to get it realistic is not the way of watercolours.
I think seeing the correct color is very easy, if I could be with you and show you. I've never met a student who could not get the correct color, with my guidance, in a very short time. The exception would be if you are color blind? Drawing hands well can take hundreds of hours of practice.
I've been illustrating regularly since 2012 and mainly work in portraiture. Everything I do is by eye and although i'm accurate enough to get things whereabouts they should be I never get them totally spot on. I used that simple measuring trick you said and instantly it's helped me ten fold!! I won't use graphs because I personally see it as cheating, and tracing, well I don't feel like you learn anything from that so I pride myself on being a freehand artist. This trick you just showed feels too simple for it not to be cheating, but valuable enough to do a better job without the headache of seeing where you're proportions are off. Thank you for sharing it!!! Why couldn't I have found this out sooner hahahah. THANKS!!
Thanks Doug. The realist hears, "why not just take a photo", the abstractionist, "any child could do this". The tricky approach, do a realistic painting that evolves into abstract, that's what I teach my students.
I don't understand "value". In real life where there's light I kinda see it... but when painting... my brain don't get it. To me a lower value red... is just a different color red. At least that's how I realized my brain works while I paint. Maybe something is wrong with me.
Makes me wonder how the old masters did it before photography! A lot of people today use projectors and say it doesn't matter that they didn't draw it themselves--that the end justifies the means. I feel they are cheating themselves by making the projector their crutch and not developing their drawing skills. I'm not sure that's considered truly original or not, but some buyers don't seem to care. I learned to draw well when getting my BFA, but used the projector as a tool to reproduce my own drawing when studying Graphic Design. I started out doing realism, but have been striving to be more "painterly." Thanks for the good lessons!
Oh well, some would say that in life, we all cheat...using a car instead of walking, we miss feeling the earth beneath our feet. Projecting is fine, but when I have a student who is serious, who wants to be a really good artist, I say "stop tracing and projecting" and learn how to draw.
There is actually good evidence that some "old masters" used projection techniques - John Singer Sargent for one and there is the suspison that even Caravaggio used optical projections such as camera obscura. There was a great docu (BBC I think, though I am not sure) about Caravaggio and the camera obscura...well worth a watch.
I jury shows and I feel I can tell when someone doesn't know how to draw, but they project. The evidence is in the details, seeing an awkwardness, a distortion, seeing that they don't understand how something is constructed...which one learns when knowing how to draw.
ferkinskin - True. It was presented by David Hockney and showed that a lot of the old masters used lenses etc., to profect the image of the subject onto the canvas.
The realist part is excellent. The impressionist part certainly isn't impressionist. He seems to think that impressionism is slightly sloppy realism. He has no idea what impressionism is and should study the impressionist works.
Thanks Frank. I tell my students that defining realism, or impressionism is a subjective process. There is no absolute definition for what realism, or impressionism truly is, only subjective opinion. The quick version of my eye (agreeably sloppy and undisciplined) is a form of impressionism, more then it is realism, if our efforts to define styles of painting, are open to interpretation.
So blessed to have you as my daughter's teacher at school!
Love teaching the kids!
Stan miller
I’m so excited to find you. Your teaching is easy to follow and understand. Many thanks !
Glad the lessons are helpful, thank you.
You make things look so easy, great artists always do. What makes you MY mentor is the way you deliver your message and break up fundamentals into separate lessons. I can then direct my focus on the theme and really see it happen in your demonstrations. Timing of your comments paired with the execution on your paper, to see it happen as you explain it is extremely beneficial to me. For this lesson, it clicked when you said "The only difference is, it's a bigger brush!..." The simple fact that we cannot attain photo-realistic perfection due to brush size seems logical but your rendition of the "imperfect" eye is a skill that I aspire to. I am grateful to have found your lessons. Thank you for sharing your insights. My drawing skills are good and help me attain likeness to my subject, but my stubbornness in using a small brush to lay down paint on large areas make those areas chaotic with unnecessary brush strokes that draw attention where not wanted. I now will practice painting with a larger brush and hopefully will be comfortable laying down color in large deliberate strokes, it would make my teacher so happy!
thanks Anne. I took watercolor in college and got a "C". Primarily because the teacher was terrible. I recall thinking, if I ever figure out how to do this, I will tell people what one needs to do to learn how to paint well. Not being a naturally gifted painter I think helps me be a better teacher. So many good artists learn intuitively. I leaned mostly the way one learns to build a house, what's the sequence, the procedure here? Glad my lessons are helpful.
Wonderful,thanks so much for your videos,you are a master!
I painted a portrait of Marlon Brando,in all the colours under the sun,but got the values right,and it looks fab!😀
Three dollar brush/ million dollar hand:)
* Brain
I did a series of US Presidents and I just don't remember it being that tedious. God Bless you because as patient as I am, I could not hang with an entire face at this pace. You deserve a standing ovation, lol.
"the only thing magical about something realistic is that it takes forever" 👏👏👏
my gosh you are amazing!!! I like how truthful about time and accuracy because a lot of the u-tube videos speed the time up so one never really gets an idea of how much work is put into the painting/drawing. Then when I try to do as they did I get frustrated because it is looking so bad for so long!! I struggle with Value so your videos on that are very helpful, too. Thanks!!
Your instructions are fantastic, but it would be great if you have better video quality ( higher resolution )!
I really like your sensible approach. Thank you from a Scottish learner.
Brilliant as always Stan. Thank you for sharing.
If you want to paint realism, every single micro brush stroke is done as intended. Its really a matter of how much time you are willing to spend on a tiny square section. You are constantly reassessing value and color in ever little pixel and seeing if they match up with the original. Additionally, there is no illusion of detail because the intention is immaculate exactness. An artist would have such an attention to detail that the viewer should be confused about what sort of "technique" he used to paint it all. The secret? There is no "technique". Photo-realism is hard. There are few shortcuts and generally one tries to hide evidence of any painting at all. You cannot tell where the strokes are because colors/values are blended in to obliterate any.
Impressionism on the other hand uses color and value contrast for effect (to make certain parts stand out and to create movement) and varied brushstroke lengths (usually small, thick strokes) but so many layers of them that one surface stroke seems to smear several unblended colors beneath the top layer. Looking at it up close as if it were a realistic painting, the colors dont make sense but are done intentionally (and maybe less precisely) for the purpose of creating color vibration at a distance. For example opposite colors such as yellow and purple seem like a bad idea, but if they alternate, they can produce an almost psychedelic look.
Neither style is more difficult than an other. When done well, both are very difficult to master. Realism requires extreme focus and patience. It is time consuming but the goal is pretty straight forward. If your painting looks "childish" and unreal, its usually fairly easy to point out parts that need work or simply become even more engrossed in the pixilation. When an artist paints in the impressionistic style, planning is very important and improvisation is (at least in my opinion) crucial because the "goal" is constantly shifting with our changing taste. Impressionism is also heavily focused on technique. Also I should note that combining the styles turned out a disaster for me and generally speaking rarely works well.
+Andrei T Well said Andrei. Then, when one considers that many if not most paintings are done using multiple styles, from more photo realistic sections, to more impressionist sections, to abstract; the integration of the varied sections, styles and techniques creates the ultimate challenge for the artist.
+Stan Miller That is fascinating! I never quite thought of it that way. I suppose this was how Dali, after mastering different styles throughout his career, eventually came to develop his own unique forms of expression.
You are right. I keep wanting to combine both! It rips at my soul and I struggle. When I was starting out in 2008, I took a 5 day watercolor workshop from a very well known impressionist watercolorist (I wont mention his name) who even had a TV show years before and according to him, anything with too many details was realism, photo real or not. I could make the loosest painting and could not resist a detail or two and he would tell me I was painting realistically and realism is not true art. He even showed samples of realism and I'm thinking No Way! Thats cartoon! Then, by 2009 I read Susan Harrison-Tustains book and that put me at ease right away and I ended up taking one of her workshops. Best thing I ever did. Thank you for your input. I do love impressionism though and wish I could master it.
You are Brilliant and you inspire me …. Thank you Sir!!!
Glad the lesson is helpful!
You are great artist and a great teacher! Thank you!
I have no problem painting realistically BUT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BACKGROUNDS. It may be because I've spent so many hours on the subject I get bored and want to finish it to get on to another painting. I use watercolors and Holbein Acrylic Gouache, sometimes adding color pencil on Aquabord. I love painting birds and wildlife but would like to get back to portraits.
awesome way that teach us to use water colors... thank you a lot.
Great video, I like the emphasis on drawing, color and value. Very helpful
A paint with me series would be great
U r an unbelievable artist. Awesome
Totally impressed with your teaching style! Thank you!
+Jenny P Thanks Jenny!
I just love your lessons!!! You have to post more! :) thank you!
Wonderful! Thanks you so much for your videos, this is what I am looking for to improve my drawing skills
You are a wonderful, interesting teacher. I would like to learn more about shading . I paint in oils.
Thanks for the great video!
Glad you liked it! Thanks...
Allô Stan, i would like to know what kind of paper are you using? And what kind of watercolor paint also. I just started using watercolor for painting and thank you for your video I am learning a lot 🙏💕💐👩🎨
I use all kinds of wc paper. Mostly I use Arches 140 pound cold press. I use Grahams paints.
Thank you 🙏
Mr Stan, When you say red, yellow, blue, on what colors exactly do you think? Thanks you so much for your videos.
Milorad Barajevic any red, yellow and blue mixed together will work for any skin tones.
Thank you, Mr Stan
hi Stan,I paint realistically and impressionistically and sometimes abstract. How do you hone in your style? I'd say in general I like painting impressionistically the best. I feel like my breath of work is so all over the place. Thanks!
Hi Lauren, I'm all over the place as well, concerning style...like a musician who plays too many instruments. My primary style is photo realism (my major work is in this style). I've learned the other styles because of teaching and needing to paint quicker for my students. Can't answer your question Lauren, your style is up to you. But, as a music teacher would say, too many instruments we will never be really good at one instrument. Too many styles and we'll never be strong in any one style, it's our decision.
Stan Miller thanks that’s helpful!
Great demo ,i use the squares or rounds to paint crystal.
sir, is there any difference using a round brush and a flat? i notice you use flat brush and i must admit is quite hard to control.tq for all the lessons
In this lesson I use a round brush. When I am detailed I always use a round brush. I use a flat brush when I do larger paintings that are not so detailed.
Could you recommend a good printer/copier to purchase that gives high quality presentation in copying a photo from computer to the printer for a reference photo to use in painting? Also, what type of lighting is best to use when painting?
Hi Jane. Any printer today will make quality photo images. However, the user of the printer needs to know how to use their printer...it seems most do not. 1. One needs photo paper that matches the brand name of the printer.
2. One needs to set the printer settings to professional, or high quality before printing their image. Also in settings is selecting the type of photo paper you are using, gloss, matt, etc.
You might need to consult someone who knows how to use computer printers, how to set the printer and computer so that one gets quality image.
3. The biggest mistake one makes when printing an image is using an old printer and using common printing paper. This results in very poor photo images. Good luck.
Stan, I so appreciate your taking the time to answer my question and help me in my decision to purchase a good printer. The added advice will aid me so much. Thank you very much.
Perhaps the title of the video could be changed to "photo realism to realism". That would more accurately describe the process shown. The final " impressionistic" eye isn't really in the Impressionistic style. It is just less hyper- realistic...less photorealistic than the first painted eye.i consider the photorealistic painter to be more of a technician than an artist, really. Frankly, I don't " get" photorealistic painting. The painting looks exactly like the photo. Where is the art in that? There is great skill and mastery of the technical aspect of painting but those skills have not been employed to express or interpret what has been seen. Can a photorealistic painting be done without using a photo as it's source? When I look at a painting that is so realistic that I can't distinguish it from a photograph, I feel like the painter is saying " look what I can do!". I marvel at the technique but it ends there. The real test would be to take a black and white photo and paint it using color. Then the artist would need to understand all it takes to create a successful painting. He would have to know how to choose colors that harmonize, for example. How to use contrast to direct the attention. How a color is affected by those around it. How to paint shadows etc.
In lesson 16 Gerald, I use a black and white photo and paint it in color...the color is totally imaginative. In my teaching I teach photo realism, impressionism and abstraction. Trying to determine when realism turns into impressionism is an argument that no one will win...it's opinion. As well, I jury exhibitions around the U.S. These exhibitions include everything from photos, photo realism, impressionism to abstraction. When I hand out the awards I let everyone know that I the greatest element in any work of art is it's unity counter balanced with it's creative diversity, in other words, the overall composition, the design. The style for me, as a judge, is pretty much irrelevant when it comes to determining what great art is...at least in my opinion. Do we love the whole painting?...or just parts of it? The whole movie, book, concert, performance...or do prefer only certain parts. The award winners always have a unified, but, diversified work of expression. Whether it be fiction or non-fiction, a documentary or a fairy tale, a realistic...or even photo realistic painting or an abstract painting....it isn't the style that wins points...it's the originality and overall unity of the statement that wins the award.
I agree with the 'don't get photo realistic' part. I don't understand why people who do flat, basic photorealism don't build on it and get creative. Modify it and turn it into something a camera can't. See hundreds of accounts on instagram when someone has spent 200 hours drawing every pore on some generic celebrities face like Kim Kardashian and people just lap it up in the 1000's but when you see it for what it is, it makes you scratch your head about why people love it so much.They have the skills to produce amazing things, yet they just carbon copy a photograph taken by someone else.
@@JonnyChaos Good point!
lthanks by yours videos What kind of paper you work Mr. Stan? In my country only sends some hot press and rough press.. Send my regard from Costa Rica.
I use all kinds of watercolor paper. Strathmore, Arches, Winsor Newton, Canson. I like Arches wc paper best, use mostly cold press, sometimes hot press.
thanks!
Who are those people that gave dislike to this video...now i know how many stupid existed.
carlos miguel those are the ones who want exact pigments, paper and brushes. :)
Great lesson. Thank you
I have heard by some impresionistic watercolour artist that copying and spending time to get exact detail to get it realistic is not the way of watercolours.
seems like they were wrong
thaks..i really enjoy ur videos.
Very impressive job!
...That was magic!
9:20 m a g i c
Awesome! Thank you
is seeing colors similar to drawing hands ? (extra hard compared to other stuff) because no matter how much i practice i cant see colors accurately...
I think seeing the correct color is very easy, if I could be with you and show you. I've never met a student who could not get the correct color, with my guidance, in a very short time. The exception would be if you are color blind? Drawing hands well can take hundreds of hours of practice.
Nice..keep it up
very good
How to get the color right ?
Did you watch lesson 7? ua-cam.com/video/lJJ4OSsyktE/v-deo.html
@@Stanleylestermiller No , I'll watch it now 🏃♀️
A great course thank you
I've been illustrating regularly since 2012 and mainly work in portraiture. Everything I do is by eye and although i'm accurate enough to get things whereabouts they should be I never get them totally spot on. I used that simple measuring trick you said and instantly it's helped me ten fold!! I won't use graphs because I personally see it as cheating, and tracing, well I don't feel like you learn anything from that so I pride myself on being a freehand artist. This trick you just showed feels too simple for it not to be cheating, but valuable enough to do a better job without the headache of seeing where you're proportions are off. Thank you for sharing it!!! Why couldn't I have found this out sooner hahahah. THANKS!!
Hi Jonny, this system of measuring has been around for a few hundred years, nothing new, but it does work!
👏🏼💥BRAVO💥👏🏼
you inspire me
wow i learned a
lot !!!!!
I know you said it doesn’t matter but I am just curious 😀
I’m always impressed with realistic painting but I always say to myself “why not take a photo”.
Great lesson.
Thanks Doug. The realist hears, "why not just take a photo", the abstractionist, "any child could do this". The tricky approach, do a realistic painting that evolves into abstract, that's what I teach my students.
Stan Miller yes sir:)
i heard from other people too
I don't understand "value". In real life where there's light I kinda see it... but when painting... my brain don't get it. To me a lower value red... is just a different color red. At least that's how I realized my brain works while I paint. Maybe something is wrong with me.
Makes me wonder how the old masters did it before photography! A lot of people today use projectors and say it doesn't matter that they didn't draw it themselves--that the end justifies the means. I feel they are cheating themselves by making the projector their crutch and not developing their drawing skills. I'm not sure that's considered truly original or not, but some buyers don't seem to care. I learned to draw well when getting my BFA, but used the projector as a tool to reproduce my own drawing when studying Graphic Design. I started out doing realism, but have been striving to be more "painterly." Thanks for the good lessons!
Oh well, some would say that in life, we all cheat...using a car instead of walking, we miss feeling the earth beneath our feet. Projecting is fine, but when I have a student who is serious, who wants to be a really good artist, I say "stop tracing and projecting" and learn how to draw.
There is actually good evidence that some "old masters" used projection techniques - John Singer Sargent for one and there is the suspison that even Caravaggio used optical projections such as camera obscura. There was a great docu (BBC I think, though I am not sure) about Caravaggio and the camera obscura...well worth a watch.
I jury shows and I feel I can tell when someone doesn't know how to draw, but they project. The evidence is in the details, seeing an awkwardness, a distortion, seeing that they don't understand how something is constructed...which one learns when knowing how to draw.
ferkinskin - True. It was presented by David Hockney and showed that a lot of the old masters used lenses etc., to profect the image of the subject onto the canvas.
The realist part is excellent. The impressionist part certainly isn't impressionist. He seems to think that impressionism is slightly sloppy realism. He has no idea what impressionism is and should study the impressionist works.
Thanks Frank. I tell my students that defining realism, or impressionism is a subjective process. There is no absolute definition for what realism, or impressionism truly is, only subjective opinion. The quick version of my eye (agreeably sloppy and undisciplined) is a form of impressionism, more then it is realism, if our efforts to define styles of painting, are open to interpretation.