I had jury duty last week. Thank God I got out after 1 and 1/2 days. I did bring my lap top and some American Artist Magazines with me. So I got some work done. To my chagrin I can't remember the artist I have stolen this idea from but it was in a recent AA Magazine. And it was a female. She wrote a simplified book which inspired me to write my own. Basically I agreed with her that the most important thing an artist can get into the habit of doing is squinting. When I first started painting I wrote SQUINT on a piece of paper and put it in between me and the still life set up so I would hopefully remember once I got into painting. Here is my new book,
THE BIG ART BASIC BOOK
CHAPTER I HOW TO PAINT
SQUINT
CHAPTER 2 HOW TO DRAW
KEEP CHECKING PROPORTIONS
CHAPTTER 3 HOW TO DESIGN
SIMPLIFY (REREAD CHAPTER 1)
CHAPTER 4 HOW TO UNDERSTAND VALUE
IT’S EITHER LIGHTER OR DARKER (REALLY REREAD CHAPTER 1)
CHAPTER 5 HOW TO UNDERSTAND COLOR (TEMPERATURE)
IT’S EITHER COOLER OR WARMER (YOU GOT IT, REREAD CHAPTER 1)
CHAPTER 6 HOW TO CORRECT YOUR PAINTINGS
GET UP AND WALK AWAY FOR 10 MINUTES. WHEN YOU RETRURN
LISTEN TO YOUR INITIAL GUT FEELINGS; SOME SHAPES MAY NEED TO BE DARKER, WARMER, LIGHTER, COOLER (AND MAYBE IN THAT ORDER)
IF THE COMPOSITION OR DRAWING IS OFF YOU PROBABLY NEED TO START AGAIN.
5 comments:
I really like this. I never took squinting seriously until I started doing it. Now I do it all the time weather I'm painting or not. Ha. It's kinda like x-ray vision letting you see the bones or underlying structure of the scene. btw- I squint for value but I blur (defocus eyes) to get hue or temperature shifts. Is that weird?
Jim,
No that's not weird. Some people don't squint or blur for temperature or hue at all. What's your way of blurring?
Joyce
OK, Joyce - when and where can we get your new book? Are you coming to Massachusetts or Rhode Island for a book signing?
My first serious oil painting teacher was a serious 'squinter', and so I have always done it - it is a great trick!
hehe - so true! Squinting was the best thing ever taught by my best teachers...(and being somewhat near-sighted didn't hurt either!). Happy New Year to you Joyce!
i love the book, it is so true and how often i forget, thanks r.
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