A FORUM OF DISCUSSION, CRITIQUE AND SHARING WITH CANADIAN ARTIST BRIAN SIMONS. THE ARTIST'S WORK CAN BE SEEN AT HIS OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.briansimons.com
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Waves crashing, 16x20"
Hello,
Feedback please. I'm pretty happy with the values here but not sure if it conveys waves crashing.
Quite abstract Audrey, don't think it reads like crashing waves though. Audrey, I'm trying to get a sense of where your heading in your work? Are you reaching for some realism in these later posts?....kinda feels like your simplifying things too much, but maybe that's what you're after. If you are reaching for more representation in your work, and less abstraction, then I'm not sure you're spending enough time really 'looking' at your subject. Can you give me a sense of where you want to go with your work, and then, I can possibly give some feedback that may help some?? It's hard for me to comment if I don't have a good sense of what you're after! Brian
Thanks for your note. I would like to paint a bit more realistically without it feeling like an arduous chore. I have trouble with values and with a realistic outcome from a painting. I really enjoy bold colours and outlandishness but want to see if I can develop the skill to paint more realistically. My brain can handle two dimensional drawings but it really struggles with 3D-ness in drawing and painting.
Hi Audrey, thanks for getting back to me on my questions To paint more realistically, its all in the "seeing" as I'm sure you know. It helpful to remember that we are ONLY working on a 2 dimensional surface and whatever we see must be transferred to that same surface and its probably best to do so without any interpretation..that is, to get it from the eye to the hand without going through the brain. When looking at your subject, try to see the image in 2 dimensions only and all we are interested in recording is shapes, color, relationship, and value...NOT THINGS! Those "things" will show up when they're ready, they are not really our business as painters. Our business is shape, value etc. I, too enjoy bold color and hope you'll continue to use it in your work. I feel if you are really patient with yourself and really take the time to do step one (study the subject)...really look and see the shapes, color etc , the recording will come easy, but if one rushes through this important step, and one assumes they have "seen" it, they often miss the mark when painting it. Squinting is a MUST in this step to simplify things and eliminate all the fine detail. The word "study" is soooooo important in this step.....to see what is really there and not what we think is there..... I promise Audrey, if you spend more time in step one, your painting will improve at a much faster rate that if you didn't. I love your gusto and the courage you demonstrate in your work and your great colors and design, and hope you will give these thing some consideration. Your fearlessness and courage will certainly carry you through to greater and greater things in painting and may be the signature of your work in the future. Thanks for sharing your struggles Audrey , you are not alone! Wish you the best year ever this year and am anxiously waiting to see new and exciting things from you. Brian
I've started again and this time with some thumbnail pencil sketches to help me study. I've got some paint on the canvas and will photograph when I've got some daylight.
Quite abstract Audrey, don't think it reads like crashing waves though. Audrey, I'm trying to get a sense of where your heading in your work? Are you reaching for some realism in these later posts?....kinda feels like your simplifying things too much, but maybe that's what you're after. If you are reaching for more representation in your work, and less abstraction, then I'm not sure you're spending enough time really 'looking' at your subject. Can you give me a sense of where you want to go with your work, and then, I can possibly give some feedback that may help some?? It's hard for me to comment if I don't have a good sense of what you're after! Brian
ReplyDeleteHi Brian,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your note. I would like to paint a bit more realistically without it feeling like an arduous chore. I have trouble with values and with a realistic outcome from a painting. I really enjoy bold colours and outlandishness but want to see if I can develop the skill to paint more realistically. My brain can handle two dimensional drawings but it really struggles with 3D-ness in drawing and painting.
Hi Audrey, thanks for getting back to me on my questions To paint more realistically, its all in the "seeing" as I'm sure you know. It helpful to remember that we are ONLY working on a 2 dimensional surface and whatever we see must be transferred to that same surface and its probably best to do so without any interpretation..that is, to get it from the eye to the hand without going through the brain. When looking at your subject, try to see the image in 2 dimensions only and all we are interested in recording is shapes, color, relationship, and value...NOT THINGS! Those "things" will show up when they're ready, they are not really our business as painters. Our business is shape, value etc.
ReplyDeleteI, too enjoy bold color and hope you'll continue to use it in your work.
I feel if you are really patient with yourself and really take the time to do step one (study the subject)...really look and see the shapes, color etc , the recording will come easy, but if one rushes through this important step, and one assumes they have "seen" it, they often miss the mark when painting it. Squinting is a MUST in this step to simplify things and eliminate all the fine detail. The word "study" is soooooo important in this step.....to see what is really there and not what we think is there.....
I promise Audrey, if you spend more time in step one, your painting will improve at a much faster rate that if you didn't.
I love your gusto and the courage you demonstrate in your work and your great colors and design, and hope you will give these thing some consideration. Your fearlessness and courage will certainly carry you through to greater and greater things in painting and may be the signature of your work in the future.
Thanks for sharing your struggles Audrey , you are not alone! Wish you the best year ever this year and am anxiously waiting to see new and exciting things from you. Brian
Thanks, Brian,
ReplyDeleteI've started again and this time with some thumbnail pencil sketches to help me study. I've got some paint on the canvas and will photograph when I've got some daylight.