Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The Glamourous Life. - Grisaille...

Open grisaille- a method of underpainting to get the values. I love these... they can look DONE!

I got to hear this line last night... 'I paint but I cannot draw.' What a place to leave oneself! Another person said that she had heard that anyone can draw. This provoked a few contradictions about artistic bones and bodies...

Here is the answer... are you ready?... any one can draw. It may not appear anything like what they are looking at, but lines can be made. The skill, and it is that, a skill, is in the ability to really see what is there.

Magical, huh? Mystical, hmm?

Rather than painting what one thinks one sees with the eyes of assumption.

BEWARE- the assumption eyes! They miss out on a lot of information.


A great exercise for this is, let's say we are working with a photo here, to turn the subject upside down and paint the shapes.


Learn all the rules so you know exactly where and how to break them, quickly and painlessly.

SNAP.

6 comments:

  1. I love this painting, Elaine, and thanks for teaching me a new word too! I suspect I'd have enjoyed that discussion as I have strong feelings on the subject. LOL

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  2. Her face is so expressive that I'd be afraid to put color on it. Drawing ought to be taught in elementary school. I agree it is more about observation and less about lines. I think painting is vastly more difficult - so many elements to get right. Or wrong. Although it isn't even the rightness that makes for a beautiful painting.

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  3. Wise Words! I love your ideas. You are always FUN to visit.

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  4. This is wonderful expressive work! Drawing teaches the artist to really "see" what they are looking at- it opens up worlds!

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  5. Very cool thoughts. I am always amazed how my artist friends seem to see more. Definitely can learn from that.

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  6. Some times , under paintings turn out to be great works and here it is one of them!
    Drawing is all about perception more than observation, I would say and there is no rule to one's perception and subsequently, its depiction :-)

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