Saturday, October 30, 2010

Finding your Visual Voice


I have taken many, many art classes through the years of artist who I admired. I watched how they put their signature painting methods together and would practice it. I did this not to reproduce their work but to improve my own painting techniques.
I have studied for years with a wonderful, award winning, working artist, Audi Stanton, where I learned how to draw, work with watercolors, pastels, acrylics, and collage. (I am sure I am forgetting something).
I have taken college courses in drawing and pottery.
I have been fortunate to take workshops with Charles Reid, Jan Kuntz and Susan Sarback.
I am now taking classes with an Industrial Designer, Bill Monaghan, at the School of Light and Color in Fair Oaks, CA. My goal is to learn technical drawing such as perspective. Have you ever looked at a painting and something doesn't look correct? I call it the "giant cow" problem. The artist paints a beautiful paintings with a cow , barn and fence and it just doesn't look right. A trained eye looks at it and laughs. The perspective is off so much that if the painting was correct, the cow would be a 100 feet tall. This class is teaching me how to use two point perspective. I am also reminded to measure and compare constantly. I am excited about this because it is very left brained.
Now back to find your visual voice. I am reading a recommended book that helps you develop your artistic style. Why would you want to paint like someone else?
I identify with the author because she was good in science and math and took the logical road. Nursing. I have a degree in math and took the logical step into computers. She talks about reading where ignoring your passion is like dying a slow death. I agree.
Finding your Visual Voice - A Painter's Guide to Developing Artistic Style is a great book. After each chapter, you are given assignments to help you find your style.

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