You can’t abstract if you can’t draw
Try reducing one of these paintings to a notan, and you’ll realize just how much drawing underpins this seeming simplicity. Plein air painting by Tara Will, courtesy of the artist. “Why are you teaching us self-portrait?” a student recently asked me. The human face is the most demanding subject to draw, because very slight errors …
Verisimilitude
Intimate knowledge is a spur to creativity, because it places facts at the disposal of your subconscious brain. Early Spring on Beech Hill, oil on canvasboard, Carol L. Douglas, 12X16, is available through the Camden Public Library. I’m in Boston waiting to board a plane. Logan International Airport bears scant resemblance to the historic city …
Monday Morning Art School: Draw a face, yours or others
Have trouble drawing people? Here’s a way to get a good likeness in a hurry. Robbie, by Carol L. Douglas We’re going to be doing self-portraits in my classes during the next two weeks. We’ll be using mirrors, but this is a technique that works with pictures of yourself or others, from the live model or …
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There’s a change in the weather
The stark geometry of dying autumn is compelling, but I think the weather is trying to kill me. Beauchamp Point, 12X16, oil on canvasboard, $1449 framed, is available at my show at Camden Public Library. This is the most dangerous time of year, and the most dangerous hour is the gloaming before dawn. Nothing bad …
What do when you hit the doldrums?
Failure is the one sure sign that you’re experimenting and growing as an artist. Beth Carr’s painting of her mother camping, from a recent class on integrating figure into landscape. I’ve got a student who’s been down in the dumps for a few weeks now. “Everything I paint is terrible,” she said. “I throw it …