Trusting the process
Eliska
I'm having a real case of the terrors right now, spreading on layer after layer of color,
trying to balance different areas of my painting, but I won't know til the end if it's a
success or failure
I've been in this place before and I need to trust the artistic process - to know that
something beyond my conscious mind is doing the work. But I keep getting the willies
because I tell myself if it's a failure, I'll have to start all over. And I'm on a time
table.
Do y'all have a similar experience when creating?
How do you comfort yourself?
What do you tap into for guidance?
Eliska
Paul Mesken
wrote:
Oh Hell yes (although I'm not on a timetable since I'm not a
professional artist). My guidance comes from a carefull approach and
methodolgy.
Ofcourse it always starts with an idea which produces quick sketches.
These sketches get progressively better. In my experience an idea
cannot be captured completely right from the start, one needs to
sketch to elaborate on the idea until one recognizes the idea in the
sketch. It is also in the process of making the sketches that the idea
of composition gets a more geometrical grounding (discovering lines
and angles that work) and color is worked out (for me that is in the
context of the geometry). To me it's quite important to "get" my
sketches in terms of lines and angles since this gives me a framework.
Issues of anatomy are worked out by reference material (I wouldn't
want to degrade a good idea by fouling up big time at anatomy). By
that time I'm starting to make drawings which are real sized (or half
sized if it's really going to be big). I want to know exactly why the
sketch worked by figuring it completely out. I don't want to encounter
any problem on the "drawing" side of a painting when I paint.
Typically I do a couple of drawings of difficult parts like hands. The
final drawing is traced over and transfered with pigment (most often
yellow ochre) to the panel.
Effectively I break up the problem of painting in two parts : the
drawing and the painting. As long as I don't paint (which is the real
work) I don't fear failure since I can go on and on making the same
design over and over again (after all : it's not the real thing so
anxiety doesn't bother me at all). The transfered drawing gives me the
confidence that I can't fail anymore on that part (and that's the part
which can make a painting _really_ fail).
Even though I've often embarked on making grisailles (and thus
dividing the painting up in 3 parts : drawing, shades and color) it
simply doesn't work for me, I need to do stuff Alla Prima. Still most
paintings fail to my eyes (and I stop immediately when I see failure,
I've _lots_ of unfinished work) and this simply is due to the fact
that I have a tendency to overwork a painting which kills the
definition. But I always have my "insurance" of having the tracing
paper so I can have a new one up in 10 minutes.
Furthermore : I've always found worries not to be very productive. One
needs to be consumed by the work itself.
Also, experimenting with my material and making test boards gives me a
handle. If I have something like a silk skirt in my painting then it's
sure like Hell that that will not be the very first silky texture I've
made. I don't want to encounter textural problems for the first time
when doing a real work. It must have been figured out and done far
before that.
Naked_Angel
From: "Eliska" <eli...@tampabay.rr.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.fine
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 10:18 AM
Subject: Trusting the process
> I'm working on a watercolor commission - a portrait of two pugs and am
giving myself fits.
>
>
> I'm having a real case of the terrors right now, spreading on layer after
layer of color,
> trying to balance different areas of my painting, but I won't know til the
end if it's a
> success or failure
>
> I've been in this place before and I need to trust the artistic process - to
know that
> something beyond my conscious mind is doing the work. But I keep getting the
willies
> because I tell myself if it's a failure, I'll have to start all over. And
I'm on a time
> table.
>
> Do y'all have a similar experience when creating?
> How do you comfort yourself?
> What do you tap into for guidance?
>
> Eliska
>
Um. One time, I had a problem with spiders and carried around a can of bug
spray where-ever I went. It was an unfortunate moment when I grabbed the wrong
can to spray a picture with what I thought was fixative.
I had 2 choices. Throw the thing away, or force a work-a-ble solution. The bug
spray created a texture that was all wrong, but instead of attempting to get
rid of it, I worked "with" it. Thus, I came up with all sorts of interesting
movements and textures in what (honestly) would have been a boring, flat
picture.
So... It ain't what you got - it's how you work it? LOL
================
http://www.rcip.com/nerdgerl
WoN ereH
>What do you tap into for guidance?
>
>Eliska
Have a glass of wine or a similar vehicle for numbing that part of the brain in
charge of self doubt. Why you need that part of the brain when operating
machinery -- a woodworker friend who lost a finger on the table saw said it is
very dangerous to get too confident operating a table saw. But paint brushes
rarely poke you in the eye, and paper is relatively cheap.
Debra -- who needs to get back to work already.....
Eliska
>
>Um. One time, I had a problem with spiders and carried around a can of bug
>spray where-ever I went. It was an unfortunate moment when I grabbed the wrong
>can to spray a picture with what I thought was fixative.
>
>I had 2 choices. Throw the thing away, or force a work-a-ble solution. The bug
>spray created a texture that was all wrong, but instead of attempting to get
>rid of it, I worked "with" it. Thus, I came up with all sorts of interesting
>movements and textures in what (honestly) would have been a boring, flat
>picture.
>
>So... It ain't what you got - it's how you work it? LOL
Bwahahahaha
I saw a sumi-e demonstration once where the Asian artist said
(Honest to goodness)
"Japanese nevuh make mistake ...spiwr dlop of ink - make buttuhfry"
E
Naked_Angel
news:g41i6vsmf55ol2oq8...@4ax.com...
> I saw a sumi-e demonstration once where the Asian artist said
> (Honest to goodness)
>
> "Japanese nevuh make mistake ...spiwr dlop of ink - make buttuhfry"
>
Aww suki suki now!
> E
Eliska
Replying to my own post.
After I asked those two questions, I answered myself.
In the past, I have comforted myself with the past - in other words - reminding myself
that I've been in this place of fear before and I usually came out just fine. Even if it
meant I worked harder or longer than I planned.
But more often than not, the picture came out really well - almost like the process of
gold being forged in a painful fire.
Also, in this particular case, I'd had to put the portrait aside for a couple of days. I
am using emailed images that I printed out - so I went back to my computer and looked at
the original pictures - all of them (I had only printed some of the main reference
photos).
I spent time communing with the doggies, so to speak. I know that some people think that's
a lot of bunk, but I really get a feeling for the person, animal or scene I'm painting
when I look at and/or read about them/it.
I also did some deep breathing to relax and open the creative channels
So I didn't let the fear stop me from going forward. I put it into words and shared it
with y'all and you helped a lot
Now that painting looks a lot better - workable and potentially even very good.
Phew!! Thanks
E
Eliska
>
>Oh Hell yes (although I'm not on a timetable since I'm not a
>professional artist). My guidance comes from a carefull approach and
>methodolgy.
snip
I love your description of the preparation that you do. I almost drool when listening to
or watching an artist in the creative process
>
>
>Effectively I break up the problem of painting in two parts : the
>drawing and the painting. As long as I don't paint (which is the real
>work) I don't fear failure since I can go on and on making the same
>design over and over again (after all : it's not the real thing so
>anxiety doesn't bother me at all).
Same here!
>The transfered drawing gives me the
>confidence that I can't fail anymore on that part (and that's the part
>which can make a painting _really_ fail).
Yep
snip
>I need to do stuff Alla Prima.
I also find that the most exciting
>Still most
>paintings fail to my eyes (and I stop immediately when I see failure,
>I've _lots_ of unfinished work) and this simply is due to the fact
>that I have a tendency to overwork a painting which kills the
>definition.
Do you ever revisit them?
A painting that I thought was a total failure was actually a stunning success when I
viewed it later. I couldn't believe it was the same picture. It's that gremlin phenomenon
- put the painting away for a while and the gremlins redo it
A friend ended up buying it without my even marketing it. She was looking through my
portfolio and saw it there.
Also, I have a lot of pictures I thought weren't finished, but they were.
>Furthermore : I've always found worries not to be very productive. One
>needs to be consumed by the work itself.
What a great thought, Paul. I'm going to print that out and tape it on the wall above my
drawing board
>
>Also, experimenting with my material and making test boards gives me a
>handle. If I have something like a silk skirt in my painting then it's
>sure like Hell that that will not be the very first silky texture I've
>made. I don't want to encounter textural problems for the first time
>when doing a real work. It must have been figured out and done far
>before that.
Great advice. Thanks
E
NightMist
wrote:
>I'm working on a watercolor commission - a portrait of two pugs and am giving myself fits.
Oh sure.
No doubt that is why I will take a zillion reference photos and do as
many or more sketches and a final rendering before I even think about
starting on a panel.
However since I work in acrylic and usually start with a monotone or
sometimes a grisaille, I can fuss with that stage to my hearts
content. Admitedly, I'm seldom ever satisfied with it, but I slap
myself upside the head and press on anyway.
Doing a painting where I decide what and when is a lot easier. No
pressure to get a representation of darling little Pooky, or whatever,
looking just so. If I screw some bit up and decide I like it, I can
keep it rather than having to fix somebody's eyes being too blue or
something.
If I'm at a point where I'm just beating my head against it, I set it
aside deadline or no. Then I'll do one of my "nevous french fry"
paintings just to loosen up and screw my head back on. I just grab a
panel and play with lighting and perspective with dimensional
squiggles and geometrics. Makes a good opportunity to play with color
as well.
Usually sell the damn things too *insert mild bewilderment here*
When I go back to the pay work, I'm usually able to see much more
clearly what was giving me trouble or making me nervous and carry on.
Barbara
--
everybody is somebodys chew toy
Nikolaus Maack
>>I'm working on a watercolor commission - a portrait of two pugs and am giving myself fits.
This might sound like a strange question: were these pugs, by any
chance, wearing dresses?
Someone commissioned me to paint a portrait of their two pugs. They
emailed me the photos. I'm just curious if they're putting together a
gallery of paintings of their dogs.
Some of the photos she sent me via email were of her dogs in drag --
pugs in dresses. Quite funny. In the end, I worked mostly from one
photo which was too cute (and sexy) to resist -- dogs in the nude.
Here's what my painting/drawing/whatever ended up looking like:
http://www.nikart.ca/newer/59.html
I'd love to see the final results of your work, if possible.
You mention taking breaks from a painting in order to realize your art
looks better than you think it does. I find the same applies to
writing. If I'm working on a story, I'm too much "inside it" to know if
it's good. Putting it aside for a while, then coming back to it gives
me some distance.
Another trick I have with painting is to walk away from it, and then
five minutes later, to walk up to it as though seeing it for the first
time. The initial impression is more raw, more meaningful than when
I've been staring at it for hours.
A thing I've started doing lately is taking pictures of the work in
progress with my digital camera, and then looking at them on the
computer. Somehow, seeing the painting on the screen like this, gives
me some necessary distance, helping me decide what I want to do to the
art next.
C. Enna
says...
>Do y'all have a similar experience when creating?
>How do you comfort yourself?
>What do you tap into for guidance?
I often reach a point in painting when I know
that nothing I will do will make it any good.
And putting it away for another day is not the
answer - for me anyway. If it's a failed effort
it's not going to be saved by anything I do
later. I just move on and hope the failure isn't
a oft-repeated matter!
Dick Harper
> A thing I've started doing lately is taking pictures of the work in
> progress with my digital camera, and then looking at them on the
> computer. Somehow, seeing the painting on the screen like this, gives
> me some necessary distance, helping me decide what I want to do to the
> art next.
That gives you a good start to making and selling prints as
well.
--Dick
Dick Harper
> Of course it always starts with an idea which produces quick sketches.
> These sketches get progressively better. In my experience an idea
> cannot be captured completely right from the start, one needs to
> sketch to elaborate on the idea until one recognizes the idea in the
> sketch. It is also in the process of making the sketches that the idea
> of composition gets a more geometrical grounding (discovering lines
> and angles that work) and color is worked out (for me that is in the
> context of the geometry). To me it's quite important to "get" my
> sketches in terms of lines and angles since this gives me a framework.
>
> Issues of anatomy are worked out by reference material (I wouldn't
> want to degrade a good idea by fouling up big time at anatomy). By
> that time I'm starting to make drawings which are real sized (or half
> sized if it's really going to be big). I want to know exactly why the
> sketch worked by figuring it completely out. I don't want to encounter
> any problem on the "drawing" side of a painting when I paint.
> Typically I do a couple of drawings of difficult parts like hands.
This sounds very much like the process of writing character
sketches, describing locations, working plot points, writing
scenes, doing some research, and finally writing the "real" first
draft of a novel.
Nikolaus Maack also tied this in to writing, Eliska, and it
occurred to me that your "internal editor" is working overtime.
Slap the editor down and go back to work.
Let's continue with the book analogy. Your homework means you
know your character's names, what they look like (in this case
what they really look like), and their personality fairly well. If
you son't know their personality, stop and rethink. I'm sure the
person who commissioned the work gave you some clues.
OK you have a notion of what this book will look like so
you're ready to go.
Do not go back for *any* reason to rewrite until the draft is
done. If you see you need more reseach, write yourself a PostIt.
Don't worry about the bloopers; all you're after is to put words
on paper until the story is told.
Is painting so different? You know, if the fur is the wrong
color or the light is wrong, you can fix it when the paint dries.
That's it. Paint. Then paint some more.
> The final drawing is traced over and transfered with pigment (most often
> yellow ochre) to the panel...
Have you tried projecting rather than tracing?
--Dick