art instruction videos
Rose Tsang
Has anyone here used art instruction videos? I saw a few ads in an
an artist's magazine about mail-ordering these videos. I contacted
them and was sent some rather long lists on available videos.
I am particularly interested in watercolor intstruction videos.
Can anyone here recommend some good ones?
In general, are these videos helpful? Are they worth $30-$50 for
1 to 2 hours of instruction?
thanks in advance for your help!
- rose (ts...@tenet.cs.berkeley.edu)
Nita Leland
I've used art instruction videos and recently produced one myself. They
can
> be great tools for learning if they have lots of information, because you
> can stop and replay, which is an advantage. First, I suggest that you be
> familiar with the artist's work, so you know it is something you're
> interested in. I hesitate to recommend specific tapes, because our tastes
> would probably differ. Many of them are painting demonstrations without
> much instruction, which are helpful in a limited way but shouldn't cost
> more than $30. My video is on Basic Color Mixing. It's for all mediums,
but
> is done using watercolor. It's based on my book, Exploring Color. If you
> want more information, email me your address and I'll send you a
brochure.
>
> Nita Leland (nle...@erinet.com)
>
--
Charles Eicher
In article <5gmmre$n...@agate.berkeley.edu>, ts...@tenet.CS.Berkeley.EDU
(Rose Tsang) wrote:
> I am particularly interested in watercolor intstruction videos.
> Can anyone here recommend some good ones?
>
> In general, are these videos helpful? Are they worth $30-$50 for
> 1 to 2 hours of instruction?
IMHO, you should spend the $50 on watercolor pigments and paper. Consider
the materials as pure extravagance, so you won't use them like they're
precious. Make plenty of experiments, and make plenty of mistakes (that's
how you learn). $50 of watercolors will get you a lot further than $50 of
videotape.
| Charles Eicher |
| -=- |
| cei...@inav.net |
mmw
Bravo Charles!
And may I recommend Schimcke pigments, they are luscious.
I mean they are very smooth and intense.
and perhaps Japanese vellum paper (soaks up pigments) or
hot pressed paper, it is like silk or
cold pressed which is very forgiving.
Also have blotting paper ready.
(PS I have no commercial interest in the brand name mentioned above)
Marilyn
Nita Leland
Charles Eicher <cei...@inav.net> wrote in article
<ceicher-ya0230800...@news.inav.net>...
Make plenty of experiments, and make plenty of mistakes (that's
> how you learn
a solid foundation. A good instructor, an informative book or video can
save you years of trial and error (and lots of paint). IMHO, after years of
teaching watercolor, I find that the students who learn the basics rapidly
outshine the puddlers and when they're ready to experiment they find it
much easier to succeed because they've mastered the fundamentals.
--
Nita Leland
nle...@erinet.com
mmw
I believe that watercolour painting is not separate from painting
and that the difference between the puddlers and the painters is
COMPOSITION and experimentation.
Stay away from the how - to books
and instead look at the works of the masters,
in the real or in good reproductions at your library.
Marilyn
Stanley Beck
mmw wrote:
> ...
> I believe that watercolour painting is not separate from painting
> and that the difference between the puddlers and the painters is
> COMPOSITION and experimentation.
>
> Stay away from the how - to books
> and instead look at the works of the masters,
> in the real or in good reproductions at your library.
>
> Marilyn
You don't need books, teachers or videos to learn from -- you can be self
taught. It might take a lifetime, though. Better to have a little
education and guidance, in the begining, so that you don't have to be 80
before producing worthwhile work.
(I'm glad my dentist isn't self taught.)
--
Stanley Beck
Online Gallery --> http://members.aol.com/sbeckart/index.htm
Info --> mailto:sbec...@aol.com, mailto:sbec...@earthlink.net
Will Call
In article <01bc3470$18bf4120$ba74...@nleland.erinet.com>, nle...@erinet.com says...
>That's true only up to a point. If you want to get anywhere, you must have
>a solid foundation. A good instructor, an informative book or video can
>save you years of trial and error (and lots of paint).
Right on! I want to add an endorsement for your book EXPLORING
COLOR, published by North Light. I have a copy and it is an EXCELLENT
book for teaching color theory as well as a great reference for the
watercolor painter. I own a copy and can heartily recommend it.
As for learning from watching -- watercolor is one of those mediums
that has so many interesting tricks and teases that a person
is not liable to learn from even a good book. There is simply no
substitute for a good teacher doing a demo that people can watch.
And buying or renting a video is the next best thing I can think of. W.C.
Will Call
In article <33306A...@islandnet.com>, m...@islandnet.com says...
>Stay away from the how - to books
There is a wealth of value in how-to books for the
beginner in any medium, and especially in the
medium of watercolor. Watercolor is NOT like other
painting in the sense that students using both
oil and acrylics usually start off painting opaquely,
with no need to foresee the negative spaces in
the composition. One of the most important things
one can learn from watching a watercolor demo
is that of picking out the negative vs positive spaces.
Watercolor takes a degree of forethought and planning
that is not demanded of opague mediums. Aside from
that, why would anyone want to reinvent the wheel by
trial and error when watching a good demo or reading
a good how to book can save you so much time and
so much aggravation? W.H.
PS If I were writing rules for painting, I would have
EVERYONE start painting in whatever medium they
are using by painting transparently. Opague techniques
would be the last thing I would teach.
Nita Leland
Marilyn: I agree that watercolor and other painting mediums share the same
concerns, but they are very different as to technique. You can learn a
great deal from museums and galleries about what works in design, subject,
color, value, etc., but if you don't know what design is or how color
works, how can you interpret what you see? It can be a real struggle to
figure out how to make art without some kind of good instruction. Not
everyone has art centers and teachers--or museums and galleries--nearby
and some begin their journey alone without support from other artists. For
these folks, a good book or instructional video can be a real lifesaver.
Ideally, we should all enrich ourselves by absorbing as much art as we can
and doing as much art as we can. That's how we grow. But somehow, somewhere
we have to get a foundation of basic principles, if we hope to be
successful.
Nita Leland
nle...@erinet.com
mmw
Will Call wrote:
"reinvent the wheel by trial and error"
Is that your description of experimentation?
Have you really looked at the examples of paintings in most
how-to-books?
Marilyn
Nita Leland
Thanks for the endorsement for EXPLORING COLOR. I take it you're a
watercolorist. May I ask some questions? What is your preference in demos?
Do you like to watch an artist do the whole thing from start to finish or
demonstrate tricks and techniques for specific things? So many artists
paint without much explanation or with irrelevant chitchat, which gets
pretty boring--and many videos are like that. Have you seen my video on
color mixing? Do you do demos? Have you taken watercolor workshops and what
did you like/dislike about them?
Nita Leland
nle...@erinet.com
Will Ca...@email.com> wrote
Will Call
In article <01bc3534$3b4e73e0$4e74...@nleland.erinet.com>, nle...@erinet.com says...
>Thanks for the endorsement for EXPLORING COLOR. I take it you're a
>watercolorist.
No, I'm an artist who uses watercolor as only one of many mediums
in my oeuvre by which I express myself.
>May I ask some questions? What is your preference in demos?
I really have none. My contribution to this discussion is based
on my long association with creating art, specifically painting
and drawing but not exclusively. I do 3-D on occasion too. And
lately a little computer compiled stuff. I can remember though
when I was in my "novice" mode and how important LIVE
demos were to me for learning watercolor in particular. I had
two semesters of watercolor while obtaining my BFA. Both
professors relied heavily on demonstrating and then letting the
pupil apply what they saw in the demo to their own compositions.
>Do you like to watch an artist do the whole thing from start to finish or
>demonstrate tricks and techniques for specific things?
Both, if it is something that I can learn from. Bear with me as I
repeat a story I have told in this forum once before. When living
in Dallas years ago, I attended several Art in the Park type
cooperative exhibitions where weekend and hobby artists (mostly)
display and sell their work. As I went from booth to booth, I kept
seeing the same little watercolor scenes, all looking virtually
identical, done by the various artists. When I inquired, I found out
that they had all been to a watercolor class taught by artist
Jim Powell at Southern Methodist University back then. Guess
who was signed up for his next class? I found out that he taught
by demonstrating -- and everyone in the class did exactly as
he did -- copying his little formula compositions. He would call
everyone to the front where his work was set up, demonstrate
a particular passage, and then the class would go back and
using the same palette of colors, do just as they had seen him
do. It was a truly
great if simple way to learn what might have taken me years of
self-exploration to learn otherwise. One of his favorite "rules" for
watercolor was to do last "roofs, roads, and rivers" -- meaning to
keep the whites for these until the very last.
>Have you seen my video on color mixing?
Sorry to say I haven't. Nor have I seen any other demos you might
have done. Have you done these on TV? I don't watch much,
and rarely get an opportunity to watch cable, but if you are on
regularly, I would love to know so I can try and watch.
>Do you do demos?
Only on the rare occasions when I have had an opportunity
to teach others -- not something I have done either
much of or routinely.
>Have you taken watercolor workshops and what
>did you like/dislike about them?
Covered in the above. I have been around art and artists
for more years than many in this newsgroup have lived.
So I have seen both the boring and the exciting when it
comes to "teachers" who either understand how to teach
or don't. The latter are usually the bores, imo. You don't
obtain two degrees in art at the University level without
seeing more than you care to of demos and teacher's
attitudes, both good and bad. It took me five solid years
of year-around classes to obtain my degrees. Nothing to
brag about -- just establishing my credentials. W. C.
Will Call
In article <333101...@islandnet.com>, m...@islandnet.com says...
>Have you really looked at the examples of paintings in most
>how-to-books?
See my latest reply to Ms Leland for an answer. I've read
or browsed enough how-to books in my lifetime to fill
a good sized library. How about YOU? W.H.
mmw
Stanley Beck wrote:
> Re: "I a glad my dentist isn't self-taught."
Never did I mention the word: "self-taught" or even autodidact.
I *suggest" studying the great painters' works to get a good
idea of composition.
I *suggest* experimentation.
However, if you wish to support the watercolor industry,
there must be 500 HOW-TO books out there on watercolor.
Only two books on the subject:
"Das Aquerelle," and "The Content of Watercolor"
could last a painter a lifetime.
Marilyn
Nita Leland
Will Call wrote: I found out that he taught
> by demonstrating -- and everyone in the class did exactly as
> he did -- copying his little formula compositions. He would call
> everyone to the front where his work was set up, demonstrate
> a particular passage, and then the class would go back and
> using the same palette of colors, do just as they had seen him
> do. It was a truly great if simple way to learn what might have taken me
years of
> self-exploration to learn otherwise.
I'm glad you were able to rise above that method. Unfortunately, many
people get stuck in that copy mode and never do figure out what exactly
they did. They're just happy they have a picture to take home from class.
Thanks for your answer to my questions. You won't find me on TV. I haven't
decided if I want to do that yet. It's very costly and time-consuming. I
was asked by a California video producer to do a video on color and we did
three, but only one has been released so far. Mostly I teach workshops
around the country and in Canada and have written three books for artists.
Sounds to me like you're a solid professional. Hats off!
--
Nita Leland
nle...@erinet.com
kajoj...@aol.com
Goodness! How did I almost miss this thread!
Nita, I dug out an old, tattered copy of your CREATIVE ARTIST and thumbed through it once again... I like the fact that you show examples of many different artists, and don't set your own work up as the be-all-and-end-all example as so many books do. I do have quite a collection of watercolor, acrylic and oil instructional-type books (plus a few other mediums) that I still go back and peruse from time to time... but to be honest... they are picture books for me... not really instructional except to suggest an approach I might try.
Your questions regarding the use of videos, demos, etc. made me think back over the years... a few choice workshops, a lot of books, almost no videos, development of style and technique by close study of works I found intriguing, and reams of paper and gallons of paint used in the exploration of one idea or another. As to demos of special tricks and such... that may be entertainment, but not infomation I'm particularly interested in. The saran wrap technique/trick still sticks in my craw. If it's too easily identifiable as a trick... it isn't something I want to be part of. Realistic watercolor was basic to my development as an artist and I still work in a watercolor manner with thinly layered acrylics on canvas in an abstract manner.. I have to admit, it still feels good to take on a highly detailed watercolor on paper every once in a while!
.............Karen Jacobs.................................
http://members.aol.com/kajojacobs/index.htm
Charles Eicher
In article <3330B1...@earthlink.net>, Stanley Beck
<sbec...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> You don't need books, teachers or videos to learn from -- you can be self
> taught. It might take a lifetime, though. Better to have a little
> education and guidance, in the begining, so that you don't have to be 80
> before producing worthwhile work.
Well, I did kinda dismiss the idea of video instruction, but I am a great
believer in education. I just don't think most of the art instructional
videos I've seen (and i've seen a LOT of them) are of much use. Granted,
I'm not a beginner, but I can only think of a couple of minutes out of the
hours (or days, weeks etc) of videos I've watched, that were of any use.
I do recall one series I did watch, back when I was a beginner.. It was a
rather unusual series, called 'Paint along with Nancy Kominsky'.. She
taught oil painting, and did everything with a pallette knife and no
mediums. I watched it for a while, and started using a few of her impasto
techniques in a painting class, and the teacher came up to me one day, and
said "WHERE did you learn to do THAT?!!" Unfortunately, that classroom
teacher wasn't big on teaching techniques, and in lieu of formal technical
instruction, we tend to pick up whatever we see, whether its good technique
or not.
> (I'm glad my dentist isn't self taught.)
I have news for you: they ARE. To use doctors as an example (since I used
to work in a hospital), yes, there's a lot of formal instruction, but all
of the REAL learning is done on the job. To give just one example,
surgeon's mortality statistics for their first few operations are about
50/50. That's not just ALL operations, its each TYPE of operation.
Statistically, their mortality rate stays at .5 until their 7th attempt at
that surgery. So, if you have your appendix out, make sure you're not being
operated on by a surgical resident with only 2 prior attempts at an
appendectomy.
| Charles Eicher |
| -=- |
| cei...@inav.net |
Stanley Beck
Charles Eicher wrote:
>
> In article <3330B1...@earthlink.net>, Stanley Beck
> <sbec...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
> > (I'm glad my dentist isn't self taught.)
>
> I have news for you: they ARE. To use doctors as an example (since I used
>
> | Charles Eicher |
I think you missed my point (humor).
Learning dosen't need an instructor, but without one its direction and
duration are questionable.
Regards,
mmw
Stanley Beck wrote:
>
> Charles Eicher wrote:
> >
> > In article <3330B1...@earthlink.net>, Stanley Beck
> > <sbec...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > > (I'm glad my dentist isn't self taught.)
> >
> > I have news for you: they ARE. To use doctors as an example (since I used
> > to work in a hospital)...
> >
> > | Charles Eicher |
>
> I think you missed my point (humor).
>
> Learning dosen't need an instructor, but without one its direction and
> duration are questionable.
>
> Regards,
>
> --
> Stanley Beck
An instructor whose WORK you admire.
Marilyn