My painting teacher, Jim Faber, used to say: “paint what you see, not what you THINK you see! It’s a call to observation. Instead of assuming that the sky is blue and the leaves are green, take a look. How does the light affect the colors? What are we taking for granted? What have weContinue reading “Axiom #3 Paint What You See”
Category Archives: Observation
Boundaries and Grids of Life
A common exercise to help train the artist’s eye is to enlarge the image of a photograph by using a grid method wherein a picture is sectioned off. A corresponding larger piece of art paper or canvas is similarly sectioned off in proportion, simply larger. Then the student-artist concentrates on one square at a timeContinue reading “Boundaries and Grids of Life”
Observa-tion is the Key to Art
Observation…we discuss it every week in the art classes whether it be drawing or painting. We often ask, “what did you see differently this week because you took the time to really observe something? The study of art gives us an avenue to view our natural world with fresh eyes and take in all the nuanceContinue reading “Observa-tion is the Key to Art”
Observing Details
My current drawing class is made up of individuals with varying degrees of artistic experience and skills. They are all doing a great job and I am encouraged by their progress. Each student is learning to observe the world in a more detailed way which is the gateway to artistic endeavor. In observation we gainContinue reading “Observing Details”
Contrast, Drawing and Observation
As I prepare to teach a drawing course I drew this pencil portrait of my granddaughter looking at a greeting card. Although not highly finished, it demonstrates a high contrast that helps to make a drawing look convincing. She is much prettier than this rendition and so I will continue to make attempts that IContinue reading “Contrast, Drawing and Observation”
penfrea. com Nehemiah's Art 