Contrasting painting fine-art with illustration
A fine artist’s primary goal is usually to create an aesthetic and emotional experience, while an illustrator’s is to communicate an idea, story, or message. Comparing the two styles at a more detailed level, I can come up with the following list: Fine artistic concern Illustration concern Emotion and aesthetic experience are primary. Communication and […]
Mastering composition with value and saturation
To practice the lessons learned from reading books last Wednesday, I walked around the corner to sketch a new value study plein-air for a new composition. The pathway from the schoolyard to the adjacent street is adorned with canopies of many large trees, which are rich at this time of year. I liked the sense […]
Notan or value study
The use of Notan by painters and graphic designers dates back a long time. It was popularized by Arthur Wesley Dow as an effective way to prepare a painting composition. His book Composition: A Series of Exercises in Art Structure has been a priced educational material for generations of fine artists and illustrators. Notan is […]
The practice of thumbnails
Thumbnails are about compositional intelligence, not about anatomy, rendering or refinement. This is the first step in creating a successful painting. The goals of the exercise The first goal is to train the eye to see structure, not objects such as trees, boats, faces, details, or buildings. Rather, it is about seeing value masses, directional […]