How I Teach Art, Lesson 1,5

In lesson one I spoke of the importance of the items you will need in your studio or home that will greatly assist you in your quest to paint or draw. The most important being the «moldeable rubber» (eraser), as it will help you to reduce the stress that can present itself when you face the following problems:

1. What to paint or draw?

Well, I would say that before asking yourself that question you should think in terms of «how» (not what) you see… Everything you see, whether indoors or outdoors, you perceive according to the light, so everything presents itself in parts. This is chiaroscuro in Italian, and light and dark in English. This is how you see and by extension, how an artist sees.

However, that only refers to subjects outside your head that you intend to paint. If you choose to paint landscapes, portraits or still life (nature-mort), you will paint what you see. And I mean it that way. Not necessarily what is there naturally before you, but what you…as an artist*…sees.

2. How shall I paint/draw this portrait/landscape/still life?

You must choose the style, the colour scheme…in accordance to colour theory…the size, the surface, the composition, dimensions, message et al… Nothing must be left to mere chance, however, you must be open to improvisation, which is completely different from randomness or intuitiveness.

* You are the artist. An artist is not a photographic camera that simply catches what is there. An artist creates, interprets and then represents in accordance to his/her idea and also what he/she wishes to communicate. A painted portrait is not the same as a photographic one. An artist must see beyond what is there and put those impressions…psychological, physical…into the portrait. (I suggest a detailed study of the portraits of Lucien Freud for any artist interested in becoming a portrait artist).

Here are some of my work from the early days of my career:

Keep in mind that an artist is a trained, educated and aware individual with a strong desire to communicate, to create and to participate in the ongoing and never ending social debate. In other words, a person with opinions, points of view and abilities to guide and counsel…

Art is not like many other things in life. Art, in its many manifestations, is a contrived and artificial endeavour. It is not related, in any way to reality, except for the fact that it is strictly within the realm of the human. Animals or machines cannot make art. Art is not truth, it is manipulated, created, invented and used by the artist to transmit emotions, feelings and messages.