I have been home from the workshop for a week now, and as I am processing all the learning, my strongest feeling is what a truly great honor and privilege it was to study with these two incredibly gifted artists and teachers.
What I would like to share today is the biggest thing they impressed upon us every day of the workshop:
Confident, well honed drawing skills are essential for a painter to become masterful. Top level painting requires constant, careful attention to keeping these skills sharp, and drawing from life, because it is so much more difficult than working from photos, is the best way to achieve this end.
In the first few days I really couldn't believe how slooooooowly and carefully they had us drawing, insisting we were measuring, checking, rechecking - not moving from one point to another until we were sure where we were leaving was accurate. It felt truly painful to hold my attention for this long as all the old familiar voices that have kept me from focusing this intently on drawing in the past rose up: "It's close enough, my measuring tool is out of focus, it's too hard to see it accurately anyway, I can't find a measurement that matches, even when I measure it doesn't come out right (read: even when i measure incorrectly ...), this is way too hard, does it really matter? I'll fix it later..." and they just kept circling the room, reminding us again and again that "Artistic license comes after the careful, accurate drawing is mastered."
So I believed in them and stuck with it, and somewhere around day 4 or 5 it began to click into place. My drawings actually started to look like what I was drawing - well proportioned, everything fitting on the page exactly where I intended it, a little like magic. Timed perfectly to move us into painting, where we spent the next 5 days really experiencing how inextricably intertwined these two aspects of creating art are. More next post, for now I'll leave you with the workshop mantras:
Squint and compare. Slow down. Work carefully.
Squint and compare. Slow down. Work carefully.
Squint and compare. Slow down. Work carefully....
Susan Lyon - 45 minute figure demo
What a wonderful workshop it must have been. I envy you.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Liz!
ReplyDeleteOh - it sounds fantastic. Wish I was there.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't be at that amazing workshop...but...I can..."Squint and compare. Slow down. Work carefully." I am grateful for the insights you share! Thanks, Liz!
ReplyDeleteLiz - hope you get into detail about everything you experienced and learned. Please show lots of pictures. From what you've shown so far you've gotten my interest...they weren't even on my radar and now I'm thinking of going.
ReplyDeleteHey Mary, I will definitely share some great pointers next post. As for photos, I won't post a lot here, but what I will do is set up an album on Facebook with a number of them. I'll provide a link to it here next post.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a nice blog. I love the photo above, cool angle. I'm blown away with how you stated the process and how you slowly got over the uncomfort of something that is new to you. Super fun to read and very imformative for beginners. Good job can't wait to read more.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Liz!
ReplyDeleteargh!! I hate to hear that stuff...but perfect timing because I am off to Red Deer for a week with the model (a week of Life Drawing, YAY!)and I will have to try and remember the mantra.
ReplyDeleteLiz, Thanks for sharing your experiences during the workshop, your description of wanting to move on with the drawing instead of focusing on making it correct first, sounds so familiar to me. I often feel the same way, so it helped to remind me of the importance to slow down, and focus carefully..no matter how long it's taking! Thanks :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Debbie, in the class most of us seemed to be feeling that restless discomfort that can come with intense focus. What I loved was that after holding the focus for long enough, it switched to complete captivation with the moment.
ReplyDeleteHello Liz Wiltzen, it's always like to make a visit to your blog.
ReplyDeleteIt should be a privilege to be part of a class as well.
From a fan this side of the Atlantic, in my country Portugal.
Congratulations and all good.
that last part really says it all! Wonderful post. Thanks Liz.
ReplyDelete