Sometimes I think it’s a good idea to get a bunch of recent work together and just look at it. To see what you notice.
So that’s what I’ve been doing.
Most of the recent pieces I’ve done have been flowers, from life where possible, and once or twice outside – kind of plein air still life.
Now, there’s an interesting thing that happens when you teach – or at least, it happens to me. I don’t know about other artists.
When I’m teaching, I’m always looking for where I think I can make the most difference to peoples’ skill levels. I’m looking for big picture things, where I think most of the people that learn with me can benefit – what I can give that will make the most difference to most people – to everyone, as much as I can.
And when I identify those things, they also become a focus for when I’m painting – often without me noticing.
So I find that, even when I don’t paint much because I’m too busy teaching, my work changes. I’d like to say it improves, but that’s a loaded term!
I’ll let other people decide what they think about that. Me, I just try to focus on moving forwards.
What I’ve been teaching lately is what I’ve come to term the Painter’s Perception – the term I’m using to describe the process of seeing shapes, values, relationships, colours, edges…instead of things.
Because I think that when we focus on things too much, we very often risk losing the big picture.
The relationships get out of whack. The edges end up all hard and unforgiving. The depth and life can go out of the work.
Now, I’ve always taught this to a greater or lesser degree. But just lately I’ve begun to have a much clearer focus on it, to actively look for ways to make it explicit in the teaching. To make sure people get it.
Of course it takes practice too. But I think I’ve been seeing a really positive dfifference in a lot of people’s work, especially in the last workshop. It was very exciting and inspiring to teach.
And what strikes me about the pieces I’ve done lately is that they all show a fairly noticeable focus on shape, value and relationships. And edges.
Of course that’s what we all think about, or at least what we know we should be thinking about. It’s all the stuff we know makes a difference. But I think often, we can forget to keep it at the top of our minds when we’re working.
When a painting runs away from you, it’s very often becasue you’ve become embroiled in the details, in the thingness of the things, and detail is very often the enemy of the big picture and keeping the relationships good.
I know this because it happens to me, and because I can see it when it happens to the people I have the privilege to teach.
So when I’m trying to come up with innovative ways to shock people out of their detail obsession, to see the big picture ALL the way through a piece, and to keep the temptation to obsess ovee inconsequential detail in check – well, it turns out I’m teaching myself too.
I’ll leave you with this work in progress shot of one I’m on with at the moment. I’ve just done the second session on it today, and I’ve been trying very hard to resist the tempotation to dive into the flowers, and to stay focused on the relationships and the big picture. Even after all this time painting, it’s still not easy. But I do think I’m getting there.
It’s actually easier to see when a painting is further away and in a small image like this – and in fact that’s a useful thing to do. Try taking a pic of your painting on your phone and making it really, really small. Then all you can see are the relationships, and you can see things that you might not otherwise.
It works with reference images too.
I hope that some of this resonates with you in some way, I hope it helps you to try to stay with the big picture and with the stuff that makes the most difference, especially at the beginning of a piece.
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Thank you Paul
Your paintings reflect your humanity
Most of your students I’m sure would agree
Hi Paul,
I appreciate your letter. I agree with your discovery of keeping the big picture before you.
I also can see that you are an accomplished draftman that underlies your ability to observe nature/subjects.
However, I have observed to my dismay that too many teachers out there do not emphasize developing drawing skills before they move to painting, or it is not a prerequisite.
In my journey I discovered what you mention in your letter. Also for me I am better equipped to ananalyze and omit details because of my drawing ability. Knowing what is really necessary to make the work believable.
I admire your painterly style and it causes me to to be more critical when editing details. I have a long way to go because of my temperament tends to take me to the the Northern Renaissance and the Van Eyck ‘s….
Sincerely,
Certainly nothing wrong with that! 🙂
well well well. just perfect and right on advice for this time in my painting too!!!! you always ‘nail it’ in one way or another. thanks so much for the email and advice and a glimpse of these lovely paintings. love, me billy cats. xo
Thanks for keeping in touch with your students Paul. It’s encouraging to see YOU progress because it gives US hope! All of your work is beautiful….keep em coming!
Mauri McKay
I have to remind myself to approach what you write with caution. If I’m not careful, I find myself in front of a canvas with brush in hand. Thanks for that.
Wonderful insights.
Absolutely brilliant, Paul!
Your roses are divine!
Imho I would ask Kathleen Speranzza to take a look. She would know exactly what you’re aiming for, and if you’ve fallen short in any way.
Keep going! I’ve been following you for years, and have seen your work develop into something quite wonderful!
Thank you Paul!!! I do get caught up with the details in my work. This is a great reminder of what I should focus on
Thank you Paul I get it what you mean. Sometimes difficult to let go of your focus . Take a distance works for me. I Teach students and it’s so muchh easyer to see by others Thank yourself.
Greetings sylvia Frankena Holland
You say you think you are getting there and I must agree. I haven’t seen your work for a few months and it seems to me a big shift has occurred. Really lovely work. And thank you for the reminder. Fiddle not!
Joanna
Hi Paul,
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on perception and how pursuing detail can easily overtake our aim. Thank you.
Nice piece of writing, Paul, sharing some concerns I can relate to, such as the seeming eternal struggle to let go of the (unnecessary) detail and stay loose. I’m currently trying to unlearn my addiction to tight painting, and in this regard you are a wonderful example. You remain a major influence to me, even when we haven’t heard from you in a while. Many thanks!
Absolutely lovely Paul! I personally think you’ve reached a new step in your painting.
Great wisdom… great advice!!!! Your work is absolutely gorgeous!! One day I hope to paint roses like you do!! Your work is so inspirational!!You have such a humble soul!! Thanks for sharing your words of expertise and knowledge!! You are an awesome teacher and artist!!
Hi Paul, I love getting your emails, they stop me in my busy getting-back-on-my-feet life and remind me to hang on. I plan to be picking up my paintbrush again soon and go exploring this beautiful place I have landed.
Thank you for your inspiration, teaching, and friendship over the years.
I am still hanging in there and I know I am a better artist because of your courses!
-Renee
Oh my goodness!! This came on a day when I am still struggling to get back into my studio and get focused. It has been months since I have done anything of note (and I have the Munsell course waiting for me to get busy on that as well)… I need to post above my current painting what you wrote about becoming embroiled in the details. I need to back off from those devilish details!! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and allowing us to approach you. You are a gift to your students.
Nice to see a post from you about your own work. I always find that really instructive. Thank you.
And that second piece is spectacular! Those slight chroma shifts in the shadows take it to a whole new level. Bravo!
That final one with the light background is very interesting. I’m curious to hear whether it threw up any knotty problems you had to solve.
One question that bubbled up while I was reading this was this. Do you have any advice on getting back to the big picture once you’ve started down the rabbit hole of detail? I find it so hard to pull back once stuff is down and usually resort to painting the whole thing again.
Hi Michele. The light background hasn’t presented any real problems so far – at least, no more than painting ever does. I’m just following the process, trying to stay aware of what’s happening and adjust as I go, trying to get closer to what I have in mind for it. The values, colours, general approach of simplifying – all that has been the same so far. But it’s not finished yet 🙂
I think perhaps the best advice I’d have for when you’ve already got lost in the detail and know you’ve gone too far is perhaps major surgery. Scrape the offending areas back to the simplified version and restate the main blocks, being very careful of the values and edges more than anything else. Drastic, but it works for me!
Paul – Thank you for including me in your recent commentary. I do not paint flowers but might someday – and I do enjoy your explanations and images. Your work is beautiful. All the best to you and the studio cat and your family and students. Enjoy your success and creativity.
Hi, Paul. I just want you to know that How important you are to share and upload the videos on colors in oil painting. They’re systematic and helpful to me.
I am benefited by them a lot.
非常謝謝你在油畫色彩上的知識分享。