Throughout history, artists and ateliers have promoted the challenge of painting a Master Copy as a tool for learning. The benefits, including technical and inspirational lessons, are numerous. For instance, the painter can actively focus on the Master artist’s thought process, problem solving and inspiration. I describe my first experience in painting a Master Copy…
Drawing drills Why bother with drawing drills when I’ve been out of school for 6 months? Well, truth is the commitment to the craft requires drawing drills. And, since David and I are staying in Philadelphia 1 more year, I’ve enlisted the help of one of my instructors, Stephen Early, to help me continue to refine…
While drawing these figs, I immediately thought of the words “shady characters.” You may think that the figs are the shady characters, right? After all, the figs are casting shadows and they look ‘shady.’ But the truth is I am the one who is the ‘shady character.’ On two separate morning walks this week, I…
How is life after art school? I’ll share three words with you. Well, OK, I’ll share 3 words in 2 different ways and reveal my MA roots, too. Wicked awesome exciting Wicked awesome scary Why is life after art school wicked awesome exciting? As one classmate described it, “I feel as if I am free!”…
Artists of any medium who develop a critical eye are sure to refine and improve their work. The ability to objectively look at what you are creating and assess it is 1) not for the faint of heart and 2) an essential skill to acquire. Here are a few things I am doing to help…
Learning to problem solve may not seem consistent with being an artist. But, in fact, problem solving is exactly what being an artist is. Here I am writing again about characteristics of my teachers and classmates and many successful artists I have met. I shared other virtues of artists in recent posts on commitment, punctuality and…
Endurance and punctuality are words you hear and associate with sporting events or maybe the military. Right? But when you think “artist” or “art school” do you think of the words endurance or punctuality? Probably not and that’s OK. Punctuality Before I wax on about the virtues of endurance, I need to come clean on…
Commitment may not seem to be a word associated with oil painting or artists or even art school. In fact, these days there are many other words associated with artists which I will not repeat here. Instead, I will write about some of the commitments people are making to attend this school. I suspect there…
Self awareness as a technique for learning What does self-awareness have to do with art school? Consider this, Studio Incamminati Instructor and painter JaFang Lu said the following to me and my classmates (more than once) this year (and last), “I can share my knowledge with you but I cannot tell you how to manage your…
When I started oil studies two years ago, I used the most inexpensive canvas paper I could find. Fast forward to today and teachers are telling us to try the finest, most magnificent canvasses and paint. What does this mean? Instead of Titanium white oil paint, use lead white paint. Instead of cotton duck canvas,…
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