Comments on: The schmear http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/ Making and Thinking About Visual Art Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:18:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/comment-page-1/#comment-6113 David Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:50:49 +0000 http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/#comment-6113 <p>Cementgirl,</p> <p>Thanks for the reference to Lovis Corinth. I hadn't been aware of him previously.</p> <p>I don't find any schmears in his work. His paintings are strong examples of fine bravura work that is exactly the opposite of what I'm calling a schmear.</p> Cementgirl,

Thanks for the reference to Lovis Corinth. I hadn’t been aware of him previously.

I don’t find any schmears in his work. His paintings are strong examples of fine bravura work that is exactly the opposite of what I’m calling a schmear.

]]> By: cementgirl http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/comment-page-1/#comment-6073 cementgirl Thu, 16 Aug 2007 04:16:27 +0000 http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/#comment-6073 <p>I've just discovered Lovis Corinth. What a virtuoso Schmearer! My instructor tells me he is not well known in USA more in Europe.</p> I’ve just discovered Lovis Corinth. What a virtuoso Schmearer! My instructor tells me he is not well known in USA more in Europe.

]]> By: David http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/comment-page-1/#comment-5863 David Sat, 04 Aug 2007 15:39:58 +0000 http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/#comment-5863 <p>Jeff,</p> <p>I think most of us are guilty on this count.</p> Jeff,

I think most of us are guilty on this count.

]]> By: jeff http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/comment-page-1/#comment-5813 jeff Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:49:01 +0000 http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/#comment-5813 <p>This is true. Good bravura painting is all about drawing with the brush. I know what you mean about the schmear, as I am guilty of this infraction as well.</p> This is true. Good bravura painting is all about drawing with the brush. I know what you mean about the schmear, as I am guilty of this infraction as well.

]]> By: David http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/comment-page-1/#comment-5785 David Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:50:54 +0000 http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/#comment-5785 <p>Jeff,</p> <p>It's nice to see you here again.</p> <p>Good bravura painting is really hard, I agree. On the other hand, try copying one of Rogier van der Weyden's pieces—not exactly easy to do well.</p> <p>What I'm calling "the schmear" is a sloppy attempt at bravura painting. It's when you could have observed carefully and created a strong impression of reality, but instead just threw some paint on the canvas in a crude approximation. In my humble opinion, there's a lot of schmearing out there these days, even in galleries.</p> <p>Many people without much real understanding of art often seem to be unable to clearly differentiate between good bravura work and sloppy schmear painting.</p> Jeff,

It’s nice to see you here again.

What I’m calling “the schmear” is a sloppy attempt at bravura painting. It’s when you could have observed carefully and created a strong impression of reality, but instead just threw some paint on the canvas in a crude approximation. In my humble opinion, there’s a lot of schmearing out there these days, even in galleries.

Many people without much real understanding of art often seem to be unable to clearly differentiate between good bravura work and sloppy schmear painting.

]]> By: jeff http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/comment-page-1/#comment-5774 jeff Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:53:06 +0000 http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/#comment-5774 <p>Hey David I know what you mean, I do this myself. I like taking a palette knife and scraping a painting down while its still tacky if it's not working. Or sanding it down until it becomes a ghost of the painting. Then I'll work it up again.</p> <p>Bravura painting is the hardest thing to do, try coping Frans Hals' The Laughing Cavalier or any of Sargent's latter works. Now that's bravura painting. Rubens, Van Dyke, you mentioned Velazquez are few who are masters at this.</p> <p>The schmear thing as you call it here is not the same, is it? A loose and well commanded stroke is not a schmear to me but a sign of a master of the brush.</p> <p>Being a tight painter only means you have learned to copy well, learning how to make the brush work for you is really hard.</p> <p>If you paint still life look at Chardin some of his work is very subtle(the olive jar) in it's use of brush strokes.</p> Hey David I know what you mean, I do this myself. I like taking a palette knife and scraping a painting down while its still tacky if it’s not working. Or sanding it down until it becomes a ghost of the painting.
Then I’ll work it up again.

Bravura painting is the hardest thing to do, try coping Frans Hals’ The Laughing Cavalier or any of Sargent’s latter works. Now that’s bravura painting. Rubens, Van Dyke, you mentioned Velazquez are few who are masters at this.

The schmear thing as you call it here is not the same, is it? A loose and well commanded stroke is not a schmear to me but a sign of a master of the brush.

Being a tight painter only means you have learned to copy well, learning how to make the brush work for you is really hard.

If you paint still life look at Chardin some of his work is very subtle(the olive jar) in it’s use of brush strokes.

]]> By: David http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/comment-page-1/#comment-5726 David Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:18:27 +0000 http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/#comment-5726 <p>"Incompetent,"</p> <p>I guess I'm being dense, but I'm not sure what you mean with the Velazquez example. Of course simplification requires great skill.</p> <p>I hadn't heard that Loomis quote, but it certainly makes sense. I'm still working on that "capacity for tightness," myself.</p> “Incompetent,”

I guess I’m being dense, but I’m not sure what you mean with the Velazquez example. Of course simplification requires great skill.

I hadn’t heard that Loomis quote, but it certainly makes sense. I’m still working on that “capacity for tightness,” myself.

]]> By: Incompetent http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/comment-page-1/#comment-5723 Incompetent Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:56:09 +0000 http://rourkevisualart.com/wordpress/2007/07/21/the-schmear/#comment-5723 <p>I don't entirely agree that a detailed style more easily reveals a lack of knowledge; in Velazquez paintings you see the head composed of well-knit tonal planes with a strong feeling for the bone structure. Wouldn't that simplification require just as much knowledge?</p> <p>As you mentioned, you can easily spot ignorant bravura paintings with an excess of brushstrokes or lumpy shapes with no feeling for form. Wow! Loose strokes=excitement! But what is that excitement saying?</p> <p>That being said, I prefer a detailed style in my own work as well. It's telling that Loomis remarked that nearly all masters of a loose style first had to begin with a capacity for tightness.</p> I don’t entirely agree that a detailed style more easily reveals a lack of knowledge; in Velazquez paintings you see the head composed of well-knit tonal planes with a strong feeling for the bone structure. Wouldn’t that simplification require just as much knowledge?

As you mentioned, you can easily spot ignorant bravura paintings with an excess of brushstrokes or lumpy shapes with no feeling for form. Wow! Loose strokes=excitement! But what is that excitement saying?

That being said, I prefer a detailed style in my own work as well. It’s telling that Loomis remarked that nearly all masters of a loose style first had to begin with a capacity for tightness.

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