Occasionally you see books, articles, or workshops dedicated to helping artists “paint from the heart,” loosen up their style, whack themselves on the side of the head, discover the light of Tuscany, or some other damn thing.
It’s crap. Your heart will never have any idea how to paint.
Of course, there are a few artists out there who could benefit from some loosening up. For every one of them, there are a hundred others who need to learn how to actually paint. This entails the acquisition of difficult skills and the mindset to use those skills to achieve specific goals. Some of those skills are:
- How to draw
- How to draw exactly what you see
- How to draw the figure
- How to draw the portrait
- Proportion
- Perspective
- Foreshortening
- Color theory
- Color mixing
- Composition
- Brush handling
- Rendering
- Art history
- And lots more
That is the case even if you want to paint loosely. Read Richard Schmid’s book on painting (he paints in a loose alla prima style that is wondrous to behold) and you’ll see how hard it is to learn how to paint that way, too.
Heck, it’s a lot of work learning to paint abstractly, if you want to do it well.
Painting from the heart is for lazy people who just want to schmear paint around, feel artistic, and find people to tell them how wonderful it must be to paint.
Instead, learn to paint with your mind and your soul. That’s a lot harder, but will take you much further toward making paintings that belong on a stranger’s wall.
Hey Dave, I can’t agree more with your comments. Anyone who has studied a Sargent or a Hals can see that these two artist used all of what you mentioned and more. I mention these two as Sargent spent a lot of time studying Hals. He also made some full size copies of Velasquez’.
So you paint for strangers walls?
Frank,
I sure do.
Almost anyone can make a painting their mom will put up on her wall. It’s harder to make one that a stranger will pay you money for the privilege of hanging.
Picasso once said, “paint with whatever you can” The fact is that 99% of paintings made are confined to the dark recesses of storage, be it their moms garage or other. The next time I happen to go to a fast food place, I will pay respect to the fortunate one who’s studies are so rightly displayed.
Where is my prior forth comment Mr. Rourke? If you edited it, your still missing the point. Unless you are an renowned artist, you have no business advising people how to paint. By doing so, you only accomplished to trivialize the art form.
Frank, in four lines, you made four errors in spelling and grammar. My advice is to use a spelling and grammar checker. Whether you want to follow it is up to you. My point is that it certainly doesn’t take a renowned artist to recognize mistakes and offer useful advice. People learn differently: some artists learn from musicians, some from actors, some from writers, and vice versa.
I’m not sitting here at my computer advising you on how to spell.
Frank, in four lines, you made four errors in spelling and grammar. My advice is to use a spelling and grammar checker. Whether you want to follow it is up to you. My point is that it certainly doesn’t take a renowned artist to recognize mistakes and offer useful advice. People learn differently: some artists learn from musicians, some from actors, some from writers, and vice versa.
I guess I’m also missing the point… There are, unfortunately, many people of little renown who make a living advising others how to paint, yet shouldn’t. I wouldn’t categorize David as one of those.
How exactly does it “trivialize” to invite people who are interested in painting to think more about the very things that go into making a good painting (e.g., the skills listed above)?
Then consider yourself a David Rourke enlightened one. Whatever you do.
Hey, I appreciate someone sharing things he learns about the process of making art. I still don’t understand how saying that one paints with the head and not the heart is trivializing the art form, since without acquiring needed skills we can only hope to make a formless sort of art. If that’s what you like, ok then.
I suppose one could learn about painting by reading what the late Bob Ross had to say, as he was very well-renowned — or better yet, The Painter Of Light.
I believe Thomas Kinkade trivialized that title or may even trademarked it.
I suppose one could learn about painting by what Picasso had to say,
“You paint with whatever you can” By your deduction, one who paints from the heart has no skill or the capacity to acquire such. As such, your argument has no logic. Who’s using their head now?
For the individual who feels the need to provide edification, bite me.
Indeed paint with whatever you can. I wasn’t implying that painting “from the heart” means being unable to acquire skills, etc. But the heart doesn’t care about skills because it would rather do what feels good. In Picasso’s case he learned his skills as kid.
Ross and Kinkade had/have skill (Kinkade especially, with an illustration background), but sadly they market(ed) their stunted, “happy” art not really to spread joy or inspiration but to make themselves rich. They have become, because of their formulaic work, parodies of oil painting. (My point in mentioning them was that you can learn from people who are less famous.)
Sure, when you said that one has to be well-renowned before advising others, you were probably referring to people who earned that renown by their skills, such as Richard Schmid. If that is what you meant, then you’re only validating the points the host was making — unless you meant his points are invalid because he is telling us about people like Richard Schmid, without actually being Richard Schmid? I suggest stop reading art blogs then, as not everyone’s as famous as you require them to be.
oh my god I’m frank miscone:
waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhwaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh but Ive got so much heart!
grow a pair and learn the technique instead of wasting everyones time thinking everything you touch turns to f***ing gold
I totally agree with you! Painting from the heart is so lame…
Dave, Thank you. I am trying to become a painter. I’m in my thirties, have two small children and have been trying to figure out my creative path for years. I’ve finally stopped making excuses and turned my dining room into a studio, I’m taking a figure drawing class and trying to give myself assignments that I can learn from. Tonight I am trying to paint a white ceramic tureen AGGGHHH! I truly believe that if I can learn to do the difficult, the exacting, that someday I’ll be able to transcend and do the magnificent. p.s.Any tips for painting white ceramic?
Picasso was a very skilled and talented artist long before he turned to abstraction, look at his early drawings if you don’t believe me.
abstraction from a base level of skill is one thing, simply splashing paint on a canvas and calling it abstract art because you are incapable of anything else is just deluding yourself, a great abstract painter does so with the knowledge that he has the skill to control what happens on his canvas!
its this delusional aspiration to paint from the heart instead of from a foundation of solid skills that has reduced much of modern art to a joke (there was a time when even amateur artists took pride in learning their skills properly)
I have been painting since I was 8 years old (actually, it was 30 years ago…) From my experience you need to learn how to paint (from your brain) and to learn how to loosen up and let it rip (from your heart)
Sensing some anger in your words… maybe you should listen more to your heart and you will find peace within… much love x
In response to Dan, very few people have become renown in their art. In David’s opinion, I’m some 15 year old kid listening to heavy metal music, flaming on the internet. What David does not understand is that painting goes beyond heart and the skill. What I see in the art form today is an attitude that commands control when in fact that is the very thing that poisons the water. Very few have had the gift of surrendering their talents and participated as director to an arrangement of color before them, if not by accident, then by patience, greatness and ultimately by genius.
This might not sit well with some, unfortunately I do not have the time and energy to keep up on this topic but its has been a one worthy of addressing.
There
s something few people know & thanks to the internet it has to be said, Picasso NEVER learned to draw or paint in a classical/academic accepted manner, the paintings you see in books attributed to him were made by his father! & lots of other paintings (some that looks like Lautrec arent from him as well). The most “academic” art you‘re going to get from him is his blue period.Having said that, he had a vision that few had in his time & was a good artist, sadly he never got the technical tools & virtuosity to put it on canvas.
A good mixture of mind, soul & heart + incredible effort will give you a nice masterpiece ;P
Tintoretto,
I’ve heard that, too. Not sure how well proven it is.
I just don’t see the attraction with most of his work, myself.
When I was younger I didn’t care for Picasso, until I realized that he was a leader in many Modernistic movements. This didn’t happen by chance, but by daring and obsession.
I appreciate his influence in breathe, but also in his illumination of a multi-culture identity during a “white-man’s world”. As for his arrogance and womanizing habits, it makes me take a few steps back. In the end, it’s understandable how someone might like or not like his work, as it is very raw.
i agree, in order to truly appreciate cubism one has to see the 4th dimension oneself (then is even possible to see its flaws, because it has rules, just like renaissance art). For me he an average painter, in fact most of a guy who saw something & a communicator than a good painter. Good painer = vermeer, velazquez, etc..
Like with most modern painters i got like 3 ones i like from him, the rest i don‘t really mind.
Like most things people “feel attracted to” is a matter of how we lived life, our values, etc.. Another VERY important issue about geometrical art, even before the conquest of america, is the use of psychedelic drugs, EVERY SINGLE artistic movement from the impressionists on, was based on such (absinthe allowed to understand more the (impressionistic) view of reality for example) which is in another words, to be aware of time in a visual way. Of course thousands of years before them, Aborigines were aware of that.
Sorry about the unproven fact with picasso, but for me is beyond easy to truly assert that this 2 paintings (attributed to him) were not by his hand, i mean, i am 100% sure, nothing less.
Truly got lots of questions regarding art, (rembrandt impasto, flemish technique etc) but regarding matter is just obvious.
http://www.join2day.net/abc/P/picasso/picasso3.JPG
http://www.abcgallery.com/P/picasso/picasso172.html
Check the russian analytical art, much better stuff, more oriented in finding hidden truths than exposing personality or individual flaws.
Is absolutely possible to reconcile academic art with cubism/geometrical art as well, but for that we will need some good time before someone achieves it. (escher was as good example of someone not lazy enough to put himself to that hard laborious task).
Nice site.
I guess I have been an artist long enough to see the benefits of both painting from skill gained by practice and by just letting my “heart” squish some paint around. A lot can be learned by both processes. While I was still in art school I did some research on the artistic “genius” moment that many people think is necessary to make great art. It just isn’t there most of the time even in what we consider to be masterpieces. Most times even the most talented artists are pushing their skill forward bit by bit. Has anyone read the book Art & Fear? One of my favorite lines is, “The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your artwork that soars.”
But when you “squish” you have a plan in mind… right? I’m a high school art teacher and it’s frustrating when a student says, “I just want to paint what comes to my mind”. When they are given this freedom I can see they are unfulfilled because it lacks the understanding of the principles and elements. It is clear, that with opportunity and knowledge, their painting/drawing would improve. So yes, I feel heart is where the magic is, and it’s what draws us in, but without understanding the foundations an artist will not truly achieve what he/she feels and will wind up disappointed.
Thank you, HarmonyC, for your more nuanced and thoughtful approach. I was going to speak for the “outsider” art community, not all of which art I personally enjoy, as opposed to art that passes the traditional gatekeepers who decide what makes good art. I often find myself more moved by and more inclined to purchase for my own enjoyment art made by individuals with little or no formal training (like the quilters of Gee’s Bend, for instance), including those those with developmental disabilities who create for the deep human joy of creating. There is a quality of art without pretense, with a kind of pure presence and vulnerability, that speaks to me more than art of unarguably much greater skill and training.
Whole different mind-set there… true passion without apprehension. One which many artists have tried to mimic. It’s a great point…
I am a beginning acrylic painter who finds drawing difficult. I agree that it is important to learn some basic skills or techniques…but what is the best way to do that? I take classes from a successful artist in my city and I like that fact that she does NOT show us “how to paint “trees or the ocean etc. We paint what we want to paint and she circulates to advise us about what seems to be working — or not. What else should I be doing? I don’t seem to be getting much better at this !
Jill,
Classes in painting with a good teacher are certainly a good idea.
If your drawing skills are weak, then my suggestion is to spend a lot of time drawing. Is there a figure drawing group in your area? If so, regular participation would probably help a lot. Personally, I find that figure drawing sessions with a small number of long poses (or one pose for the whole session) are best, although those can be hard to find.
Otherwise, the thing to do is practice drawing. One way is to commit to spending at least 20 minutes every day drawing. Draw spoons, crumpled pieces of paper, anyone you can convince to sit for you, or anything else available.
There are plenty of good books out there on drawing to help you along. This is definitely a skill that you can learn.
“Ya gotta suffer if you wanna sing the blues.”
Not sure if this will ever even be read. The last post was in 2009.. However, I do feel that too many who would love to be “artists” just can’t deal with the discipline required. Regardless of style, or medium or subject matter, it is important to learn to draw what you see before you can even claim to draw what it makes you feel. A teacher of mine way back when said that if a person could discipline themselves to draw and paint, etc. four hours every day then they possibly would not need to go to art school. There is truth in that because nobody can teach another to draw well or paint well… they can only share techniques and nurture. This helps, yes, but in art, unlike law or medicine, the real learning comes in the doing. I look at older works of mine… even just a few months on… and there are things I find horrid in these and see how I can do better… and so on and so on, etc. Most of art is an ability to see and in the seeing connect the mind heart and spirit. In the town where I live, there are quite a few individuals who enjoy creating art but there is one lady in particular who absolutely puzzles me. She describes her work as being “impressionistic” and that it is the result of both intentional and accidental effects of just moving paint and other substances around. The end paintings definitely look just what they are, a real mess. But because she justifies the result by describing it in art terms, there are those who buy these things… never realizing that she is just a really bad artist who can’t paint or draw anything with any skill. If her paintings were hung upside down, no one would ever know. As far as Picasso, he did show that he understood and had an above average level of basic skills … I don’t love his work but can understand what he was up to given the era he was living in. We have cameras now so, unlike early painters, we do not need to create a photographic likeness but that doesn’t justify creating bad art.
KHart,
I’m not posting very actively right now, but I do read comments
I’m entirely in sympathy with your feelings about painters who only know how to smear paint clumsily around—and the people who like their stuff.
I have to agree with the comments about disciplining yourself to drawing for a certain number of minutes a day. Starting to draw say 10 or 20 minutes a day will not only change your artwork it will transform your life. I believe this is because drawing helps you to really see things. No matter what style of painter you think you are, drawing well is the first step in the translation between what is in your mind to what will be on the page. Drawing is as essential to art of all kinds as basic biology to a physician or the alphabet to a writer.
I agree with your opinion on learning skills and honing talent by working at it — even if it doesn’t feel like its work. I think the same can be said for design, I see a lot of junk out there made by people who got their start because they were ‘edgy’ and now make a better than comfortable living creating designs that follow no compositional form or function. Mistakes that, if they were working under an art director instead of a yes man, would send them back to their drawing board with their heads hung in shame.
Emgee,
As the writer Theodore Sturgeon once said (in response to someone telling him that 90% of his work was crap), “90% of everything is crap.”
I try to focus on the other 10%.
I completely agree with this post and the importance of the fundamentals to advance artwork to the next level. People tend to lump art into that category of things that “talent” generates, not something that comes from diligence and practice.