Finding Ourselves in Art

Two Words: Value Design

Here are two words that if fully understood and used, take artists to inspiring levels of art: value and design. This idea is explored within chapter four of Harley Brown’s Eternal Truths For Every Artist. During my life in art, the great artists I’ve known continued to bring them up. It didn’t take long for me to really understand what value and design meant. Look at any remarkable work of art and we see how these two factors bring such masterpieces. A well done drawing or painting needs to be brought together with the strong elements of design and value. Major artists past and present have these same aesthetic goals going through their minds while painting.

For Instance

While proceeding on a piece, my mind works in a realist-abstract combination. I’m drawing a face but at the same time, I see shapes while working with shadows, the darker against lighter areas. Those shapes are so important as I integrate them into the work, joining with other shapes. Shadows of features, hair, hands, clothing, background. Developing these shapes lifts the art spirits while leading to the ultimate, overall design.

On the Edge

As seen in chapter six of Eternal Truths For Every Artist, while creating our paintings and drawings, we know all those edges cannot be the same. This is of such importance. In art, as in life, there are continual variations of visual edges. Lost and found edges, sharp and soft edges. Over a lifetime, humans subconsciously understand edges. When we see something close and in detail, other areas might soften. Darker edges might disappear into shadows, or areas of the same value. The artist decides how to handle these variable edges. Variable is key.

Periodically, Take that Turn

Once in a while, when you are about to paint a familiar subject, make it different from any that you’ve done. Different lighting, angle, color, even a different subject. Like a serious actor deciding to do a lighthearted play or film; an opera star singing a popular tune. This is demonstrated in chapter eight. Doing this will strengthen your inner self magnificently. After I’ve painted such a work, and it’s well done, I’m flying. And not just momentarily.

A continual reminder. Look at the light areas and highlights on a face. Now the shadow areas. Do not overdo the touches of reflected light within the shadows. This can ruin an otherwise fine piece of art. And watch that you don’t make the light areas too light. Your subject has the answers.

Keep in mind that a work of art should have an overall cooler feeling or warmer feeling. Landscapes, portraits, still lifes...abstracts! Not equal warm and cool, unless the values with design are spectacular. That overrides everything.

We Really Are Directors

As seen in chapter 11, like a director bringing all the amazing complexities of a film together, the artist has somewhat the same commitment; although alone in a quiet studio. In our world an artwork needs overall subject positioning, angle, design, lights/shadows, values, color, small shapes against larger shapes, minute details and larger simple areas, textures and “smoothed down” portions. All this on behalf of that Inspiring Subject. And like the film director, we feel confident, even knowing there might be uncertainties around artistic corners. Those uncertainties are typical and involve the unexpected. Such is life. The “unexpected” keep my mental adrenaline flowing; and after all these years, I’m happy dealing with them. With all this happening, that’s when