TAKING CHANCES

Harley Brown’s fascinating things no one else will tell you

LEARNING

How did I get better over the years? I tried to improve what I was already understanding. For instance, I knew shadows should be certain values and shapes, so I kept working on that. I was consistent with what I understood and my cagey subconscious knew when I was ready to edge forward. Confidence pushes us ahead into new creative territory. So let’s talk about those shadows. Why? Because shadows are as important as the rudder on a ship. The ship floats wonderfully but without a rudder, aimlessly. Shadows should never be taken casually. Look at them and see their exact shape including the complex angles, sizes, values; their soft and hard and lost edges. I’ve seen drawings that would have been wonderful had the artist taken more time in getting forms and shadows accurate. Doing that will build an assurance and your own individual artistic approach will start to really settle in. If you remember and do this, you’re on your way. Seriously. I witnessed my drawings get better with my extreme patience working on those values and shapes. For instance the overall essence of a face: cast shadow under nose, soft edge of cheek shading, flow of hair. As I was getting them better, my confidence got a certain arrogance and began to push or simplify a shape or maybe deepen a value. That’s when “Harley” began to take over. Not overnight but in a steady daily, monthly, yearly pace. Strong skill in values allows the artist awareness in the color area; you understand and get right value, you can play with color. Color? By pure good luck, I was given the Munsell theory of color by a master, e.g. five colors, red, yellow, green blue, purple equally placed in a circle. Opposite the red is the complimentary color, blue-green. Carefully study the Munsell color theory. It’s used by many of the classic artists past and present. Just remember, throwing colors on canvas does not make any of us “colorists.” Lazy, sloppy observations yield nothing but a standstill with progressing. In a bizarre way the artist goes backwards. I see it too often. Some artists give themselves the excuse that they’re going “deeper” into the subject; misshapen jawlines, offbeat eyes and nose, contorted