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When a pianist studies his craft in order to become a master at playing the classics of Chopin, Debussy, etc. we greatly
enjoy his playing. But if he followed the rules of today atributed to the visual art realm, he would just plunge in and begin
playing from his heart. What would we hear? A cacophony of dissonance, and one would suggest to that one that they study with
a teacher.
So, why do we insist today that visual artists skip the formal training of his trade and paint or draw
or sculpt from his/her heart? There are some who have kept the formal training process of art alive so that we may glean from
it for ourselves inorder to help us become the best artists we were ment to be.
Realist art should always evolve.
The wealth of the past artists should be built upon as each new phase of history adds to the other. Bougeureau brought in
painting the ordinary things of life. The impressionists their study of light and painting on-site in the open air. Then there
was the discovery of cadmium paints which enabled the Hudson River group to paint spectacular landscapes.
The master
painter I was trained under has brought another addition to the fine art of painting. He has studied for many years the effect
that a light source has on its objects. If one understands this concept one can paint without having to wonder what temperature
a shadow is by just looking at the temperature of the light source. Is it warm or cool? Is the shadow's edge warm or cool?
When one doesn't understand this concept one will vaselate from warm to cool and cause an inconsistancy in one's painting.
I feel that this technique is a major break-through for this era. My teacher, David Hardy of Oakland, California can explain
this concept in depth if you desire to add it to your already fine technical background. If you wish to contact him just email
me and I will give you his telephone number and studio address.
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I went to a prestiguous art college in my youth, and later realized that my training wasn't adequate for me to draw and paint
realistically. Forty years later I finally was trained by a master painter in an atelier atmosphere.
What is
the difference in the training at an atelier versus a college? In the atelier, the teacher evaluates the student's earlier
training and adeptness and forms a study tailored to the needs of the student. In a college the "class" is the
important issue. There is only a certain time limit in a course and when it is done the student goes on to another class,
whether the student masters that subject or not.
In the atelier, the student is allowed as much time as is necessary
to master one phase of his training before going on to the next step, according to the evaluation of the instructor. The
student also, has the priviledge of the experience and professional training of the atelier teacher. I remember that my artwork
improved by 95% in just the first few months I was at the atelier. And I was a fairly good technician at that time. This
was, to me, proof that the atelier method is by far the best way to train an artist.
To learn more about atelier training, go to my Favorite Art Site links and click on the Art Renewal Center site and/or
on the American Society of Classical Realism.
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