tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post6179104765306340865..comments2024-03-18T07:23:32.809-04:00Comments on Gurney Journey: Survival Guide for Art StudentsJames Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-8402634871033421762016-08-04T20:04:38.315-04:002016-08-04T20:04:38.315-04:00Devere, I know what you're saying. One would t...Devere, I know what you're saying. One would think that a dark object against a bright sky should be made darker, not lighter, to increase the contrast and attract the eye. But actually lightening that dark object makes the sky look brighter because of the spillover effect of bright light. Try it and see if it works in your paintings.James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-39057170980519697592016-08-04T19:52:14.045-04:002016-08-04T19:52:14.045-04:00Hi James,
I had picked up Carlson's guide...Hi James,<br /> I had picked up Carlson's guide to landscape painting based on your review/list above. I have reached the section on lighting and I am a little lost as to what he is talking about. It seems as if its a situation of contre jour as described in your colour and light book? He stated that in order for objects t not feel as though they are pasted into the sky they should be painted slightly lighter against the light source. In the case of a lighter object against a dark one they should be painted slightly darker. What are your thoughts on this?<br /> Devere Winthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12514797048742280571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-58925263093742795732014-10-25T19:15:43.695-04:002014-10-25T19:15:43.695-04:00Hector, Bridgman and Loomis are both good because ...Hector, Bridgman and Loomis are both good because they help you see the figure in basic geometric terms, which in turn can help you observe the essence better.James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-66060231870977180692014-10-25T17:05:37.070-04:002014-10-25T17:05:37.070-04:00Hello I am just beginning my journey in art, and w...Hello I am just beginning my journey in art, and was wondering if Bridgeman's guide is good for learning to draw the human figure. I have a fear that I will learn to draw what I know rather than what I see (e.g. drawing a hand that I've sketched a million times instead of the one I'm looking at at the moment). Thank you for your help.HectorAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14673098368149255899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-51587157803302924892014-06-13T11:07:53.200-04:002014-06-13T11:07:53.200-04:00I like "Freehand Perspective and Sketching&qu...I like "Freehand Perspective and Sketching" by Dora Norton. The Andrew Loomis books are terrific. There are a few newer books I like too: "Memory Drawing" by Rousar is interesting, and of course James Gurney's two recent books.<br /><br />I wanted to say something about "The Natural Way to Draw" by Nicolaides. My son and I started with this book, mainly because this kind of method (which I think is the basis for the whole "Right-Brained" school) was what I was taught years ago when I took a beginning drawing course in college.<br /><br />We went through the first half of the book's rigorous schedules, following everything to the letter, except that we substituted photographs of clothed models for live nudes. (We used a lot of photos of well-exposed bodies in action poses, such as photos of athletes from the Olympics.) After the first half, we decided unanimously not to finish the curriculum.<br /><br />Nicolaides' method seems to be based, in the main, on the idea of drawing in a completely subconscious way, with as little conscious understanding, thought, or deliberation as possible, and almost no consideration for technique of any kind. While my son and I both have to admit that we did improve our drawing in nine months of this kind of study, eventually we came to feel that there isn't really much to be gained by avoiding understanding what you are doing and practicing technique. Concepts and techniques must be learned until they are automatic, and after that you can focus mostly on expressing yourself in your art, but we found it counter-productive to jump straight into expression without any real study of the rudiments beforehand.<br /><br />All his exercises are aimed at drawing by feeling while avoiding thought. The gesture study prevents you from thinking about how to handle the subject because you are not given enough time to think. The contour study does not allow you to look at your paper, so you can't try to achieve anything there. Even in the modeled drawing he deliberately avoids teaching you anything about shading and the behavior of light. Compositions are never planned. He has you just start in the middle of the figure somewhere and begin drawing, focusing entirely on <i>feeling</i> the model's weight and contours.<br /><br />We came to believe in the end that avoiding perspective, shading, and technique, then jumping straight into figure drawing from the model is not a very effective way to learn drawing.<br /><br />I wanted to post this not to bash Nicolaides, but so that maybe others could avoid repeating our experience. As a beginner, I knew nothing about how to go about learning to draw. Here was Nicolaides, who seemed to promise to teach me how, and who recommended that I start by avoiding acquiring knowledge of the subject, avoiding even reading ahead in his book, and just picking up a pencil and starting to draw from the model according to his instructions. Given that the book is somewhat renowned and has definitely been influential, we decided that it was a good bet. In retrospect, I think we would have been much better starting with learning to draw flat shapes well, and then progressing to geometric solids with shading and perspective. In other words, beginning by learning the fundamentals before progressing into something complex like figure drawing.<br /><br />That's our experience. Your mileage may vary.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11104688936444427994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-79601794556032558802013-06-18T22:21:01.728-04:002013-06-18T22:21:01.728-04:00Freehand Drawing Self-Taught by Arthur L. Guptill ...Freehand Drawing Self-Taught by Arthur L. Guptill 1933 is a beautiful book with charming, helpful illustrations and beautiful drawings by a variety of artists. Pamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04383183237010855604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-72694829906004197602013-04-16T14:30:56.675-04:002013-04-16T14:30:56.675-04:00I'd like to leave an honourable mention for Da...I'd like to leave an honourable mention for David Dewey's watercolour book. It's comprehensive, covering gouache and mixed media too.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681489454165116131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-81859456165493070692013-04-10T02:36:36.837-04:002013-04-10T02:36:36.837-04:00After you and my last teacher suggested bridgmans,...After you and my last teacher suggested bridgmans, I just went out and bought it! Got it at a great price and it's totally changing how I view figures! Also bought the anatomy of trees- excited to see how that effects things. Thank you for this list! So excited to try to find them all. Have you read any of the Juliette Aristides Atilier books? They are very good when it comes to classical painting. Some of my favorite art books.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07178184594304257531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-51646870139517160522013-04-03T21:33:05.752-04:002013-04-03T21:33:05.752-04:00I want to give a plug for the Andrew Loomis book- ...I want to give a plug for the Andrew Loomis book- 'Figure Drawing for what it's Worth,' which changed my life when My mom spent the then extravagant sum of $12.98 on a copy for my 12th birthday. She did not have that kind of money, but she got it for me anyway and I still have it 50 years later. I went on to work as an layout artist /art director in advertising and most of my training came about by reading that book and the others he wrote. They are back in print after many years and well worth buying, although they do cost a bit more.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10862214188029606313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-53672857324679576432013-02-11T06:59:45.824-05:002013-02-11T06:59:45.824-05:00You're welcome, James. You found some great ex...You're welcome, James. You found some great examples there.David Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04625249236436381416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-24184589240693608002013-02-10T09:51:30.289-05:002013-02-10T09:51:30.289-05:00Thanks, David. You inspired me to do a post about ...Thanks, David. You inspired me to do a post about Jack Merriott.James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-53074158200698545082013-02-10T05:54:28.191-05:002013-02-10T05:54:28.191-05:00Jack Merriot's 'Discovering Watercolour...Jack Merriot's 'Discovering Watercolour' was published in 1973. He was a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, among several others. Best known, I suppose, for his railway posters, which used to adorn the carriages. With a mix of colour/black & white illustrations, the book has clear descriptions of working methods. In particular the 'controlled wash' technique. Still available on Amazon for a couple of pounds.David Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04625249236436381416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-35328652183072830192012-12-06T06:07:36.123-05:002012-12-06T06:07:36.123-05:00look at Gottfried Bammes for structural anatomy it...look at Gottfried Bammes for structural anatomy it's excellent, we use some of it in our classical drawing studies. It's in German but you can understand it. Here are some images just copy and paste<br /><br />https://www.google.com/search?q=Gottfried+Bammes&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=6Ya&tbo=u&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=gHvAUNSLGYaeiAKj94GwDw&ved=0CC4QsAQ&biw=1050&bih=618Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-68893636002401386362012-07-17T19:08:00.462-04:002012-07-17T19:08:00.462-04:00One thing I really like about this list of extreme...One thing I really like about this list of extremely useful books is that you can get each one costs less than 20$. A person trying to get started in the arts doesn't tend to have a lot of money, so a list like this is hugely beneficial.Jacob Reidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04697422566065763507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-90162676015066157702012-06-30T13:24:29.084-04:002012-06-30T13:24:29.084-04:00I find art books 50+ strong in one or two areas, o...I find art books 50+ strong in one or two areas, occasionally both. They either take a detailed look at theory (Speed is good at this) or they focus on the intensely practical requirements/duties of the artist (Guptill is good at this).<br /><br />Speed spends time *defining* things like rhythm, unity, goals of drawing, goals of style, etc.<br /><br />Guptill gives you labor intensive, practical exercises - he does not disguise that artwork is hard work. He rather tries to dissuade you from it.<br /><br />My favorites:<br />- Guptill's Rendering in Pen and Ink<br />- Watson's Art of Pencil Drawing (actually any of his pencil books)<br />-Ted Kautzky Pencil Book<br /><br />Guptill taught me so much - even though I've moved from pen and ink - I still use his ideas every day. Watson and Kautzky are who I turn to when I need inspiration.Rose Weltyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00313411909909580181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-44847319219908746692012-06-30T05:46:49.959-04:002012-06-30T05:46:49.959-04:00Great thoughts you got there, believe I may possib...Great thoughts you got there, believe I may possibly try just some of it throughout my daily life.<br /><a href="http://www.shreenathtechnologies.in" rel="nofollow">web graphics</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13716100024049958563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-7871793566609426912012-06-26T17:28:16.604-04:002012-06-26T17:28:16.604-04:00I've long been fond Henry Poore's book &qu...I've long been fond Henry Poore's book "Pictorial Composition". In my college art classes, composition seemed to be the one topic that never quite fit in the semester, yet often came up in critiques of my work... At last the library supplied this book to fill the gap. It gives a good solid overview of compositional conventions in the european painting tradition, with ample black and white engravings to illustrate. It's also got a delightful one page graphic summary of the most common geometric compositional schemas, along with metaphorical interpretation (like perpendiculars => opposition, spirals => infinity, etc). <br /><br />I'm happy to see Nickolaides' "The Natural Way to Draw" also suggested in the comments. Great book. I was lucky enough to get all the main ideas directly from my drawing instructor (in class, with model, which is the best way) but the book was an excellent review in later years.Doonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13066464646524332062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-90579790450718334622012-06-25T12:16:01.565-04:002012-06-25T12:16:01.565-04:00I'm glad to see the Vanderpoel book on your li...I'm glad to see the Vanderpoel book on your list. I have been studying it for the last few months and loving every bit. He describes the planes of the human form more intimately than any other book I've read. It's as if he's your tour guide to the figure. <br /><br />Value wise you can't beat the Dover books, but the text in older books can be hard to digest unless you really buckle down with them. In general, I prefer art instruction books that present concepts in small doses and then build on them.<br /><br />Here are some recent favorites: <br /><br />-Drawn to Life by Walt Stanchfield<br /><br />-Composing Pictures by Donald W. Graham<br /><br />-Composition of Outdoor Painting by Edgar A. Payne<br /><br />-Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James GurneyAdam Hrehahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16458609362644919891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-92178040073410746782012-06-25T11:39:04.811-04:002012-06-25T11:39:04.811-04:00Looks like a good list! I only have the Bridgeman ...Looks like a good list! I only have the Bridgeman and Hultgren books. <br />I'll have to check out some of those others.jeffkunzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11778948523420524882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-42464423621534870512012-06-25T11:17:12.895-04:002012-06-25T11:17:12.895-04:00One the hardest parts of trying to become an artis...One the hardest parts of trying to become an artists on a part time basis over the years is coming across lists like this. I tend to buy all the books, reference material, and then when it comes time to sit and learn I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of resources available. I get paralyzed because I don't know where to start, or I start in to many places and only achieve overload. I've been breaking things down lately to working the learning issues one painting, drawing, or concept at a time. But it is still a struggle for me knowing where I am and where I need to go and not feel the weight of the challenge. <br /><br />In the end I have found the only path forward is to keep moving becuase if I stop, I won't accomplish anything.<br /><br />Thanks for the list Jim.<br /><br />MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-65972263881300990652012-06-25T09:42:50.163-04:002012-06-25T09:42:50.163-04:00Not 50 years old, but: Ernest W. Watson's Cour...Not 50 years old, but: Ernest W. Watson's Course in pencil sketching: Four books in one.PatternGhosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10763094796840833777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-12701835489914391822012-06-25T05:21:30.973-04:002012-06-25T05:21:30.973-04:00I am selftaught and i practiced art since for a fe...I am selftaught and i practiced art since for a few years so far.<br /><br />"Fun with a Pencil" by Andrew Loomis. Just for beginners, it has a very slooow learning curve and a very low starting point. By following the book it's possible to learn to draw figures and environments without any unnecessary stress, which in my opinion may be fatal at the beginning.<br /><br />"Figure Drawing For all it's worth" by Andrew Loomis is my favourite text. I read it many times, It's very easy to follow and every phrase in it is gold.<br />Plus, it covers a very large variety of fields. Just like with the other Andrew Loomis books, alongside every truth is given an explanation, alongside every technique is given a reason to learn it. <br /><br />"Constructive Anatomy" by Brigdman is the first anatomy book which i found easy enough to follow. Since there's not any hint on how to study, I have found it a little difficult at the beginning. When i turned back to it after a while, i just knew what I wanted to know, so it might be considered a reference book , more than an instructional one.<br /><br />"Dynamic Anatomy for the Artist" by Burne Hogarth. I have the italian version of this. Very bad image quality, translation, paper. The plates are hard to read, but maybe it's just because of the poor transposition.Emanuele Sangregoriohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578548215547112421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-36504087745903282162012-06-25T03:21:26.182-04:002012-06-25T03:21:26.182-04:00new entry
http://www.chaostoperfection.comnew entry<br /><br />http://www.chaostoperfection.comScorchfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08728471910339126509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-75592590081159526142012-06-25T01:15:49.218-04:002012-06-25T01:15:49.218-04:00I second the Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst book ("...I second the Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst book ("The Painter in Oil") - it's fairly interesting, although it covers will trodden ground. Also, there's an interesting book called "The Twilight of Painting." It is not instructional; rather it is a polemic written by an academically trained painter (R.H. Ives Gammell), who was mortified by the rise of modern art. His analysis of how this happened and what it will mean (and what should be done about it) is fairly interesting, in that it basically all came true. Unfortunately the book is out of print now and used copies are fairly expensive.Michael Piantanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-85360067097135244152012-06-24T22:32:10.514-04:002012-06-24T22:32:10.514-04:00"Animation" by Preston Blair, published ..."Animation" by Preston Blair, published by Walter Foster, and republished in different formats. Aimed at cartoonists, but very basic info on weight, seeing a character in 3-D, and making use of the "line of action." First saw this when I was 13 and have been drawing ever since!mcarspechttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07048063969213901411noreply@blogger.com