Monday, November 21, 2011

To Grid or not To Grid

After my recent post about 
using a grid when painting larger, 
many artists shared my concern that doing a grid 
can stifle spontaneity and an intuitive approach.
 I'm trying to avoid letting that happen. 

Corner of N. Margin
16 x 20
(sorry about the glare) 


Once I got the composition for this laid in, in the proper proportions, 
I had a blast applying all those dark values 
and playing with the paint application.
Knowing the drawing is correct is liberating!  

I'm finding doing a grid an invaluable tool 
with these larger architectural pieces.
Maybe not so much with landscapes and small still lives.



2 comments:

  1. The link above kept taking me back to this post, so I'm not sure what people are talking about - but IMHO if you don't get proportions right, be it a figure or a small still life - you're always fighting with the painting! And when I see a painting with the proportions wrong I think: lack of skill. So, I am a big believer in gridding. Maybe at some point we just get so darned skilled that our rendering is spot on-every time, but I think gridding is freeing. Ken Auster: "Intellect (gridding, drawing) - Passion (our intuition and 'voice') - Intellect (self-critique) = a good painting!
    Love this painting!!! - My son used to live RIGHT at that corner!

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  2. I sometimes use a grid if I am using a photo as a reference. I don't think that is "cheating". I think it is all part of the learning process.

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