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.
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!
ReplyDeleteLove this painting!!! - My son used to live RIGHT at that corner!
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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