The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

[Gare]

I'll do the February Xone, and you:

1.)Think about what you want to do first, without doing anything else. Part of the creative process is premeditation, at least it works for me. "Spontaneity" is terrific and not to be discouraged, but only when you have a strong impulse and when you have fairly practiced skills, as an artist, dancer, writer, musician, and so on.

2.) The background is part of a picture, but it's one of thousands of variations, Stygg, and the one up two posts back has already been done. By me. So don't begin your grand idea with a fancy hotel wall (the elevators are to the left ).

General: What are the dimensions of the composition, what's the page size? How much space will my drawing occupy, and then what if anything should go in the background?

Specific: Should I have a lot or only a little contrast between the foreground box and the background? How do I use "contrast"? With solid colours, with texture, with a gradient, with one large imported bitmap?

Go from general to specific considerations, and the result will be you build your artwork outa stone, okay? Nothing fails, nothing falters. You can even get away with some imperfection with the box IF the entire composition hangs together.

As I mentioned earlier, your audience might move their eyes all over your composition (in fact, they should, by carefully choreographing areas on interest), but first impressions count, and usually an audience likes or dislikes a piece withing 2 or three seconds of seeing it.

Which means the overall composition needs to be attractive to catch, then sustain viewer interest.

There's a psychology behind art, isn't there?

-g-

[Barbara B]

Hey Guys,

Just because my husband needs to concentrate a bit on earning the rent money doesn't mean the conversation here stops!

There are a whole lot of artists, of all skill levels, reading this thread and working on the tutorial and the mini-tutes or applying the ideas discussed here in other work they are doing.

Now is the time for Xaraists to step up and continue this thread by offering their observations and feedback about what has been going on in this thread.

It would be fantastic if everyone who has already participated in this thread continues to post but it would be extra exciting if some new folks joined in this exploration of ART, and Xara and the ultimate meaning of the cosmos.

Come on folks, post an image you're working on that demonstrates the successful or the not quite fully realized result you've achieved in you application of texture, lighting etc. to create a pleasing composition. Tell us about what you've learned or about the parts that you are struggling with.

You'd be doing me a favor -- If you let it falsely appear that Gary is the only one who can make this thread interesting and useful, Gary's head is going to get so big that I'm going to have to spend the rent money on new hats for Gary.

[angelize]

Well we wouldn't want to let that happen! I have started work on a new drawing based on a photo of a flower that I took in my garden last summer. I am going to try to use what I have learned from the tutorial and this thread and see where it leads me. When I have some thing I feel is worth posting I definitely will!

I would also like add that the energy we have going here in this section of the forum is great! But don't stop here! Take some of this enthusiasm into the rest of TG!

[wizard509]

I have two projects going on at the moment, a cardboard box and an piece for Angelize Blank Canvas challange, will post when I get something worthwhile. Thanks Barbara, to quote Frances "don't stop here! Take some of this enthusiasm into the rest of TG!" That goes for all the members.

[jvila]

I'm uploading a new drawing before uploading it to Xara art gallery, I know it is not any of the drawings We have tackled in this thread and may be it could be out of this thread objective (if so please let me know to move it on a new thread), but I tried to use several of Gare's tips, I tried to think about composition, trying to show the car like the principal part and add subtle object that don't disturbe observer attention.
About shadows, I had a go to create it about some of your tips.
Obviously I'm not an expert and I'm geeting into composition, that's why any comment to improve it will be more than important to me.
Best regards

[Big Frank]

By cropping out 3/4 of the car (beautifully drawn Javier!) you have removed the car as the focal point, and my eyes, with no textual or contextual clues to help them, naturally settle on the Peugeot logo as the new focal point of this image.

[Gare]

This post is a placeholder: I'm working on a detailed explanation, Javier, of why the "crop" did not work as a composition element.

Frank is correct. It looks as though you are hiding, and not revealing your hard work!

I'll be back in an hour or two with examples and criticism that is constructive; I don't like to leave fellow artists with a snide comment and then leave!

-g-

[Gare]

I would also like add that the energy we have going here in this section of the forum is great! But don't stop here! Take some of this enthusiasm into the rest of TG!

I agree that there is a good momentum going on with this area.

But I'll let everyone know in advance that what I tried to do here is "get the ball rolling."

That means that to preserve my "other job"—the thing I do 8+ hours a day—I necessarily can't be in other threads on TG.

I encourage others to spread the positive spirit of teaching and learning to other areas, and actually offline at your favorite coffee shop and stuff will work, too .

But there are limits to every kind of volunteer work, you know? Let's build and grow by participation.

My Best,
—Gary

[stygg2003]

Final drawing, after looking at Gary's finish with background and frame, I decided that the best background was the one he came up with, why? because it took nothing away from the main theme, the box and particularly the shadows and shades.
The box is not the eye ctcher for me, the shadows and shades are what I think make the picture. I added two more shadows and the frame, hope you like.

Stygg

[Gare]

I like the fact that you listened to me (because honestly, no one has anything to lose by doing so), I like it still more that you understood what I said, and best of all, you improvised and didn't take my visual example literally.

What you got here is an overall "disturbing" piece, in a good way. It makes me, the viewer, want to reach into the picture and move the box.

This is GOOD. It's dynamic tension that sustains the audience's attention.

Good art should be a catharsis and and adventure for the artist, and it should also communicate and give pause to the viewer.

You did both. Five gold stars! *****

—g