January 2014 Video Tutorial : Drawing Plastic and Chrome What's the Diff?

If anyone has any doubt that creating art is "less vital" to a civilization than, say accounting or mechanical engineering, let's bear in mind that civilizations are often, if not only, judged by their culture. And what is art, except a physical reflection ofr a society's culture.

The Roman's understood this, and I think I've mentioned this before: Albert Einstein, in his later years, became somewhat of a spiritualist, a humanitarian, and he used his magnificent genius to explore the condition of Man, not thinking of better ways to split atoms or slow down Time.

One of his observations, which is undeniable if you think about it is that one of Humankind's greatest needs is self-expression. We can't live without self-expression because without it, whatever makes us "us" cannot be psychologically reaffirmed. Einstein went on to say that the need for self-expression in Man is so great that it sometimes overshadows the need for food and shelter.

I've been there. I've worked so passionately on a piece that I forget to eat, which is sort of dangerous for a diabetic!

Xesame Xtreet's Word for the Day is : Passion. It's what makes you do something other than what you think you should be doing, because you are convinced that at a given moment there is nothing more important than to express yourself.

Don't look back in regret, stygg. Look forward to what a much smarter person is going to do tomorrow.

-g

I don't look back with regret as much as I use to, especially since the arrival of the Xone, I've learned so much here and more insight and understanding of what art is for me to fully appreciate art. As regards the Passion, I was so busy working on a piece that I forgot all about the cottage pie in the oven, I hope my wife appreciates crispy cottage pie ;)) Seriously though, these so called Sermons as you call them are well appreciated, they are very uplifting and well worded, Csehz also said he looks forward to them so with a strong vote of two, I think you should post a monthly Xone "Art thoughts of the month" :D

Stygg

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Originally Posted by stygg2003

I think you should post a monthly Xone "Art thoughts of the month" :D

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Yes +1 definitely :D

Really enjoying these thoughts Gare. Exactly today I was considering after a lot of experimenting of different fractal graininess values at cloud transparencies, or searching after 'impossible extrudes', in the morning also trying to reproduce a room, that finally why I am drawing in Xara at all? :D Will I ever earn money from it or what? Of course that not. Neither feel especially talented, but yes that is true, loving something in it. But can not determine what or why, maybe really as you say, a kind of demand of self-expressing.

For example it is so typical that looking back on before works, immediately listing the errors and I would like to correct all of them with the slightly better skills, but in this way that would be just an endless road of this 'self-exprressing' :D So why it is at all, interesting, around that much mystical like the life itself, and coming to TG it is very good that you wrote exactly about this topic

I don't know how you can talk about Xara, and not talk about "Art", csehz! :)

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I think you're underestimating yourself as an artist, csehz. I've seen stuff done by you that I can't reproduce or believe, seriously!

Maybe there is a place on Xara Xone, or tg itself, where we can talk about Art as the destination and Xara as the vehicle.

Not right now, though, because I'm 6 days late posting Feb's tutorials.

My Best,

Gary

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Originally Posted by stygg2003

these so called Sermons as you call them are well appreciated, they are very uplifting and well worded, Csehz also said he looks forward to them so with a strong vote of two, I think you should post a monthly Xone "Art thoughts of the month" :D

Stygg

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make that a vote of 3 Stygg

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Originally Posted by Gare

Maybe there is a place on Xara Xone, or tg itself, where we can talk about Art as the destination and Xara as the vehicle.

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Yes that sounds putting the things to their right place and level.

Anyway concretely I just have only one xar on that Art road but like it so much, that it has quite a big effect that I am driving at all.. :D

Cheers for your vote Larry, I know asking Gary for such extra input is asking a lot, he's got enough to do as it is but those explanations of art, the whys, what for, how we see it and so on are brilliant, I hope eventually he can fit one or two more in and as Gary said in #84 there might be a place in the Xone or tg to talk about art as the destination and Xara as the vehicle, I definitely would look forward to that.

Stygg

I recently did my attempt at the vase in Plastic Studies so I thought I would have ago at the Apple but this time not following exactly the Plastic Apple Image but drawing it as how I see it wrong or right! Probably wrong but I had to try it :D

Stygg

It's Good Art, Stygg. Your drawing displays a lot of intelligence, some studying, and a remarkable grasp of what I'm putting out there, which is not elementary school stuff!

Needs more contrast: you've done a beautiful job illustrating, but I think your choice of background colours might be so similar to your illustration, that the apple doesn't "pop" as they say in advertising. You spend this much time on it: a modest investment of choosing the perfect background colour might do the trick for you.

Or perhaps plit the background into a dull brick pattern upon which the apple rests and let the top of the background be a light blue sky with a few clouds. It could be reminiscent of what the Surrealist painter Reneé Magritte did with simple objects to "exalt" them.

I'd like to jump start the Xara Academy, for this would be the ideal place to discuss art, but I have much more sand in the bottom of my hourglass than the top at this time!

My Best,

Gary

Cheers for that Gary, I know your busy so short and sweet- will do as you suggest. :D

Stygg