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Mastering a subject
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Message
Posted
Hello
It may be a silly question but i wondered at what stage do people realise what medium they prefer to use and which subject they prefer to paint or draw? I haven't been painting or drawing very long, traditional or digitally, but dont seem to have settled on anything definite. There is the saying 'jack of all trades, master of none' and i seem to jump from one mdium to another, and i might do a portrait, then a landscape etc. Is this normal? Is This just finding your way or should a person somehow choose ( i can't imagine how) one way and stick to it so they get better and better. I enjoy using pencil, enjoy painting too, and am now trying to learn the technique of wash and ink. I am doing wrong and will this hamper my progress...if any?
Posted
Absolutely not Annlou, work in as many different media as you want to, don't tie yourself down, same goes for subject matter also.
Forget about these nonsense sayings, work hard enough and with the right enthusiasm and you can master anything, so just keep going as you are, that's brilliant to see artist's experimenting, I'm always experimenting, I never tire of learning something new, so stick at it and well done.
Posted
I would do some of everything and develop the skillset across as many aspects as you can.
I'm going to draw a parallel with music because that's what I do - if I put myself or a student in for a Grade exam then there's a selection of material set out so that I/ they have to present music from three of the Renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and modern periods. This requires me/ my student to study multiple subjects and styles. Art should be the same; you'll specialise later.
Edited
by alang23
Posted
Just a brief note of agreement here! While probably most people start by painting in watercolour and may stick with that, or go on to other things, I started out with oils, then moved to acrylic, and then to watercolour - and still produce work in all three mediums. I've played with pastel, but am not especially good with it - so on the whole, I stay with those three, plus drawing with anything that comes to hand - pencil, charcoal, crayon/hard pastel, pen and ink: and my next step will be silverpoint, once I've gathered the materials together.
I find it as good as a rest to switch between different methods, so you're not alone and, as you can see, you're in good company.
http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net
http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk
Posted
I started with oils and now use open acrylics which suit my painting style. I try lots of other mediums but don't really enjoy them as much as my acrylics. As far as painting subjects is concerned, my main loves are flowers and architecture, but will, and do try anything. I think it keeps me on my toes.
Posted
I think, Sylvia that years ago there seemed to be more rules and regulations regarding art. I used to buy loads of books, and they put me off. Now I feel that it is more free and easy, and you just please yourself without anyone judging you and telling you that you are doing in wrong. However, this is not the same as giving helpful comments. I remember someone actually wagging her finger at me and telling me off for not mixing my own greens.
Posted
Well... it's a two fold thing.
The A side say you can try as many different mediums as you like and as many different subjects as you like (of course you can!) -- and only you can decide if you're enjoying what you're doing.
Enjoyment of what you're doing is, perhaps, THE paramount important thing -- if you're not enjoying it then... why are you doing it?
The B side say that you won't attain the higher levels of mastery if you spread your skill over many fields. Also possibly true.
But then.. what do YOU want - do you want to become, after many years of hard work, an art virtuoso in one medium and a few subjects... or do you want to enjoy what you're doing (NOT saying that the "masters" don't enjoy)
My take?
We are all different - we all enjoy different things, all have different degrees of skill in different mediums and subjects.
Try as many as you want to and want to afford - find out what YOU like doing, what subjects you love, what paints/inks you love.
Then stick to them - with a little "arty unfaithfulness" now and then *grin*
E.g. - I can make ink sing, I can pull subtle shades out of one stroke of black (not bragging, it just is)... But I'm an absolute dogturd at watercolour. OK in acrylics, I didn't even like oils from the start (tried them ages ago).
You might be the reverse -- look and ink and think "Yuck", and shine in WC, wonder why your acrylics are junk, and love oils.
Neither is right or wrong... just what suits US. But you'll never know if you picked the right one until you try some... don't restrict yourself before you've even flown... restrict yourself after finding out what you don't like.
****************************
Having said that... the art virtuoso would go through those stages at the start, anyway... you can't be fantastic at something you're not enjoying.
So... if you're starting or early-in - try everything. Find out what suits you.
The same goes for the tools too - sable brush, synthetic, palette knife.. twig..?? Try some, find what suits you and is fun to do.
I got attacked on another forum for saying that i don't like sables - too floppy for my inking style.
Someone actually said that my style was wrong and I should change it to fit the brush!! Bugger that! ROFL!