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TALKING ABOUT RON RANSON - and a few others.

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Michael Robinson

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Hi Harry, It's strange you bring this up as one of the members in my local group has this problem. He was a shop-fitter and his attention to detail is amazing. But he says he wants to loosen up, but 'stiff' drawing is ingrained in him. I told him not to worry! He does some fantastic pictures of the Cotswold villages and he ought to be satisfied! Lol! On the other hand, John Hoar paints as loosely as they come and he was an architect I believe. Maybe that' was his way of relaxing before he became a full-time painter.Me I just 'slosh it on' and hope for the best! Regards John

Angela Kingham

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The artist's pre-occupation with loosening up could perhaps end up with us all painting like each other which in-itself may or may not be a good thing. Perhaps being loose is an excuse for not being able to paint a straight line. Perhaps it's an excuse for poorer eye-hand co-ordination. Perhaps it's an excuse that allows speed-painting...50 x 50 canvas finished in 25 minutes? My background is distinctly technical illustration. A subject that has been part of my world for 50 years. A line goes precisely here, it's vertical/horizontal/oblique/curved etc. The form that I'm painting either has symmetry or not as the case may be. My line is a boundary between the known (object) and the unknown (space). The wheel was invented long ago, it's a circle and with a circle geometric reference points are easily constructed. My Ancient Door Portfolio, for example, contains images built up from carefully measured intersection points (the corners) such that the spaces are a particular "flat-brush width", drawn directly on the canvas. These points are then linked-up with a 0.5mm 1H clutch pencil freehand. This on canvas is often quite easy just follow the grain of the weave (weft & warp threads). Now this in-itself may not be art but it is my artistic style. So perhaps rather than mental blocks to a creative process we should accept what we are good at and build on those strengths in an artistically pleasing way, one that perhaps give the competitive edge?...that elegant difference...the unique style?

Michael Robinson

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I was taught that precise work was the finest of art ! I have been precised with obsession :-( However there was a turning point when I started watercolour and I was so happy "to let it go" LOOSE at last........ I find that a watercolour is so much prettier wih a loose way.

sydonia muncy

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Im a draughsperson by day and i spend all day drawing little details and working to the mm, but i find that this doesn't inhibit by art at all. i paint very freely and offen apply paint straight to a canvas without drawing a thing. I find this very free, which means i dont get bogged down with very tight detailed areas in my art work. I find it easier to be loose that restriced to detail. Maybe i should change jobs! *-)

Michael Robinson

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we have two draughtsmen in our club they are desperate to paint loose one is very detailed in his work ..but they seems to be getting there ..no they are not great at drawing ,,though that is not unusual ,we exchange paintings by e mail and give each other a good criticising ,ending up with a joke at the end ,,,I like the old watercolour style ,,,when i mail a painting to my son( who works in an art college ) he says .. dad you out of step with us here ,dont send them ///,but I love the creativity in the art of the students ,,its amazing see you all

Robert Kirk

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I can't resist browsing in OXFAM bookshops and there's a good on in Hereford where I came across a clean copy of Ron Ranson's book 'Watercolour Fast and Loose.' He gained popularity by his using a 2in Japanese Hake to quickly dash in the main features of his watercolours. I remember he was a favorite with many Ludlow Art Soc members who often asked me if I was going to buy a hake. I never did because one of our tutor members had directed me to Jack Merriot's 'Discovering Watercolour' - long out of print I found a copy in a second hand bookshop in Tewkesbury. I always thought the title of Ranson's book was unfortunate - nothing of quality is ever executed fast or loose. For me dear old Ron doesn't rate alongside Trevor Chamberlain and I note he included some reproductions of Trevor's watercolours in later chapters of his book. In fairness to him though he did introduce beginners in watercolour to a brush that develops confidence to boldly apply first washes and build on them. I never owned Ron's book and I was tempted to buy it for old times sake but – no – I was seduced by 'Nature's Engraver' a biography of Thomas Bewick. Just shows I can rarely escape from an OXFAM bookshop without buying something.