Empowering the Director

"You are the director, everything out there wants a part in your visual production. Use only the tools that best serve the needs of the painting. Then direct them to do what you want them to do." --Carl Purcell, Painting with Your Artist's Brain, p.123

Up until recently my art development has focused on rendering, improving accuracy, and exploring media. This book really addresses where I need to go next: composing a beautiful painting, offering more than a photograph, and creating a unique view.

To some degree, I edit what I see when I create a piece. I may simplify a complicated background, leave out some trees, etc. But this book pushes the reader a little farther. He encourages you to change the trees to a different type, put the rocks in a different place, change the shape of things to make a better composition, change the colors that you see for effect, etc.

Many of us begin with high hopes of doing that instinctively, but the beginner often makes mistakes in what they change and then loses the nerve to change things - at least this beginner did. But now, with more experience in looking at shapes and values, I feel like I might have a better grasp on how to direct the elements. Tomorrow I'll show you the difference that value makes to your drawing.

The image above is a WIP on my PIF project, a portrait of one of my favorite bloggers. Putting it on the monitor really does help you see the areas that need working on!