Advantage or Handicap?

Marta Prime · 04-12-2002, 03:23 PM

I asked this question in reponse to a conversation that was going around a portrait critique, however, prompting from a friend suggested I post it here as it might get lost where it is.

Do you think that a person with only one eye would have a perspective advantage in painting, or a handicap? I know William Whitaker talked about having really bad vision in one eye, yet his paintings are beautiful. I think there was a Master or two with really bad vision too...but don't recall which. What do you think? Maybe I should have made this a poll...advantage or disadvantage?

Chris Saper · 04-12-2002, 07:05 PM

Well, hi Marta, what a fun question.

If were a betting woman (I'm not), I'd say the absense of depth perception is a greater handicap in working from life...when working from photos,you are really just trying to translate values and shapes of colors from one two-dimensional place to another, as the photo is generally quite useless in determining realtive depth.

In both situations though, it's the painter who has to make ultimate decisions about edges, values and saturation, in order to create the illusion of depth.

Chris

Jim Riley · 04-12-2002, 07:15 PM

I'm having some trouble with your question. Having known and lived with people with limited vision or colored blindness I have not met anyone who thought that somehow there was any advantage with this limitation in any occupation.

In any event I strongly recommend, if you have any choice, keeping both eyes. To the best of my knowledge nothing is gained by viewing or working with one eye. Otherwise what constructive argument exists for using one eye when armed with two?

Why the question?

Marta Prime · 04-12-2002, 08:00 PM

Hi Jim,
The question sort of formed in my mind as I read through different posts talking about squinting or closing one eye to get better perspective on something. I'm sure we have all seen the demonstration where the artist is holding a brush at arms length, one eye closed, taking measurements. I just wondered if this would then be an advantage to someone with a single, or poor sight problem. Perhaps only someone who has truly been in both positions as an artist would know. I didn't mean we should all turn Van Gogh and go poke an eye out if it gave us an advantage as artists. I know it sounds like a bizarre question, however, to some of us poor sighted people it has some interest, maybe even a little looking at your "glass half full" instead of "glass half empty" kind of thing.

Thank you Chris, for taking it as a "fun" question. Of course you're right, the technical skills of the artist would play the biggest role in the quality of the painting.

Be sure to check out Steven Sweeney's approach to this on my abandoned post...I believe he is developing an "Artists Perspective Eyepatch." How soon can we pick these up at Dick Blick, Steven?

Karin Wells · 04-12-2002, 09:56 PM

I have had poor vision since birth. According to my eye doctor, my left eye is "legally blind." The left eye also tends to read less color than the right eye. My right eye does all the work, but I must wear glasses to read or paint.

Since one eye doesn't work very well, I have been told that I do not have good depth perception...but I am a good driver.

I have a friend who has a similar problem. She is a wonderful artist and you'd never know that there was anything wrong with her eyes from viewing her work. She thinks we have a design advantage because we don't get confused by depth.

I also remember having a similar discussion with a couple of (essentially one-eyed) classmates long ago in art school.

I am so often amazed at how easily (I think) I see so darn many things with one poor eye that many can't see with two good ones....go figure....

I think that you could be on to something here Marta

.

Steven Sweeney · 04-12-2002, 10:05 PM

Marta --

The practices you refer to -- closing one eye when measuring, and squinting -- have, I think, little to do with judging perspective. Closing one eye when measuring is similar to closing one eye when targeting through gunsights or aiming a drawn arrow at a target. It temporarily shuts down the binocular vision so that you can get a linear view from eye to subject directly through your measuring device, whether gunsight or thumb-gauge on a brush handle. Interestingly, most of us have a dominant eye and it isn't necessarily the same side as our dominant hand, and that affects which eye we close when taking such readings.

As for squinting -- one of the most useful and oft-forgotten tools of art -- that also is a practice that has nothing to do with perspective but is used to simplify value shapes, to help neutralize the noise of detail and let you see an overall big picture of more unified value shapes. (By the way, when you squint, all the values look darker, so don't draw or paint them as dark as you see them while you're squinting.)

I vote for two eyes. I've already lost most of the hearing in one ear. If an eye goes, too, I'd be listing pretty severely to starboard and sailing in circles. (Hey! . . . nah, that couldnt' explain it. I still have good vision. Must be something else.)

The Artist's Perspective Eyepatches are in market testing right now. I'll have to await results to see whether to scale up production.

Cheers,
Steven

Steven Sweeney · 04-12-2002, 10:17 PM

Then again, if you're Third Eye Blind, you could start a band.

Jim Riley · 04-12-2002, 11:05 PM

Assuming that the discussion is not about sensitivity, perception, awareness, what can be seen more clearly by one eye more so than by two? It would seem very difficult for a person of limited vision to make that judgement/comparison. I was/am always pleased to know that friends,associates, and relatives (my son) coped well with limitations and knew some highly regarded designers who did not find it a drawback. None, however, claimed an atvantage.

What does "confused by depth" mean as it might relate to design/painting?

I do have an open mind though and if it is somehow shown to be an advantage to paint with one eye I am comforted knowing that I my be able to buy a "Stevie Wonder Eyepatch."

Karin Wells · 04-12-2002, 11:27 PM

Quote:

What does "confused by depth" mean as it might relate to design/painting?

I honestly don't know. Since I have no way to compare, some two-eyed person will have to wear Steven's hot new eye-fashion statement for a day and let us know the difference in perception.

As to an "advantage" - I am only reporting. Frankly, I'd like to try 20/20 for a day or so...I might prefer it.

Anyhow, I have never felt disadvantaged.

Chris Saper · 04-12-2002, 11:32 PM

Hi, all,

Well, of course, two eyes are better than one. And yes, it is essential to use only one eye when measuring from the model...but that is about likeness, not depth.

I have a very dear friend, a portrait painter, who recently had cataract surgery on both eyes (yes, in her 40's). It has been very interesting to hear how her visual adjustment has affected her painting. She continues to paint beautiful paintings, yet she, I think, has expanded the way she views them.

Chris