Confessions Anyone?

[Julianne Lowman]

Calling all artists to confess!

What, if any "rules" have you broken from your art training that have benefited your current style?

I've heard of many artists using different methods, techniques and tools that some may view as "cheating" where others see them as "tools" to assist in accomplishing your final goal.

I promise I won't tell the teacher!

[Michael Fournier]

Rules? What Rules? Other than rules on technique that have to do with proper application of paint (fat over lean) I do not know of any rules that you can't break anytime you want. You can even break those rules if longevity of your work does not matter. Maxfield Parrish did. Now as for guides that help produce better work, well, if you call them rules I do try and follow certain guidelines of composition, values and color harmony.

As for cheating, I suppose you mean things like tracing or using photos at all or even projectors and such things. Unless you can show me a law that says that I am going to jail I have nothing to confess since I see no sin in doing whatever is necessary to complete a job accurately and on time. I have never denied using any tool when asked.

But as for learning, that is a different thing. Just like a child using a calculator when he is supposed to be learning his multiplication tables if you use the aids I mentioned too often or too early in your development as an artist you are only cheating yourself.

[Karin Wells]

Interesting question.

Rules? I gleefully break stupid "rules" all the time and rather like to think of it as "creative innovation." To me, a really dumb rule too often heard is to paint only from life...and not use a photographic reference.

BUT I NEVER, EVER, EVER break the principles of painting on purpose. For example, a principle of painting would be to clearly define light and shadow on an object.

[Jeremiah White]

I blend anything I want to and I also use black. I give little regard to complementary colors as well.

I'm a rebel!

[Chris Saper]

I use my pastels like oil, and my oils like pastels.

[Marta Prime]

I do the entire underpainting using nothing but black, white, and an alkyd resin medium, keeping it very thin. I work out the entire composition and all the values this way, ranging from very light to fairly dark.

I've tried using asphaltum, and umbers, but I just don't care for them. I know I've read that the painting is much warmer if you use browns, but I still like working with the greys. It looks like a finished black and white painting before I start layering in transparent colors.

[Jim Riley]

I agree entirely with Michael on this subject and feel myself fortunate that I had skilled and capable teachers that worked in a broad range of styles and techniques without imposing "rules" and procedures or whatever other name you chose to call dogmatic critique. I cringe when I hear emphatic methods and routines being suggested as keys to becoming a capable artist. The things we recommend for the developing artist do not need to be stated as rules and may be the very reason why they often get bogged down in how they are painting and lose the spirit and impact their work might otherwise realize.

I do however remember that some of these same teachers encouraged experimentation and found that I often learned something by departing from my natural instincts and early facilities even though I tended to remain essentially true to the subjects and styles that prompted me to be an artist in the first place. (I have assumed that we are discussing traditional portrait painting otherwise I would encourage students to experiment with black and white and graphic styles also.)