DEVELOPING A PERSONAL STYLE
Extract from a magazine article by Ray Campbell Smith
Extract from a magazine article by Ray Campbell Smith
The skilful and experienced tutor will always adapt his methods to the individual and build on what he finds there.
Every painter, however modest his standard, has some rudimentary skill and it is that embryo talent that should be nursed, fostered and developed. Students who are forced to paint in a manner that is alien to them will quickly revert to their natural style once the course has ended and will have gained nothing.
A painting style is a very personal thing and the inexperienced often make the mistake of consciously setting out to acquire one, sometimes by adopting the mannerisms of painters they admire. This road is a dead end and students would do much better to concentrate on improving their technique and let their style develop naturally.
Style in painting is an amalgam of several things, fundamental is the manner in which we apply paint, in other words our brushwork, and a determined effort to improve our fluency here will greatly assist in the development of a genuine style.
What we have to overcome is timidity and playing for safety. Beginners are often loth to take risks and tend to draw their subjects meticulously and in great detail so that their painting then becomes a mechanical process of carefully filling in pre-determined shapes with pigment. This approach is death to lively brushwork and hence to the development of spontaneity and style. True, some subjects require careful drawing, particularly when composition and perspective are at all complex, but the fewer lines you can manage with the better. The brush is then free to make marks full of life and verve and this is when the personality of the painter begins to shine through.
Characteristic palettes
Choice of colour is another constituent of style and we recognise the work of some painters not least by their characteristic palettes.
A limited palette not only helps a painting to ‘hang together’ but also enables the painter to get to know his chosen colours intimately. The colours artists choose reflect the way they see the world about them and so reflect something of their personality and individuality.
… It all comes down to looking long and hard at our subjects and considering as many different viewpoints as we can. Quick sketches (with conte/charcoal/pencil) will not only enable us to discover which arrangements will make the best painting but the conscious effort to explore different angles may well result in the discovery of a really telling composition.
Every painter, however modest his standard, has some rudimentary skill and it is that embryo talent that should be nursed, fostered and developed. Students who are forced to paint in a manner that is alien to them will quickly revert to their natural style once the course has ended and will have gained nothing.
A painting style is a very personal thing and the inexperienced often make the mistake of consciously setting out to acquire one, sometimes by adopting the mannerisms of painters they admire. This road is a dead end and students would do much better to concentrate on improving their technique and let their style develop naturally.
Style in painting is an amalgam of several things, fundamental is the manner in which we apply paint, in other words our brushwork, and a determined effort to improve our fluency here will greatly assist in the development of a genuine style.
What we have to overcome is timidity and playing for safety. Beginners are often loth to take risks and tend to draw their subjects meticulously and in great detail so that their painting then becomes a mechanical process of carefully filling in pre-determined shapes with pigment. This approach is death to lively brushwork and hence to the development of spontaneity and style. True, some subjects require careful drawing, particularly when composition and perspective are at all complex, but the fewer lines you can manage with the better. The brush is then free to make marks full of life and verve and this is when the personality of the painter begins to shine through.
Characteristic palettes
Choice of colour is another constituent of style and we recognise the work of some painters not least by their characteristic palettes.
A limited palette not only helps a painting to ‘hang together’ but also enables the painter to get to know his chosen colours intimately. The colours artists choose reflect the way they see the world about them and so reflect something of their personality and individuality.
… It all comes down to looking long and hard at our subjects and considering as many different viewpoints as we can. Quick sketches (with conte/charcoal/pencil) will not only enable us to discover which arrangements will make the best painting but the conscious effort to explore different angles may well result in the discovery of a really telling composition.