Apple with Chinese Vase
6 x 6, oil on panel
@Sue Favinger Smith
There's a lively discussion growing out of my previous post about what art career question should you never ask. I appreciate that so many of you have shared your opinions and viewpoints.
As the comments came in, I realized there were many ways to think about artistic technique.
In fact, here is one of thousands of informative articles on oil painting technique. Between the search engines and YouTube, an artist can find out how to do almost anything.
Red Onion, Amber Jar
oil on paper, 7 x 5
@Sue Favinger Smith
In an earlier post, called Sometimes You Need to Shake Things Up, I talked about trying my hand at still life. I enjoy doing these small paintings, and wouldn't hesitate for a moment to share the methods of preparing the paper, ideas about building a color palette, setting up the lights, or finding subject matter than inspires you.
And if - during that art opening - the paintings on the wall had been traditional oil paintings, I probably wouldn't have thought a thing about the artist's question.
But - the paintings were not traditional.
Duo Momento
Oil on Panel, 16 x 16
@Sue Favinger Smith
_________________________________________________________________
As the comments came in, I realized there were many ways to think about artistic technique.
In fact, here is one of thousands of informative articles on oil painting technique. Between the search engines and YouTube, an artist can find out how to do almost anything.
Red Onion, Amber Jar
oil on paper, 7 x 5
@Sue Favinger Smith
And if - during that art opening - the paintings on the wall had been traditional oil paintings, I probably wouldn't have thought a thing about the artist's question.
But - the paintings were not traditional.
Duo Momento
Oil on Panel, 16 x 16
@Sue Favinger Smith
The work being exhibited was from my Elements Series. While it is hard to tell from the image, the surface quality is visually intriguing and unique. Arresting, in a way, as people always stop and comment, whether or not they would purchase something in this style.
An experienced artist - and believe me, I've been asked about my methods by plenty of professionals far more well-known and successful than I am - would be able to study the painting and surmise the probable techniques used to achieve the results. Part of my discovery process was to study what artists had done in the past and to experiment with modern materials and unconventional approaches. In fact, I was counseled by a prominent artist at that show when she noticed the interest from some of her friends:
She said, "They're going to ask you how you did it but don't tell them. Just say 'It's far too complicated to go into with you right now, but it's the result of several years of study and experimentation and I'm so pleased you admire them'." And she added: "Don't ever tell anyone your technique."
I received similar advice from a gallery director. She said, "People will ask you but don't tell. I have another artist here who won't even tell me how she does it."
And I have also learned the hard way, sharing some of my earlier "tricks of the trade" with other artists and then seeing those "tricks" show up on the gallery walls in work with their name signed at the bottom and not mine.
If an artist today were to start producing silk screen images of famous movie stars and soup cans, we would all immediately think - hey, Andy Warhol already did that. The new work would be diminished by comparison.
But most artists have not reached that level of visibility. And they probably have a right to be sensitive about protecting what they are developing as their signature style, their brand.
It has been said that there is no honor among thieves. While I would never brand a fellow artist as a thief, I do feel that we, as professionals, must sensitize ourselves to the fine line between commonly held information and proprietary information. Draw inspiration, certainly. Study, think about what you are seeing and then work on the problem of how you might create something unique. Do the work.
It doesn't have to be anything dramatic.
It just has to be your own.
(My apologies in advance to anyone who thinks my position is too severe. I would love to hear your thoughts for an alternative approach)
An experienced artist - and believe me, I've been asked about my methods by plenty of professionals far more well-known and successful than I am - would be able to study the painting and surmise the probable techniques used to achieve the results. Part of my discovery process was to study what artists had done in the past and to experiment with modern materials and unconventional approaches. In fact, I was counseled by a prominent artist at that show when she noticed the interest from some of her friends:
She said, "They're going to ask you how you did it but don't tell them. Just say 'It's far too complicated to go into with you right now, but it's the result of several years of study and experimentation and I'm so pleased you admire them'." And she added: "Don't ever tell anyone your technique."
I received similar advice from a gallery director. She said, "People will ask you but don't tell. I have another artist here who won't even tell me how she does it."
And I have also learned the hard way, sharing some of my earlier "tricks of the trade" with other artists and then seeing those "tricks" show up on the gallery walls in work with their name signed at the bottom and not mine.
If an artist today were to start producing silk screen images of famous movie stars and soup cans, we would all immediately think - hey, Andy Warhol already did that. The new work would be diminished by comparison.
But most artists have not reached that level of visibility. And they probably have a right to be sensitive about protecting what they are developing as their signature style, their brand.
It has been said that there is no honor among thieves. While I would never brand a fellow artist as a thief, I do feel that we, as professionals, must sensitize ourselves to the fine line between commonly held information and proprietary information. Draw inspiration, certainly. Study, think about what you are seeing and then work on the problem of how you might create something unique. Do the work.
It doesn't have to be anything dramatic.
It just has to be your own.
(My apologies in advance to anyone who thinks my position is too severe. I would love to hear your thoughts for an alternative approach)
_________________________________________________________________
If you would like to republish this article on your blog or e-zine, please do. Just be sure to add this complete blurb:
Sue Favinger Smith is a professional artist who began her art career at the age of 50. She writes Ancient Artist: Developing an Art Career After 50, a blog dedicated to empowering artists seeking to reinvent themselves at mid-life. You can subscribe by visiting http://ancientartist.typepad.com.
As always, I appreciate your comments and interaction. And if you know
someone who might enjoy this blog, please forward it to them. Sue Favinger Smith is a professional artist who began her art career at the age of 50. She writes Ancient Artist: Developing an Art Career After 50, a blog dedicated to empowering artists seeking to reinvent themselves at mid-life. You can subscribe by visiting http://ancientartist.typepad.com.
I don't think there is any artistic genius who hasn't learned from others. The old masters learned first by copying the work of others. Knowing technique, and making it your own, marks the true master. Or throwing technique out the window and just working from the heart, although that may not always sell as well. ;^)
Posted by: DW | January 01, 2009 at 11:58 PM
Sydney said it well in that 'mystery is part of the magic'. Art is beautiful and enjoyable because not everyone has the talent and ability to create it. I do believe that creative energy that some of you speak of being a 'conduit' for actually comes through the paintings - maybe in the form of inspiration, ideas, thoughts, whatever - but that's how it should be. It shouldn't be in a "hey tell me your muse, style or technique because I want to go do it too." There is something, well, sleezy about that to me. While I can appreciate the history of people copying, borrowing, or stealing, (and not just in art, I might add, I know Sue's readers are an intelligent bunch, so I won't elaborate here), I also believe in honoring one's creative talent, and if you are so fortunate to be able to create something that others find beautiful, you have the right to maintain your "artistic intellectual property" in any way that you want, and you are under no obligation to share what you did or how you did it to anyone else. I really feel that the point of the posting is not in "sharing" information, but it is in "asking" for the information, and Sue, the point you made about losing your own self and creativity in focusing on what others are doing was not lost on me.
Posted by: Shannon Elizabeth | December 18, 2008 at 07:35 PM
hellsbells! I've already had rotten tomatoes from my local 'painters' who think all is fair game! (I reprinted your last article in my blog). They all think I've lost my mind, I'm sure.
As far as copying...I can't even copy ME! But, I can say that I have never worked from anything but life, or my own source photos.
Can't wait to be considered a 'real' artist.
Posted by: vicki Ross | December 18, 2008 at 07:04 PM
I agree, Sue. I've seen this happen, also, and it is a shame that as professionals we cannot trust each other. I've had artist friends visit galleries with me and comment on techniques and even say they could do it better. Unfortunately, it obviously wasn't true when the art was produced. I do think it would be wonderful if we were able to encourage, educate, and share with each other.
Posted by: Deborah Ross | December 18, 2008 at 06:39 PM
I always tell. Because what comes out of my telling will not be my work, it will be an the other artist's work. Besides, the art energy isn't mine. I'm just a conduit - and I truly believe that despite the proliferation of torso art in my area (and yes, both of those artists had the benefit of my sharing). Their work is different than mine. they do not dimenish, they elaborate.
Posted by: Tammy Vitale | December 18, 2008 at 06:51 AM
There is an old saying- attributed to Picasso- "good artists copy, great artists steal". Artists have always stolen ideas from one another-Raphael stole from Michaelangelo, and vice versa, 19th century landscape painters regularly used compositions devised by Claude Lorraine. Art history is littered with examples. The point however, is that these artists used ideas which they then incorporated into their own unique work. They did not copy the work of others (except as a learning exercise which is perfectly acceptable), they "stole" ideas, techniques, whatever, which then became part of their work.
Posted by: Deborah Paris | December 17, 2008 at 05:38 PM
My husband and I do stage magic shows now and then. It's common for people to come up and ask how we did a certain trick. Our standard answer? "I thought we did it very well." That breaks the tension and diverts the conversation. In reality if you want to know, you can find out with enough time and money. The mystery is part of the magic, though. Once you know how it's done, it's often not as fun. Sometimes visual art is the same way. While I love learning new techniques, sometimes I want to enjoy a painting just because it's a good painting.
Posted by: Sydney | December 17, 2008 at 04:21 PM