Maybe It's Not You

Practice makes perfect, my mother always said, but it leaves out something far more important than mere practice.

It's what you practice with.

Now obviously paint manufacturers understand this, because they offer two grades of product - student grade, and professional.  Canvas manufacturers offer three - good, better, and expensive.  These are not labels aimed at identifying the inherent qualities of what is being offered, they are pricing strategies aimed at how artists see themselves and think they can afford. 

1) I'm practicing, and will probably throw these out when I'm done so I want the cheapest I can get.

2) I'm finishing more than I'm practicing.

3) Maybe I can afford some of the good stuff just to see if Belgium linen is worth the price.

Here's another way to think about this.

1) I don't take myself seriously so the quality of my materials doesn't matter.

2) I sort of take myself seriously but the quality of my materials still doesn't matter.

3) I'm tired of frustrating myself trying to master a new technique so it really does matter.

Once you get into any art medium deep enough you realize it's expensive.  And that's sort of the point where the paint hits the fan.  You have to decide whether you take yourself seriously or if you're happy enough having a good time just the way things are. 

If you are happy with the way things are then maybe you've found the right combination of inspiration, perspiration, and the crucial ingredients to produce great art consistently.

If you're frustrated, if you've been working diligently on your skills and wonder why your colors do not sing, or your brush marks disappear on the surface, well, maybe it's not you.

Take a look at what you're working with.  If you want to see improvement in your work, invest in the materials you use, even if you think you're "just practicing."  Because you can't "practice" what you can't produce using substandard  or ineffective materials. 

And that's really throwing away your precious art dollars.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Susan Gainen]

Cutting a tomato with a dull knife is both stupid and dangerous. Whether for an artist, a tap dancer, or a chef, using the best tools that you can afford makes learning progress pleasurably.

[J. Jones]

I am not an artist myself however my daughter (15) is and the materials get quite pricey at times but I feel it is worth it if she can develop her talent with the higher quality stuff. Thaks for posting.

[sue smith]

There is a definite culture at the University art programs to use found materials, coming out of the past 50 years of contemporary art. Plus the cost of materials for students is often a major issue. But at some point you shift from student to professional,when you can't stand there telling someone who has just purchased your painting that they should frame it using duct tape - something I actually did while at the university. In that moment - seeing his expression - I realized the influences of contemporary mixed media assemblage that were so popular in the classroom did not translate well into realistic art.

More recently I have discovered that Belgium linen supports many of the thin-to-thick painting approaches popular with collectors today, allowing the initial washes to remain textural and vivid beneath the subsequent layers of paint. When I was working in watercolor, finding paper that would not buckle, that would keep the pigment fresh and on the surface while still under control, was essential to producing a finished product appreciated by collectors.

Now, while I'll do a study on budget priced canvas, for serious work I use the best materials I can find. It doesn't make sense to invest years into learning a craft, to infuse so much inspiration and perspiration into the work, and then fight the whole time with materials that won't produce the results that you want.

[maggie]

I have always loved good quality materials, and agree that to expand and improve, you need to move beyond artist grade stuff. But I have a friend who's at University studying art, and they're making a big deal of using cheap stuff rather than good quality. She *likes* the effects she gets from cheap watercolor paper. Huh. To each her own, I guess. Me? I'm sticking to my Arches 140 lb. cold press, and am even thinking of moving up to 300 lb. and some seriously expensive Kolinsky sables.

[Patrice Federspiel]

Excellent article, thanks! I tell my students to buy good watercolor paper for their projects. It's okay to use student grade for practicing strokes, but they need to do at least one painting on good paper so they can see and feel the difference. Otherwise they can't tell how much they really are improving.
"Life is too short to use cheap paper." — Gordon MacKensie

[Carol Lee Beckx]

Then irony is that the less experienced an artist you are, the more you need the high quality materials to help you learn.
Good quality materials, once used, make a huge difference to the finished product.
Thanks for making us remember to have pride in what we do and to produce the best we can.

[bridget hunter]

Good entry. I use student grade earth colours and white but buy better quality (or so they say) reds, blues and yellows - 2 of each ( cold and warm). The cost can be prohibitive though.

[sue smith]

I like your #4, Michael, but I have a question on making my own. Everyone tells you to get Masonite board - but is it supposed to be tempered or untempered?

[Michael Fraley]

I enjoyed this entry. I have a #4, though.

4) Nothing from the manufacturers is pleases you, so you make it your own darn self.

#4 costs about the same (or less sometimes) than #1, but isn't nearly as convenient as #3.