tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post3332869496575249640..comments2024-03-27T11:43:33.889-04:00Comments on Stapleton Kearns: So you can tell them apartStapleton Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-84066623716619862802011-07-26T19:41:48.614-04:002011-07-26T19:41:48.614-04:00This may at first seem an odd connection, but stay...This may at first seem an odd connection, but stay with me... In horseriding I learned of the concept of 'hard eyes' and 'soft eyes'. The latter is what you want and it is the same concept of 'big picture' with a different name. The way of 'soft eyes' is to focus on one point (in this case through the horse's ears in the direction you wish to travel, in painting on the focal subject) but to keep your peripheral vision active. Its the best way to catch everything in your visual field while in focussed concentration. 'Hard eyes' is focussing so narrowly on something that peripheral vision is lost. Lots of detail, tunnel vision. On a horse this can be dangerous as such a narrow focus leaves you open to surprises suddenly appearing that you would have seen earlier with soft eyes. In painting, hard eyes gives the detailed but disjointed effect that Stape talks about. Just another approach to the subject.Fi - WhereFishSing.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08750246299111419881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-71120498621881537422009-06-30T23:55:57.349-04:002009-06-30T23:55:57.349-04:00Willek:
I don't think I am going to spend tha...Willek:<br /> I don't think I am going to spend that for a book this weewk. Incidentally, Doug Higgins is a friend of mine. He is a fine painter and a fascinating guy. Check out the URL that Willek posted.<br />...............Stape<br /><br />uncentes= root of uncentive, the opposite of an incentive is an uncentive.Stapleton Kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-23451055372675771122009-06-30T23:43:46.992-04:002009-06-30T23:43:46.992-04:00The Jack Faragasso book on Oil painting for studen...The Jack Faragasso book on Oil painting for students is no longer in print and I have seen it for up to $250 on Amazon. After I sprang $150 for mine, I saw it a week later for $80. I think Faragasso is more of a teacher than a painter, but, to be fair, I have not seen a lot of his work. In the book a lot is madae of the Reilly system of assigning values for locals in varying light condition. I think it is really good to know about anda there might be times when, before starting a picture in difficult light, you might actually do a diagrama or two to get things straight before starting. Faragasso also has a book on Reilly's methods of teaching figure drawing. I think it is terrific. Paul Rahilly was a Frank Reilly student and has taught at the Museum School for many years, He teaches a version of what he was taught. Interesting the student of a a guy who taught illustrators taught at the MFA school for so many years. Doug Higgins, also a Reilly student, has an autobiographical web site (http://www.dhfa.net/) where he talks about his schooling. He talks about the value system briefly. <br /><br />uncentes+ 100 of them make an undollar. I have a lots of those in my mutual funds. <br /><br />WillEKwillekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05626541339963605016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-20054238407850286152009-06-30T21:51:55.174-04:002009-06-30T21:51:55.174-04:00Armand;
Hey thanks. I will post my version of tha...Armand;<br /> Hey thanks. I will post my version of that quote tonight,<br />..........StapeStapleton Kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-60299500494348061732009-06-30T21:50:28.060-04:002009-06-30T21:50:28.060-04:00Jeremy;
I will address those in my post this eveni...Jeremy;<br />I will address those in my post this evening.<br />...............StapeStapleton Kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-7356193208683865082009-06-30T21:49:03.019-04:002009-06-30T21:49:03.019-04:00Hey Frank;
Thanks, Remarks made in this post are ...Hey Frank;<br /><br />Thanks, Remarks made in this post are in no way intended to be, or given as advice on portrait painting but serve only to illustrate ideas of use in landscape paintings. They are also not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition.<br />They are void where prohibited by law, and are provided without guarantee of their efficacy.<br />.........StapeStapleton Kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-42462069677601102592009-06-30T21:42:41.675-04:002009-06-30T21:42:41.675-04:00Marian;
I will write a little about white tonight,...Marian;<br />I will write a little about white tonight,alright? Can't wait to see the tattoo. <br />........StapeStapleton Kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-90216774692636923392009-06-30T21:39:38.097-04:002009-06-30T21:39:38.097-04:00Willek:
I have not read that. Is it still in print...Willek:<br />I have not read that. Is it still in print? I have a feeling those charts are like the ones in Loomis's illustration book.<br /><br /><br />hypolly = not attractive, but definitely better than lopolly. Ick.Stapleton Kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-25765053024840813182009-06-30T21:36:22.919-04:002009-06-30T21:36:22.919-04:00Jesse.
Thanks It took me a long time to grasp that...Jesse.<br />Thanks It took me a long time to grasp that concept of the big look of nature.I do remember suddenly thinking,"oh I get it" and then wondering why I had thought it so hard.<br />..........StapeStapleton Kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-2654749360599225522009-06-30T21:34:10.415-04:002009-06-30T21:34:10.415-04:00Deb:
Learning to paint well is no harder than lear...Deb:<br />Learning to paint well is no harder than learning to play classical violin or to do open heart surgery. The difference is that because far more people do heart surgery than paint well, its harder to find teachers.<br />...........Stape<br /><br />ausneg= the balance in your account when you are auspoorStapleton Kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-66252482025067470272009-06-30T21:26:49.430-04:002009-06-30T21:26:49.430-04:00Gregory:
We all have that. it seems you can only l...Gregory:<br />We all have that. it seems you can only learn one new idea at a time.You hammer away at that until it operates without your thinking about it, and then you can begin to learn the next idea. <br /><br />There is at the same time a slow leaking of memory forming a limpid pool of forgotten concepts beneath your feet.<br />..............StapeStapleton Kearnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00226409516935208164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-42865262505990844372009-06-30T13:09:10.072-04:002009-06-30T13:09:10.072-04:00Stapleton,
Another great post.
Considering light ...Stapleton,<br /><br />Another great post.<br />Considering light and shadow<br />Howard Pyle the father of American illustration said best I think;<br /><br />'the lightest tone in the shadow is darker than the darkest tone in the sunlight'armandcabrerahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01772142818316748471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-38548482344841249402009-06-30T13:03:00.393-04:002009-06-30T13:03:00.393-04:00This concept is always hard for me. You can't...This concept is always hard for me. You can't really look at the head and see how the hands look at the same time. If the head is the focus, I could see the hands being lessened in importance. Would you say that avoiding piecemeal work is the same as making sure you have a focal point with all else subordinate to it?<br /><br />As far as pasting on features, knowing the underlying planes helps in going from big to small, right?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17579185594957855023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-67824955486692087902009-06-30T12:19:49.909-04:002009-06-30T12:19:49.909-04:00Love the painting Stape and your thoughts about se...Love the painting Stape and your thoughts about separating the lights from the darks is sooo right on. I am contemplating some of your other thoughts as they are very intriguing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06853491825832197697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-56619272802487494822009-06-30T10:17:08.768-04:002009-06-30T10:17:08.768-04:00Another problem that I notice with student paintin...Another problem that I notice with student painting is, not only over-reliance on black for shadows, but also the over use of mixing too much white into the color pigments for the light and bright areas. I think Sargent shows how effectively you can use white for light. However in mixing colors for the light and bright areas over-reliance on white can make lights cooler and duller than you might want. It's something to consider when mixing up lights and brights. Also, I have found using the best quality white that I can afford,and keeping it to a minimum helps keep the lights and brights from getting that chaukey dull look.<br /><br />Stapleton, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the use of whites.<br /><br />Also, I am a strong believer in finishing the painting away from the observational scene (be it landscape or still life). That after image, which stays with you, will help keep your intention clear. Painting awy from the observation can help with getting a "Unity of Effect". "Unity of Effect" is really key to the polished professional look and style of an accomplished painter's work (Abstract or Realist!), isn't it. I am having that tattooed to my neck as I write.mariandioguardi.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16963944767715466681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-20466035360499432182009-06-30T09:18:56.007-04:002009-06-30T09:18:56.007-04:00This is an extremely powerful post, Stape. Just gr...This is an extremely powerful post, Stape. Just great advice and very helpful to strugglers like me who are trying to bring it all together. <br />Have you seen the diagrams in the Faragasso book on the Frank Reilly method of painting? (A Student's Guide to Painting) A lot in that book is contrary to what you have said today, but the diagrams are a way of placing the local values in light and in shadow on a predetermined scale in pictures lighted in different ways. They are very interesting and relate to what you are saying, but in a different way. <br /><br />hypolly= Language used when being overly affectionate to your parrot.<br /><br />WillEKwillekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05626541339963605016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-40003819541425640722009-06-30T09:04:45.497-04:002009-06-30T09:04:45.497-04:00"An object appears differently in the larger ..."An object appears differently in the larger context of its environment than it does when you scrutinize it."<br /><br />This is something I've been thinking about for a while. I haven't really been able to come to a successful resolution in my paintings, but you've helped solidify some of these concepts. Great post Stape!Jessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02313737532863013363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-89274516352056970502009-06-30T06:53:29.170-04:002009-06-30T06:53:29.170-04:00I guess learning to paint isn't so hard.. it&#...I guess learning to paint isn't so hard.. it's the learning to SEE that<br />is the difficult thing.<br /><br />I think I'll hold off on the neck tattoo for now.<br /><br />"ausneg". n. a rejection of anything Austrailian, as in, "He refused shrimp on the barbie because he is an ausneg."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01799016923038189074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5682081471599286551.post-13995751852694947862009-06-30T05:24:55.727-04:002009-06-30T05:24:55.727-04:00When I am painting I am usually painting from insp...When I am painting I am usually painting from inspiration, knowledge and instinct. <br />Sometimes, for me, ideas like the one that you presented are difficult to remember during my process.<br />I'll do a painting and then relax from it for a while. Then, I'll look at it again and see obvious errors like the ones you've pointed out and kick myself because I know better.<br />It seems to be a problem of internalizing principles and focusing to bring them out at will.<br />I intend on working on that problem quite a bit.<br />Any insights?Gregory Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840770708114257366noreply@blogger.com