Create Perfect Paintings: An Artist's Guide to Visual Thinking

Description

The Ultimate Resource and Reference Guide for Artists! Discover an innovative self-critique method that will empower you to answer the artist's most common questions, Now What? and Is it Finished? as you learn to identify and overcome painting issues faced by artists regardless of medium or style. With hundreds of insights, tips, illustrated techniques and ideas, Create Perfect Paintings shows you how to push your work to the next level by strengthening your perception, technical skills and visual thinking. Exercises and examples illustrate how to critique your own creations and then evaluate them step by step for further improvement. You will compare illustrations, and learn to identify and modify artistic choices--from negative space and color ratio to controlling eye movement, depth and contrast--to see their impact and help you use them to the best effect in your work. What you'll find inside: Section 1: Essentials--Reviews and defines artistic terms and concepts. Section 2: Play Phase--Shows you how to tap into your right brain. Learn to challenge the process and break habits to free your spirit and inspire variety in your art; also covers materials, tools and surfaces Section 3: Critique Phase--Introduces a groundbreaking method of contemporary critique called The Viewing Game a comprehensive, systematic and fun way to analyze, edit and enhance your paintings. Sections 4 and 5--Bonus sections explore how to resolve creative blocks, convey artistic messages, boost your personal style, display your work and turn painting into a career. "May this book increase your productivity, add ease and flow to your creative process, clarify your ideas, add nuance to your personal style, and most importantly, add joy to the miraculous act of painting." --Nancy Reyner Cover Title Page Table of Contents Dedication Introduction Section 1: Essentials Concept 1: Understanding Painting Concept 2: Left vs. Right Brain Thinking Concept 3: Visual Tension Concept 4: Meet Your Audience Concept 5: Opposites Attract Concept 6: The 80:20 Rule Concept 7: Realism and Abstraction Concept 8: Painting Processes Section 2: Play Phase Controlled Processes Flexible Processes Choosing the Right Medium Choosing the Right Surface How to Maximize Variety Painting with the Right Brain Section 3: Critique Phase The Viewing Game Inquiry 1: The Big Three Inquiry 2: Tactile Surface Quality Inquiry 3: Flip 4 Inquiry 4: Entrances and Exits Inquiry 5: Zones and Quadrants Inquiry 6: Focal Points Inquiry 7: Design and Movement Inquiry 8: Spatial Depth Inquiry 9: Hot Spots Inquiry 10: Is It Finished? Section 4: Helpful Painting Solutions Solution 1: The 4-Step Critique Shortcut Solution 2: Critique Quick List Solution 3: Pairs of Opposites Solution 4: Mixing the Perfect Color Solution 5: Conveying Your Painting’s Message Section 5: Bonus Topics for Artists Topic 1: Viewing, Display and Framing Topic 2: Freeing a Creative Block Topic 3: Discovering New Ideas Topic 4: Critique Examples Topic 5: Critique Groups Topic 6: Painting as a Career About the Author Acknowledgments Marketing Page Copyright