Learning how to draw realistically was a necessary skill taught in much formal education up until the dawn of the 20th century.
DRAWING ACCURATELY IS AN IMPORTANT SKILL
Being able to accurately draw ideas for a bridge was as necessary of a skill for engineers as calculating its structural integrity. It is rare indeed today to find a civil engineer in a drawing classroom, but historically it was necessary to teach engineers a visual language to accurately express their ideas .
At the turn of the last century, drawing training for artists, engineers, and the generally educated population drastically changed.
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HOW MODERNIST IDEOLOGIES CHANGED ART TRAINING
At the turn of the last century, a Modernist theory took root that training an artist would ruin an artist’s potential creativity.
As a result of this, many of the early Modernists who had classical training themselves, such as Mondrian and Picasso, chose to purposefully not train the next generation of artists in nuanced and complex visual literacy skills.
Multiply the application of this extreme theory over several generations and the result is that hundreds of years of inherited artistic knowledge and discoveries, tirelessly handed down from artist to artist for centuries, became almost entirely lost by the 1980s.
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HOW LACK OF ART SKILLS LEAD TO MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT LEARNING ART
As general education moved away from drawing training as a core school subject, many misconceptions have taken root in popular imagination about how drawing and art happen.
Today I often hear that one inherently “has” or “doesn’t have” artistic talent, or that so-and-so can’t even draw a stick figure, or that an otherwise literate person must not be capable of becoming an artist because he or she doesn’t have the indefinable and elusive “it”.
This is nonsense.
It is also an extreme disservice to anyone who wishes to learn how to draw and paint. Anyone can have “it” when they have access to teachers with visual literacy skills. And luckily today, these skills are accessible in places called “ateliers” and can be learned from anyone that has what is known in our contemporary world as “atelier training.”
ART SKILLS = SEEING BETTER
Learning to draw, paint, or sculpt realistically is about training your eye to see better. And the ability to see with nuance and sensitivity is a skill that can help all of humankind, not just artists.
Imagine a scientist who observes a barely perceptible color change in the petri dish that his eye was trained sensitively enough to see. Or the surgeon who can make a smaller incision in exactly the right place on the first try because she understands the subtle surface forms of the human figure.
ART SKILLS MATTER
Visual literacy is extremely important and is experiencing a renaissance due to the desire of people wishing to understand how they can glean more knowledge from a single glance. Now, more and more people are connecting with ateliers to pursue realistic drawing and painting skills, and even more importantly, improve how they literally see the world.
Want to start atelier training? Join our Ateliyay! Painting Bootcamp today!
Oil Paint Materials List
When starting out, having the right oil paint materials list is essential for creating successful artwork. So many students purchase inferior or unhelpful materials, sabotaging themselves and their artwork before they even start. Skip directly to the Oil Paint Materials List, or continue reading for contextual information about the materials. Introduction to Oil Painting Materials […]
Painting Composition: The Key to Making Better Art
Creating a stunning painting composition isn’t just about the rule of thirds or following mathematical formulas. In fact, those rules aren’t very helpful, and can even harm your compositions, if you don’t understand the big underlying concepts of pictorial design. A well-balanced composition draws viewers in, directs their eye through the piece, helps to tell […]
Realistic Portrait Drawing
Realistic portrait drawing is one of the most rewarding yet challenging skills an artist can develop. Whether you are a beginner struggling with basic proportions, or an experienced artist looking to refine your technique, this article will help you to draw better realistic portraits. Capturing a likeness requires a solid understanding of structure, feature placement, […]
Guide to Black Oil Paints
Black is an essential color in any oil painter’s palette, yet not all black oil paints are the same. Different black oil paints offer different drying times and mixing behaviors that can greatly impact your painting. In this guide, we’ll explore the most common black oil paints, including Ivory Black, Lamp Black, Mars Black, and […]
Choosing the Right White: A Guide to White Oil Paints
White is the most used color in oil painting, but not all white oil paints are created equal. Artists often struggle to choose the right white for their work, as different types have varying properties that affect color mixing, drying time, and durability. In this guide, we’ll explore the most common white oil paints and […]
Articles Featuring School of Atelier Arts
Check out these articles featuring the School of Atelier Arts. Redfin This article draws on SAA Director Mandy Theis’ knowledge of setting up a studio. By intentionally controlling light the way we teach in our online Ateliyay! Painting Bootcamp, any content creator can have a more conducive place to work. 60 SHARES Share on Facebook […]
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