Lately I’ve had some interesting discussions about weather or not to worry about accuracy and how representational artists learn.
If I look at the history of some master artists like Rembrandt or Picasso I see that they start out creating paintings very true to life, then eventually they break away from the rules. I think many artists today look at the later works by master artists and try to emulate that style without any consideration of the years it took to develop the method. I feel that only through rigorous effort painting subjects in extreme accuracy over years and years were master artists able to let go. Because the skills were second nature at that point. They were so good at it, that painting became effortless and it shows in their work. I too want my work to look effortless and amazing but Rembrandt didn’t start out painting super loose with bravado, he started with rigorous effort and extreme detail.
So here I am today, trying like crazy to get some accurate figure drawings in just a few minutes…
