Everyone Should Make a Painting

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3362-everyone-should-make-a-painting

by mh_ • 14 years ago

49 21 14 years ago

misnome• 14 years ago

I agree emphatically with the spirit (and especially title) of this article. I'm a programmer and Physicist, and until a couple of years ago never really did any activity apart from computer-based, even to relax, and certainly never thought of myself as someone who 'could draw'. I took up Photography in a deliberate attempt to give myself a (non-computer) creative outlet, but found that I really easily slipped into the technical side of it (for which there are many, many opportunities).

Then, I went to a free sampler and then started going to a Life Drawing class (we have the benefit of a very good community locally, and is all drop-in, so no long courses to commit to). You don't need to jump all the way to painting, even just the very basics of charcoal of pencil I found incredibly relaxing, and it was certainly nice to spend decent quantities of time away from the computer.

One thing I think is key, is to realise that drawing and art is a skill like any other - very few people will find a "natural aptitude" (if such a thing exists) and it's purely practice - I'm happy if my drawings show a general trend of improvement, even though individual days or weeks may be a high or low point. There is no pressure to produce a 'decent picture' from anyone except myself, and I'm the only real judge of that - people will always like, or dislike, ANY art.

Even if it's not art or drawing, I think there is definitely massive benefit in completely changing from your usual routine occasionally. It can only be healthy.

philbarr• 14 years ago

I took up photography recently and found the opposite happened - I really enjoy the technical aspect in the same way I enjoy coding, but there's also much more to it than that. I particularly like that there's no definite "right answer", you can read all the books you like but eventually you just have to do your best guess and take the damn picture.

It appeals to my problem solving AND my artistic side at the same time.

EDIT: The fact that you get to play with all these "grown-up toys" strengthens the appeal too...

imrehg• 14 years ago

Here in Taipei we have a place called The Escape Artist ("The art of paintertainment") http://www.escapeartist.com.tw/ You can go there, get a canvas from them (the mini for ~40USD is already pretty big), they have all the brushes, colours and tools that you need, and paint away for the whole afternoon. It's really fun, I've been there twice so far, and from their fanpage it looks like they have plenty of people going (so much better paintings than I could do).

So yeah. Paint. Or doodle (it's even cheaper). Just have fun and explore.

(edit: funny, as another commenter right now, I'm a programmer and physicist too, maybe scientist do like escaping into art)

mhb• 14 years ago

Art by Richard Feynman:

http://www.museumsyndicate.com/artist.php?artist=380

davidarkemp2• 14 years ago

I think that everyone should make a computer program with pretty much the same approach.

ScotterC• 14 years ago

I love this part: 'Do you know what happens in art school? There is a lot of big talk about the art you made and the art you are going to make and the historical context and words like “derivative” get thrown out there (everything is derivative), but when it comes to painting there is very little instruction. '

After working with a lot of professional artists I have come to find that Art school and MFA programs are all about giving you the words and eye for great art but has little to do with the actual techniques.

The words and eye should not be understated though. When you come across something beautiful it is really really hard to describe it in words that do it justice.

tehwalrus• 14 years ago

Just to defend formal art courses: the way they seem to operate (judging from my partner's experience doing a Fine Art Painting degree) is that at the starter levels they get you to do a bunch of things you wouldn't want to given 'artistic judgement'/preference, to widen your skills and perspective.

For example, the painting students were made to do sculpture, animation, and a whole bunch of things in BTEC (the year before they start the actual BA).

While criticism, history and taste all came into the later courses (the fine art painters would have a weekly 'crit,' or "artists' stand-up" where they would discuss each others paintings from that week - classic existentialism terratory) that was mostly after you'd learned the basic skills and could actually draw/paint/sculpt reasonably well (which they had tested at interview.)

one anecdote from the 'crit' - my partner once submitted three paintings to a crit; one blank, one by her, and one by me. She only revealed this after hearing people talk utter nonsense about my painting for five minutes. This is a classic post-modern taking-the-piss idea that has become part of art (where artists make things purely to mock the stupid ideas people have about 'what constitutes art'.) My painting was, as the article suggests, pretty rubbish.

melling2• 14 years ago

Any recommendations for learning how to paint and draw in NYC? I'm an absolute beginner. Someone recommended The Art Student League:

http://www.theartstudentsleague.org/

However, I'm a little uncomfortable walking into a place that doesn't have explicit classes for beginners.

cllns• 14 years ago

Isn't the point of this post to tell you that you don't need lessons and that you should just do it?

aleyan2• 14 years ago

Not to be snarky, but looking at the authors [1] gallery, some formal introduction to technique would have been great.

[1] http://nateotto.com/section/329118_Canvas.html

rm999• 14 years ago

I think the author's point is "do whatever you want" :P

>Many intro classes also start with only using black and white to simplify the decision making process. That to me sounds incredibly boring, but I once did it, and I probably learned from it. You can start that way or you can try skipping ahead. No one is watching. You can do whatever you want.

melling2• 14 years ago

My point is that I would actually like to learn. I doubt if I will ever be really good, but after a few years, I would hope that the results would be noticeable. :-)

aleyan2• 14 years ago

I am currently taking a pastel class at 92nd Street Y [1]. It is a very friendly environment and open to beginners. The only downside is that a lot of the classes are only available during the work day.

You may also consider art classes at NYU's School of Continuing Education [2], though I haven't tried them myself yet.

[1] www.92y.org [2] http://www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/noncredit-offerings.html

bane2• 14 years ago

I can't speak for NYC, but even out here in the suburbs around D.C. some of the local galleries/art studios offer very good intro to painting/drawing/sculpture/etc. classes. The county also offers a pretty nice selection of art classes in their continuing education offerings.

What's nice in both cases is they know their clients and tend to offer the classes on nights and weekends. All the ones I've taken have been taught be very experienced professional artists and focus about 50/50 on technique and learning how to see.

The best one I've taken was a beginner survey class at a local artist's workspace. Every week you come in, they give you supplies for a specific type of media, they give a short lecture and off you go for the next 90 minutes with the instructor available to offer advice. Charcoal one week, pastels the next, oils the following, etc. I found out that I loved working with pastels and I never would have even thought to try them before.

The lecture usually cover very basic concepts for the media, how to blend colors, how the paints blend on the canvas, how to build up a image (e.g. for oils start with dark tones then move towards light, for waters work the other way) how to use tortillions etc. But they definitely leave you to develop your own style.

klrr• 14 years ago

Do I have to use a brush? I dislike not to feel when touching the material like you do while painting with a normal pencil, or is the part that you don't feel where you're placing the colors part of painting?

jgiancarlo• 14 years ago

It's much more subtle, you feel the pressure from the tip of the brush. Depending on the brush. You also feel the differences in friction between painted and unpainted canvas. I did painting and art classes for about 3 years fairly seriously as a kid and the most fun part to trying all different types of making visual art was feeling the different physical nature involved in each type.

bane2• 14 years ago

Try pastels instead, the results look great and you get to really get into the work if you like. Blending with your fingers is fun!

RyanZAG• 14 years ago

Everyone Should Make an OpenGL 3D Engine

Read that headline carefully. Note that I didn’t say everyone should start calling themselves code ninjas and try to sell their 3D Engines for millions of dollars. I do, however, think the exercise of making a 3D Engine a good one for all human beings.

A few things…

Your 3D Engine is probably not even going to compile. Don’t worry about it.

-----

Everyone Should Make a Wooden Desk

Read that headline carefully. Note that I didn’t say everyone should start calling themselves carpenters and try to sell their wood desks for tens of dollars. I do, however, think the exercise of making a wood desk is a good one for all human beings.

A few things…

Your wood desk is probably going to topple over before you get the 3rd leg on. Don’t worry about it.

---

I could go on. You could say the same about anything. Why a painting and not a book? Do new things you haven't done before that you want to do, don't make a painting...

andrewcooke• 14 years ago

no. everyone should be more like meeeeeeeeeeeeeee

pirateking• 14 years ago

Drawing and painting was the best introduction to programming that I never knew I got.

enoch_r• 14 years ago

This is too specific for my taste. I'd say this instead:

Everyone should try new things. Being really good at one thing is awesome, but we learn the most from sucking at stuff. So find something you suck at and work at it and improve at it and learn from it. Cooking. Woodworking. Painting. Building a pizza oven in your backyard. Photography. Whatever--just pick something that makes you think "wow, that looks amazing--I would try to do that, but I'd have no idea where to begin," and then learn where to begin and do it.

Everyone Should Make a Painting

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