Art Center Information

More About an Artist’s Interview

Lynn Burton: Study for Mural (oil on board)

In my previous blog (you can read it by clicking above left), I invited artist and fine art photographers to be interviewed and promoted on this sight. Anyone interested needs to send a private message on twitter @Artcenterinform or my Facebook fan page (bottom right) or comment section (bottom). I will need to communicate with you through e-mail (which will be used for no other reason than the interview). If you use comment section at the bottom it will not show up on the page…all comments are reviewed and will not be posted to the public.

I’ve worked out a template for the interview which you will receive by e-mail, however I always plan to throw away the template as you answer the interview questions and lead me into more important questions about you; your personal feelings about your art; your inspiration; where it comes from; what you are trying to accomplish with your art, and what drives your passion. This is you…this is for you. Of course, we want your artwork displayed and we will find a way to get your sight forwarded.

I did a very loose interview with Texas artist, Lynn Burton. If you haven’t already done so, you can visit the page by clicking on the picture of the wall mural he painted to the left<<<

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Art Center Information Introduces Plan to Interview Artists

Art Center Information logo

When I set up the Art Center Information blog sight I had in mind to do an interview with an artist at least once a week, show their work, highlight their blog or web sight. I enjoy promoting artists and their works.

This was a few months ago and I am just now getting prepared to take the sight a step farther. Although I am not set up to do audio or video interviewing, I can do it by asking you questions through e-mail, allow you to approve, and ask further questions that was generated from your answers. After we both agree on the interview to each of our satisfaction, post it on the sight along with some of your art.

Since each of you are different and original, professional or wannabee, or in-between somewhere, the questions asked will not always be the same. Only through a study of your work will I be able to personalize “our” interview. We can aim toward questions such as:

When and how did you first become interested in Art?
How would you describe your type, style, ism…etc. of art?

After a few typical questions that hope to lead me into a deeper “you,” I hope we come up with an interesting and personal interview with real feelings shared. There will be a way to link back to your web sight.

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4 Tips Art Center Information Gives About Composition

James Frederick: "Original American" Graphite on Paper — James Frederick: “Original American” Graphite on Paper

Here at Art Center Information we feel that all artists agree that learning the fundamentals is the most important element in creating and composing fine art. One of the main fundamentals is composition. It holds the viewer’s eye. Without it even skillful technique can look confusing or not quite right. It doesn’t matter which medium you select to compose your art, graphite or colored pencil, watercolor, pastel, acrylics or oil, you still must have composition.

A definition of composition for the artist: Creating a work in which objects or patterns are arranged in a way which is naturally pleasing to the eye.

In many cases, a non-artist doesn’t understand composition and what it entails; they just know what they like and dislike when the look at a piece of art work.

Shape: The shape in a composition make up the large light and dark masses. Squinting your eyes while looking at your work takes away the color and middle tones and leaves large value masses.
Line: As an artist, we work with lines. The objects in a work of art consists of lines or the impression of a line when a line does not clearly exist. There are times when an artist can direct the compositional flow using the perspective of lines, such as I did in the fence lines in my watercolor painting, “Winter Farm”.
R.D.Burton: “Winter Farm” (watercolor on paper)

Value: The light and dark that makes up a composition. In the “Winter Farm” I used the dark ground to assist the fence to direct the viewers attention to the lighter hued house and barn–which was really the subject of the painting.
Color: In my brother’s painting, “Parrots” (above) he used the easy rule of thumb for color–intense colors in the center of interest. Even though (I am certain) he planned and seriously concentrated on the composition, he kept it simple. He let the values, shapes, edges and lines take care of the compositional pattern.

As an artist, you wish for the viewer to see the center of interest in your work. It would be best to compose it so a viewer takes a tour–perhaps totally unaware they are doing so. The eye should flow subconsciously throughout the composition. If you wish to read how one of masters of the 20th century did this, click on Lynn Burton’s painting, “The Parrots” above.

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Art Center Informations’s Weekly Review for 8/6 thru 8/11/2012

On Monday, August 6: We presented the coffee table art book we are going to give away in a random drawing, ART, features over 2500 paintings and sculptures from around the world, from prehistory to the 21st century. Absolutely beautiful. What a prize! It would be greatly appreciated in anyone’s home. It would be a treasure in an artist’s home. To get more information, click on the picture>>>

On Tuesday: (No Post)

James Frederick: "Poppin' Johnie" — James Frederick: “Poppin’ Johnie”

On Wednesday, August 8: In A Few Tips For My Graphite Artist Friends: I said, Although I came from a family of artists, and art has always been high priority in my life, most of my training is… To get more information, click on the picture>>>

Olivia Frederick: The Face — Olivia: The Face

On Thursday, August 8: In post titled As Artists, Who Are We? I asked: how can we as artists find the “who am I?” within us? Then I stated: trying to find the originality, or voice, in our art is the great quest of many artists. Nearly every successful artist has a……….. To get more, click on the picture>>>

R.D. Burton:"sketch studies" — R.D. Burton:”sketch studies”

On Friday, August 9: In Tips to Capture That Inspired Moment, I wrote: when you see a scene that excites you enough to want to either paint it or paint part of it, hopefully, you don’t walk away with it left only in your memory…To get more, click on the picture>>>

Leonardo da Vinci: Self-portrait in red chalk, Royal Library of Turin (1512)

On Saturday, August 1o: 3 Tips From Leonardo:

Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art~Leonardo da Vinci

Da Vinci expressed his creativity in his drawings and paintings. Each line and mark he drew created a visual symphony. He possessed……..for more, click on the picture>>>

Posted in art, art center information, weekly review | Tagged art, art center information, James Frederick, Leonardo da Vinci, Olivia, R. D. Burton, weekly review | Comments Off

3 Tips From Leonardo

Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art~Leonardo da Vinci

Da Vinci expressed his creativity in his drawings and paintings. Each line and mark he drew created a visual symphony. He possessed the masterful drawing skills to balance the relationship of all the parts to the whole and to one another, and assemble them in a way that we the viewer are satisfied. In other words, he knew how to put it together and do it with passion.

Leonardo da Vinci: "Study of Horse" — Leonardo da Vinci: “Study of Horse”

During the Renaissance drawings were not valued as independent works of art, but were meant to be studies for painting ideas, sculpture, or other uses. So in many cases Leonardo would write elaborate notes on drawings.

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do~Leonardo da Vinci

Da Vinci’s interest was almost limitless. He drew and wrote about natural phenomena, anatomy, plants, architecture, mechanics and much more. He made a ton of drawings and notes on his inventions.

Leonardo’s earliest known drawing, the Arno Valley (1473): Study of a Tuscan Landscape

Art is never finished only abandoned~Leonardo da Vinci

The abandoned work of da Vinci, done in many different stages, gives us insight into his drawing procedures and techniques.

Posted in art, drawing, Leonardo da Vinci, painting | Tagged art, art information, artist, drawing, Leonaedo da Vinci, painting | Comments Off

Tips to Capture That Inspired Moment

When you see a scene that excites you enough to want to either paint it or paint part of it, hopefully, you don’t walk away with it left only in your memory. It helps if you can take a snapshot of it or sketch it or both.

The camera is an invaluable tool for an artist, however, it records too much and can be very confusing when considering hues and the effect they have on each other.
A quick, simple sketch can often relay more of what you have in mind as an artist for that perfect painting or drawing. Sometimes I look over photos that I have taken and ask myself why? everything is there except that certain something that I had in mind for a picture. Don’t get me wrong, it is there. I just can’t find it for everything else in the photograph that surrounds it.

However, I have never asked myself why I stopped at something inspirational and made a sketch–sometimes a complete value drawing. To me it is more important than a camera. I start with what captured my attention and work my way outward. I keep it simple, not wasting time on what doesn’t help that pivotal idea. Much of what I record by camera never makes it into a painting or drawing.

No matter whether I use a camera or sketch as a source for my work, I will always work out the simplest details and do a more detailed value sketch for the completed work. I think it must be therapeutic. It soothes me.

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As Artists, Who Are We?

How can we as artists find the “who am I?” within us? Trying to find the originality, or voice, in our art is the great quest of many artists. Nearly every successful artist has a particular interest or passion that gives drive to their particular skill.

Before you decide what type of drawing or painting you want to concentrate on, it would be wise to consider your particular background or experience.

Many of us tend to discount our personal experiences and knowledge–we consider our background to be commonplace and uninteresting. This is a serious mistake. If you were raised on a farm or ranch, for instance, you are much more likely to succeed in interpreting life as it applies to your environment than in trying to paint or draw high society in New York City.

No background is barren of artistic material. The artist that grew up in poverty can create just as much beauty in drawing or painting the world they came from as an artist that draws or paints ornate and luxurious settings. Actually, this artist may have a greater appeal.

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A Few Tips For My Graphite Artist Friends

James Frederick: "Poppin' Johny" Graphite on paper — James Frederick: “Poppin’ Johny” Graphite on paper

Although I came from a family of artists, and art has always been high priority in my life, most of my training is self taught through the aid of art books and internet courses. These helped me a lot, no doubt; but I always thought there was a magic formula somewhere that would grab hold of me and turn me into an artist. I finally realized there was a formula and it wasn’t found in art books and courses. It was really plain old courage, standing on my own two feet, and forever striving for enlightenment. All I needed was courage to develop my own way, while learning from others. Very important to me, I developed a rigid discipline of doing over that which I could improve.

R.D.Burton"Old Man Time" (Graphite Drawing) Private Collector — R.D.Burton”Old Man Time” (Graphite Drawing) Private Collector

Case in point: the graphite drawing of “Old Man Time” that I drew back in the late 60s (yes, that was in the last century), is beginning to obsess me. At night I wake up and I’m painting a monochromatic acrylic painting of the picture using yellow ochre as the base color. However, the painting will have clock gears in the background to give more of a third dimension and his right foot will rest on a Coo-coo clock. I might even put my face on the old man–now that I’ve aged a bit since the late 60s. As slow as I draw and paint this will take weeks–but if its waking me up at night, it’s got to be.

Now, since this post is about graphite drawing, what does painting with acrylic have to do with it? Simple…If you follow my blog posts, you know I always make a detailed full size graphite drawing of my paintings to work out details and value. The original picture is 9″X13″ and the new one will be 18″X24″. I want to do both the painting and the drawing so good they will be collectable.

Here are a few tips for my graphite drawings friends. I hope they help you in your artistic quest.

Consistently gray throughout your picture:

Select a soft pencil that makes a good black
Pick out the darkest value in your drawing and state them strongly
Contrast your darks by leaving areas of white where subject is white or very light
Do not put overstated grays in light areas
Be careful not to surround things that are light with heavy lines
Be aware of edges. They may be a sharp limitation to the form (the edge of a cube) or a rounded and disappearing limitation (the contour of a sphere)

Be sure to sign up for the Art Center Information newsletter and enter the drawing to win a free coffee table art book>>>Upper right hand corner of page.

Check out Greeeaat Opportunities at top of page for some good internet art courses.

Posted in art, art information, Graphite Drawing | Tagged art, art information, artist, drawing, graphite pencil | Comments Off

Over 2500 Paintings and Sculptures

ART, the large coffee table book pictured at the left is going to be given away in a random drawing to one of you that signs up and subscribes to the Art Center Information newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time and we will not give, sell or lease your e-mail to anyone.

The book features over 2500 paintings and sculptures from around the world, from prehistory to the 21st century. It is absolutely beautiful. What a prize! It would be greatly appreciated in anyone’s home. It would be a treasure in an artist’s home.

Short section details how artists use color, composition, light and shade, perspective, and different media to bring their ideas to fruition.
Each artistic movement–from the Italian Renaissance to Impressionism and Pop Art–is clearly explained, alongside its origins and influences.
More than 700 artists from all periods and cultures profiled alongside key examples of their work.

From Leonardo da Vinci’ The Last Supper to Francis Bacon’s Screaming Pope. In full page their are 22 key works analyzed in terms of composition, story, and techniques.–what the artist did to create each one.
Interspersed through the book, double page features show how different artists have approached the same popular themes.
More than 2500 works of art are reproduced inART’S chronological catalog.

ART: Over 2500 works from cave to contemporary–forward by Ross King, author of Michelangelo and Pope’s Ceiling.

We like incentives and we really had fun July 16th when we held our first drawing and gave away THE LOUVRE~all the paintings. If you would like to see the random selection you can watch it on YouTube video by clicking on the picture on the left.<<<

Once again, please subscribe to the newsletter. You will receive one each week for five weeks and then you should (I’ve got to get disciplined here) get one bi-weekly. You will be in the random selection to win this beautiful treasure.

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Art Center Information~Weekly Review July 30 Thru August 4, 2012

Monday, July 30~ We discussed monochrome and the mother color principle. We said: there are similarities in some respects to working with a monochromatic palette and the using of the “mother color” principle. To read the article, click on the picture>>>

Tuesday, July 31~Bloggers day off, but if you want to check out my favorite online drawing course–simple Steps To Draw Anyone. Learn How To Draw People with easy step by step instruction. Discover The techniques of The Masters and draw beautiful figure drawings. Click on the picture>>>

On Wednesday, August 1~We guided you through some of the most interesting Art Center Information blogs posted in the past six months. A click and read sight. To get to the post, click on the picture>>>

On Thursday, August 2~ We discussed a great museum exhibit. We wrote: Wouldn’t it be great to find a museum where they feature more than 150 works by artists that were active in the late 19th and early 20th century and recapture the revolutionary Impressionist movement? To see if you are in the area, click on the picture>>>

On Friday, August 3~We gave out helpful hints to find originality in Information to Help Find Your Artist’s Voice. We wrote: an artist must create the discipline to do the work–the hard work–work that is truly interesting and has longevity, work that is authentic. (Good read~more here.) To view, click on the picture>>>

On Saturday, August4~ Artist, R. D. Burton, Discusses His Journey Into The Art World. He said: Most of my life I spent in the business world–the not art world–and any creative work I did was pencil sketching. But it was more than sketching; I really was striving for… (This is a must read!) To view the post, click on the picture>>>

Art Center Information just published the first newsletter for August on the weekend. We hope those of you that are subscribers enjoyed it. Thank you for your subscription. For any of you that wish to join the club, please subscribe at the upper right hand corner of this page. You will be entered into the drawing for a free art coffee table book. The first book was given away on July 16th and we will be giving this one away at the end of September. Don’t wait, do it now.

Suggestion: Check out the Great Opportunities at the top of the page and see if there is something there for you.

Posted in art center information, blog posts, newsletter | Tagged art, art center information, artist, blog posts, newsletter, R. D. Burton | Comments Off