Occasionally I do this weird thing. I'm working up close to the canvas and putting in a lot of detail. Then, at some point, I back up and look at how it feels, and it's too busy. I then go in and brush over some of the detail -- I undo some of what I've done -- and it looks better. Some people paint detail and it works. Others do so, and it doesn't. I'm not sure it's accuracy so much as a sense of mastery. Little futzy strokes don't convey certainty. Clean, strong, confident strokes do. I think. Maybe there are people who do the futzing and come out fine. I don't know. I'm still working on this idea.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
"Orange Halves," 6x8, oil on canvas board
Occasionally I do this weird thing. I'm working up close to the canvas and putting in a lot of detail. Then, at some point, I back up and look at how it feels, and it's too busy. I then go in and brush over some of the detail -- I undo some of what I've done -- and it looks better. Some people paint detail and it works. Others do so, and it doesn't. I'm not sure it's accuracy so much as a sense of mastery. Little futzy strokes don't convey certainty. Clean, strong, confident strokes do. I think. Maybe there are people who do the futzing and come out fine. I don't know. I'm still working on this idea.
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