Whatcha watchin'?

[wayfaringwordhack]

*argh!* How aggravating! I had a long entry typed up, just needed to attach a photo and say a few more words before hitting "post," and I fumble-finger navigated myself away from the page.  Unlike LJ, it didn't ask to restore the draft, even though it had auto-saved it. :(

Long post short, I mentioned watching the first season of Landscape Artist of the Year with Sprout and how we enjoyed discussing our views compared to the judges'.  I also get a kick out of British humor, and what is not to love about the English countryside?  It is always interesting to see others interacting with art and trying to push ourselves to be more open to styles and interpretations that don't really appeal to us.  These convos are both interesting and challenging with Sprout. I believe I have mentioned before that she is a Very Literal-Minded Girl, and her literal-loving tendencies encompass art as well as language.  (Do not get her started on the common conceit that the heart is the seat of emotion.)


Another YouTube find was Ian Roberts' channel, which was suggested to me when I was looking up composition and layout for children's book illustration.  Go figure.  But I am happy for the find because he was able to make some things click for me about thumbnail and reducing detail to value that Marcel* was not able to make stick long-term for me. Time will tell if I really have it now, but I think I do.  Just need to practice more.

Here is a sample of what I was doing based off two of Ian's videos. Three thumbnails are me trying to get the best dynamic lines from a photo of his and the other is a copy of what he did in the second video with a different landscape.

Have you been watching anything you would like to share?  Or would you like to talk about a skill you are working to acquire?

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* An artist in Mayotte, whom I took some lessons from.  I have a few entries tagged with his name.  I need to reread them for a jaunt down memory lane.

Comments

[asakiyume]

Your mentioning reducing detail reminds me of being a kid and graduating from the fluffy-cloud-on-a-stick school of tree drawing and deciding that now I had to draw every single leaf. And then realizing that I'd go crazy if I did that, and that furthermore, when I looked at paintings, that wasn't what paintings did. I think that was the first time I looked at art to see how a thing was done.

Of your three ways of simplifying the photo, my eye lingers most on the lower-right one.

[wayfaringwordhack]

Every leaf....oh yes, I remember this stage, too. :P. And the realization that I would go crazy and stop having fun sooner or later.

Yeah, the 3rd one is where I tried to stop being as literal about the lines present on the page and shift and use them to lead the eye. So I guess this is proof that it is sinking in. ;)

[green_knight]

I've started to binge watch James Gurney's Youtube channel. I was particularly impressed by How to light a Landscape - he talks viewers through his decisions and doesn't shy away from mistakes.

[wayfaringwordhack]

I also enjoy James Gurney's channel! :D. He is so helpful and exudes such a joyful interest in whatever he does.