I have this weird idea that if I can master the techniques of the Old Masters, I can use that as a bargaining chip if I ever do something like say, piss on Mars (no ones ever done that!) in the name of Art.
I thought it may be a good idea to learn some techniques - any technique before I get out of school, so I don't leave school with the same level of technical skills as what I came in with - absolutely none. Ok, I guess, "bullshit you way through it" is a technique, albeit not a very good one. At least I know what, "Post modernism" means. Now I have to figure out if I believe in it or if it's one of those things that exists because you believe in it.
So I gave myself a challenge. In one of my classes, I made a rub out, which is basically a value study (lights and darks, no color), of the model.
I've made a few of these actually. I'm now, with no reference other than that value study, trying to complete the painting in full color. I'm not sure if I'm happy with the outcome of this first one as of yet, but it's only been one day of working on the painting and paintings seem to be one of those things that change considerably while they're relatively alive (wet, we'll say).
This may be setting myself too lofty of a goal, since I don't know if this particular circumstance was ever the norm, but I'm fairly certain the Italian Renaissance painters worked from charcoal sketches to render things like say, entire frescos on the ceilings of churches.
Mine should be cake in comparison.
I wonder if the how-to of this way of painting is almost lost, like the details and tricks at least. Just from wandering about the studios, it seems that craftsmanship is out the window when it comes to figurative things. The idea of layering and steps of painting an oil picture are unknown. Wrong color? Paint over it! I wonder if most of the things done by my peers and I will look completely shitty in 25 years. We'll see.
The painting Chair's aid at least keeps giving me - "This painting has no relevance in contemporary art", looks. Perhaps that's precisely the point of doing it. But then again, why am I always bouncing around between my druthers? I just think you need to paint the random half clothed woman in the middle of a cut down forest surrounded by pink bunnies looking curiously at her, from time to time.
