[Muzman]

quote

Quote:

there is a difference between good and bad art, and any serious artist should try to distinguish between all the grades of them.

but if the distinction is based purely on technique then all is for nought.
I realise this is off topic somewhat. The link at the top is great; the points about solid colour are interesting (hell, ive been following these "rules" for some time. Just because it aint working doesn't mean anything.)
And yes, the artizan will always have a job.
But where I smell exclusiveness and eliteism I feel the need to chime in. You all needn't read any further into it than that.
To me there is a big difference between "these are greats and you should do like they!!" and "Hey check this out. If you want to know how they did it and try to do likewise read this...."
I'm not saying it's been said so explicitly here; but "the practice of technique X = you are a hack" is coming pretty close.
No doubt all this will be read as sour grapes by a failure looking for shortcuts which he won't find. Well, sorry, I'm an egalitarian. It's just one of those things I guess. Don't take it too hard.

[AliasMoze]

Muzman,
It isn't about technique at all. It's about avoiding "technique" or not concentrating on technique.

It's OK that you're off-topic. I don't think anyone yet has commented on the actual link

What I'm saying has nothing to do with eliteism. There's no better way to learn art than with a group of like-minded fellows who share a similar roadmap. Arguments like this are great fuel. It helps to think about the task at hand. Immersion is a great way to go. Think about drawing and painting constantly. And practice. And look into great artists. When Mozeman talks about drawing, the smart artist shuts up and listens.

The basic jist is this: Master the fundamentals. Then keep learning them. Ignore that which is not essential, especially if you are a beginner. There's no way to learn to draw or paint well, except to practice the fundamentals over and over.

My mentallity is: "Don't get mad. Get better."

[Fred Flick Stone]

The best book on painting that is available right now is called Alla Prima Everything I know About Painting by Richard Schmid. You cannot go wrong. The book is expensive, but this guy is John Singer Sargent of our times. He is one of the most successful fine artists ever, and his work speaks for itself. He did two other books in the seveties, one on figure painting, and one on landscape painting, but are difficult to find. Alla Prima is the best book on the subject of oil painting period...He has a website called Notes from the hayloft. I am not sure on the specific URL. The publishing company is stove prairie press, in colorado. Good Luck...