I’ve been contemplating “Shape” a lot in my painting lately. One thing that separates the masters from the amatuers is their ability to make shapes interesting in their work. A lot of painters can paint what they see very accurately, but very few are really deft in terms of their compositional choices and their depiction of “shape.” In order to make the seemingly mundane interesting, one must be very good at seeing the potential to exploit the visual information that they see.
One must first learn to notice interesting interactions of lights and darks and be able to paint them convincingly. That’s draftsmanship, and a lot of painters have that, but the masters, they CONTROL shape. They know how to draw their subject as is, but more, they know how to draw it better than it is. They engage the viewer with hyper reality. Their paintings look better than their subjects; clean and controled. After all, noone will typically see their subjects next to their painting unless they are caught in the act of “plein air” painting.
Their compositions engage you in a way that emotes a specific response. They use the value and 
temperature information that they see in reality as a suggestion with which to build from, then knock your socks off with great shapes and composition that are merely based on reality.
This is my attempt at making a dry creek bed look as interesting as possible. I feel an S shaped composition is never a bad idea, and I’ve chosen to punch the chroma of the warm colors a bit as to vibrate nicely with the shadows in the snow. Let me know your thoughts if you have time.
6 Comments
Well said. I agree that advancing from technician to artist requires exactly this kind of thought. The underlying patterns and shapes must be interesting and well proportioned before splashy colors or fancy brushwork can be effective.
Cody
February 5, 2009
Yes! Your insight is right on. This is the concept of Dark Light pattern that creates the dark shapes and the light shapes. They lead the eye and ground the compositon. Every shape unique and varried. It is so refreshing to have words relate to the action of creating art. Keep it coming!
Paula
Josh,
Good looking newsletter, better yet the content is well presented and helpful.
Looking forward to your next one. I love a “warm/cool” color balance. Thanks for sharing your exceptional insights and talent.You’re an inspiration!
Danna
Painting is, after all, a thinking process. Your insight is inspiring. Thank you for sharing your knowledge while allowing us to see the paintings you use as a reference. It makes it all so much more understandable.
Hey everyone,
Thanks for the comments and for reading my ranting. I find it very helpful to sort of journal my experience, and if you can also find insite in that, I’m overjoyed. Painting for me has become such a wonderful life’s practice and I feel I’m standing on the shoulders of GIANTS.
Till next time.
Josh
Thank you very much for this incredibly well written editorial!