05-28-2014, 12:07 PM
Find That Magic!
What defines “Magic” in a piece of art? How do you, as the artist, quantify the “WOW” factor? What makes one piece of work masterful and the next simply above average? Is it the creative use of color in a given piece of work? Is it the composition combined with hard and soft lines that lead your eye softly to the focal point of the work? Is it the small details like the shine in hair, the dance of the clouds, or the reflective properties of a sharp sword? “WHAT IS IT?”
sigh...sometimes trying to create Magic makes me want to bang my head against the wall...
So here’s the deal, you can teach yourself to render, but finding that “Magic” and exploiting it takes skill. If you watch Youtube training videos you witness artists capture that “Magic” with a few simple brush strokes or watch as an artist waits till the very end of a piece, and then, with a few well placed strokes completely changes the way the painting feels. Often, we like to think we have it, the “Magic” that is, but when you look upon a real master like Brom you soon realize that most of us don’t.
This is where I’m at in my personal art path. Sometimes I think I’ve found it. When I look at a modern master’s older work there is often a point when that artist’s work begins to convey Magic on a regular basis. Many times it’s when the artist defines his voice, or for some, their style. Have I been able to reliably put that into my own work? Well, let’s just say I’m still working on cracking that code.
Anyone want to share their secrets for creating magic in their work?
What defines “Magic” in a piece of art? How do you, as the artist, quantify the “WOW” factor? What makes one piece of work masterful and the next simply above average? Is it the creative use of color in a given piece of work? Is it the composition combined with hard and soft lines that lead your eye softly to the focal point of the work? Is it the small details like the shine in hair, the dance of the clouds, or the reflective properties of a sharp sword? “WHAT IS IT?”
sigh...sometimes trying to create Magic makes me want to bang my head against the wall...
So here’s the deal, you can teach yourself to render, but finding that “Magic” and exploiting it takes skill. If you watch Youtube training videos you witness artists capture that “Magic” with a few simple brush strokes or watch as an artist waits till the very end of a piece, and then, with a few well placed strokes completely changes the way the painting feels. Often, we like to think we have it, the “Magic” that is, but when you look upon a real master like Brom you soon realize that most of us don’t.
This is where I’m at in my personal art path. Sometimes I think I’ve found it. When I look at a modern master’s older work there is often a point when that artist’s work begins to convey Magic on a regular basis. Many times it’s when the artist defines his voice, or for some, their style. Have I been able to reliably put that into my own work? Well, let’s just say I’m still working on cracking that code.
Anyone want to share their secrets for creating magic in their work?
Eric
Elmstreetart.com
Elmstreetart.com