Why you need to know the old mastersposted Feb 23rd 2011, 9:38PM
Mood:
There's this art history/tutorial blog I've been reading, by a guy named Stapleton Kearns. He's a prolific artist and art teacher, and he's doing a series on his blog right about about the top 100 artists a painter should know. He's up to the 40s right now, and is chasing some really interesting rabbit trails regarding brush strokes and contrasts.
As Stape said in his blog, "I have expounded before why I think it is important to know your art history so I will keep it short. If you told me you were learning to play the guitar and I asked you"whaddya think about Chuck Berry?" and you said "who?" I would suspect you were not too serious about your playing. There is no art without artists and what they made. Just as you cannot know rock and roll without hearing the music. If you want to make good pictures you need to be familiar with what they look like. Knowing your art history builds your taste, and it gives you a library of ideas of how other artists have conquered the problems with which you yourself will be faced in your own work."
I feel like I have been deeply challenged in my own art, through reading Stape's teaching on various old masters, as well as various other art blogs. I really, really encourage all aspiring artists to read Stape's blog and even try out some of the painting techniques he describes, whether in real media or digitally.
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