Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Page IV

Okay it's been forever since I've updated this blog, but I figure if I have a blog for my feeling that I update more often, it REALLY shouldn't be TOO hard keeping up with this one. I guess this is one of my New Years Resolutions?

Well the main reason I really wanted to post something is for my reference and to rant about the limitations of my body against my boundless imagination.

It's really frustrating when you can TECHNICALLY see something in your mind. You can rehash and rehash the steps over and over and over again and in the end you realize that you missed a few steps, or you just aren't capable of making it happen. Why? My body, my physical ability to do something seems to be limited somehow.

It's this painting thing that I do, I look at old masters works, I look at new masters works, I see their technique, see their styles and I examine it, scrutinize it. See all the little hidden shadings here and there, the change of colors, the highlights, the low-lights, the play of light. My mind can comprehend them and dissect them, my mind says "Hey! That shouldn't be too hard right? If I follow the steps I can do it!" Then when it comes to putting my abilities on canvas/paper/masonite it seems to look fine until BAM I finish the painting and there it is, a failure.

Well not a REAL failure by any means. Just a failure to mimic a specific style or look. Which then is where I come to my next grievance, my lack of style.

Personal artistic style is an important part of the art business. You have to have your own unique look, your own unique way of doing things. Something that makes you stand out in the dirge of other artists out there. A unique way of using brush strokes, a unique way of texturizing, a unique way of doing light effects, cloth effects, skin effects, SOMETHING. Something that other people can pick out and say "HEY! I know that artist!"

Guay has her dreamlike watercolor styles. Baga and Giancola are old-school masters, that's their style. Ross has his photo-realistic style. Rahn, Post, Swanland, Waters, etc. I use newer fantasy artists as examples because it's their world that I'm currently entrenched in. I am an artist during a period of time where everyone and their mom is an artist. With the millions of people out there as artists, these people's works stand out amongst the rest. These amazing folks are pillars in a sea of other striving artists and all I wanna do is forge my own.

Where to start though? How does one make their own style? How does one find their own style? I have yet to find mine, I started my artistic endeavors mimicking Guay and Mucha. A lot of my early works are HEAVILY influenced by them and I was proud of it. Now as I move on from watercolors to acrylics and oils I have shifted my eyes to mimic other artists. I started out with Baga and Giancola which ended up in a half assed looking attempt. I did a little bit of Fischer but didn't really follow through. My recent idol is Chris Rahn but even that isn't working out so well. A lot of the time I end up disliking my work (which does a number of fun little things to my ego as an artist btw) because I'm putting them up against the work of well seasoned professionals.

I really want to find my niche. A signature style that is inherently mine or at least a unique style that is uncommon in the art world. I spend all my time trying to be like other artists that I can't really be me. It's like an identity crisis isn't it? The good thing about all this is that I learn various techniques from all the artists that I try to emulate. Is that then my style? A melange of everyone's style? Sound's a bit insincere doesn't it?

...sigh...

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