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| "Chair and Table with Peonies" Acrylic on Canvas (12" x 12") (My original, inspired by a chair photo by Laura Wasilowski and a painting of peonies by an unknown artist.) |
In recent posts I shared my experiences of deliberately copying the works of artists I admire as a way of developing my skills. I really enjoyed that practice. It helped teach me everything from painting composition, to body and facial proportions, to how to duplicate colors. More than anything, it helped me develop more patience: in starting with an original work I loved, I felt a great desire to "get it right" or at least get the painting to my liking, no matter how long it took.
My painting at the top of this post, as well as the "in process" versions posted here and below, are my combination of a chair photo I found on the Internet and a painting of peonies by an unknown artist.
The notion of one artist learning by copying another artist is not new, and there is no lack of critical opinion about the value, inevitability -- or, for that matter, impropriety -- of imitating someone else's work. A book that deals with this issue in an engaging and playful manner is Austin Kleon's Steal Like an Artist. Kleon not only normalizes copying others, he endorses it wholeheartedly, with supportive quotes to boot. I recommend the book for any new or would-be artists who feel a bit shaky about their skills. Heck, I recommend it for anyone!
"You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life."
- Austin Kleon in
Steal Like an Artist
"Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing."
- Austin Kleon in
Steal Like an Artist
"Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find yourself."
- Yohji Yamamoto
Fashion Designer
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| Close to being done... |
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| The final version. |
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