Helpful Hints for the Artist—#1
Today we’re introducing a new feature that will appear here from time to time: Helpful Hints for the Artist. These “tricks of the trade” are drawn from the vast experience of our Artist/Instructors, and are designed to answer questions and resolve stumbling blocks you may encounter as you progress in your art studies. Check back often to read and absorb our latest Hint—and feel free to respond with your own ideas!
Veteran instructor Howell Dodd contributes this hint:
Let me give you a suggestion I find helpful. After I have spent many hours struggling with a painting, I like to set it aside for several days, facing the wall. Then, after giving it—and myself—a rest, I turn it around and look at it with a fresh eye. In many cases it looks better than I had remembered it! But I usually can see the need for adjustments—some minor or very subtle—that will enhance the picture. The need for these adjustments can sometimes be quite obvious. Other times it is necessary to look at the picture for a long time before determining what changes to make. It’s as if you must patiently wait for the picture to tell you what it needs!
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