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John Burton: "I feel bad for all the artists not using FASO"
A website is one of the most valuable tools to market paintings for artist of our time.
I recommend FASO to every artist who is still struggling with all the difficulties in creating and maintaining their website.
FASO is so well designed it will show your paintings professionally while still being extremely user friendly.
I feel bad for all the artists not using FASO yet.
"My art career has really been growing by leaps and bounds since I've been doing more with the website.
So thanks for dragging me into the high tech world kicking and screaming. Now all I need is a secretary"
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I agree with you completely. I agree that fundamentals are a crucial part art instruction. But, how they are taught and learned is the point I am trying to make. I realize that my article wasn't clear on the point of the fundamentals and may be misinterpreted.
Let me explain what I mean in the context of teaching the fundamentals. Just one example:
One of the fundamentals of art is the concept of design. The arrangements of the larger abstract shapes that make up the composition (regardless of whether finished work is abstract or realistic).
There are students and teachers who formulize it. Divide the canvas in thirds both horizontally and vertically. One of these points is your center of interest. Break the canvas up into 4 or 5 shapes of varying size, dominance, etc. Use a gentle S curve to lead the eye through the painting, etc. All of this is good and should be taught.
But many artists have the same 2 or 3 compositions in every single painting they ever do. They didn't learn the larger principle which is to manipulate the composition to express a message. It is to lead the eye around the canvas to linger here and there and to come back the the important areas.
There are millions if not billions of possible compositions - arrangements of the abstract designs.
The good teacher does give concrete examples, but doesn't stop there. The good teacher helps the student learn how to problem solve and find the multitude of possibilities. They encourage trying several things to find the one best solution rather than giving a formula to find the most obvious solution.
When the student learns that his solution, his idea is just as valid as the teacher's example and meets his needs better than the teacher's example would have, then true learning takes place. Empowerment takes place.
This is the same with each and every fundamental principle. Teach the principle, not a formula.
It is true that there are teachers who stray too far to the side of freedom of expression. Fundamentals need to be taught. Thousands of years of leanring has been handed down that we have at our disposal today. Why not benefit from all that learning?
But the key is HOW it is taught and HOW it is learned.
Sorry, I rambled on too long.