THE CRAFTSMAN'S HANDBOOK by Cennino Cennini

The Craftsman's Handbook by Cennino Cennini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great book of the Italian art craftsman - methods and colour pigments, prints etc. a technical book. It was written in the day or era of studying art with a master artist in an atelier. Advice for example given under "Fundamental provisions for anyone who enters this profession" is and I quote again "....begin by decking yourselves with this attire: Enthusiasm, Obedience, and Constancy. And begin to submit yourself to the direction of a master for instruction as early as you can; and do not leave the master until you have to." The book is very technical and some sections only to read as required (i.e. when you do that for example printing) and then under the pigments section - some pigments are not used or available or obsolete. So read and get what you can. There are very advice in this book and a lot of technical material. A rare art book.

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ART QUOTES THAT MOTIVATES ME

Yes it is true - all artists need motivation! The best place to find motivation is looking at what other artists did or wrote. I particularly find them motivating - here is a list of some of them:

1. Work on it until it cannot get any better.
2. Get good enough at anything and somebody will pay you to do it.
3. Your art goes as deep as your love goes.
4. Art is made to disturb. Science reassures. There is only one valuable thing in art: the thing you cannot explain.
5. It is a widely accepted notion among painters that it does not matter what one paints as long as it is well painted. This is the essence of academicism. There is no such thing as good painting about nothing.
6. There are two sorts of beauty; one is the result of instinct, the other of study. A combination of the two, with the resulting modifications, brings with it a very complicated richness, which the art critic ought to try to discover.
7. Art arises when the secret vision of the artist and the manifestation of nature agree to find new shapes.
8. I enjoy the creative process of moving from chaos to order but at the same time to have beauty and mystery in mind: that something special in art.
9. It is never about the image, but the story and feeling behind the painting.
10. Most men's brains lie fallow for the greater part of their lives.
11. I am under the direction of messengers from heaven.
12. Art is perseverance - you never arrive. Your destination is the journey so do not quit.
Yes and you are right, I will add to these quotes from time to time. If you find this motivational (and tough!) and want to comment or add a quote - just leave a comment to the blog.

THE YEAR 2016 AND 2017

I found these two years very, very difficult for my art environment - maybe I must explain. I am committed to 7 areas namely Art, Karate, Writing/Books/Reading(this is all one area), Websites, Acquiring Languages, Spirituality and Music. This forms the total of my 7 areas for life. Now they are a bit much but I DO try. So in these two years some things developed - I opened up a Karate Club, I painted a lot and I also acquired a skill namely that of Book restoration and Book Binding. As of this date I have fixed 60 books! I have obtained all the skills. I must say something about this - it is a bit of an artwork too and it is very relaxing. Ok so this is something new and good...and I hope to soon make my own Drawing Journals once off books! In 2018 more Blogposts on the year that was and the year to come...Excited about all that is happening now.

INTERESTING COMMENT ON FIGURE DRAWING BY DA VINCI

Interesting that Da Vinci should mention that it is better to do figure drawing in groups rather than all by yourself. I find his method of argument very ambitious and at times uncomfortable but nevertheless it needs to stand by itself so that you can evaluate for yourself.
Say there are ten people wanting to do figure drawing. Obviously financially it is better if they can all put together some money and pay for a good model and arrange for a time and place. Ok here is maybe the greatest benefit because if you do it all by yourself it is more costly. This however is not where I am uncomfortable.
The second argument goes something like this - you can learn from others while drawing and comparing yourself constantly with others as they draw. Here already I am starting to feel uneasy because comparing like that will have the affect that all the drawings of all those artists that draw together will slowly over time get closer and closer to one another. That is obviously if that little club continues.
The third argument that Da Vinci himself proposes is if you happen to be the best draughtsman or artist among all those present, you have something to maintain; that being remaining the best artist. That will be your challenge. I feel very uncomfortable with this view because it makes it competitive and almost showmanship like and that defeats the purpose that I just want to learn to draw better or develop a certain style of drawing.
Ok so I take it that in his time there were no photographers and maybe the competition between artists were very real since the patrons of the arts were few and commissions were in order of the day.
So what can I learn from it as an application for my day?
1. Certainly draw with others if you cannot afford your own models.
2. Certainly learn from other artists but choose then those who really regard as being different and more advanced in their art as yourself. However strife deliberately not to copy but to develop your own individualistic style. If you should copy then do it only as an exercise but my personal opinion is avoid it as the plague.
3. Don't think ever that your art is better than all those around you. It may just be that others don't think so and that you might be outdated in style and trend of trend of the time. It is better that you rather challenge yourself in the process of on-going improvement and in refining and developing your style further.
I say that it is better to challenge yourself with regards to the size of the drawing, the mediums used, your own traditional approach in drawing and seeking to be fresh and innovative. Be true to yourself and try to stay within your own recognizable work so that your whole portfolio is like continuous story.
Maybe Da Vinci was a great artist and I do admire his work; I mean we are very insignificant in criticizing his work; but to me some of his art notes (please note art notes) makes one wonder...just my personal opinion. I wrote this so that you can have your own opinion of drawing together in clubs etc. etc. and whatever you take or reject from the great master Da Vinci.

NEVER LET THINGS BE SEEN HALF-FINISHED

I read a great maxim in a book that also applies very much to the artist and his work:-
"NEVER LET THINGS BE SEEN HALF-FINISHED
They can only be enjoyed when complete. All beginnings are misshapen, and this deformity sticks in the imagination. The recollection of having seen a thing imperfect disturbs our enjoyment of it when completed. To swallow something great at one gulp may disturb the judgement of the separate parts, but satisfies the taste. Till a thing is everything, it is nothing, and while it is in process of being it is still nothing. To see the tastiest dishes prepared arouses rather disgust than appetite. Let each great master take care not to let his work be seen in its embryonic stages: they might take this lesson from Dame Nature, who never brings the child to the light till it is fit to be seen." - Balthasar Gracian

REDON by Michael Gibson

Redon by Michael Gibson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The author captured the development of Redon as a person as well as his art. In this series I enjoyed this book more than the others. Redon as a person I think apart from his dreamlike paintings i.e. the grandfather of surrealism, I think was very calculated in what he did. Some comments in the book are fascinating - "The merest sketch or scribble...in my portfolio took on a new sense. And that was the true date of my determination". I think he is one of the artists who started out dark (his black era) and moved towards the light and colours - exactly the same happened in his life and he ended not in poverty and as a well-known artist. This is material for a longer more exhaustive biography. This was a good read.

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GET INSPIRATION!

It is never a good reason to take a break from your art. It is also never good if you just work at your art but it is easy because you just follow a process without any inspiration. That is just not good! I think it is better to think of some projects when it is like that...An artist once said "It is not just inspiration but perspiration!" But honestly - what do we need to do when there is no inspiration? I will share with you what I do.
1. Variety the spice of life. It is never good to work in only one art medium! Take on another medium and it will give you some real art exploration and many challenges. My favourite art mediums are pencil drawing, painting in oils and prints(lino and woodcuts). But most of the time if I do not work in oils I draw. And that is good because it keep the creative juices pumping!
2. Study! Study your art - show yourself approved. Mastery only comes if others call you a master. A Master must "know" everything about his particular art. For me there are a view places or sources of study:-
2.1 Books about artists - I love to read biographies and auto biographies about artists.
2.2 Books about Art Techniques in your particular medium - maybe, just maybe there is something that you can learn from one of these books.
2.3 YouTube and the Internet - Ah here is a visual or a good read with photos etc. - I regularly watch some technique or website about an artist. Maybe in my mind I think it is not that good but then somewhere the person has some technique or does something where I learn something new.
2.4 Obviously - yes! There are official courses and studies if you have the stomach for it - certainly that will challenge you greatly!
3. Balance between chaos and order – A good thing to do is to bring order to your creative environment - clean the brushes, sharpen the pencils - file the drawings. Put things in order that needs to be in order. For me I thrive on chaos but sometimes I just have to bring order and change everything in order to progress further. This is a great exercise and it gives you a moment to reflect on some drawings which can be developed into paintings etc. Do not be afraid to throw away some stuff - destroy it! On the pc also create order make folders and keep stuff so that you can find it again. Search in the process for inspiration. From perspiration to inspiration! Order also implies organization. Sometimes I make a list and then look at what I haven't done and what really need my attention. Prioritize, organize and get on with it!
4.Time! Some things cannot be altered - you know it is all wrong when you look at the drawing or painting but your mind does not give you the answers or changes. You have to wait and study your own work - put it aside but still in view; as you see it regularly, it will come to you exactly what is wrong and exactly what you must do to rectify it. Then you are ready to change it.
5. Work!There is no excuse for good solid work. Just get busy. Work - it waits for no man. A good idea is to prepare a new board or canvass, finish off some work that you know what to do, sign off some work. Some things just need to get done! Do it!

Yes art is a very difficult work! Don't be fooled because if you do not find it difficult anymore please do us all a favour and get off the bus or else read through this article again and get inspired!