As an artist I constantly question art and realism?

Question

I want to develop into more abstract work but need help to lose my strength in drawing and subject construction as it inhibits my thought process. Any ideas?

Answer 1

If your right handed use your left or vice versa, that will certainly inhibit your drawing.
You don't need to loose your strength in thoes areas to create more abstract work you just need to get past them. Learning to do things without construction is just as hard as learning the construction.

Answer 2

It depends what kind of abstraction you want to do. With abstraction the subject matter is more open to playing with the paint language than realism. It is also a much more poetic way of seeing the world. So the ideas that you form will be reflected in HOW you paint that language and the relationships of what you paint, for example: brush strokes, shape, space, line etc. There are all kinds of possibilities. Starting from a personal place, experience or way of seeing is usually the best. Look at artists who are painting abstractly today and read their own words what their work means to them. It will help you see how they got started too:

David Reed
Jonathon Lasker
Thomas Nozkowski
Terry Winters
Lydia Dona
Julie Mehretu
Monique Prieto
Steve Roden
Jane Callister
Ami Sillman

Stony: i agree with you on realism being a deathpit.

Answer 3

This is an exercise I was given in an art class a long time ago: cut a piece of paper from a magazine (3cm2 ) roughly- it's just a portion of the image so you are not reproducing the image- just part of it- you cannot discern what it is... make sure it has different colours and shapes on it (like argos catalogue- that will do) and draw the image on a piece of paper. Then rotate it change it, make it more fluid, rigid- metamorphosise it- just have fun. Fill the whole page up and voila- that's already unloosened you a little and shown you what kind of shapes you're attracted to and represent you as an artist. You can use colours, textures, shapes etc... it's up to you... Have fun..

Answer 4

Lay out paints, brushes and canvas on a sheet (or newspaper).
Blindfold yourself and paint nothing.
Just an exercise to 'free yourself up'.

If you come out of it feeling ready to go for it, paint over the top of what you've done. Think like a child.

If you find a way, please tell me coz I have the same internal battle going on! Too many do's and don'ts. Limited by the edges of the canvas. Do I go for realism or abstract? How can I do abstract without it looking childish?

I want BLACK canvas to start. Paint with white only at first then build up the colours. But I get bored and can't think of a subject matter. Still lifes make me weep. Flowers bore me to tears. People are too easily criticized by viewers. I love fruit, but it's been done so many times. My watercolours are too naive. My drawing skills are good though. But I'm a little rusty.

I've also got into PHOTOSHOP which adds another dimension to my confusion...it's so easy to explore...but it's too easy...but interesting...but not right...but really good fun....scan in drawings/ photos/ paintings and mix them up....it's fascinating....

AAAARGH!

Answer 5

I can't imagine it would be easy. I'm an artist of sorts I guess, I'm a writer. My heart is in dramatic fiction, so I could imagine your transforming to abstract painting would be akin to me becoming a biographer. lol

If you want to experiment with abstract then maybe when you try painting, don't imagine so much what things look like to the human eye, maybe close your eyes and see how they feel in your mind.

Like, maybe if you're painting a woman, don't worry about her facial structure, concentrate more on what feelings she gives you, and how those feelings might look on paper/tapestry.

I'm not sure how good that advice is honestly. I don't think there is any guide book to art. I've had to feel my way through writing over the years and after 10 years, I'm only now really beginning to feel comfortable with my style and technique.

If you want to experiment, then I say go for it. Though don't abandon your current strengths in painting. Work both types of painting, compare, contrast, maybe draw parallels between them, you might be surprised.

Answer 6

Why would you want to? Go with your strengths and don't be another pop wanna be. If anything come up with a way to combine the two if you really want to go that way. All going abstract will do is lump you in with a bunch of other hacks that just follow the trends in art. Why would you do that?

Answer 7

You could try two different approaches:

1. Close your eyes. Practice creating abstract forms that you see in your mind's eye.

2. Randomly draw a line, nothing else. Take a few moments to look at it until you feel you can draw something by using that line. Then draw it. :) This is an exercise my friend and I do during long chemistry lectures. It allows you to think creatively and waste time. :P

Good luck to you!

Answer 8

I support any artist who is making the leap out of the "death pit" of realism!

Realistic art is boring!!! There is to much out there, and it all looks the same! I solute you, and welcome you to the better side of art! You will notice such a release if you explore abstraction or any other style. It will do wonders and extremely help you to develop your own unique style and express who you are to others.

In abstraction, there is no rules! Composition helps, colour thoery, ect. but in the edge its about what you see, your own philosophies! Express things that bother you, politically things or things that you knotice while your out and about in the day.

Answer 9

For your first attempt, ignore curves and structure. Draw everything in straight lines. This would be a start.
After you have familarised yourself with that, start to draw only in curves. Then practice drawing things mirrored in structure (in every sense). Try to combine mirrored and nonmirrored structures together. Then try using a colour for every line or the main ones.

Answer 10

Start by ignoring perspective : this is the way Kandinsky and Chagall moved from figurative to abstract.