I was born with a birthmark on the side of my nose. I’m turning 51 in 3 days and I still would have to look in a mirror to tell you what side it’s on. My granny thought Kristie popped me in the eye when we were fist married because she had never registered it before, and I grew up with her!
My wife is a speech therapist and one of our foster children pronounced thermometer as ‘fermometer’. She would have her say Thursday, thorough, and thermos and she did fine, then when asked to say thermometer she would revert right back to her old ways.
These two experiences may seem completely unrelated, but they both resemble something that happens to me as an artist, and I imagine I’m not alone.
When I’m painting, I get into a ‘zone’. I may work on a leaf, a flower, a tree, or a rock and fall in love with it. There’s just something about it, a highlight, brushstroke, or color mixture that intrigues me. Then as I go to another area of the painting I may look back on that area with a wee bit of pride.
Then Kristie comes in and serves as my fresh eye. Often her critiques will point out how my ‘precious’ (a nod to Lord of the Rings) will have to be changed in some way.
Just like that birthmark, I didn’t notice. Or I may have noticed at one point then grew so used to it all that the faults were no longer visible. My initial reaction to the critique is usually not one of gratitude and joy.
I may look at my piece and not see what she sees, at least not initially. My brain has tricked me into thinking that all is well. Just like our foster child who said “fermometer” but was hearing “thermometer”. There’s a disconnect.
Fortunately, my initial denial is short-lived. That’s not to say that I haven’t wanted to shed a tear or two as I’ve altered my painting, but it has always come with great satisfaction at the result.
In the Greenhorn Creek video I discuss the need for an abrupt perspective shift – something that can shatter the false image we’ve created in our minds to gloss over the weaknesses in our paintings. A mirror behind us to view our painting in reverse, someone who will offer an honest critique even at the peril of us weeping and wailing, walking back 10 or 20 feet, turning the painting to the wall for a few days or weeks – anything that will allow our brains to view the painting as if for the first time.
As I’ve built my fine art career over the past 30 years I’ve tried out many different techniques for shifting my perspective, and I’m sure I’ll continue to find new ways as I progress through the next 30 years of professional painting. Since there’s no such thing as a magic recipe for creating beautiful artwork I’m constantly searching for new ways to see my paintings, and others, through fresh eyes.
What have you done to shift your perspective and see the flaws in your own artwork?
Happy Painting!
Bill
I like turning them upside-down…. I’d done a painting of a wolf for a friend and when I was done, there was something wrong…. I just couldn’t figure out what it was, but knew I wouldn’t be satisfied till I figured it out. I kept coming back to work on it for a couple of days, then remembered the advice to flip it from one of my college professors.
Immediately after I turned it, I could see the mistake! I’d made his forehead way too long…once I turned it around and made that change, it was just what I’d wanted. I’ve also done as you describe with similar results.
Many years ago I worked for a gentleman who had very small and difficult-to-read handwriting. When I couldn’t figure out what he had read I turned it upside down and was able to figure it out. I’ll try this with painting also. Thanks for the reminder!
It’s good to hear that the truly talented and educated such as you come across these frustrations. The gift is to see and make the needed changes. I pray each day for this ability! Thanks for sharing as I needed to read this.
I’ve been doing just this mistake over the past day while working on a self portrait. I think I have it and 5 minutes later after a break, I can see that my eyes are too small/wonky/value is wrong… It’s heartening to know I’m not alone, so thanks for the tips!
We see the reverse of ourselves each time we look in the mirror..when painting a self portrait it helps to remember that we don’t see ourselves as others see us. Self portraits are not easy..not for the visual drawing/painting artist nor the photographer. The other – “Older” – Bill Inman
Thank you for so generously sharing your knowledge and skill. I sit to paint In a confined area, usually a couple of hours in the afternoon. Then I grab my canvas and plop it in front of the TV for the evening news. I see what needs fixing and what is likable. Usually even a bad painting is more likable than the news.
Before I call them finished, I set aside all my paintings for several days, and sometimes weeks. Then, when I take them out, it’s like starting all over with fresh eyes. Wondered why that was. Thanks for the explanation!
Sometimes I will instinctively know that something is wrong. I am not experienced to know what that is,or how to fix it. My husband,lovely as is, would not notice if I hung it up side down or simply took it off the wall. My eldest daughter has an artful eye but she is busy with her own life. Soooo…I don’t look at my paintings for a day or so then revisit them, I will put them upside down or sideways to view, I drag them into the bathroom and check in the mirror but must admit this often simply confuses me. I take a photo and look at that. I post to Bill’s group in that he will comment if something is really off and get excited when he gives a correction suggestion! I appreciate the fellow members looking at my work. I do feel good when someone says it is lovely but also wish we have enough courage to put in what we may find offsetting in a piece. It doesn’t mean one has to alter it but it gives us chance to see what someone other than ourselves are seeing…and there are some very experienced painters in this group. My 2 cents.
Thank you for this wonderful tutorial Bill!
As was mentioned above, I also use a mirror to get ‘another’ opinion.
Sometimes, we can get so stuck in our own zone we literally cannot see the forest for the trees unfortunately!
Good tips!
its sort of like looking at yourself in the mirror and thinking you look pretty good and then catching a glimpse of yourself a couple of hours later in a shop window and thinking OH NO AM I THAT FATl stop and photograph as I go because everything looks different on camera than it does in person Maybe its because I know so little or haven’t been painting long enough to be overconfident but I send snapshots of what I am painting to about six people that I know and trust. Two are artist friends and I can and get a list of corrrections or suggestions just like I hope to get. One has no tact at all and says exactly what he thinks, wouldn’t begin to lie, and I get exactly what I want from him- his gut reaction of what he sees. the others are family members who are always encouraging and interested in the end results and guaranteed to smooth over self doubts and self esteem. People are so scared of hurting your feelings but I WANT to know whats not right and I WANT the feedback. Loved this article. Thank you Mr. Inman
In this tutorial I kept thinking you would put more reflection in the water. Maybe it’s because I do more representational work.