Ian, in my humble opinion...I do believe that this lesson session is the most important video an artist can watch. This lesson is more valuable than gold. Thank you for reminding me of my edges, which I did not realize I have been somewhat ignoring...an easy habit to fall into I suppose. You're the best!
I reacted exactly the same way. I realized that I was so caught up on contrast to bring an object into focus, that the painting would be too busy to have a focal POINT!
I love this lesson. I went back and watched the one from last year as well. I really wish when I was in art school that more instructors would have spent time teaching us principles like this--analyzing paintings of masters and bringing that to life with a demonstration really teaches one to think before they put marks down one their own surfaces. I really enjoy seeing what you decide to remove from your sources as you paint as well. I really need to work on simplifying the unnecessary clutter and being more decisive up front. Thank you for the time and effort you put in each week--each lesson is practical and makes me really think as I am working in my own studio. I think this is one of my favorite paintings of yours I have seen so far. I am currently reading your books now, so I look forward to your live question and answer day. Best Wishes!
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition I really think planning is key. I have always had a reference to work from but I just did not take the time to do drawings first. My drawings and paintings where two separate things. Since I started watching your videos, I have started doing drawings first, which has been so helpful. Now I am working on letting things go and not over detailing.
Ian, how you are able to erase details from your mind’s eye as you paint is amazing to me. They just simply distract me so much when I am trying to paint. Figuring out what to leave out is a real learning curve for me. Thanks for your guidance.
Leave out anything plastic or stuff that belongs in a trash bin. I did a painting from a photo recently of a young woman but left out the plastic water bottle she was holding for example.
Hi Martha, the most fundamental things really is seeing in terms of design. Not subject matter. I know I"ve said this before. But it is really a right brain approach instead of a left brain. The left brain just looks at an image and catalogues all the pieces in it. There is not synthesis of the what is the big idea. It really is a question of practicing and crafting designs, rather than getting buried in a painting and having too many things to think about all at once. I making a video now that is sort of an over view video on composition so everyone can see the overarching idea of the weekly videos and then I hope each week the new video will fit mentally into the whole. But I'll talk about this idea.
The video was very helpful, as always! I'm trying so hard to stop getting caught up on the details and overworking my painting until there's too many places to focus on. Your videos are the best lessons for that.
I really found it interesting how you went right in and painted the under painting of the boxes in a brighter blue then I would have tried. Also the mans coat with a brighter green. Then you went over it and toned it down leaving hints of the colour underneath. Brave of you I thought. 😊 Thanks for that! The lost and found edge is so important. I think it was the French impressionists who said - ‘If you can’t see the lost and found edges in nature, you are not looking hard enough! 😊🌼
Another master painting. Every week your videos jolt me back to the track of good painting. You show it is worth striving to paint elegant and simple pictures that pack a punch.
It's incredibly generous of you to offer such high level content in such detail for free! I've been reading your book on Creative Authenticity and going through all your videos here on RU-vid. You've been both inspiring and informative for me and my creative process. I cannot thank you enough Ian!
Wonderful painting and the explanation on edges is so helpful. It is an aspect which I tend to forget a little during painting, so this was a very useful reminder.
Amazing job, Ian! I wonder if you could speak to "keeping the values close", like the range for doing this and when you would want to do that. I'm thinking you did that for the background shape. I appreciate so much this lesson on edges - I feel like I'm just learning to appreciate their value in painting. Thank you so much for sharing you immense knowledge with us.
Hi Joan, keeping the values close is really the same as soften an edge. Softening an edge doesn't mean mushing to away. It can. But also putting two close values beside each other even with a crisp "hard" edge is softening an edge. Glad you liked it.
Thank you. This video was one that gave me some extremely helpful tips and information. I enjoy every one but sometimes you answer the questions I didn’t even know I was asking. 🙏
Ian, if I'm not mistaken, you started this painting with a toned canvas, yet I don't think you do that routinely? How do you make the decision when you tone your canvas and in this case were you using umber? I really enjoy watching your demos, always glean good info from them, thank you!
HI Evan, glad you enjoyed the video. For large studio canvases I don't usually tone it because the block in takes care of that. For plein air I usually always tone it (bit of raw umber and yellow ochre). Smaller studio paintings like the one last week, no pattern.
Thank you for reminding us to review your previous videos, “How Edges Make or Break Your Painting” and “How Edges Drive Your Painting.” Both were great reviews, and complemented today’s video! This is a topic that I never tire of hearing and is worth often repeating! While the concept of hard and soft edges is easily understood, it is very challenging to implement. In my experience, I have a difficult time with achieving contrast, particularly with darks. I tend to blend my darks to mid-tones; everything seems to be too grey, with very little contrast…..everything appears to have a soft edge. I always start my paintings with establishing the darks. But once I start adding more color, I find I tend to soften the darks because they appear too severe or too much of a contrast. I feel like I have made a mistake and quickly try to ‘fix’ it rather than determining the next hue to add……considering warmer or cooler, darker or lighter, more saturation or less……and remembering to compare the relationships of color, value, and placement of the major mass shapes. I think the reason for this struggle is because I have not mastered color mixing to create the correct hue and intensity as well the value. I may get one correct, but never have I succeeded in all three. Hue, value and intensity in addition to the composition’s structure are so very critical to a successful painting……it is through these elements, including edges, that contrast is established and interest in the painting is achieved……directing the viewer to the focal point of the composition. This concept is so apparent when done correctly, as you have demonstrated with your painting…..your instruction and demonstrations are excellent……your sharing of this knowledge is so very much appreciated! I look forward to next Tuesday’s topic!
HI Ann Marie, you describe the problem very clearly. The issue is really having to think of so many things at the same time and they all need to gel together. It's like juggling. But you see the problem. I would suggest just paint in black in white for a while and figure out the design of the value masses. Then come back to color. Those two things, color AND design of values masses are two big pieces to be wrestling with at once. Hope that is helpful.
absolutely wonderful, I can't get over how confident your brushwork and command of shapes are. Of all things, I was especially inspired by how (seemingly) effortlessly you carved the background.
This by far has become my favorite painting… You always do an excellent job of explaining not so obvious techniques, and simplifying the process. Such simple shapes yet so much detail in the face…. I struggle with the detail. Thank you for the lesson.
Excellent little demo / instructional video I watch so many videos where the 'instructor' shows them making a nice painting- but who cares? Often they don't even show the reference well. So what has the viewer learnt? Something about colour maybe, some brush work. I this, you have shown how you have interpreted a subject- what your decisions were, the process of taking an image & converting it into a personalised piece of art- THAT is what people need to see! Thanks you again!
This is so eye-opening - thank you Ian! I have studied with quite a few oil painters -- quite good ones, in fact, -- but not one has ever explained the importance of edges making certain elements recede into the background. I can't thank you enough for your generosity in sharing this information.
Love your comment about not seeing comments or replies to comments on RU-vid. I had the same problem, I also have a problem when someone sends me a message on to my Facebook business page, when I see the notification in my feed, I click it and it takes me nowhere. Weeks later I get a text message on my phone, "well I tried contacting you through Facebook with no luck I'll try your cell." I've lost sells because of this so it can be very frustrating... Love the way you approach your lessons on RU-vid!!
I've been drawing/painting animals mostly, but i do enjoy your vids and have been making my way through them while I work. You just know when you have a good sketch but your lessons help me realize whtas working and whats not
Ian, I know your main medium that you work in are oils but do you know if this possible to do with acrylics? Maybe with certain mediums? This video is exactly what I needed!
‘ Trust the viewer to fill in an edge’ , I hope I remember this lesson. It takes confidence to point the viewer to a certain place in a picture , if as a painter your not confident that place is painted well. Seeing you do it, and explain the process of seeing, is helpful. Thanks for the lesson Ian.
thank you, that was such a useful video. There is no substitute for watching the process unfold. Could you at some point discuss the stick and how it supports and steadies your hand while doing detailed work?
I have a question. If i was painting that, I would have made the lightest value on the skin way more lighter. Closer to white like in the picture. Would that have been a mistake?
Great, great lesson on edges! I'm using some of your video lessons to help ME be informed enough to teach an art class. I'm giving them all your video links so they can look for themselves. You really make the instruction easy to understand and inspiring enough to want to grab a paintbrush and get to it! Thanks!
What a great video! I'm learning to paint and I really appreciate your take on edges- it's something that I need to start paying more attention to. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Your Mastering Composition book is absolutely in my top three or four painting books. And I have a LOT of painting books….. Your explanations and examples are incredibly helpful. I recommend it to painting friends all the time. Thank you! And thank you for these wonderful videos. BTW, other books I like are Richard Schmid, Kevin MacPherson, and Dan McCaw’s book which is out of print.
Ian, very interesting lesson today, i really learned a lot. I never realized how important lost edges were,but i see now and understand the importance. Thank you once more for your important lessons. Have a wonderful week keep safe.
OMG! I feel like you used maybe 30 brushstrokes to make the whole painting... Amazing. I might have a play with some of my old photos and try painting using this thought-process. Thank you for sharing.
Enjoyed this so much, once again... I keep finding it so amazing that you are able to convey a scene so true-to-life with just a few basic shapes. While I used to be a great fan of hyper realistic paintings, I now shifted completely to your abstract designed art. Already look forward to your next week's installment!
Ian, did you make a preparatory sketch? And about the colors, as you have definately used them in your composition to support the design; did you try them out beforehand (as some differ quite a lot from the photo)? I just LOVE the painting and can't get my head around how you can make such a painting from that material. I realize I'm still far too much into 'what my eyes tell me' (photographic) instead of what I feel/think/understand-mode (real 'artist-mode').
Hi Patricia, glad you liked the video and the painting. Thank you. In this case the only preparation was the loose charcoal marks on the canvas that you can see at the beginning of the video. And the colors for the most part I just mix and go. If further down the line I realize I need to shift something I will as soon as it becomes apparent it isn't working. But in this case most of the colors I found were about right.
Wonderful reminder of a simple Idea...so important, so hard to achieve. You do it so well. I watched it twice and then wanted to jump right on a painting of a human. Thanks so much for the reminder to improve on my ability to lose edges....It's just so cool to watch you do it. Great video!!!!
These are (I feel) valid observations. But for me what you talk about is more from the realm of enhancing the chosen focal areas of interest than the letting the mind fill in the gaps theme. Actually the mind would rush to fill in/connect a few lit up, interrupted lines and dots than shapes insinuated in the shadow. Technically it does there too just as you describe it but (for me) not attention-wise. I feel these lost edges are rather a ploy we use for creating Volume. I also like to soften an edge by doubling it with an appropriate color, this way it works even without interrupting it. Talking about Vermeer, he was really frequently using the ploy of the mind connecting a shape out of a few brightly lit dots! Cheers, and lovely painting!
Hi, I don't disagree with your assessment. Most of the lost edges in this painting were as you are saying about releasing attention from one place so it goes somewhere else. But even though the point of letting the mind fill in things might not have been as well demonstrated in this video as lost edges it seemed worth talking about. Thanks for your thoughtful comments. All the best.
I hope a lot of viewers picked up on your point about a painter's tendency to 'over tell' in a painting. Personally, I have to fight that urge all the time. It's almost a subconscious drive that I have to include every tree, stick, twig, and bush in a photo or scene. I realize that I'm not a photographer there to record everything. I'm a composer who interprets and organizes to convey an idea or feeling.
I had been struggling with a painting and what it needed. Thank you. I just figured it out. It wasn’t saying what I wanted because there was too much distracting information.
Wouldn't values help with sorting out the edges? Similar values seem to combine naturally when placed against each other, so if you place the values in the right place the edges tend to be right and then you adjust for the hard edges accordingly after.
That is the point exactly. Two shapes of the same value have a soft edge even if the line between the two shapes is crisp. It's all about the values between shapes. That is what creates the edges in the first place and how we soften and lose the edges as well.
Wow. What a lesson! In just a few minutes I learned a valuable lesson. I never figured out why my eyes gravitated towards certain details in great art. Now I understand how that was an intentional decision by the artist. Thank you for sharing this.
Wow. Ian. This video was an ‘aha’ moment for me. So many things make sense now. I can’t wait to do my next one. How can I ever repay you? May be I can buy you a drink and a dinner when we are in the same city (where are you?).
Aha! I was never quite sure what it meant when you said you can tell the experience of a painter by the way the treat the edges. But aftr watching this I had an aha moment. I get it now!! Thanks!
