The Old Masters knew a secret which made their paintings enduring masterpieces. Why do you think, for example, over six million people visit the Louvre every year to see the Mona Lisa? What is it about Leonardo's masterpiece that attracts viewers like moths to a flame? Trusted apprentices The Old Masters taught this secret only to their most trusted apprentices. As a … [Read more...]
Fun with perspective
In Chapter 1 of Leonardo's "Treatise on Painting," he makes this statement. "The young student should, in the first place, acquire a knowledge of perspective, to enable him to give to every object its proper dimensions..." In the footnote, the translator states that many readers misunderstood Leonardo's suggestion. Leonardo did not mean that the student should be a master of … [Read more...]
Amusement or Art?
"A discipline with no principles is not a discipline -- it's an amusement." -- Bob Hoffman Bob Hoffman is a popular speaker and author in the field of advertising and marketing. He is an outspoken critic of digital marketing in particular. He doesn't spare his peers in the traditional marketing realm either. His quote above applies to both spheres. I couldn't help thinking … [Read more...]
Reduce distractions
How does an artist guide the viewer through a painting? Too many distractions and you'll lose the viewer. The picture will confuse them, and they will move on. Oops... missed that sale! Sometimes you will want to have distractions to add interest to the painting. You need to think about what you are doing, though. Many paintings contain objects placed with little or no … [Read more...]
