Very well expressed. Thank you for sharing the Robert Frank image. It is remarkable how a minimalist composition can evoke such a powerful visual impact.
I’ve often considered spending some time studying painting techniques and theory in order to enhance my photography skills. My inability to draw even a rudimentary stick figure has consistently held me back :-)
I believe it is time to get to work and the Nicolaides book sounds like an excellent place to start.
I appreciate these exchanges of ideas and value your response.
Mitch Alland wrote:
Thanks Ben, for the thoughtful statement. You're right about gesture. Two things came to mind when I read your post.
The first was a book by Nicolaides: The Natural Way to Draw, which is probably the best book to use when you're learning to draw by yourself. Nicolaides has you start with exercises for two types of drawing, contour and gesture. You make the contour drawings by looking at a point on the subject, say on the shoulder of a person (or of a point on a still life) and continue to draw the contour without looking at your paper; so that you follow the edge of the form. You make a gesture drawing by feeling the movement of the whole: by not drawing what the subject looks like, but what it is doing.
I was ponderously trying to extend the concept of different types of "engagement," and should have written about "engaging the form." which can be expressed as gesture....Show more →
Raptor_Fan76 wrote:
...I’ve often considered spending some time studying painting techniques and theory in order to enhance my photography skills. My inability to draw even a rudimentary stick figure has consistently held me back :-)
I believe it is time to get to work and the Nicolaides book sounds like an excellent place to start
I would encourage you not the let "your stick figure" capability keep you from trying. Having said that, I would stress that following the program of the Nicolaides book requires a good deal of work but, if you do it, you can end up with a capability for making expressive drawings, which is a great basis for painting. For learning to paint, I would recommend doing a basic course, either a night course, say, three times a week, or several weeks at a summer school if you can spare. In any case, drawing teaches you how to look and is a great basis for photography — and, of course, a bit of innate talent helps immensely.
