Light

Just as music is the study, the modulation, of sound,

painting is the study of light, there is nothing but light – from the object/view and from the canvas. Painting is learning to see (and simplify – simplification). Every stroke has 4 properties

(Learning to to observe and to see)

Outline vs form (masses/volume) in fact we apprehend the world more by touch – Speed's example of child's drawing of a face vs reality, Egyptian and Byzantine oultine drawings – dicovery of perspective – discovey of chiaroscuso – discovery of retinal image field

To learn to see is to learn to observe (patient careful looking = painting from life, photos are possible – but need some "correcvtions" – and there's the  problem of interpretation) and to know how we see and what we're looking for – shapes, values, color temperatures, edges, etc.

1 Drawing – first composition – 2/3 placement or golden rectangle etc (Bruce Macevoy's grids) + group masses/group values – white face in a dark room like a quiet voice speaking – an enhancement of the Caraveggio style clair-obscur (chiroscuso). Nothing centered unless deliberately so

Then, draw big shapes (Zbukvic's have faith) no details, no squeaky lines – not like children's coloring books. Looking for volume but even more just for colored shapes – hmm is there a conflict here?

Then we go to masses – 9 values max or even 5 or just 3 – darks, lights, mid-tones – or Macpherson simplified it down to 2 – light family and shadow family))

(close up of a photo shows mosaic surface)

Pure observation = the Carder Method -

Loomis diagram of canvas as a square superimposed on landscape, the "string grid" in the Draughtsman's contract – how the eye works

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  image on retina – two tiny images on the little retinas (rods and cones) – we see in stereo – two closely overlapping circles (or rectangles) and only centre of interest is in focus (sharp edges + strong values/contrast?), in "stereo means we can see "round" edge of an apple or face = 1 reason for soft edges – close up of a photo – blobs = photo "mosiac", Loomis "grid" view of landscape – values are primordial cos they give the light (can use a photo to get grayscale, or a coloured filter or just squint to see them + value strip – you can even buy ones you hold up (with a grid thing to frame subject/identify composition)) – but block in masses cd be said to be a prob 'cos masses don't correspond to photomosiac (or even to light – they're broken up by light!) – it's more like touches/pointillism?

"Wicked stripey one", oil on board, too recent to be comfortable!