Of all the secondary education, continuing education, elective college courses, and workshops, no instructor ever explained this process to me. Perhaps I just match, in my own mind, your method of seeing things, but you have such a great way of seeing through the stumbling blocks. I just need more practice with this "practice" so to speak.
More than “like” this video and all your videos - Love them! and so grateful for all your tips and teaching. Reading your great books as well! Thanks for sharing your gifts with the world.
Its refreshing to see you slow down to get the drawing down on paper. There are a lot of videos out there showing speed drawings and paintings, and how to learn to do a quick painting and so on. And, a beginner like me starts to think this is a fast affair and it makes me not sure where to start. But your demonstrations - this one and the more detailed one - as all your other videos - give a realistic and refreshing idea of how the pros do it real time. Thank you so much.
Ian, I’ve been LOVING your videos! Big ideas presented in an approachable format in such an encouraging way, THANK YOU for your generosity and help to improve our painting practice! What pencil and hardness are you using in this video, love the dark you are achieving, you’ve turned me into a believer in the sketch ;)...
Hi Usha, that is a large part of it - pulling the most from a given photo. Knowing what you want and what will distract. The drawing also really helps to make it clear. Glad you enjoyed it.
It is so interesting to know your thoughts on composition . (I thought the people in the back were more interesting.).Looking forward to seeing your finished painting.
Hi Loretta, so you aren't alone saying they liked the narrative of the figures in the back more. But hey, it's my picture and I get to include who I want. If I had included them I would have made them very undefined so the focus remained on the lady with her paper.
Hi Ian. This video was so fascinating. I so appreciate that I took your drawing class. It gives me a real appreciation for everything you discussed here. Your drawing of that scene is remarkable. Thank you and stay well.
i love your drawings - you could use asmr as a keyword on the silent longer sketches videos -get a new audience ha ha. Brilliant to see how you made decisions to cut simple shapes into the drawing. I also liked the character that emerges with the focal woman figure.
Next week the same thing happens with the painting. A character sort of emerges. I'm not too concerned with whom, just as long as it works. What is asmr? Keyword. Glad you enjoyed the video. All the best
Very very interesting and helpful. Thanks a lot. You demonstrate again that the very secret of a good piece of art is the organization of masses and lights and darks and to define your goal before painting. .
very interesting how you manage to eliminate the details and capture the essentail ! very good and ....the scene brough me some ...nostalgias of those lovelies cafes !!"!
Yes, I wouldn't mind sitting in a French cafe right now also. So much of using photos is seeing structure and then drawing/painting to that. Rather than adding detail because there is no plan of what the intention is. Nice to hear from you again. All the best.
Your explanation for what to edit and include for details is very helpful and insightful, when looking at reference photos. Why did you leave as many chairs and tables as you did....would that have over-simplified the sketch? You do beautiful sketches...they are as interesting as the final painted pieces. Patience definitely is required for the amount of detail in your drawing! Interested in seeing the painted sketch. Thanks again for all of your helpful tips!
Hi Ann Marie, it was a cafe scene so I wanted enough chairs in there to show that but not so much that i was bogged down in too much rendering to get them right. I learn a lot while doing the drawing that then informs the painting process. I suppose I am finishing the drawings a bit more for the video than I would if I was just doing it for myself. But it helps I think to show my thinking process. Stripped down somewhat from the more complex issues in painting.
Okay. I get the simplifying, even amidst the complexity of the chairs. Good! What I don't get is your compositional thinking. Bright light on left, but your center of interest is in shadow and looking out of the picture. Why did you choose this? Where will you eye go in this picture? Have a great week!
Hi Ralph, so my thinking was the left hand side was light and even sort of bleached out, reducing edges. By making the top right extra dark then even the woman in shadow stood out against it. Then it is true she was looking out to the right. But not out of the picture plane. She was looking at the newspaper that formed a kind of circular unit that was self contained. That was my thinking.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition Thanks. It helps to understand what your thinking was. However, I realize that not all in the mind of an artist is rational. There are "artistic decisions" that I'm sure come from a special way of looking at things that is uniquely the artist's. Have a great week!
This is probably a silly question, but when you have something like a person looking, or an animal moving, aren't you supposed to give them space to look/go into? Or does the newspaper remove that rule? What if the picture was flipped horizontally? Would that change it compositionally?
@ Carol Zuckerman Exactly the question I was asking myself. Personally, I'd have gotten rid of the chairs behind her (clutter that distracts from the FP, IMHO), and added more space ahead of her, even if it's just abstracted, dead space. But let's see what the master says .....
I think all the light on the left leads you into the painting to the woman, (and she is at the sweet 2/3 spot)then the newspaper takes you down to the curve of the chair and it takes you to another curve going up back to the woman. if you flipped her, the newspaper would be a barrier to her. Here it acts as a stoppage so you don't follow her gaze out of the painting. But, I could be wrong !
Hi Carol, we've all seem paintings where what you are saying is true. There just doesn't seem to be enough room visually for the person. But in this case I thought that she wasn't looking out to the right, she was looking at her newspaper and she has a very comfortable distance for that. So to my mind she created a self contained sort of circular unit with her newspaper. That was the thinking. And I just did flip it, and maybe it's because I am so familiar with the scene now, having also painted it, that it looks like the picture is happening behind her and she is kind of missing the show. If I'd tried flipping it before drawing maybe I wouldn't feel that. But that's the way it looks to me now.
I use Blackwing Matte. It is like a 4B but really smooth. Blick has them and you can get them from Blackwing.com in boxes of 12. You'll like them! And they don't pay me a cent to say so.
Yes, he had to redraw the image. What he did was most likely very small, there are ways transitioning images on to canvas, I find the grid method to be most effective, but you will still have to redraw the image. Thimbnailing is a good process to plan out paintings just try not to spend too much time placing details.
I think he blew it on this one. Those ashtrays added so much to the painting because it brought the viewer right back to the woman in the background which if left in would have added so much more depth and interest. I also would have left in more of the light coming in on the left. I thought it was so cool how it blended in with those chairs. That also in itself could have been an interest catcher. So much going on here but he missed it and blacked it all out. This is one example where he took it too far.
Because of painters like you, Ian, I can never say “I’m self taught”. Thanks for being so generous.
Of all the secondary education, continuing education, elective college courses, and workshops, no instructor ever explained this process to me. Perhaps I just match, in my own mind, your method of seeing things, but you have such a great way of seeing through the stumbling blocks. I just need more practice with this "practice" so to speak.
Thanks so much Terri. I really appreciate your telling me.
More than “like” this video and all your videos - Love them! and so grateful for all your tips and teaching. Reading your great books as well! Thanks for sharing your gifts with the world.
It’s also very meditative WATCHING you sketch! Thanks.
I hadn't thought of that. Definitely meditative when I'm doing it. Particularly when it is going well.
Amazing!!!! These videos on composition are very helpful :) Thank you!
Its refreshing to see you slow down to get the drawing down on paper. There are a lot of videos out there showing speed drawings and paintings, and how to learn to do a quick painting and so on. And, a beginner like me starts to think this is a fast affair and it makes me not sure where to start. But your demonstrations - this one and the more detailed one - as all your other videos - give a realistic and refreshing idea of how the pros do it real time. Thank you so much.
Ian, I’ve been LOVING your videos! Big ideas presented in an approachable format in such an encouraging way, THANK YOU for your generosity and help to improve our painting practice! What pencil and hardness are you using in this video, love the dark you are achieving, you’ve turned me into a believer in the sketch ;)...
Lovin this video sir! Am a beginner.Thank for this and yeah am a fan now.
So happy you are enjoying the videos. Welcome!
Great information about how to simplify and reduce clutter! Excellent information.
Delighted you enjoyed it.
I have your book Ian. But so glad I found you on You tube. Your saying and showing me all the things I want to do.
Delighted you are enjoying the videos Brian. I think the short video is a helpful why to expand on the ideas in the book. With best wishes.
you are such a great teacher Ian. When will your third book be published?
Excellent!! Thank you!! Soo helpful!!
Really glad you like it.
That was easy and so informative!! Thank you
Even your sketches are great your a good tutorial like how you omit detail I use acrylics but geothermal same effect
Thank you Ian , your sketching skills are beautiful and inspiring to learn how to get best from the given photo .🙏🏾
Hi Usha, that is a large part of it - pulling the most from a given photo. Knowing what you want and what will distract. The drawing also really helps to make it clear. Glad you enjoyed it.
It is so interesting to know your thoughts on composition . (I thought the people in the back were more interesting.).Looking forward to seeing your finished painting.
Hi Loretta, so you aren't alone saying they liked the narrative of the figures in the back more. But hey, it's my picture and I get to include who I want. If I had included them I would have made them very undefined so the focus remained on the lady with her paper.
Absolutely excellent!
Great. Glad you liked it.
Love, love, love!!! Absolutely splendid, thank you, Ian.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Joani. Best wishes.
Very helpful!
Awesome!!!
Glad you found it helpful.
Hi Ian. This video was so fascinating. I so appreciate that I took your drawing class. It gives me a real appreciation for everything you discussed here. Your drawing of that scene is remarkable. Thank you and stay well.
Thanks Gayle. I can imagine now listening to my thinking that is all seems to make sense. The logic of it becomes more obvious.
Yes!
Thanks!
i love your drawings - you could use asmr as a keyword on the silent longer sketches videos -get a new audience ha ha. Brilliant to see how you made decisions to cut simple shapes into the drawing. I also liked the character that emerges with the focal woman figure.
Next week the same thing happens with the painting. A character sort of emerges. I'm not too concerned with whom, just as long as it works. What is asmr? Keyword. Glad you enjoyed the video. All the best
Very very interesting and helpful. Thanks a lot. You demonstrate again that the very secret of a good piece of art is the organization of masses and lights and darks and to define your goal before painting. .
Well Hannah I couldn't say it more succinctly than that!
very interesting how you manage to eliminate the details and capture the essentail ! very good and ....the scene brough me some ...nostalgias of those lovelies cafes !!"!
Yes, I wouldn't mind sitting in a French cafe right now also. So much of using photos is seeing structure and then drawing/painting to that. Rather than adding detail because there is no plan of what the intention is. Nice to hear from you again. All the best.
Thanks for nudging me toward breaking all my rules.
Your explanation for what to edit and include for details is very helpful and insightful, when looking at reference photos. Why did you leave as many chairs and tables as you did....would that have over-simplified the sketch? You do beautiful sketches...they are as interesting as the final painted pieces. Patience definitely is required for the amount of detail in your drawing! Interested in seeing the painted sketch. Thanks again for all of your helpful tips!
Hi Ann Marie, it was a cafe scene so I wanted enough chairs in there to show that but not so much that i was bogged down in too much rendering to get them right. I learn a lot while doing the drawing that then informs the painting process. I suppose I am finishing the drawings a bit more for the video than I would if I was just doing it for myself. But it helps I think to show my thinking process. Stripped down somewhat from the more complex issues in painting.
Okay. I get the simplifying, even amidst the complexity of the chairs. Good! What I don't get is your compositional thinking. Bright light on left, but your center of interest is in shadow and looking out of the picture. Why did you choose this? Where will you eye go in this picture? Have a great week!
Hi Ralph, so my thinking was the left hand side was light and even sort of bleached out, reducing edges. By making the top right extra dark then even the woman in shadow stood out against it. Then it is true she was looking out to the right. But not out of the picture plane. She was looking at the newspaper that formed a kind of circular unit that was self contained. That was my thinking.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition Thanks. It helps to understand what your thinking was. However, I realize that not all in the mind of an artist is rational. There are "artistic decisions" that I'm sure come from a special way of looking at things that is uniquely the artist's. Have a great week!
This is probably a silly question, but when you have something like a person looking, or an animal moving, aren't you supposed to give them space to look/go into? Or does the newspaper remove that rule? What if the picture was flipped horizontally? Would that change it compositionally?
@ Carol Zuckerman Exactly the question I was asking myself. Personally, I'd have gotten rid of the chairs behind her (clutter that distracts from the FP, IMHO), and added more space ahead of her, even if it's just abstracted, dead space. But let's see what the master says .....
I think all the light on the left leads you into the painting to the woman, (and she is at the sweet 2/3 spot)then the newspaper takes you down to the curve of the chair and it takes you to another curve going up back to the woman. if you flipped her, the newspaper would be a barrier to her. Here it acts as a stoppage so you don't follow her gaze out of the painting. But, I could be wrong !
Hi Carol, we've all seem paintings where what you are saying is true. There just doesn't seem to be enough room visually for the person. But in this case I thought that she wasn't looking out to the right, she was looking at her newspaper and she has a very comfortable distance for that. So to my mind she created a self contained sort of circular unit with her newspaper. That was the thinking. And I just did flip it, and maybe it's because I am so familiar with the scene now, having also painted it, that it looks like the picture is happening behind her and she is kind of missing the show. If I'd tried flipping it before drawing maybe I wouldn't feel that. But that's the way it looks to me now.
Hi I responded to Carol question about having left enough room for the figure if you are interested. All the best.
No I would say you are exactly right on that reasoning.
What pencil are you using, Ian?
I use Blackwing Matte. It is like a 4B but really smooth. Blick has them and you can get them from Blackwing.com in boxes of 12. You'll like them! And they don't pay me a cent to say so.
what kind of pencil are you using?
Blackwing Matte. There are like a 4B
Ian, I’m making an assumption correct me if I’m wrong, you had to re-draw the image on the canvas.
Yes, he had to redraw the image. What he did was most likely very small, there are ways transitioning images on to canvas, I find the grid method to be most effective, but you will still have to redraw the image. Thimbnailing is a good process to plan out paintings just try not to spend too much time placing details.
It can’t be this easy...
I think people are less afraid of "abstract."
Hi Greg, and think maybe it is easier to do abstract painting. I'm not sure it is. All the best.
@@IanRobertsMasteringComposition exactly :)
I think he blew it on this one. Those ashtrays added so much to the painting because it brought the viewer right back to the woman in the background which if left in would have added so much more depth and interest. I also would have left in more of the light coming in on the left. I thought it was so cool how it blended in with those chairs. That also in itself could have been an interest catcher. So much going on here but he missed it and blacked it all out. This is one example where he took it too far.
I can’t find your email address
You can sign up at ianroberts.com. There is a contact page there, too.