Edward Gorey On Imagination
I have no conscious visual imagination whatever, or at least I have no idea what the drawing will look like until it is done, which is just as well, because I would be so depressed by the difference between ideal and real that I would probably have never started drawing at all as a regular thing. When I do have to try and visualize before drawing for one reason or another—perhaps an illustration that has to have a certain number of elements in it—I tend to become paralyzed, and the results are usually terrible. I manage to function by suppressing any consciousness of my mental images until they are on paper.Edward Gorey
The Art of The Incredibles
It isn’t often that artists let us into their personal process of creating art. I love how Pixar releases these books with every film they make. The pages are lavishly illustrated featuring concept and character sketches, storyboards, and lighting studies. You are going to find a huge spectrum of media in this book, everything from collages, pastels, digital art, intricate color paintings, to the simplest pencil sketch on a napkin.
Sean Connery On Writing
You write your first draft with your heart and you re-write with your head. The first key to writing is to write, not to think.Sean Connery
Chris Van Allsburg On Creating
The opportunity to create a small world between two pieces of cardboard, where time exists yet stands still, where people talk and I tell them what to say, is exciting and rewarding.Chris Van Allsburg, Illustration
Color Mixing Swatch Book
This book is a valuable tool in any artists arsenal of reference material. I feel that color is one of the hardest aspects to master as an artist. I dont know how many times ive looked back at a finished piece and thought “this isnt bad… however, if only I painted this womans dress blue it would have made it so much better.”
Unfortunately I often feel that the majority of artists view color as an afterthought in their creative process. Its just natural to spend our time making sure our figures have believable weighted gestures, our objects have the right perspective and our composition is flawless. Once satisfied, color is quickly added with a little shading here and there and then we call it a day.
To make sure we steer clear of this, its helpful to once in a while be reminded of how wonderful color is. Michael Wilcox’s book is a great tool to reference throughout your creative endeavors. The contents of the book are pages and pages of color swatches from different combinations of 12 colors.
Gradually mix color A with color B and show the 8 colors between the two. Tints of each color are created by thinning the paint to allow the white background to show. The final color swatch shows a range of hues that are obtainable from the two original colors.
Any brand of paint can be used but from experience different makes tend to vary in color. One manufacturers cadium yellow light might be brighter and more orange than another’s. Also remember, you do get what you pay for. Inferior, low quality colors tend to not give even layers or blend with ease due to excess filler. Higher quality paints do add a certain richness, ease of use and control.
