

Everyone Should Make a Painting - mh_
http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3362-everyone-should-make-a-painting

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misnome
I agree emphatically with the spirit (and especially title) of this article.
I'm a programmer and Physicist, and until a couple of years ago never really
did any activity apart from computer-based, even to relax, and certainly never
thought of myself as someone who 'could draw'. I took up Photography in a
deliberate attempt to give myself a (non-computer) creative outlet, but found
that I really easily slipped into the technical side of it (for which there
are many, many opportunities).

Then, I went to a free sampler and then started going to a Life Drawing class
(we have the benefit of a very good community locally, and is all drop-in, so
no long courses to commit to). You don't need to jump all the way to painting,
even just the very basics of charcoal of pencil I found incredibly relaxing,
and it was certainly nice to spend decent quantities of time away from the
computer.

One thing I think is key, is to realise that drawing and art is a skill like
any other - very few people will find a "natural aptitude" (if such a thing
exists) and it's purely practice - I'm happy if my drawings show a general
trend of improvement, even though individual days or weeks may be a high or
low point. There is no pressure to produce a 'decent picture' from anyone
except myself, and I'm the only real judge of that - people will always like,
or dislike, ANY art.

Even if it's not art or drawing, I think there is definitely massive benefit
in completely changing from your usual routine occasionally. It can only be
healthy.

~~~
philbarr
I took up photography recently and found the opposite happened - I really
enjoy the technical aspect in the same way I enjoy coding, but there's also
much more to it than that. I particularly like that there's no definite "right
answer", you can read all the books you like but eventually you just have to
do your best guess and take the damn picture.

It appeals to my problem solving AND my artistic side at the same time.

EDIT: The fact that you get to play with all these "grown-up toys" strengthens
the appeal too...

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RyanZAG
Everyone Should Make an OpenGL 3D Engine

Read that headline carefully. Note that I didn’t say everyone should start
calling themselves code ninjas and try to sell their 3D Engines for millions
of dollars. I do, however, think the exercise of making a 3D Engine a good one
for all human beings.

A few things…

Your 3D Engine is probably not even going to compile. Don’t worry about it.

\-----

Everyone Should Make a Wooden Desk

Read that headline carefully. Note that I didn’t say everyone should start
calling themselves carpenters and try to sell their wood desks for tens of
dollars. I do, however, think the exercise of making a wood desk is a good one
for all human beings.

A few things…

Your wood desk is probably going to topple over before you get the 3rd leg on.
Don’t worry about it.

\---

I could go on. You could say the same about anything. Why a painting and not a
book? Do new things you haven't done before that you want to do, don't make a
painting...

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mhb
Art by Richard Feynman:

<http://www.museumsyndicate.com/artist.php?artist=380>

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enoch_r
This is too specific for my taste. I'd say this instead:

Everyone should try new things. Being really good at one thing is awesome, but
we learn the most from sucking at stuff. So find something you suck at and
work at it and improve at it and learn from it. Cooking. Woodworking.
Painting. Building a pizza oven in your backyard. Photography. Whatever--just
pick something that makes you think "wow, that looks amazing--I would try to
do that, but I'd have no idea where to begin," and then learn where to begin
and do it.

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imrehg
Here in Taipei we have a place called The Escape Artist ("The art of
paintertainment") <http://www.escapeartist.com.tw/> You can go there, get a
canvas from them (the mini for ~40USD is already pretty big), they have all
the brushes, colours and tools that you need, and paint away for the whole
afternoon. It's really fun, I've been there twice so far, and from their
fanpage it looks like they have plenty of people going (so much better
paintings than I could do).

So yeah. Paint. Or doodle (it's even cheaper). Just have fun and explore.

(edit: funny, as another commenter right now, I'm a programmer and physicist
too, maybe scientist do like escaping into art)

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ScotterC
I love this part: 'Do you know what happens in art school? There is a lot of
big talk about the art you made and the art you are going to make and the
historical context and words like “derivative” get thrown out there
(everything is derivative), but when it comes to painting there is very little
instruction. '

After working with a lot of professional artists I have come to find that Art
school and MFA programs are all about giving you the words and eye for great
art but has little to do with the actual techniques.

The words and eye should not be understated though. When you come across
something beautiful it is really really hard to describe it in words that do
it justice.

~~~
tehwalrus
Just to defend formal art courses: the way they seem to operate (judging from
my partner's experience doing a Fine Art Painting degree) is that at the
starter levels they get you to do a bunch of things you wouldn't want to given
'artistic judgement'/preference, to widen your skills and perspective.

For example, the painting students were made to do sculpture, animation, and a
whole bunch of things in BTEC (the year before they start the actual BA).

While criticism, history and taste all came into the later courses (the fine
art painters would have a weekly 'crit,' or "artists' stand-up" where they
would discuss each others paintings from that week - classic existentialism
terratory) that was mostly after you'd learned the basic skills and could
actually draw/paint/sculpt reasonably well (which they had tested at
interview.)

one anecdote from the 'crit' - my partner once submitted three paintings to a
crit; one blank, one by her, and one by me. She only revealed this after
hearing people talk utter nonsense about my painting for five minutes. This is
a classic post-modern taking-the-piss idea that has become part of art (where
artists make things purely to mock the stupid ideas people have about 'what
constitutes art'.) My painting was, as the article suggests, pretty rubbish.

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davidarkemp2
I think that everyone should make a computer program with pretty much the same
approach.

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pirateking
Drawing and painting was the best introduction to programming that I never
knew I got.

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klrr
Do I have to use a brush? I dislike not to feel when touching the material
like you do while painting with a normal pencil, or is the part that you don't
feel where you're placing the colors part of painting?

~~~
jgiancarlo
It's much more subtle, you feel the pressure from the tip of the brush.
Depending on the brush. You also feel the differences in friction between
painted and unpainted canvas. I did painting and art classes for about 3 years
fairly seriously as a kid and the most fun part to trying all different types
of making visual art was feeling the different physical nature involved in
each type.

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melling
Any recommendations for learning how to paint and draw in NYC? I'm an absolute
beginner. Someone recommended The Art Student League:

<http://www.theartstudentsleague.org/>

However, I'm a little uncomfortable walking into a place that doesn't have
explicit classes for beginners.

~~~
cllns
Isn't the point of this post to tell you that you don't need lessons and that
you should just do it?

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rm999
I think the author's point is "do whatever you want" :P

>Many intro classes also start with only using black and white to simplify the
decision making process. That to me sounds incredibly boring, but I once did
it, and I probably learned from it. You can start that way or you can try
skipping ahead. No one is watching. You can do whatever you want.

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andrewcooke
no. everyone should be more like _meeeeeeeeeeeeeee_

