The Painter's Primer, Part Two

Last week, I posted here  about a list of 100 points made by teacher Irwin Greenberg and given to his students. He called it the Painter's Primer and I had some issues with a few of his points. We covered 1-10, and now I will move on with 11-20.

11. Don’t settle for yourself at a mediocre level. Although a somewhat awkward sentence structure, this is a good point. I think it's dangerous for our creative processes if we start to think, "Well, this is good enough." Be better than "good enough".

12. Don’t allow yourself to be crushed by failure. Rembrandt had failures. Success grows from failure. Again, I agree. In fact, all artists had failures. Or if you aren't crazy about the word "failure" (I'm not!), use the word mistakes. I've found a great many of my mistakes become "happy accidents" and I do learn a lot!

13. Be a brother (or sister) to all struggling artists. This is so very important. Everyone needs encouragement and it's not that hard to find something to praise about someone else's work.

14. Keep it simple. Another important daily habit. Less stress that way.

15. Know your art equipment and take care of it. Referring back to #5 of the first list, if you invest your money into quality supplies and tools, take a few minutes to make sure you know how to keep them in top shape. What a waste of your time and money if you get ready to work and found you had not cleaned your brushes, or left the covers off of something and it dried out.

16. Have a set of materials ready wherever you go. If you are a painter, there are all kinds of travel kits, and DYI travel kits to put together so that you make the most of every opportunity when out and about. If your medium is in another field, you might try carrying a small journal or sketch book with you, to jot down ideas, or sketch an idea triggered by something you see. Today's cell phones make it easy to capture an image of something that inspired you.

17. Always be on time for work, class, and appointments. It's not chic to be late. It's rude. And since an artist's reputation is made of fragile things, personal habits such as this can go a long way in bolstering your reputation. Perhaps there is another artist who is looking for someone to collaborate with them on a project, or someone who is taking referrals to find someone to do a certain art piece. Be the one that others respect and recommend. Being a Diva only works on TV, and really, it doesn't even work there.

18. Meet deadlines. Be better than your word. This can be part B of #17 above. Again, it's your reputation you are building. Become known as someone who can be trusted.

19. Find a mate who is really a mate. (Read "friend" for mate.) This takes time, and also requires developing instincts about people in general. There are a lot of people out there who are only looking for someone to give them a boost, without returning the favor. Your friend, or mate, doesn't even have to be another artist as long as they support you and have faith in you. And remember, it's important to return that support!

20. Don’t be envious of anyone who is more talented than you. Be the best you can be. Envy can be a real killer - of time, of creativity, of yourself. It sucks life out of you. There will ALWAYS be someone who can do something better than you - so what? Life is not a competition, although our society certainly pushes that idea. Develop yourself, learn from others, and grow in the sunlight. If you let envy in, your eyes have turned away from your true calling and you drift into darkness. Be aware of how easy it is to be envious, and turn yourself away from that steep hill. I find that if I immediately praise the person, even if it is only to myself. I have freed myself of being dragged down by the chains of envy.

The Painter's Primer, Part One

I recently came across an artist page called Linea: How Artists Think, part of the Art Students League of New York. The post I was reading was a reprint of a painter's primer by Irwin Greenberg, given to his students at the High School of Design in NYC. He passed away in 2009, at 87. It's a long list of 100 points, and I thought I would share it with you a few at a time, and give my thoughts on each point. Here's the first list:

1. Paint every day. This is a good idea if you can, but I would open it up to do something related to your art in some way, whether it's looking at an exhibit, finding something that stirs you for your next project, or even trying another art expression. Sometimes you need to refresh yourself with a new outlook. 

2. Paint until you feel physical strain. Take a break and then paint some more. No. This reminds me of the old fitness mantra of "no pain-no gain", which did no one any good. I already deal with this in some ways because of my illness, but even if you are completely healthy, I can think of no better way to turn yourself off from something you love to do, than to make yourself feel strain.

3. Suggest. OK, I can interpret this as "What if ...?". It keeps you out of a rut, and even if the original idea doesn't work, you never know where it will lead you!

4. When at an impasse, look at the work of masters. For a painter, I can see this being an encouragement. Or you can look at the work of masters in other areas. But for a painter, I would suggest looking specifically at the work in an area where you are struggling, whether it is the form, or handling light, or understanding perspective. There are numerous sites online to help you work out your struggle.

5. Buy the best materials you can afford. Absolutely yes! It is so important to have excellent materials. Not only will it make a difference in your work, but it will lift your spirits not to have to deal with cheap brushes shedding their hairs in the midst of your masterpiece, for example.

6. Let your enthusiasm show. I agree with this, too. Exclaim to the world, wherever you are, that you love what you are doing. Share it! Be ready to share how you did it! People are starved to find beauty and someone who enjoys sharing their abilities.

7. Find a way to support yourself. Always a struggle in these days. In fact, always a struggle down through history. But there are ways, if you are willing to deny yourself some of the latest tech toys and do work others may not want to do, such as housecleaning or being a part time nanny. Perhaps even pizza delivery!

8. Be your own toughest critic. I don't agree with this, because most of us tend to be perfectionists anyway. I'd rather say "Be honest with yourself." There are enough prima donnas in the world who think what they do is greater than it really is.

9. Develop a sense of humor about yourself. Yes. Absolutely! Learn to laugh when it doesn't turn out the way you wanted. It's ok, you're not the first artist to have that happen, and it won't be your only time to have it happen. Ask yourself if it's really worth raising your blood pressure over.

10. Develop the habit of work. Start early every day. When you take a break, don’t eat. Instead, drink a glass of water. Hmm, well .... yes and no. Developing the habit of working on your creativity, rather than occasionally dabbling in painting a little something, yes, it's a good idea. But some artists aren't early risers. Picasso painted until 3 in the morning, than slept till the middle of the morning. Find your own rhythm, what works best for you and then stick to it. Drinking a glass of water is a good thing as well, but if you struggle with low blood sugar, having a small snack is actually better for staying alert and focused.

Any thoughts on these? Do you agree or disagree with my comments? Let me know!