Tuesday 18 August 2009

Thought for the day

Everyone is self taught. I/someone else can show you some tools, point to some of the obstacles, but at some point you have to do it for yourself.

Yes indeed, this does come off the back of being asked again what brushes I use in Painter. When I answered the response was a request for finer detail - what settings?

Perhaps a suggested goal should be to learn Painter so well that you don't have to ask which brushes a fellow artist uses. You will be able to tell by using your eyes?

11 comments:

  1. I saw a program last night which referenced research which shows self reliant people tend to expect self reliance in others.

    This is an issue for me when I get quizzed about what brushes I use. It is not that I am averse to helping others. In fact quite the opposite. But the question "Can you help me become self reliant" can be rather circular, and frustrating to answer.

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  2. Fecking hell its annoying to reference the karate kid non ironically, but it is largely wax on wax off. Stop trying to climb a mountain and move one foot in front of the other.

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  3. Re-reading this stuff, it is small wonder to me that I have found a lot of worth in Zen Buddhism. There are a great many things in art which can be at once true and untrue.

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  4. The Stingy Artist

    Gessen was an artist monk. Before he would start a drawing or painting he always insisted upon being paid in advance, and his fees were high. He was known as the "Stingy Artist."

    A geisha once gave him a commission for a painting. "How much can you pay?" inquired Gessen.

    "Whatever you charge," replied the girl, "but I want you to do the work in front of me."

    So on a certain day Gessen was called by the geisha. She was holding a feast for her patron.

    Gessen with fine brush work did the painting. When it was completed he asked the highest sum of his time.

    He received his pay. Then the geisha turned to her patron, saying: "All this artist wants is money. His paintings are fine but his mind is dirty; money has caused it to become muddy. Drawn by such a filthy mind, his work is not fit to exhibit. It is just about good enough for one of my petticoats."

    Removing her skirt, she then asked Gessen to do another picture on the back of her petticoat.

    "How much will you pay?" asked Gessen.

    "Oh, any amount," answered the girl.

    Gessen named a fancy price, painted the picture in the manner requested, and went away.

    It was learned later that Gessen had these reasons for desiring money:

    A ravaging famine often visited his province. The rich would not help the poor, so Gessen had a secret warehouse, unknown to anyone, which he kept filled with grain, prepared for those emergencies.

    From his village to the National Shrine the road was in very poor condition and many travellers suffered while traversing it. He desired to build a better road.

    His teacher had passed away without realizing his wish to build a temple, and Gessen wished to complete this temple for him.

    After Gessen had accomplished his three wishes he threw away his brushes and artist's materials and, retiring to the mountains, never painted again.

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  5. The above koan was a bit of free association, but this article is bang on topic, and I found to be very interesting:
    http://www.ecuad.ca/~rburnett/Weblog/essays/the_radical_impossibility_of_teaching.html

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  6. But, what are your SETTINGS?!? Heh

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. I do find a great tip, if you're near the end of a piece of work, is cmd A, cmd X, cmd S, cmd W. Its like a secret cheat code.

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