In the creative visual arts world there tends to be an inbalance which leans heavily towards inspirational force. Technical skill becomes undervalued. It is the great theme, the inspired idea which is paramount and true skill in handling becomes the third rate cousin to the creative process. I have become increasingly fascinated with comparing the visual art process with all the other arts such as music, dance, writing and architecture. Can you imagine a wonderfully choreagraphed dance where the dancers clearly lack experience and technical skill to execute the choreograph movements? The performance would be a failure. Imagine a majestic piece of music where the pianist clumsily transitions between notes, or an inspired idea for a story but the author lacks the ability to create simple and proper sentence structure. Especially as we mature as artists then we realize how critical ‘technical skill’ to the success of a painting. In fact, it might even be said that a mediocre idea for a painting, if skillfully rendered will be perceived as evocative and even beautiful.
Especially in the past several years I have developed the habit of consciously pulling out paintings which were conceived several months prior. I consider it a period of gestation. The original painting was put down with the intent of keeping intact an original idea, a first impression. I find it is often difficult to get an idea ‘set’ and then also to carry it out with all the technical skill necessary for full completion. They often comprise two fairly distinct efforts. A form may be put down accurately but the edges are not refined or they do not blend in with adjacent forms. Choice of the original color hues may often need refinement. An area that is a wash may need to become completely opaque or line quality needs to be rendered more carefully. This is the second effort relying now on the artists technical skill. The beginning artist therefore must be patient in developing these necessary skill sets.
There is much to be said and appreciated for that initial inspiration, that great bust of energy that brings an artist to the canvas in the first place. I love the story of how Frank Loyd Wright kept putting off the design of the now famous Falling Waters Home. When the owner grew impatient and announced he would be driving up to the architects studio in six hours Wright brought his apprentices in to the studio. They kept sharpening his pencils as he furiously drew out the concepts for Falling Water. When the client arrived and Wright presented the drawings the couple were astonished. No doubt Wright had been pondering and conceiving of the structure for months prior to actually drawing it out on paper. That was the inspired moment, the inception, the spark but it would be many months later when finally the technical drawings were completed. In terms of technical skill the builders and carpenters and masons had to then re-create those drawings in to a three-dimensional world. Architecture in my view is an almost perfect example of the fairly sharp distinction between the ‘concept development’ and the requisite technical skill that must follow. Good and skillful workmanship must accompany good architecture.
We admire the masters because they tirelessly mastered their craft, became skillful with the brush, with design and with proper justapositions of color, hue and harmony. The so-called simple and straightforward portraits by Rembrandt are spellbinding because of the great technical skill he employed in manipulating paint and light on the surface plane. I admire the brilliant watercolors by Sargeant because of the great skill he employed in rendering light in nature. The history bending painting, Nude Descending the Staircase has a remarkable luminosity and harmony that had not been seen before and this could not have been succesful without unusual skill with the brush and without an uncanny eye for color. It appears rapidly executed but was in fact rendered with great care and skill and intention. For those of us desiring to improve our own work, we can take heart. By tirelessly devoting ourselves to improving the quality of our brushwork, the consistency of our lines, the blending of forms and backgrounds we can transform even a common representation to something that truly is art.
