Who is the master? Who is the boss? The medium or the artist?
The all time debate in the representational arts is about discipline in relation to medium. The non representational or contemporary painters of all media give a damn about discipline. The belief or conditioning that each medium has its own way of methodology and artist should work according to that for better results is largely followed in representational arts. Artist should follow certain rules of each medium!???
The all time debate in the representational arts is about discipline in relation to medium. The non representational or contemporary painters of all media give a damn about discipline. The belief or conditioning that each medium has its own way of methodology and artist should work according to that for better results is largely followed in representational arts. Artist should follow certain rules of each medium!???
This is new area for us to discuss. Till now most of writing was about landscape genre and do n donts pertaining to the art form. Now it is about medium and not genre. The traditional rules of watercolour handling... watercolour specifically as it is major media for landscapes.
Watercolour has a unique character in comparison to any other media. More transparent n fluid than any other if you take both these characteristics together. And that makes it tough to handle... according to practioners of other media! Any watercolourist will love this very character of the medium and vouch for the individuality it has and it gives to the work.
But is it so simple? The conditioning for ages which tells us to work with style which enhances these characteristics of watercolours is one of the reasons for. .. should I say lack of contemporaneity? We all know rules against use of dark deep colours..especially black. And also against white. And on larger scale against opaque use of colours. Just like it is against use of transparent use of oils!
Now let me clarify that nothing against following rules. And RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN is famous line which I will like to append with ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE LEARNT AND MASTERED THEM.
Break the rules after you experience them and find them not satisfying your thirst.
So if one wishes to follow. ..good. If other doesn't... also good. But the basic question is... who decides the course? DOES MEDIUM DECIDE WHAT AND HOW ARTIST SHOULD PAINT OR ARTIST HAS A RIGHT TO DECIDE HOW HE WILL LIKE TO USE THE MEDIUM?
It is larger issue than breaking rules. Because if medium decides then artist is not free and then not only methods but sometimes subjects also come under dos n donts. And the question of breaking the rules come only when this issue of medium dictating artist comes into picture.
I from my own experience can vouch for one thing. It is not the medium which makes this rules but majority of users who didn't try or played within limits.
Be a friend of the medium and take it ahead with you as you search. Both will feel the journey fruitful!!!
It is larger issue than breaking rules. Because if medium decides then artist is not free and then not only methods but sometimes subjects also come under dos n donts. And the question of breaking the rules come only when this issue of medium dictating artist comes into picture.
I from my own experience can vouch for one thing. It is not the medium which makes this rules but majority of users who didn't try or played within limits.
Be a friend of the medium and take it ahead with you as you search. Both will feel the journey fruitful!!!
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