Style

Quickening the Continuum

Most artists travel in all four dimensions of this continuum at once without really being conscious of it. This is 'quickening' the continuum', or literally bending and molding the rules of art to grab the observer and emotionally draw him into the picture.

Remember:

The goal is communication. Professional artists often fly through the continuum backwards... "Rough cast with a broom, finish with a needle" - Delacroix

Does this seem impossible? Not when you consider that your subconscious mind will have easily stored over 100 trillion bits of information from birth until you finish reading this line. The creative potential of your mind is for all practical purposes, infinite. Add intelligent creative interpretation to the picture and you will not only master the detail of realism but you will empower the picture with emotion and even make it breathe.

Since God breathed into man the breath of life, and He created Him in His image then man's creations can also live. This requires a thinking with our creative mind. This opens the door to a whole new world where the laws of physics and art are as flexible as our imaginations. In this world the chalk becomes a part of our hands, the paper, a doorway that opens to us with infinite possibilities.

Some thirty-seven sensory inputs enter you brain: five you are aware of, thirty-two you are not. Your mind has filters that hinder accurate observation. It selectively consciously remembers only what it considers vital as time goes on. The intricate observation of billions of calculations about the detailed shape of every object you have ever glanced at in three dimensions with all its algorithmic permutations; is not usually considered important enough for the conscious mind to store up front. Most of those things are stored in the subconscious creative mind.

Through prayer you can access the greatest art resource computer on earth, your mind.

"If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God" - James 1:5

Faith sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.

Keys that unlock latent powers of visualization

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10

"Be still and know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10

It is well documented in both science and scripture that as stress and anxiety increases, perception and creativity decreases. As peace, relaxation and enjoyment increase perception and creativity increase. As your mind's eye becomes first focussed and then captivated by His beauty, and His masterpiece of creation, then and only then will you be able to see through the eyes of an artist; literally through His eyes. Drawing will just fall into place as He empower you to see a thrilling new way.

"The artist's eye, grafted on his heart, sees deeply into the bosom of nature." - Rodin

Learning to draw is like learning to ride a bicycle. We have been using training wheels so far with our tactile, tracing studies. As we take the training wheels off you will instantly become aware of how easy it is to fall. To go far you need to develop a sense of balance.

Balance is constantly correct for imbalance. There are usually two way your work can fall. There are ditches on both sides of the road.

To quicken the continuum balance opposite extremes:

Remember:

There are no rules here; only subjective reactions that makes your work unique.

A picture can be mechanically drawn right but still not feel right. Quickening is making your picture live. Just as in the human body there are many parts all working together for the good of the whole, so quickening is weighing the significance of each part of the drawing in light of its good of the whole. The whole is the underlying main theme. This is called its motif.

Here are some choices to make:

1. To skip one or two dimensions altogether for effect.

2. To reverse the order of steps.

3. To alter the colors to emphasize key elements by contrast.

4. To arranging elements differently to focus the attention.

5. To center the picture on key elements.

6. Changing the size of key elements.

7. Pump up colors, perspectives, details to grab attention.

The longer you crawl, the better you will walk. The longer you study and copy shapes the more you will abandon formulas. The more you master and even write new rules the less you will need them.

To internalize this creative continuum is to overcome one of the hardest things in drawing: Drawing what you see when it doesn't look right. Whenever rules conflict with seeing, draw what you see!

Exercise #22

Try some fast 30 second action drawings of people, motion, gestures, sports or any subject that moves. Scribble fast with loose, free and fluid motions that use your whole arm. Caricature artists use this as a warm up before day long drawing secessions.

Exercise #23

Look in any direction and draw everything in sight for 5 minutes. See how much and how fast you can draw. People remember how well you draw more than how fast you draw. But you will be surprised how a time limit helps you simplify a subject and aid in communication.

Exercise #24

Choose a favorite picture from any of the tactile exercises and draw it completely from memory. As you draw each part visualize what you want the observer to experience.