How to Simplify a Complex Subject

Рет қаралды 44,295

Жыл бұрын

James Gurney paints a blacksmith at his forge and answers questions about strategies for dealing with complexity and detail. Using watercolor and gouache, he demonstrates how he eliminates background details and uses shadows to focus attention on the important parts of the silhouette.
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Пікірлер: 70

@SamanthaSumstine Жыл бұрын

You’ve made the most wonderful impact upon my artistic endeavors, James. Someday, it would be my greatest joy to meet and thank you in person. Thank you for all that you do and share with the world :)

@Shebacca6000 Жыл бұрын

I legit just want a published book of his sketches/paintings he’s shown to us on KZfaq..

@modelenginerding6996 Жыл бұрын

I share your sentiment. I have a greater appreciation for simpler things, and painting is a joy.

@popeoftattoos 10 ай бұрын

@@Shebacca6000 James Gurney Color and Light. The best book you will ever own as an artist

@bluewren65 Жыл бұрын

I love "a painting is finished when I can't subtract anymore". That's amazing and so correct. It flies in the face of the axiom that a painting is never finished. Some say a painting is not finished until it is gazed on by a person other than the artist, but that is not helpful if you're deciding whether or not you want to put more brush strokes on it 😂

@Blick_Art Жыл бұрын

We're always fascinated to see when experienced painters use larger brushes on smaller works! It's worth an investment in practice so you can learn to achieve anything from broad, flooded coverage to fine detail with a larger brush without constantly reloading and switching back and forth!

@Shebacca6000 Жыл бұрын

Hey can y’all build a blicks near Madison,wi or Rockford,IL? pleeeeeeease 🙏🏻

@Blick_Art Жыл бұрын

@@Shebacca6000 We're always thrilled to hear suggestions for store locations! Thanks, we'll pass along that message.

@deborahgoodwin3426 10 ай бұрын

How about anywhere in New England? I am in New Hampshire and would be ecstatic to see one of your wonderful stores up our way!!❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏

@adrianmuino3412 Ай бұрын

The background sound makes the experience really inmersive. Another great video!

@samrat447 Жыл бұрын

At 1:35 it's absolutely amazing to see Mr Gurney dip his brush in the blob of green and spread it out on the right side of the pallet and then you notice the actual grass in the background and both colours are exactly the same. Wow!! Great eye for choosing colour Mr Gurney.

@noraaalt Жыл бұрын

I’m surprised this subject isn’t talked about more in the art community - I have struggled with convicted decision making & simplification in drawing since I was little. This is so helpful!! I went through 4 years of schooling at a school you came to give a talk at & I remember learning so much from your lecture - so much that a single teacher there never mentioned. I’m glad you have a YT channel and are generous enough to offer your teachings - always happy to see a new video! && I still reference Color & Light to this day. 👌👌👌

@JamesGurney Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I approach the topic of painting from an unusual perspective since I followed completely different learning path. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a96boZqHvMqvimw.html

@Vidunder 11 ай бұрын

Bought one of your book years ago, then my sister suddenly showed an interest in painting and i gifted it to her. Yesterday I went online and ordered it again cause I miss it so much, fantastic, clear explanations and wonderful excercises. thank you

@talllala 8 ай бұрын

Which book?

@AzureSymbiote 8 ай бұрын

The painting is finished when you cannot subtract from it anymore. Thank you very much!

@WhatIveLearnedInArt Жыл бұрын

Interestingly, the real footage already looks like a James Gurney's painting. I love your choice of subject matter, so interesting in terms of shapes, light, and color, but also so authentic about who you are and what you value. Amazing video as usual!

@mobuckey Жыл бұрын

Gurney is the goat

@hongkongtennis 10 ай бұрын

James you are a wonderful gift to the world of of art. Thanks for everything you do.

@jj-nu2ke Жыл бұрын

thanks a lot for the tips.

@josephinastover5785 Жыл бұрын

Love this... simplifying is such a challenge. Thank you!

@JamesGurney Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for the generous donation, J.S.!

@ChristinaMandy_art Жыл бұрын

Good tips! I'm about to paint, so I'll keep them in mind! I always tend to add too many unnecessary details.

@northernembersoutdoors1045 Жыл бұрын

So so happy you're releasing videos more often, thanks very much.

@GH-zv6br Жыл бұрын

Another wonderful painting and video, thanks James!

@wvulcanis Жыл бұрын

Amazing as always. Tks a lot for your videos.

@amiemarieart Жыл бұрын

Amazing, your work is so perfect, you make it seem so effortless. Truly talented 👏 🙌

@oowaz 9 ай бұрын

Love your content James, you absolute legend

@R_H21 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for another video!! ☺

@Tat2TankT Жыл бұрын

Great video as always best artist on KZfaq 😊thanks for sharing

@djfunkychicken 11 ай бұрын

*_"The painting is finished when I cannot subtract anymore"_* - James Gurney -

@sunilpund7787 Жыл бұрын

Amazing work sir,, waiting for next video... 😊🙌🙌

@karlab9557 Жыл бұрын

Learning to simplify (what to leave out) is almost as difficult as keeping light in my paintings. Two things I struggle with. I'm such a beginner and must continue to practice practice practice.

@Tragicflaw27 Жыл бұрын

I've been slowly trying to get back into some art with some drawing and later this month I'm taking the plunge and finally getting myself some gouache paint.

@michaelhoilman6897 Жыл бұрын

That's the first step. SO important. Just keep the ball rollin'. Just keep it goin', my friend. Rootin' for ya.(fellow artist here)

@changelling 11 ай бұрын

Excellent video

@rebelcat9956 7 ай бұрын

You are the best. Master.

@em4142 Жыл бұрын

Good stuff! Awesome

@OTTERSandKNIVES Жыл бұрын

James, Im currently reading your imaginative realism book, and i stopped to research something in the book and what matches my result but a brand new video! So what I find myself struggling with is getting lost in the detail. People always say look at the bigger picture but my eyes like looking at that little squirrel on the third branch! I feel I'm making art without a focal point!

@cinmingrrl Жыл бұрын

Thanks 👍🏻

@MarcelHarding Жыл бұрын

awesome

@graciousmom4127 Жыл бұрын

I've always been waiting for your videos sir...🤗☺️ Hope you make some more, but make it longer...cuz I love watching all of your videos sir! Hoping to meet you and your wife someday. 🙏🥰

@bodledup7854 Жыл бұрын

Enthralled 😮

@100XPercentX Жыл бұрын

What does can’t subtract anymore mean? 🐥

@michaelhoilman6897 Жыл бұрын

It's an artist theory that the closer to perfection one gets, the more non-essential elements are in the work. That's my definition anyways. Trim the fat and just paint the ESSENTIAL, meaningful elements that convey "feeling"of the piece.

@adildraws 11 ай бұрын

You are one of my favorite

@frankbarone630 11 ай бұрын

Watching your video is like meditating. I have never done watercolor or gouache or art. But I want to try after watching your videos. Which video should I start with? Do you have any similar videos on oils?

@inkonmyhands Жыл бұрын

Omggg new vid :0

@antonchistiakov3538 Жыл бұрын

Wonderful video as always , If i may ask what is your opinion on using photo reference as a training tool? I'm wondering if its stifling my growth as an artist by mostly studying from photos and other artists.

@JamesGurney Жыл бұрын

Check out my blog post on "Using Photo Reference" and don't miss the discussion afterward (32 comments). gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/search?q=using+photo+reference

@michaelhoilman6897 Жыл бұрын

@@JamesGurney Love that you respond to so many of these. Hats off.

@lulabelle33 11 ай бұрын

James- can you address your current ratings of Hansa Yellow PY3. Has it changed since Color and Light-re golden paint's discussion on its issues in lightfastness? Or is is a "depends" discussion?

@ethonica 10 ай бұрын

Just use Benzimidazolone Yellow. Golden, Williamsburg, and Holbein all carry yellow with that pigment line.

@45067daddymac Жыл бұрын

How did Larry know to ask a question about this painting if this video was only released a few hours ago? 😳

@JamesGurney Жыл бұрын

I know, it seems like some bizarre kind of telepresence. But in fact I shared an image of the final sketch on Instagram a week ago, and asked people to send in spoken questions that I can weave into the video.

@knightsintodreams Жыл бұрын

❤❤❤

@0ia Жыл бұрын

"The painting is finished when I can't subtract anymore"

@CristianoVRSantos 11 ай бұрын

Hi, greetings from Rio de Janeiro. Since I updated Chrome, I can no longer see the automatic translation of subtitles in your videos, thus making it impossible for me to understand what you say in videos. Thanks for the videos.

@JamesGurney 11 ай бұрын

Se você não conseguir ver a tradução automática de legendas no KZfaq depois de atualizar o Chrome, há várias etapas que você pode seguir para tentar corrigir o problema: Feche todas as guias do seu navegador e reabra o KZfaq para descartar problemas temporários do navegador. Os usuários de Android e iOS devem reiniciar o aplicativo. Desative a VPN no seu navegador ou dispositivo móvel, se ativada. Desative todas as extensões de tradução instaladas no navegador. Desligue todos os teclados de tradução que estiver a utilizar no seu dispositivo móvel. Verifique se o idioma correto está definido no seu navegador. Para obter instruções sobre como verificar ou alterar o idioma no Chrome, visite a documentação oficial da Central de Ajuda do Google. Forçar a reinicialização do aplicativo KZfaq, desativar e ativar a legenda ou ajustar a velocidade de reprodução de vídeo. Altere as configurações de país ou idioma do KZfaq. Por exemplo, você pode definir um idioma que compreenda clicando no ícone de imagem na parte superior do site do KZfaq e selecionando Idioma no menu.

@MarkNiceyard Жыл бұрын

"The painting is finished when I can't subtract anymore." I don't understand this. Does anyone have an idea what that means?

@JamesGurney Жыл бұрын

Yeah, sorry. It was a bit unclear. I should have said it's finished when I can neither add nor subtract anything else. The subtracting or simplifying is necessary to bring out the complex details that you DO want to include.

@Fenrir-hw3lm Жыл бұрын

I believe he means simplifying the painting, taking away unnecessary things that aren't in service of the subject or whatever he is trying to portray.

@R_H21 Жыл бұрын

I interpreted it as “when no more correction is needed” - when everything you want is in the painting.

@tomekdzwonkowski7469 Жыл бұрын

Pozdrowienia z Polski

@artfoolei 11 ай бұрын

Hi! I wasn’t sure where to ask you this. I was wondering if you would ever be interested in selling your vintage W&N Bijou box? I have been looking for many years for one with no luck. 😊

@JamesGurney 11 ай бұрын

Send me an email at gurneyjourney (at) gmail and I can give you more info.

@liger-ger 11 ай бұрын

❤️👍💗👍💞👍🩷👍💜👍🩷👍💕

@andrewlm5677 10 ай бұрын

Working plein-air in public staring at a stranger seems like such an awkward and uncomfortable thing and the content of that scene (at least as far as one could tell from the video) didn’t look to my untrained eye like the makings of any sort of painting. The results of this effort were impressive. My personal theory as to “when a painting is done” is that the decision about when a painting is finished (along with choice of subject) is really where the artistry in painting exists. The painter’s personal tastes are what dictates what a painting looks like and are also what allows the work to resonate with others - there is nothing to be taught here really. You can teach technique of course but that is really just a matter of execution of whatever the individual considers to be their goal and how one gets to their intended final product is unimportant compared with what the product is.