On the surface, her student’s comment seemed simple and straightforward. Then, her teacher gave it deeper thought. Tracey Maras muses on what makes art hard.
By Tracey Maras
It is statement I hear from one of my students as she digs in deep to her weekly lessons. And it’s not the first time I’ve heard similar comments.
Is art hard?
On the surface, some may not think so.
Art can be created from nearly anything, any subject, any medium, any style. And to analyze all the variations would be beyond the scope of this musing. So, let’s limit it to painting.
What does it take to create a painting?
Time is spent deciding what to paint. Research is gathered via reference photos, color studies, and sketches. Various compositions are designed. The materials are prepped. An individual painting may take hours, or it may take years for completion. Framing is completed.
Ta Da!
But all that is just what you can see on the surface. What knowledge has the artist collected over the years to integrate all this successfully? And to actually make it look easy?
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Hours and weeks and months and years gathering reference materials to spur inspiration and ideas.
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Competence in drawing skills to span from preliminary sketches to completed works.
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Compositional design techniques to engage and guide the viewer.
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Accuracy with linear and aerial/atmospheric perspective.
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Comprehension of color theory.
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Knowledge of the relationships of light and dark values.
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Research on the materials and their archival properties.
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Competence with the tools and materials to be used.
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Expertise in color mixing.
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The ability to utilize imagination.
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And surprisingly, a lot of science: Botany, Biology, Geology, Zoology, Oceanography, Fluid Dynamics, Hydrology, Meteorology, Astronomy, Optics, Refraction, Psychophysics, Anatomy, Kinesiology, Human Behavior, Neurology, Sociology, Psychology, History, Political Science, Communication, Physics, Architecture, Texture, Environment, Linguistics, Culture, Ethology, Entomology, Chromatics, and the list goes on.
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And I haven’t even touched on the business side of art.
I joke that I am a wealth of worthless information. But this self-deprecating humor highlights the vast expanse of knowledge that goes into creating each painting. Not just copying, which has its place as we learn and develop skills, but in creating engaging and thought-provoking works of art.
Is art hard?
It is hard work. But it is also energizing and relaxing, frustrating and satisfying. It keeps our mind and body invigorated. It is a conduit for expressing emotions. It fills one’s life with the joy of creating.
Art is hard. But it is worth it.