Before I became an artist I was a full-time photographer – also art, just a different genre! I loved photographing weddings and enjoyed the adrenaline rush of being in the moment and capturing the emotions and smiles. But the wedding was just the starting point and the real work was the hours spent behind a screen to edit and sort and prepare the images. I quickly found that just working tired my mind quickly and I would soon struggle to really focus on the job at hand.
How often do you look at a friend’s art and wish you had their talent? Some people just seem to make drawing and painting look so effortless. But how much of that is in fact talent and how much can you learn?
You have probably already heard of the rule of thirds before. If not, you may have wondered why cameras (including your phone camera) often have visual guides that divide the image into thirds. These dividing lines run horizontally and vertically creating a grid made up of nine even blocks.
Have you ever walked past a painting or drawing that just seemed so lifelike that you felt like reaching out and touching the rich colour to see if the texture your eyes could see, would be there for your fingers to feel? There is always more to learn, but I would like to share some of my own experience with you today. While I specialise in animals and birds, this is also applicable to botanicals and portraits and many other subjects.
