Art Instruction
What I Believe/Don't Believe About Art:

- "Talent" is basically a myth. I believe that sensitivity,
   inspiration, hard work and conviction are much more
   important in producing quality work.
-  Neatness and speed do not count in art.
-  Being original really means being/becoming yourself.
- There is no limit to what can be learned - it is a life-long
   process.
- There are as many viewpoints in art as there are human
   beings.
- There is no one, right way to make art.
- There are rules in art to be followed - however, for every
   rule I've ever heard, I've seen a great work of art that is
   the exception.
- The entire universe is potential subject matter for art.
Practical Tips:

Relax: inspiring  music, comfortable
clothes and chair.

Wear clothes that you're not afraid of   getting dirty.

Look at other art -   galleries, museums, books, art centers.

Carry a sketchbook  everywhere, for at   least 1 year. Draw quick sketches in  airports, waiting rooms, at home, etc.
Home
Drawings
Reproductions
Learn to Draw
Paintings
Welcome to my online studio! Just a few words to describe my plans for this section of my site: I plan to add more art  instruction, art history and other things art-related. As I build the site, it will take some time to construct these lessons. There are now six drawing exercises: Contour Drawing,  Mass Drawing, Gesture Drawing, Mechanics of Drawing, Perspective for Artists, and Figure Drawing; six Design lessons; Painting I: Stretch Canvas, Painting II: Materials, Painting III: Limited Palette Still Life, Painting IV: Possibilities, and Painting V: Color Mixing; a Pastel Lesson, and twenty-one Artist Profiles (Paul Cezanne, Martin Puryear, Berthe Morisot, Louise Bourgeois, Pierre Bonnard, Robert Rauschenberg, Arshile Gorky, Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Henri Matisse, Joseph Cornell, Faith Ringgold, Claude Monet, Agnes Martin, Nam June Paik, Helen Frankenthaler, Fiona Foley, Joan Miro, Janet Fish, Robert Irwin, Caio Fonseca and Lin Tianmiao) are also now finished, as well as a separate Glossary of Art Terms, descriptions of Modern Art Movements, a FAQ, and five essays, What Is Art About?, Getting Discouraged, Artmaking I and II, Self-Critique of My Work and The Correct Way to Make Art. Most of these lessons are free; a few of them are available for a small fee, to help support my site.
I've been an artist for many years, and I feel that art is a vital part of our lives. My hope is to share that love with others, to try to make art as accessible as, for instance, music is to us. I don't offer many shortcuts, or techniques, here. What I try to do is show ways to learn. This may not be the MacFastest way - but it is the most genuine, and gives the most sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. So, the bad news is that to learn to draw and paint takes time - quality time. But, the good news is that the entire process is guaranteed to raise the level of endorphins - in fact, I should warn you that art can be habit-forming!
-  Art is a process, not a product.
-  Learning art is learning a new language, a visual
   language, where the vocabulary consists of colors,
   forms, marks, and other visual elements.
-  Art is not a place for fear, but rather, freedom. It is one
   of the few things we can do that cannot hurt anyone.
- The experience of making art is a creative (as opposed
   to destructive) process. At its best, we lose ourselves,
   become absorbed, unself-conscious.
- The "goal" of art should not just be to create a good work
   but to express what we are trying to express.
- Art needs to be more than "just visual." It needs ideas,
   feelings - and meaning.
                                             Introduction to Drawing:

                      Drawing is a great way to learn to "see." But,
                 seeing is not an end in itself, but a means to another
             end - that of expression. To achieve a likeness, correct
          proportions, proper perspective, etc. is the beginning of art-
        making. By learning to see the objective world, we can then
      transfer our newfound visual skills to create our artwork - to see its 
     "formal" values - composition, color relationships, spatial properties,
   etc. And ultimately, we use our new visual skills to see the inner  
 world, the world of ideas, feelings, etc.
As Kimon Nicolaides wrote, when we make art, we are not creating a product. We are having an experience, and the artwork is a result of that 
experience. As we develop our own sensitivities, that experience becomes 
 richer, and the resultant work will reflect this richness. Having said this, 
  remember to relax when drawing - wear comfortable clothes, play music
    that inspires you, sit in a comfortable chair. Work when well-rested
     and fresh, if possible, and hopefully without a time limit. And most 
       importantly, draw as much as you can - quick sketches and
         longer studies.
Follow the drawing exercises here, starting with
    Contour Drawing. Good luck, and have fun!
Save your work so you can see your progress.

Follow your own interests - and also stretch yourself.

Try to put your entire concentration on your work.

Develop sensitivity to your surroundings.

Copy drawings of good artists, as a learning experience.
Nancy Doyle Fine Art 
TOP
Art Appreciation
Notes on Art-Making
Small Paintings
The Mechanics
   of Drawing    
Design I: Meaning
Painting Lesson I:
  Stretch Canvas  
  Landscape  
Reproductions
Design II: History
Painting Lesson II:
       Materials       
Glossary of
 Art Terms 
Artist Profiles:

Cezanne
Puryear
Morisot
Bourgeois
Bonnard
Rauschenberg
Gorky
Christo &
  Jeanne-Claude
Matisse
Cornell
Ringgold
Monet
Martin
Paik
Frankenthaler
Foley
Miro
Fish
Irwin
Fonseca
Tianmiao
Design III: Guidelines
Painting Lesson III:
       Still Life        
Modern Art 
Movements
Pastel Lesson
Obama's Whistle Stop Tour Photos
Design IV: Elements
What Is Art About?
    Fine Art      
Greeting Cards
Fine Art Note Cards
Figure Drawing
      Lesson       
Computer Art
Perspective
Design V: Principles
Painting IV: 
Possibilities
Design VI: Sources
Getting Discouraged
Advertise on This Site
Philly Shakespeare
  Painting V:  
Color Mixing
The Correct Way
   to Make Art    
Notes on Art-Making II
Don James
   Poetry    
Jack Armstrong
 Short Fiction   
Self-Critiques of My Work
Digital Photographs
Evolution of a Painting