Little Long Pond

Links of Interest — Aug 25, 2013

I apologize for letting the ol’ website gather dust this past month. Life has decided to throw everything at me at once. But it’s all good. I have stumbled across a few diamonds that I’d love to share.

 

Watercolor with Lian Quan Zhen: Frogs in the Pond

Chinese Watercolor Techniques: Painting Animals DVD
Chinese Watercolor Techniques: Painting Animals DVD By Zhen Lian Quan

I’ve just previewed Mr. Zhen’s watercolor tutorial, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The old man has a few interesting watercolor tricks for mixing colors. He also walks the viewer through some basic concepts and watercolor techniques. He also covers the Rule of Thirds, which I cover in Yes, You Too Can Draw!

 

Does a “True” Artist Go to Art School?

Little Long Pond, Acadia by Lori Woodward, acrylic painting on linen, 10 x 15. © Lori Woodward
Little Long Pond, Acadia by Lori Woodward, acrylic painting on linen, 10 x 15. © Lori Woodward

I have to giggle at this one. Lori Woodward confronts two big issues: #1 Is college even worth the small fortune you have to pay? And #2 The common experiences of having to learn from a “fine-arts” professor. To give a small preview, her university art professors were incompetent failures that fell back on teaching because they couldn’t make it in the privet sector as professionals. Because they had no clue how to draw or paint, they fall back on teaching abstract art and used the excuse that it’s more expressive than anything approaching realism. (Yeah, I do have a bit of a chip on my shoulder.) In the end, you the poor art student wastes thousands of dollars just to have the privilege of getting your creative fire squelched by these over-glorified losers.

There’s actually another article that I’ve read that runs along the same lines as Ms. Woodward’s article, but for graphic designers. If I find it, I’ll post it in another edition of Links of Interest.

 

BBC Geisha Girl (2005)

 

I have to admit, this has more to do with fun than art. Actually I stumbled across this video during my research for a painting that I’m working on. I’ve been researching geisha fan dancing and stumbled across this wonderful documentary about a young girl chasing her dream to become a modern-day maiko (apprentice geisha).

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