Selective Vision

One of the most important skills for any artist to develop is the ability to see subject matter in its simplest form.

The first step in the creation of an effective work of art is deciding what the most important element of the subject is. This may seem like a simple matter, but it usually takes more serious consideration than most beginning painters think. Before beginning a painting, pause to study the subject for a moment and attempt to find something significant in it; some one thing that you respond to in a personal way.

It’s too easy to encounter a beautiful subject and, in our entheusiasm and excitement, immediately begin to draw or paint and mindlessly fill the paper or canvas with extraneous information and detail. The result is often a work that feels crowded and heavy-handed and suffers from a lack of breathing space. Remember, the purpose of a painting is not to reproduce everything about the subject in photographic accuracy, but to express the character of the subject in clear and simple terms.

Begin by asking yourself, "What is it that really makes me want to paint this subject?" The answer to this question will be the primary statement in your painting.

Once you know this, you can begin to eliminate anything that is not absolutely essential to that statement. Save only those things that you think will support your subject and not compete with or distract from it.

One way to help develop selective vision is through regular sessions with a sketchbook. Work on location. Work from life. When we sketch, we usually concentrate on those things that drew us to the subject and we don’t bother with the elements that we are not interested in.

Consequently, our sketchbooks are filled with simple, eloquent statements about things that are important to us. Although these kinds of drawings aren’t usually complete enough for the purpose of developing a finished painting, it is a good way to practice the art of selective vision.