Paul Ingbretson Talks About Painting

Paul reviews some of Meldrum’s and one of his student’s work and discusses some of the positives and negatives of it. QUESTIONS: What do you think of Max Meldrum as an Artist? JAS

The methods of the non-academic painter are different enough that doing them requires a total rethinking of what was done before. Slowing the process or rather, breaking it into parts, is key to getting yourself started. One way of doing that is discussed here. QUESTIONS:Coming from an outline way of thinking I do find it difficult to transition to the visual order way. It feels overwhelming with all the things you need to keep track of along the way. Do you think it’s best to stick with drawing until one has mastered the basics of this way of thinking before trying to do this with paint? Thanks in advance! KEVIN

Successfully painting from life requires first the naming of the needed visual information and then its prioritization. This covers some points from a book called The Organized Mind and more QUESTIONS: How a painter organizes his mind and material to avoid exhaustion and to succeed.

Unity in painting comes in every area of the work from narrative, to the mood, to the abstract elements. This is a review of what comprises it. QUESTION: I was reviewing earlier talks where you discuss Robert Douglas Hunter's work. It led me to a few of his demos on youtube where he starts a landscape with no drawing, and he talks about getting the brush going in every direction, and he says that paintings will finish themselves if done this way. I was wondering then if his still lifes were done this same way, with no drawing? Also, in relation to what Richard writes below, Robert Douglas Hunter stresses that "the one element that all great painting has in common is a sense of unity". I was wondering if you could talk more about this subject of unity in a painting. Jack “People untrained in the art of painting believe finish is attained by adding detail to detail and dismiss it as a mere bi-product of industry and patience. Unfortunately this view does not correspond with the truth. For an essential characteristic of all fine painting is unity of effect, and this unity is destroyed by any detail stated in a false relation to other component parts of the picture. ....To achieve this end, each detail must be set down with just the degree of definition and coloration which it holds for the eye when the focus of vision is adjusted so as to include the entire scene depicted.” Gammell (Bunker) RICHARD

This Talk is a review of the basic difference between painting “realistically” by values and painting by line. Although Leonardo was the first real scientist elucidating the visual data his way of working was primarily from the outline of objects. Velasquez and Vermeer between them set the visual to work more or less on its own terms without the overvalued reliance on knowledge typical of the Renaissance man. Comparison is fascinating and crucial. In response to Sue QUESTIONS: I bought a painting of Da Vinci a few weeks ago and I noticed that in his image The Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist he was using outline to draw the foot of the lady on my left. Can you please explain to us why? SUE

In the final analysis all visual art, at least that which seeks to be true to the look of nature, requires absolute commitment to understanding the stuff of the eye - the essential content of both the visual world and that of pigments. What they have in common is ‘line,’ value and color and they must be approached methodically and objectively if one wishes to master our medium. So says Meldrum and that is the point of departure for this Talk. In response to Jas QUESTIONS:How does Max Muldoon stack up as a visual artist and thinker. JAS

Pastel is a ‘natural’ for impressionist painters particularly those trying to get more of the Monet broken color since it is virtually required for hitting notes. Painters who have used it impressionistically are discussed and differences between the use of oils and pastels. QUESTION: in relation to pastel painting, which past masters in pastel have the visual impression approach? Can you comment on the differences between pastel and oil painting in regards to the Boston School approach? VIVIANE

Role of the Personal Style in Painting In response to Fay QUESTIONS: How to Develop a Personal Style in Painting.Thank you Paul for discussing this important topic... Degas used drawing from memory - do you do this? Does it help develop a personal style, so you can avoid painting every leaf or folds in fabric?Is drawing from memory the key? Hockney uses this method, incidentally. And he has a strong personal style.FAY

Hitting the note is not a matter of chance or talent but a product of thinking skills which must be developed. This is a brief description of a cognitive scientist’s outline for ascertaining the truth before you

Painting by accessing the truth of the visual relationships of visual phenomena provides a purity of approach that eliminates ‘process confusion’ caused by mixing in head knowledge. This is a discussion of how and why to do it. QUESTIONS: You truly do start out with color spots like the impressionists. And I still conclude, extremely difficult to pull off. Yes, you can do it. And I'm sure with training there are some who can pull it off. But not all of us can. There is no way I could work this way. If the end result looks similar, with proper attention to color, would it matter how you start? Perhaps just placement lines, then work the way you do. You seem able to see the end right from the start of your picture and keep it firmly in mind, throughout. JAN

Sharing of experiences Paul values in developing into a painter who works from an impressionist outlook that respects good drawing. Done with a view to helping think through the many teaching vehicles and approaches today. QUESTIONS: I really enjoy the pictures you posted this week on your facebook where you showed your process in the studio, especially the way you begin with color spots. I’m going to apply that to my next study from life. What’s with the self portrait behind you in this video? Do you think it is a good way of learning how to paint? Did Gammel made self portraits?GABRIEL

Dow’s book on composition and Dow’s work form the basis of a discussion on the elements of composition. QUESTIONS: Do you see any value in Arthur Wesley Dow's book on composition? RICHARD

Overview of Paul’s upcoming book on the Boston School thinking.

Returning to the ‘edge’ discussion but to focus on the management of the visual edge vs. the physical ones previously discussed. Also discusses certain canvases and drying-in issues. In response to Richard and Gabriel QUESTIONS: Edges are one of the hardest things to understand, GABRIEL Could you talk a little about your choice of canvas. I've been using Claessens single oil primed linen with Grumbacher and or Windsor Newton paints, no medium other than a little linseed oil if needed for the lay in and when dry the thing is completely sunken in and matte, especially the darks. Can this be because the paint is applied to thinly? Any suggestions? RICHARD

Clarification of the difference between Munsell’s “color space” and things that cause a painting to look spatially deep including color. QUESTION: What’s color space? How do you use the term? What’s it mean on the picture plane, and/or in terms of color theory? Or composition? Looking into Munsell and color theory, I ran into the term again which either deepened my understanding of your use of the term or just confused the heck out of me. Maybe I’m conflating the two things and seeing a relationship where there ain’t one. But even in that case, clarification there could lead to an interesting discussion? AGAM

Paul shows the quote from Tarbell about painting as Rodin would have had he painted and then discusses the visual similarities evident in their work different as it is due to being different art forms. Comparisons include the works of DeCamp and Benson and contrasts are made with the ‘academic’ ways more common theretofore.. In response to Choo QUESTIONS: I wonder if you could talk about sculpting in the context of the Boston School? CHOO

How to think of “detail” when executing a representational painting. Is detail the nth degree of minutia on the surface of skin or does it have more to do with the appropriate amount of visual information given the visual motif? QUESTIONS: Thank you Paul. Listening to your lectures, I had a couple of questions. I was wondering what your thoughts are on detail in a painting. Is the amount of detail used in a picture simply a subjective element of the artist, or should the artist hold back on rendering every part of the picture? I guess I am just curious what your thoughts are on lots of detail versus a more suggestive approach.JACK

Painting the visual ‘impression’ a la the Boston School and how to approach the beginning phase of a picture QUESTIONS:Is it possible for you to discuss painting “starts from the fog “ in more depth and perhaps show some examples in one of your upcoming YouTube discussions? I’m assuming that preliminary compositional drawings have been made on complex subjects first ie. Interior scenes or complex still life set-ups. LOUISE

How to develop as a representational painter focusing on what Paul found improved his work the most. In response to Gabriel QUESTION: I would love to hear about your artistic development as in "how do you actually develop a skillfull understanding of the craft?" When I began painting most of the painters i knew painted from photographs, so i started doing that, it never crossed my mind that you could paint from life again, the same lost art theme from Twilight of Painting, until I met one of Nerdrum´s students in Chile. He told me the best way to learn how to paint was to paint still lifes and self portraits so I started doing that, exclusively from life. Could you talk about your artistic development and which way do you think is the best way to learn how to paint ? GABRIEL

Aspects of the training Paul experienced at the Art Students’ League and with Gammell in Boston including critiques and syllabus. QUESTIONS: What was the syllabus like at the Art Student’s League, or with Gammell? Can you give examples of drawing or painting exercises or assignments? Did you produce a series on a theme? What form did the critiques take? And did you need to study with Gammell in order to deconstruct, and then replicate his painting methods? AND…What are you painting now? Have you done a portrait of President Trump yet? FAY

Analysis of the various value ranges used in impressionist painting to achieve the light of the day and what exactly ‘accuracy’ means to an impressionist. QUESTION: Ted Jacobs would mention, correctly, that Impressionists were NOT painting the accurate hue, value and chroma of whatever they were painting. Impressionists would paint the shadow quite a bit lighter than it should be, that you can get a more accurate representation if you painted the color darker in the shadows than Impressionists did. And Impressionists painted in a narrower range in the light as well. JAN

Outlines in the lay-in of a painting and their limits in Boston School Impressionism QUESTIONS: When a Boston School painter who specialized in figures, such as Paxton, started a painting, didn't Paxton use the academic outline to set the figures up? I can actually see the line in one or two of his paintings. Landscape, I can see how this would be helpful, not to draw too much first. Robert Douglas Hunter also drew the still lives didn't he? No drawing? I would find this very difficult JAN VALUE UNITS TONAL THINKING MANET

The legitimacy and value of the social commentary in painting In response to Gabriel QUESTIONS: Im curious about whats your opinion on less totalitarian ways of representing social reality (since you talked about mao, stalin, etc..). There was in the late 19th century and early 20th a big movement of impressionist artists who took the social issues of their time to make works of art (for example; Ilya Repin and his famous painting of the Volga workers or Sorolla and his social realist paintings) Later in the states we had the Ashcan School who also took the reality of working class people in the NY of the early XX century. I’m curious about what’s your opinion on taking that subject and using it to create a beautiful work of art GABRIEL

Finishing a painting and how it is consistent with its middle and start In response to Dan QUESTIONS: You have mentioned that in the start one should be all over the place at once. Bunker was quoted as saying you should keep preparing your canvas and one day you’ll come in and find it’s done. My question is do you essentially follow the same procedure on the second, third, fourth, &etc. sessions, proceeding as with the start but at each session thereafter simply keep refining key areas (not staying in one area to long) until you’ve accomplished what you were after at the start? Can you speak to the concept of working all over the place at once versus working section by section ( area by area- for some- object by object) . Does this change from the establishment of the start ( covering a larger area) to higher levels of finish ( spending more time with specifics)? Is this based on practical ( wet in wet) and visual ( hierarchy of importance) concerns? DAN

How Paul approaches the keying of paintings to produce best possible light effects and general tonality. In response to Richard. QUESTION: I would like to ask something about keying a painting, especially if the subject contains say a very reflective highly colored object well out of the range of paint. Say a copper plate with a highly colored light area or even a white object with highlights. Would you paint it as light as possible while retaining some of its color quality and scale down to the darkest dark from that? Richard