{"id":9202,"date":"2020-01-16T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2020-01-16T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/?p=9202"},"modified":"2020-01-16T11:13:41","modified_gmt":"2020-01-16T15:13:41","slug":"draw-and-paint-like-youre-writing-a-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/draw-and-paint-like-youre-writing-a-story","title":{"rendered":"Draw and Paint Like You’re Writing a Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Tell<\/div>\n
Sometimes, a view finder and beautiful scenery is all that is needed to get started on a drawing or painting. Other times, a work of art may require the artist to piece together a composition from disassociated parts. In such a case, a painting is like an essay or a story. <\/p>\n

Each pictorial element is like a single paragraph – an idea that must tie in to the other ideas (pictorial element) around it. Let\u2019s look at a successful work of art by a master painter, John Singer Sargent, and see how he developed his composition like a writer might develop a story. Then we will look at an art project idea that teaches art – made in stages.<\/p>\n

\"Sargent<\/p>\n

Entitled El Jaleo<\/em>, this painting seems to capture a moment in time. The dancer\u2019s posture tells us that she is in motion. The loose brushwork found in areas of the background give us the impression that Sargent was right there, painting furiously to keep up with the tempo of the dance itself. Therein lies the beauty of Sargent\u2019s work. He has masked the careful planning that goes into creating such a riveting painting.<\/p>\n

So how is painting a picture like writing a story?<\/p>\n

The steps to writing a story may include some brainstorming, an outline, a rough draft, and a final draft. Of course, numerous revisions could take place between the rough draft and the final draft. So what do these stages look like when applied to visual art making? For the answer, we\u2019ll go to John Singer Sargent\u2019s\u2019 sketchbook.<\/p>\n

Brainstorming Your Composition<\/h2>\n

Brainstorming is the first step when deciding what to write about and<\/em> what to paint. This stage could happen internally – just thoughts you may have. It could take the form of written expression \u2013 a list of ideas to choose from<\/a>. In the case of “El Jaleo”, the first steps taken toward Sargent\u2019s composition were some gesture drawings<\/a> of a dancer. At this point he may have only known he wanted to make a painting of someone dancing.<\/p>\n

\"Practice<\/p>\n

The Outline<\/h2>\n

In an outline, individual ideas or expressions are written down but they are not really linked together. There are no smooth transitions between ideas. When art-making, reference photos and\/or sketchbook drawings act as the outline. They represent separate expressions that will eventually work together in a unified composition. Look at the sketchbook drawings below. Some of the visual \u201cexpressions\u201d make it into the completed painting while others are intentionally left out.<\/p>\n

\"Sketches<\/p>\n

\"Sketches<\/p>\n

*Making preliminary drawing of your imagery in a sketchbook during this stage of development is, in many ways, better than working directly from photos because it gives the artist a chance to \u201cpractice\u201d. Musicians practice their songs many times before performing in front of an audience. Our performance is the final draft of our completed artwork.<\/em><\/div>\n

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The Rough Draft<\/h2>\n

The rough draft is our first attempt at creating a unified composition<\/a> from the individual elements collected\/created during the outline stage. Sargent\u2019s rough draft is an ink drawing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Look at the men seated against the wall behind the dancer. Did Sargent use all of the preliminary sketches in his sketchbook? Which one(s) did he use?<\/p>\n

\"Preliminary<\/p>\n

The Final Draft<\/h2>\n

In the case of “El Jaleo”, Sargent made almost no compositional changes from the rough draft to the final draft. He simply executed his design in full color using oil paint.<\/p>\n

Classroom Lesson on Developing A Work of Art<\/h2>\n

The following art project is meant to encourage juxtaposition, the use of multiple references, the use of a sketchbook, and the development of art in stages.<\/p>\n

The concept was taken from a popular television game show in which contestants spin a wheel and guess letters to solve a puzzle (maybe you know the gameshow of which I write). One of the word puzzles on this gameshow consist of two phrases joined by a single word that each phrase has in common. Below are a few examples. The words that joins the phrases are in bold.<\/p>\n