Rubens

[m_a_r_t_i_n]

Is anyone familiar with Rubens' technique, his palette etc?...
I'm studying him at the moment trying to do a portrait in his style, any information would be a great help, thanks http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

[m_a_r_t_i_n]

This is a great help thanks, I think I will try and copy one of Rubens' portraits before attempting my own, it might give me a better understanting.

[bruin70]

you're better off copying the rubens in YOUR STYLE....{M}

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"it's alright to be judgmental,,,,,,,,if you have taste"...MILT

[m_a_r_t_i_n]

Why is this bruin?... really what I'm after is his color more than so much his style http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif
This could be the best way I thought. Does anyone else use this method of learning ~ copying from the masters?

[bruin70]

then you can attempt to mix his color and still paint in your style. when i say "your style" ,,,what i mean is to not do a slavish copy....{M}

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"it's alright to be judgmental,,,,,,,,if you have taste"...MILT

[m_a_r_t_i_n]

Understood http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/wink.gif

[alva]

martin, milt, what if you painted in a cubist style, or taking it further, a dripping 'ala pollack' style? How much of Rubens 'style' would you assimilate? Not much, I say... Rubens color was not anything 'unusual', the old masters had fairly common availability and use of colors...his technique had some singularity (the process of his applying paint), and his facility in drawing, ...his 'baroque style' (subject matter)...this is what makes a Rubens a Rubens...I'll also add that even if you copied every Rubens there was, even slavishly, there would still be little idiosyncrasies peculiar to you that would prevent 'absolute perfect' mimicry. Milt, you know in the days of the old masters the goal was to copy as closely as possible a master's manner, we have documents that repeatedly tell us so... Martin, bottom line, if you want to paint like someone and have it look like that master's work, then you are going to have to copy how he applied the paint, in the order he did, in the stroke-shape he did, using the color he did, etc....my 2 cents...

[m_a_r_t_i_n]

Thanks Alva some good points http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/wink.gif

[m_a_r_t_i_n]

Thanks Alva http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif
I actually kind of like both, maybe I could try a hybrid painting both Rubens and Rembrandt influence, what do you think? http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif quite a recipe no?... not for disaster I hope! http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/biggrin.gif lol

[Robert]

Lions by Rubens, Rembrandt - and even Delacroix (later)... what strikes me about their similarities is that, to my knowledge, these men worked from nature and memory. Their observation/memory skills must've been extradordinarily well developed... hard to do that sort of development today.

[m_a_r_t_i_n]

Maybe they had photographic memories, if so I envy them greatly http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[bbbilly1326]

Martin,
I'm a fan of copying great artists' works as exactly as I can. However, I can never reproduce them of course, but what I learn in the process is something about how I can use their techniques -or not- in my own work. I've copied a couple of Degas's things, one of them twice.
An artist's own "style" can never be totally suppressed, no matter how much copying you do, and you can learn a lot.
BTW, the main thing I've learned is how easy Degas makes something look, which is in fact very difficult --that is, to paint like Degas http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/biggrin.gif
Bill

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Bill
"Paintings are never finished, only abandoned" (source unknown)
index.html (http://hamiltoncarroll.homestead.com)

[This message has been edited by bbbilly1326 (edited March 26, 2001).]

[m_a_r_t_i_n]

Thanks bill for your comments http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/biggrin.gif
I like to copy masters works but not exact copies but rather my interpretation. Either way it's the best way to learn. http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

[bruin70]

Originally posted by alva:
I'll also add that even if you copied every Rubens there was, even slavishly, there would still be little idiosyncrasies peculiar to you that would prevent 'absolute perfect' mimicry.

<FONT COLOR="Brown">alva,,,,,,you got me on that one. you're absolutely right. though logically, painting in a cubist style is de facto, not an attempt to learn a rubens "style".

ps. after posting, i'm back to edit. when i copied, i never copied style,,,i copied how the artist interpreted value. this, m a r t i n, is more important for your training , as not knowing how to interpret values of a subject is where all artists fail..{M}</FONT c>

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"it's alright to be judgmental,,,,,,,,if you have taste"...MILT

[This message has been edited by bruin70 (edited March 27, 2001).]

[JeanineJ]

I'm not certain, but Rubens may have employed the technique of "glazing" used by Raffael and many others... That is - owing in part to the high cost of pigment - they would paint in all the values with a few, less expensive colors, like umber or blue and black and white, then create a very thin paint with desired color like crimson or gold and paint over an entire area... The thing I find useful about employing this technique at times is to reinforce the strength of the design of a painting before getting all involved with colors...

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Jeanine Jackson
Stamford, CT
www.peoplescapesct.com

[TeAnne]

Originally posted by m_a_r_t_i_n:
Why is this bruin?... really what I'm after is his color more than so much his style http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif
This could be the best way I thought. Does anyone else use this method of learning ~ copying from the masters?

It was part of the criteria in one of my lessons @ uni. We had to choose an artist and painting and set it in todays surrounds but copy the artists style/strokes. I chose Picasso's women running on the beach.
Mine was 6ftx6ft in acrylic.

<IMG SRC="http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/31-Mar-2001/atjefbch.jpg" border=0>


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ART by TeAnne (http://members.iinet.net.au/~fireice/TeAnneArt.html)
I must make a piece of art everyday for my own well being.