Exhibiton works and process shots (big download)

[Flynt]

Whoapld: , I thought this thread was dead and buried. Since it has had a temporary recovery I will give some responses and be especially pleased to answer questions regarding process and technique.

photeck121, Thanks for the comment. I think my figurative work is behind my still-life in large part because of practice. I am working to improve. Keep an eye out. I'm going to work at it.

perineum, Thanks man I appeciate it. And in reguard to

Bernini surpasses him in ability overall and doesnt have the same noteriety.

I agree. Oh and not that it really matters but I'm 27 as opposed to 28. Give me those extra months cause once I hit 28 I've got to admit I'm closer to 30 than 25.

Jason, I appreciate your chiming in. I think your replys are truthful. I also I also hope to grow as I mature and I appreciate your being aware that this is a long journey for all of us with so much to learn and so much left that we can accomplish.

complete2, Took a look at your site. The illustrations and photos remind me of work that I was doing in my late teens and earily twentys. I'm being honest here. Much of my focus has shifted over the years and impart toward a direction to make a living. I still have grand ideas for large figurative works that are first conceieved totally in the mind. At that time I tried to exicute some of these works and found I could not match the majesty they had in my mind. I have built up my skills since then but still don't think I am ready. I also can't afford to do what I would like to do yet. So someday perhaps. I believe that as you continue your journey your opinions of what is valid and what is not and interests will shift, not necessarily in the direction I have but will shift none the less. Good luck with that journey.

salah, thanks for checking out the work.

BlackMath and others interested, hope this is useful:


This first image is of the stretched linen. I have transferred my linear drawing onto the linen by doing a charcoal transfer. With this I then continued to work up the drawing a bit correcting for distortions and slight shifts that occurred during the transfer as well as shading the forms a bit.

The goal of what I am after in this particular case and at this point is to have a very clear drawing to help place location of the paint.

Additionally the shading helps to transition away from the design and two-dimensional qualities of line that I had upon the prelimary transfer of the drawing. It gets my mind thinking about the objects as three-dimensional despite being on the flat surface of the linen. It also allows me to rehearse in an abbreviated way the direction of light and how it is revealing the forms. It also serves one last practical function. Because I intended to cover the majority of the painting with a single pass of relatively thin paint the white ground will not allow for very good coverage in the mid-tones and darks. This is also important in an archival sense because all paint becomes more transparent with time a darker ground (even in charcoal) will help minimize this lightening of the darker portions of the painting.


The second image is of the drawing explained above. At this point it has been spray-fixed (With this much charcoal it can take a bit of spray-fixative, a hint is to rotate the linen and spray it form different angles. The reason for this is that the tooth of the linen can cause little shelves that will not get droplets of spray fixative if only shot form one angle.) Jason you have it fairly spot on at this point.

The mixture of paint I put on before wiping out or lifting out was Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue (in this case I didn’t use Ivory black because of its very slow drying time). The Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue are in essence an orange and a blue which cancel each other out hue wise and chromatically creating a very dark (almost black) grey which can be shifted a bit warmer or cooler. I applied this with a large brush and covered the whole surface it was thinned with high quality mineral spirits and Liquin to help speed the drying time. I usually run a soft brush over the surface in opposite directions that are right angles to each other to smooth the paint out allowing me to more clearly see the drawing at this point. I then started with the brightest parts wiping off paint with a rag continuing down through successively darker tones. At first everything wipes off then as the paint becomes tackier with drying the pressure can be controlled allowing for more subtlety of tone. At the end even with the paint almost completely dried to the touch a bit of solvent in a brush allows that you can go back a pick out the highlights. I let this completely dry before starting to paint.

The function of this stage is just as Jason stated. It allows for a fuller range of tones and again gets me closer to the values I want for the painting. This step is also for reinforcement of the qualities the charcoal shading give. It allows even better coverage and better archival qualities than just the charcoal would have. I generally don’t worry about hitting the exact tone I intend for the final piece but instead just try to get within “striking distance.”

I should also mention I feel at this point what has been done helps to suggest the “effect.” I feel the effect is the equivalent to the gesture in drawing except done in tone. It is the atmosphere and effect of light filtering among the objects along with the focus of the predominant light areas of the canvas in contrast with the dark areas later to be reinforced by the modeling. It is a hard terms to describe but to my sensibilities a very important devise.

Albert Boime discusses it his book “The Academy and French Painting in the Nineteenth Century.”

…the effet, a trait considered essential to a successful work of art. Although we generally conceive of the effect as a partially undefinable and abstract quality, in the academic pedagogy of the nineteenth century it was specifically identified with modeling in terms of the light and dark values

.

For another perspective Daniel Parkhurst describes a very similar process to what my two images show in his book “The Painter In Oil” under the section on still life:

Beginning. - The best way to make a study from still life is to begin with a careful charcoal drawing on the canvas. You may shade it more or less as you please, but be most careful about proportions and forms. The shading means the modelling and the values in black and white; and you can do this either in charcoal as you draw, or it can be put in with monochrome when you begin with paint. But you must have the drawing sure and true first; for drawing is position, locality. You must know where a value is to go before you can justly place it. The value is the how much. You must have the where before the how much can mean anything in drawing. It would be well to lay in some of the planes of light and shade, because you feel proportion more naturally and truly so than with mere outline. The outline encloses the form, but with nothing but outline you are less apt to feel the reality of the form. The planes of values fill in the outline and give substance to it. They map it out so that it takes thickness and proportion; it is more real. And any fault of outline is more quickly seen, because you cannot get your masses of shade of the right form and proportion if the outline enclosing them is not right.
The Frottée. - Make, then, a careful light-and-shade drawing with charcoal directly on the canvas, working in the background where it tells against the group, but without carrying it out to the edges of the canvas.
Be accurate with your modelling and values, and keep the planes simple and well defined. Draw all characteristic details, but only the most important, nearly as if it were not to be painted, but were to remain a drawing.
Fix this drawing with fixative and an atomizer.
In beginning with paint go over the drawing with a thin frottée which shall re-enforce the drawing with color. You may do this with one color, making a monochrome painting very thin, leaving the canvas bare for the lights. Many of the best painters lay in all pictures this way. What color is to be used is a matter for consideration. It should be one so sympathetic to the coloring of the whole picture that if it is left without any other paint over it in places it will still look all right. Raw umber is a good color, or raw umber modified with burnt sienna and black. You can make a mixture that seems right. This establishes your larger values, and gives you something better than a bare canvas, and something with which you can have a more just idea of the effect of each touch of color you put on.
If there is much variety of color in the various objects of your composition, it is better to make your frottée suggest the different colors. Instead of making a monochrome frottée, rub in each object with a thin mixture, approximating the color and value, but not solid, nor as strong as it will become when painted, of course. Nevertheless, you can get in this first rubbing in, a strong effect, which at a distance has a very solid look, though the relations are not so carefully studied. When you come to put on solid color with this sort of an under-painting, it is easy to judge pretty closely of color as well as light-and-shade relations, and you can work more frankly into it.

If you have never had the chance to read it I would recommend doing so. To read the entire book online go here:


http://www.artrenewal.com/articles/2...parkhurst1.asp

Thanks all,

[TheDirtSyndicate]

first let me apologize to Complete...didnt mean to delete your post...its late..was trying to edit my own....i did manage to copy paste it though as part of my quote. so here it is...




i think mr flynt here has a unique vision that is only beginning to blossom. he is only 28 and fresh out of school after all. what he has accomplished so far is absolutely amazing. he is already one of the finest still life painters on the planet. that alone is worthy of commendation. of course this is my opinion...others like you have their own thoughts to share.

I might suggest you try to do what he is doing so you can better understand the path he is on..and also improve your own works...that quest which traditional artists share to overcome their own misunderstandings for how they may view the world in order to relate truth into their paintings...is perhaps one of the most difficult things an artist can try to do.

it is a question of taste, whether you care to admit it or not...what you consider phil hale doing as "the next level" is more in the range of illustration than traditional fine art. that is like saying led zeppelin is better than beethoven...its two different worlds...apples and oranges...both beautiful..both valid...both deliscious to the senses. neither are a success because of what you personally think.

I do believe that as you mature in your own work that your mind will open. right now you have a particular taste and viewpoint. years from now, that will change. what was once upside down will become right side up and sideways. Such is the beauty of following the art path.

If your own work showed that you had even a minute understanding of the path Doug is on then you would find ears who would listen. Right now your words and art come across as one who only listens to one genre of music and attempts to invalidate others. As an artist, you could focus on having an open mind to all perspectives instead of just focusing on one that is upside down.

Traditional Fine Artists do not historically mature until they reach their fifties or sixties. Considering Doug has found such inspiring success this early....I can only hope that I am around to see what he does when his artistic facility reaches full bloom.


Jason

again, you didn't listen to a word i said. i think the paintings are amazing too.
and whats with the personal attack? you dont know me, i listen to ALL types of music. except country...cant stand country. but i love everything else.
i think you've got this preconcieved notion in your head as to who i am and what i'm about and are assuming im makeing my points based off of that person and NOT ME. its obvious that is the case because again, you've missed every point i made, and again clumped me into the same catagory.
im not posting here anymore because this is not where this belongs.

btw, my site hasn't been updated in 5 years. my most recent illustratios are in my daily sketchbook.

[madpencil]

"Beginning. - The best way to make a study from still life is to begin with a careful charcoal drawing on the canvas."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
My question is, since this technique has addressed still life specifically, can it also be applied to living subjects? or does it somehow muffle the sense of life in a portrait or a landscape for that matter? Thanks.

[BlackMath]

Thanks alot Flynt for taking the time to provide a deeper insight. I'm just beginning in my oil painting endeavors and can use whatever bits descend.

But just to clarify:

Because I intended to cover the majority of the painting with a single pass of relatively thin paint the white ground will not allow for very good coverage in the mid-tones and darks. This is also important in an archival sense because all paint becomes more transparent with time a darker ground (even in charcoal) will help minimize this lightening of the darker portions of the painting.

Are you explaining why you are using a grey gesso instead of normal white gesso? because it seems like the highlights after wipeout are lighter than the grey of the first picture. Or is it in the process of the charcoal transfer the white primed canvas becomes grey? like I said I'm a beginner sorry if this is rudamentary

[Jason Manley]

again, you didn't listen to a word i said. i think the paintings are amazing too.
and whats with the personal attack? you dont know me, i listen to ALL types of music. except country...cant stand country. but i love everything else.
i think you've got this preconcieved notion in your head as to who i am and what i'm about and are assuming im makeing my points based off of that person and NOT ME. its obvious that is the case because again, you've missed every point i made, and again clumped me into the same catagory.
im not posting here anymore because this is not where this belongs.

btw, my site hasn't been updated in 5 years. my most recent illustratios are in my daily sketchbook.

I did not make a personal attack. Please re-read my comments. I never said you dont like music. I think perhaps if you let go of the ego and defensive attitude that you will see what I am trying to say. Try to keep an open mind k?

i was simply making an analogy about music....i didnt mean that you dont like all types of music...i was pointing out that traditional oil painting is a genre on its own and a worthy path...just like classical or baroque music. an analogy...that is all. you were suggesting he throw in a bit of rock and roll or modern freshness to his more historical tastes. I simply disagree.

i did not miss your point. i saw that you enjoyed his works and such. I simply am trying to point out that the directions you would point him in are more to do with your own personal tastes than anything else and that is purely subjective. I suggested you try his path in order to learn and improve your own works...simple as that.



Jason

[Jason Manley]

excellent post sir...thank you.

One of the problems students face nowadays which you are keenly aware is the want to jump right in to the imaginative works without having proper knowledge about painting, anatomy, visual communication, symbolism, drawing, and basic foundations. The path that you describe is one which you will begin to do those more grand works once you feel you are ready to do so. Considering where you are at 27 I can only say...jesus man...holy jesus. You are well on your way to reaching an incredibly high level of success later in your career.

I think that is what the young artists today truly do not understand. The path of a traditional painter is not about immediacy. It is about spending decades to reach the point where facility is at its height...when all psychological blocks are overcome, and virtuoso is found.

As I said...I look forward to watching it all play out as time goes on.


Thanks for posting Doug.


Jason

Whoapld: , I thought this thread was dead and buried. Since it has had a temporary recovery I will give some responses and be especially pleased to answer questions regarding process and technique.

photeck121, Thanks for the comment. I think my figurative work is behind my still-life in large part because of practice. I am working to improve. Keep an eye out. I'm going to work at it.

perineum, Thanks man I appeciate it. And in reguard to
I agree. Oh and not that it really matters but I'm 27 as opposed to 28. Give me those extra months cause once I hit 28 I've got to admit I'm closer to 30 than 25.

Jason, I appreciate your chiming in. I think your replys are truthful. I also I also hope to grow as I mature and I appreciate your being aware that this is a long journey for all of us with so much to learn and so much left that we can accomplish.

complete2, Took a look at your site. The illustrations and photos remind me of work that I was doing in my late teens and earily twentys. I'm being honest here. Much of my focus has shifted over the years and impart toward a direction to make a living. I still have grand ideas for large figurative works that are first conceieved totally in the mind. At that time I tried to exicute some of these works and found I could not match the majesty they had in my mind. I have built up my skills since then but still don't think I am ready. I also can't afford to do what I would like to do yet. So someday perhaps. I believe that as you continue your journey your opinions of what is valid and what is not and interests will shift, not necessarily in the direction I have but will shift none the less. Good luck with that journey.

salah, thanks for checking out the work.

BlackMath and others interested, hope this is useful:


This first image is of the stretched linen. I have transferred my linear drawing onto the linen by doing a charcoal transfer. With this I then continued to work up the drawing a bit correcting for distortions and slight shifts that occurred during the transfer as well as shading the forms a bit.

The goal of what I am after in this particular case and at this point is to have a very clear drawing to help place location of the paint.

Additionally the shading helps to transition away from the design and two-dimensional qualities of line that I had upon the prelimary transfer of the drawing. It gets my mind thinking about the objects as three-dimensional despite being on the flat surface of the linen. It also allows me to rehearse in an abbreviated way the direction of light and how it is revealing the forms. It also serves one last practical function. Because I intended to cover the majority of the painting with a single pass of relatively thin paint the white ground will not allow for very good coverage in the mid-tones and darks. This is also important in an archival sense because all paint becomes more transparent with time a darker ground (even in charcoal) will help minimize this lightening of the darker portions of the painting.


The second image is of the drawing explained above. At this point it has been spray-fixed (With this much charcoal it can take a bit of spray-fixative, a hint is to rotate the linen and spray it form different angles. The reason for this is that the tooth of the linen can cause little shelves that will not get droplets of spray fixative if only shot form one angle.) Jason you have it fairly spot on at this point.

The mixture of paint I put on before wiping out or lifting out was Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue (in this case I didn’t use Ivory black because of its very slow drying time). The Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue are in essence an orange and a blue which cancel each other out hue wise and chromatically creating a very dark (almost black) grey which can be shifted a bit warmer or cooler. I applied this with a large brush and covered the whole surface it was thinned with high quality mineral spirits and Liquin to help speed the drying time. I usually run a soft brush over the surface in opposite directions that are right angles to each other to smooth the paint out allowing me to more clearly see the drawing at this point. I then started with the brightest parts wiping off paint with a rag continuing down through successively darker tones. At first everything wipes off then as the paint becomes tackier with drying the pressure can be controlled allowing for more subtlety of tone. At the end even with the paint almost completely dried to the touch a bit of solvent in a brush allows that you can go back a pick out the highlights. I let this completely dry before starting to paint.

The function of this stage is just as Jason stated. It allows for a fuller range of tones and again gets me closer to the values I want for the painting. This step is also for reinforcement of the qualities the charcoal shading give. It allows even better coverage and better archival qualities than just the charcoal would have. I generally don’t worry about hitting the exact tone I intend for the final piece but instead just try to get within “striking distance.”

I should also mention I feel at this point what has been done helps to suggest the “effect.” I feel the effect is the equivalent to the gesture in drawing except done in tone. It is the atmosphere and effect of light filtering among the objects along with the focus of the predominant light areas of the canvas in contrast with the dark areas later to be reinforced by the modeling. It is a hard terms to describe but to my sensibilities a very important devise.

Albert Boime discusses it his book “The Academy and French Painting in the Nineteenth Century.”

.

For another perspective Daniel Parkhurst describes a very similar process to what my two images show in his book “The Painter In Oil” under the section on still life:


If you have never had the chance to read it I would recommend doing so. To read the entire book online go here:


http://www.artrenewal.com/articles/2...parkhurst1.asp

Thanks all,

[Mr.Blonde]

Thank you very much for explaining even this small amount of your process. It is fascinating to think of the huge variety of different methods, and this method seems to be one of the most tried and true. It is threads like these where knowledge is thrown around like candy that make CA.org great. Thanks for posting the link to "the painter in oil." These paintings are very very impressive! I used to regard paintings like these as some form of magic, but with dedication it seems possible... Thanks again!

[Flynt]

Mr.Blonde, your welcome glad the information was of good use to you.

Jason Manley, thanks-your right I think many art students don't know the long haul they could be in for.

BlackMath, in response to:

Are you explaining why you are using a grey gesso instead of normal white gesso? because it seems like the highlights after wipeout are lighter than the grey of the first picture. Or is it in the process of the charcoal transfer the white primed canvas becomes grey? like I said I'm a beginner sorry if this is rudamentary

Your confusion is caused by my bad photographs. The first image is actually a white ground (oil primed as opposed to gesso, but same idea) with poor lighting and improper camera settings that caused it to look grey. Glad your asking questions-don't worry if they are rudimentary, it's how we all learn.

Madpencil, in response to your question:

"Beginning. - The best way to make a study from still life is to begin with a careful charcoal drawing on the canvas."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
My question is, since this technique has addressed still life specifically, can it also be applied to living subjects? or does it somehow muffle the sense of life in a portrait or a landscape for that matter? Thanks.

It certainly can be applied to living subjects. I believe some artists may feel it is even better suited for a living figure where there is slight movement. This is because one can gain a very good sense of the figure as it exists structurally in space in the charcoal stage and then when painting not react to the slight shifts in pose thereby using the model truly as a reference.

Example: I know the figure's hand has changed a bit but I will continue to trust the hand I have created in my drawing and only look at the anatomy of the model's hand imagining it back as it was when I locked down my drawing.

Of course for every effective technique someone will find another was of proceeding that they find more effective or that better fits their temperament. Don’t feel this is the only way, I certainly don't.

o0Dave0o,

I meant to response to your question before but forgot, sorry.

P.S. On average, how long does it take you to complete a painting? I know it varies greatly depending on size and detail, but is there a rough timeframe for how long it takes you?

Very small works, a day or two or even three, maybe 8-16 hours. Large paintings, many weeks, up to 200 hours or more. This doesn't necessarily mean they should take this long but a bad decision can require a lot of repair.

You also mentioned:

I am a fan of realism and in my school every attempt I make is shot down

It was the same in my undergrad art studies too. If this is what drives you keep at it.
I also like to think of Harold Speed's statement:

...every obstacle should at first be put in the way of the aspiring artist, as it is only those you cannot discourage who are worth encouraging.

-Harold Speed, "Oil Painting Techniques and Materials"

Ask yourself, can they discourage you?



Thanks again everyone for the responses,

Flynt

[twoheaded]

"Can it discourage you?"
This quote will keep me going.
Humility,talent, perseverance and dignity. I salute you mr.Flynt. Thank you for the precious knowledge.
Thanks again mr.Manley for CA. It has truly been a haven of wisdom and knowledge for me.

[midknight523]

my god!

[BlueMech]

I don't like asspatting more than I have to, but I really can't crit anything here.

[dustystylus]

These are an amazing inspiration. Thanks for posting the work in progress shots as well. Nice to see a Harold Speed quote, started reading his books recently, incidently.

Out of interest, what are your plans now? Do you submit work for galleries and then sell your work? Or do you do commissions? Sorry if this sounds intrusive, but I'm just curious as to the bread and butter side of painting (character flaw on my part).

[stuter]

This dude must be a descendent of Michael Angelo, check his DNA damit, he's too good MAAAAAAAN! I salute you!

[Tony N Chicago]

Great work! Anyone care to take up the challenge and replicate that quality of work in either Photoshop or Painter or a combination of them both? I would think that the same concepts of underpainting and painting colors and concepts would apply.

[Flynt]

Ceenda, in response to:

Out of interest, what are your plans now? Do you submit work for galleries and then sell your work? Or do you do commissions? Sorry if this sounds intrusive, but I'm just curious as to the bread and butter side of painting (character flaw on my part).

I am still producing for galleries (mainly still life). I am also exploring some areas I haven't worked in for a while. To help make a good dent into the bills I hope to take on some more commissioned portrait work. For myself, I am going to try to get a chance to work more on the figure.

Hope you enjoy "Speed's" books as much as I have.

[glikster]

wow... superb explanation, along with superb paintings! Thanks for the added info, and a tip of my hat to Jason Manley for his perspective.

[vigostar]

I am so glad that someone brought this thrad back to life and it was interesting how Complete2 had a similar comment to the one I made you a while back but, the major difference is, is that sometimes people dont realize whats in a certain persons heart. Just because you like to work and create imaginary worlds does not mean that the next person likes or even cares to do the same. It has nothing to do with the next level.

The comments I made to you in a earlier post was basically to indulge my own curiosities abouot what you can possible create if you let your imagination instead of your eyes do the imagining. I have to say that its truely amazing that your only 27 (my age) and your able to use the paints so masterfully. Thanks again for the inspiration

[bhanu]

AMzing sir,
Your are my god.

[Mecha Hate Chimp]

Flynt, I want to have your baby.

Ok, all joking aside, there’s not much I can say that Jason hasn’t said already. You’re a freakin' madman with a brush. I just feel fortunate enough to be able to view and experience your work. There aren’t a lot of things on this planet that I can say the same for but your art… your art sets THE example and it is the type of caliber that all artists should aspire too.

[Meren]

As far as I can see you are truely mastering photorealistic oilpainting skills. That is amazing! Thank you for the opportunity to look at these highly intensive paintingworks. It is also great to read some of the background information about what it takes to do paintings like these.

You say you are not ready to use your imagination in your paintngs. But you have some great things in mind. To think about what our imagination can do with such painting skills is very tempting. And it is understandable that people want to point you in that direction. But Just take your time, nobody will blame you for making these top-quality paintings. Follow your hart.

[Dan.v.D.]

that "the value of realistic art" discussion is always the same and there´s always the same "why not just take a photo" argument aswell. so imma quote myself since nuthin has changed since the helnwein tread.

it looks realistic but if you really look you'll notice so many things that are a matter of interpretation of the artist and there are so many descisions the artist had to make with every stroke.
why are thousands of musicians trying to perfect their parts of certain symphonies when it´s already been done thousands of times before and there are hundreds of exellent performances available on cds? i´d say because there's a certain magic to exellent human performance that never gets old. every human performance no matter how perfect it seems at first glance has has a multitude of nuances that are different everytime and can never be exactly reproduced. another thing that always makes me wonder ist that if you make 5 of the best realist painters and make them paint the exact same thing chances are that the 5 results won't have much more in common than the results of 5 beginners.

i can of course understand where your coming from, but i think that one of your subconscious reasons is the fact that you're trying to be an artist yourself and trying to find your style and place in the art world, and therefore have to decide what you want and and what not. so you are necessarily very biased regarding topics affecting that which you do.

btw i yesterday i was thinking for a good while about the razorsharp physical presence of your portraits compared to the more spiritual/aural presence of gottliebs portraits. or the difference between your rendering of skin and assael's. there's soooo much to discover about art in general and the specific artist as a human. but...




...you have to REALLY look

[Charlie_2.0]

Mon Dieu, c'est meravilliouse......truly excuisite works
art in all its grandeur
_________________
SKETCHBOOK
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=68362

[the_allejo05]

Perieum-- I gotta put in some defence here. Alejo-, are you so sure you know what art is? Be careful. Think a moment why "the 3 masters" have made the history dialogue the way it is. Mostly politics. Not skill. Mike made his career screwing over popes, not finishing a damn thing and running off w the dough. Bernini surpasses him in ability overall and doesnt have the same noteriety. I dont know the history but it probably doesnt have to do with Mike's "superiority".
Flynt's only 28 yrs old. This is fantastic. How old are you? Hows your 'technical' skill measure up? Yes this is a concept site dedicated to ideas and dreamers. This art is clearly technique. It shouldnt (IMO) be compared with the art that comes from deep within the imagination.

Perieum--let me state again my ideas..Flynt's art is not bad..is awesome..but is only a piece of the puzzle..it mostly reflects in the tradition of the Dutch painters which were more concerned with acuteness of eye..and reality (if you ask me to group his art ) Clearly you dont know much about art history not that im an expert but i done my research. YOu see Bernini was a genious..but not as close as those three that i mentioned before..Art is in simplicity..Art is form ,function and meaning..all put right in the right place..no less thats why it still speaks through the ages..and is clearly reflected on those three artists..the academies long time ago..way way before identified those three as the true masters...(and the best and most skillfull came to that conclusion not me) many times you see the best genious of art studying these three and looking for them as a bar of excellense... Its true that our system nowadays makes as mediocre artists..but if we sat down and really appreciate them it would enlighten us a bit, before we even dare to call ourselves artists..
I am 28 years old..all i can tell you is that i drew since I was a child never took a lesson..i drew up until 15 or so for the hell of it....never considering myself an artist, never seen any kinda of art..only ten years later i do go to a museum and see what real art is ..so im pretty straight forward no gimmicks..I've been studying three years ago..thats all under my belt..so im cool..(you see Corot started at 26 as well as Vangogh hehe) i have studied here and there..but mostly is my own ,the masters,books and nature.. I know what will take to be as great as them..but it takes a lot a lot of work..and knowledge.. is something for life... ARt from the imagination is a part of fine art..and it plays a great role..never forget that..but anyhow..opinions are diferent nobody will change my mind..i do like what concept art does..but still falls short ..anyhow..i go study some artistic geometry...

[Mecha Hate Chimp]

Perieum-- I gotta put in some defence here. Alejo-, are you so sure you know what art is? Be careful. Think a moment why "the 3 masters" have made the history dialogue the way it is. Mostly politics. Not skill. Mike made his career screwing over popes, not finishing a damn thing and running off w the dough. Bernini surpasses him in ability overall and doesnt have the same noteriety. I dont know the history but it probably doesnt have to do with Mike's "superiority".
Flynt's only 28 yrs old. This is fantastic. How old are you? Hows your 'technical' skill measure up? Yes this is a concept site dedicated to ideas and dreamers. This art is clearly technique. It shouldnt (IMO) be compared with the art that comes from deep within the imagination.

Perieum--let me state again my ideas..Flynt's art is not bad..is awesome..but is only a piece of the puzzle..it mostly reflects in the tradition of the Dutch painters which were more concerned with acuteness of eye..and reality (if you ask me to group his art ) Clearly you dont know much about art history not that im an expert but i done my research. YOu see Bernini was a genious..but not as close as those three that i mentioned before..Art is in simplicity..Art is form ,function and meaning..all put right in the right place..no less thats why it still speaks through the ages..and is clearly reflected on those three artists..the academies long time ago..way way before identified those three as the true masters...(and the best and most skillfull came to that conclusion not me) many times you see the best genious of art studying these three and looking for them as a bar of excellense... Its true that our system nowadays makes as mediocre artists..but if we sat down and really appreciate them it would enlighten us a bit, before we even dare to call ourselves artists..
I am 28 years old..all i can tell you is that i drew since I was a child never took a lesson..i drew up until 15 or so for the hell of it....never considering myself an artist, never seen any kinda of art..only ten years later i do go to a museum and see what real art is ..so im pretty straight forward no gimmicks..I've been studying three years ago..thats all under my belt..so im cool..(you see Corot started at 26 as well as Vangogh hehe) i have studied here and there..but mostly is my own ,the masters,books and nature.. I know what will take to be as great as them..but it takes a lot a lot of work..and knowledge.. is something for life... ARt from the imagination is a part of fine art..and it plays a great role..never forget that..but anyhow..opinions are diferent nobody will change my mind..i do like what concept art does..but still falls short ..anyhow..i go study some artistic geometry...

the_allejo05,

Honestly, I think your argument would hold more weight if your work was up to par with your own beliefs. I looked at your work, and mind you while I’m no “master”, I can say with confidence that you have a long way to go before you begin to accurately criticize someone else’s work, especially when you consider the fact of how long you’ve been drawing/painting. This may be a very simple and narrow minded way of seeing things but I find it cuts out the bullshit and gets to the point real quick.

I’ve met plenty of people who could give me an art history lecture ten lifetimes over, but if you asked them to show you how to paint properly, they couldn’t do it to save their life. In the end, your work should speak for itself without any need for hype. Flynt’s work resonates loud and clear and commands attention because put simply, the guy fucking busts. It’s hard to argue with that. And if your work did the same, your argument would probably hold more credibility.

[Flynt]

Dan.v.D., you said:

btw i yesterday i was thinking for a good while about the razorsharp physical presence of your portraits compared to the more spiritual/aural presence of gottliebs portraits. or the difference between your rendering of skin and assael's. there's soooo much to discover about art in general and the specific artist as a human. but...

...you have to REALLY look

I think your right.

When I first saw students of Jacob Collins drawing from the figure I couldn't tell much difference between the drawings. Now I rarely mistake the work of those individual artists with the work of anyone else. Yet in other areas such as music, that I know little about, I often confuse musicians work and I am sure it is because I haven't taken the time to really look.

the_allejo05,

The first intention of the painter is to make a flat surface display a body as if modelled and separated from this plane, and he who most surpasses others in this skill deserves most praise.

-Leonardo da Vinci

Yet, I think Michelangelo would have smacked Leo upside the head if he heard him say this. And still, of the two I have always like Leo a little better.

I don’t think “the tradition of the Dutch painters” is the right classification of origin for my work. I would say it’s closer to French Academic.

Additionally, when you say:

Art is in simplicity..Art is form ,function and meaning..all put right in the right place..no less thats why it still speaks through the ages..and is clearly reflected on those three artists..the academies long time ago..way way before identified those three as the true masters...(and the best and most skillfull came to that conclusion not me)

I have never liked this idea; if it is correct the “Minimalists” may be the greatest artists ever. I am sure that is not what you were implying though. It is a hard thing to sum up what art is. One quote I have always enjoyed that helps in the examination of art is:

I understood that the subtlety of accents, in contrast with large planes, is what makes a drawing great. This truth, which I have yearned all my life to express and which still drives me on, is the secret of art. It applies to composition as well as to drawing proper. It is the principle that must guide both the young beginner and the fully developed artist.

-Bouguereau

The whole to the part, what a beautiful interplay. I also want to ask, who are the “best and most skillful?”

Mecha Hate Chimp,

In reference to:

your work should speak for itself

This is usually the criteria that I trust when I am not sure whose advice I should take.

Everyone, thanks for the continued comments, they are fun to read.

-Doug

[Mecha Hate Chimp]

Mecha Hate Chimp,

In reference to:

This is usually the criteria that I trust when I am not sure whose advice I should take. -Doug

Amen brotha.

BTW, I wanted to say thanks for posting the link to "The Painter In Oil". The chapter on Mental Attitude pretty much sums it up. Considering the arguments that have been posted in your thread, I find it ironic that it was written by a student of a "master" painter, William Bouguereau. Keep up the great work bro - J

Train your judgment. - Let us say, then, that you must train your critical judgment. How you to set about it?

In the first place, don't set up your own liking as a criterion. Make up your mind that when it comes to a choice between personal taste and that of some one who may be supposed to know, between what you think and what has been consented to by all the men who have ever had an opinion worthy of respect, you may rest assured that you are wrong. It is when you have made up your mind to that, when you have reached the mental attitude, you have taken a long step towards training your judgment; for you have admitted a standard outside of mere opinion.

Another attitude that you should place your mind in is one of catholicity - one of openness to the possibility of their being many ways of being right. Don't allow yourself to take it for granted that any one school or way of painting or looking at things is the only right one, and that all the other ways are wrong. That point of view may do for a man who has studied and thought, and finally arrived at that conclusion which suits his mind and his nature, -- but it will not do for a student. Such an attitude is a sure bar to progress. It results in narrowness of idea, narrowness of perception, and narrowness of appreciation. You should try all things, and hold fast to that which is good, and even while holding fast to it, you should remember that was good and true for you is not necessarily the only good in true for some one else. You must not only hold to your own liberty of choice, but recognize the same right for others. If this is not recognized, what room has originality to work in?

The range of subject, style, and of technical methods among acknowledged masters, should alone be proof of the fact that there is no one way which is the only good way; and if you would know how to judge and like a good picture, the study to really great pictures, without regard to school, is the way to learn.

How to Look at Pictures. - The study of pictures means something more than merely looking at them and counting figures in them. It implies the study of the treatment of the subject in every way. The management of light and shade; the color; composition and drawing; and finally those technical processes of brush-work by means of which the canvas gets covered, and the idea the artist becomes visible. All these things are important in some degree; they all go to the making of the complete work of art: and you do not understand the picture, you do not really and fully judge it, unless you know how to appreciate the bearing on the result, of all the means which were used to bring it about. All this adds to your own technical knowledge as well as to your critical judgment, both of which ends are important to your becoming a good painter.

Why Paint Well. - You see I am assuming that you wish to be a good painter. There is no reason why you should be a bad painter if you are not a professional one. The better you paint the better your appreciation will be of all good work, the keener your appreciation of what is beautiful in nature, and the greater your satisfaction and pleasure in your own work. There are better reasons for painting than the desire to "make a picture." Painting implies making a picture, it is true; but it means also seeing and representing charming things, and working out problems of beauty in the expression of color and form: and this is something more than what is commonly meant by a picture. The picture comes, and is the result; but the making of the picture carries with it a pleasure and joy which are in exact proportion to the power of appreciation, perception, and expression of the painter. This is the real reason for painting, and it makes the desire and attempt to paint well as a matter of course.

Craftsmanship. - The mechanical side of painting naturally is an important part of your problem. You cannot be too catholic in your opinion with regard to it. It is vital that you not be narrowed by any prejudices as the surface effect of paint. Whether the canvas be smooth or rough, the paint thick or thin, the details few or many, -- the goodness or badness of the picture does not depend on any of these. They are or should be the result, the natural outcome because the natural means of expression, of the manner in which the picture is conceived. One picture may demand one way of painting and another demand a quite different way; and each way be the best possible for the thing expressed. It all depends on the man; the make-up of his mind; the way he sees things; the results he aims to attain, -- all of them controlled more or less by temperament and idiosyncrasy. What would produce a perfect work for one man would not do at all for another. The works of the great masters offer the most marked contrast of ideal and of treatment, and painters have varied greatly in their manner of some painting at different periods in their lives. Rembrandt, for instance, painted very thinly in his early years, with transparent shadows and carefully modeled, solidly loaded lights. Later in life he painted most roughly; and "The Syndics" was so heavily and roughly loaded that even now, after two hundred years, the paint stands out in lumps - and this is one of his masterpieces. So again, if you will compare the manipulation in the work of Rafael with that of Tintoretto, that of Rubens with that of Velasquez, or most markedly, the work of Frans Hals with that of Gerard Dou, you will see that the greatest extremes of handling are consistent with equal greatest of result.

Finish. - From this you may conclude that what is generally understood by the word "finish" is not necessarily a thing to be sought for. The tendency of great painters is rather away from excessive smoothness and detail than towards it. While a picture may be a good one and be very minute and smooth, it by no means follows that a picture is bad because it is rough. This truth is that the test of a picture does not lie in the character of the pigment surface in itself at all, nor and whether it be full of detail or the reverse, but in the conception and in the harmonious relation of the technique to the manner which the whole is conceived. The true "finish" is whatever surface the picture happens to have when the idea which is the purpose of the picture is fully expressed, with nothing lacking to make that expression more complete, nor with anything present which is not needed to that completeness. This too is the truth about "breadth," that much misunderstood word. Breadth is not merely breadth of a brush stroke. It is breadth of idea, breadth of perception; the power of conceiving the picture as a whole, and the power of not putting in any details which will interfere with the unity of effect.

Intent. - In this connection it would be well to bear in mind the purpose of the work on which the painter may be engaged. A man would, and should, work very differently on canvases intended for a study, a sketch, and a picture. The study would contain many things which the other two would not need. It is the work in which and by which the painter informs himself. It is his way of acquiring facts, or of assuring himself of what he wants and how he wants it. Any he may put into it all sorts of things for their value is facts which he may never care to use, but which he wishes to have at command in case he should want them.

The sketch, on the other hand, is a not of an effect merely, or of a general idea, and calls for only those qualities which most successfully show the central idea, which might sometime become a picture, or which suggests a scheme. A carefully worked-up sketch is a contradiction in terms, just as a careless study would be.

A picture might have more or less of the character of either of these two types, and yet belong to neither. It might have the sketch as its motive, and would use as much or as little of the material of the study as should be needed to make the result express exactly the idea the painter wishes to impart, and no more and no less.

All these things should be borne in mind, as you study the characteristics of paintings to learn what they can mean to you beyond the surface which is obvious to anyone; or as you work on your own canvas to attain such power or proficiency, such cleverness or facility, as you may conclude it is worth your while to try.

[PsycArtist]

Jesus Flynt, thankyou for blowing my mind. Those walls I called 'reality' were starting to cramp my style.

Your work is truely amazing and inspirational. I could not wrap my head around what I was looking at for quite a while. My head's still spinning...
I hope to one day achieve the level of skill you have displayed here. I cannot say enough how much these pieces have impacted me.

I shall eagerly await the day you begin to illustrate from the imagination once again. Please be sure to share that day with us here.

[rblitz7]

....WOOOOOW! Whats the best piece of advice you could give to someone starting out with oil painting?

[se7en_]

Absolutely stunning! Where do you find the time : p

I love the fact that you painted a painting of your studio where you were working on the same painting. Its like one of those escher pieces that just don't end. Very cool.

I have never been a fan of realism, but I can say that these pieces have really changed my mind. You have really thought about what you are trying to say down the the nth degree. It just doesn't appear that way at first. All of the small details seam to tell a story, its brilliant, actually. Its not just a piece of fucking fruit on a table. Or a barn in the sunlight. I live in New England and you don't know how many galleries have barn paintings. Haven't we maxed out the supply, demand for another barn painting should be at an all time low, but apparently not : )

Anyway, thanks for opening my eyes. I might just look at the next still life I see a bit defferently. Keep up the great work and good luck at your showing though I'm sure you will do quite well.

7

[Corel Painter Master]

HI, Flynt.
I'll make it short and I do not want to get in those ART talks. Your skills are amazing.

Ok, I'm very interesting in your technique. The way you paint looks like how the old masters would do it (Nobody really knows). I'm guessing you start out with the underpaint, then monochrom/dead layer, color, etc (Am I correct?). I'm happen to learn oil painting and I'm very struggle with this technique (layer over layer) because I don't know what is really the right way to do.

It would be awesome if you could give me some tips like what book you read (I should read) and such.

If possible, could you please make a tutorial (step by step how you paint with pictures? )

Thank