What You Want Them To See

The art for the Summer reading club client is finished save for a few last housekeeping issues and creating the final digital files. Now that that is done I can turn my attention to other things. One of them is some more painting.

I recently saw the back cover to a book sitting in a box at work. It said something like, "art is about showing others what you want them to see."

That got me thinking and looking at what I am doing. For so long I believed that my art needed to be very representational to be valid. Indeed, the science fiction field is well served by those who can make imagery appear photorealistic. Perhaps as I get older I am learning to appreciate a style that can influence people's imagination without slaving over every detail.

I particularly appreciate those who can make imagery seem effortless. My favorites to look at are John Berkey and Stephan Martinere. There are others but those two are the ones who come to mind at the moment. I am particularly drawn to Berkey's work because of it's lightness and the fantastic brushstrokes that wash from one color to another. Also, his suggested detail and complexity never ceases to amaze me. Of course he also works in my favorite subject - starships!

Working digitally, I feel that I can get too detailed and "over tell" the story. Now I think I am learning to step back and let the imagery and "paint" do the work. It's not easy to give up some of that "control" but I think that the more I loosen up that better my art is becoming.