"For subject matter reference, I avoid the spectacular and obviously beautiful. This is a question of taste. I leave that department to post cards. I have no need to paint it. Nowadays, I will deliberately seek out the opposite to the glorious . . . a scruffy bit of bush, some dead twigs or dead grasses. These slide references are like gold to me in capturing the particularity of an ordinary piece."This was said by one of my favorite wildlife artists ever, Robert Bateman, a man who emerged from the culture of abstract art and has done a great deal (perhaps more than any other artist) to reestablish Realism in our day. He has some excellent thoughts and tips on painting on his website, which are well worth reading.
Here are some of Robert Bateman's paintings. Many more can be found on his website, or on this online gallery. (If your browser is anything like mine, you'll need to right click and select "View Image" after opening it to see it full size.)
3 comments:
Wow. That's amazing! =)
Those are, indeed, amazing!
The Polar Bear painting does not look like a painting but more like a photo. I love paintings that look and feel like you are able to reach out and touch the object. Of course, I would think twice before reaching out and touching a Polar Bear!
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