Introduction
| The young painter, who regardless of
present popularity would leave a name behind him, must
become the patient pupil of nature. What are the most
sublime productions of the (brush) but selections of some
of the forms of nature, and copies of a few of her evanescent
effects: and this is the result, not of inspiration, but
of long and patient study, under the direction of much
good sense. —John Constable1 |
 his
series of articles is a summary of the fundamental ideas used
by artists to help them paint the look of nature and the effects
of light and shadow. I have listed them in order of importance
with the essential ideas in bold type to help the working
painter logically solve problems. I have written these concepts
in a concise manner so that they can be memorized. Learning
to paint involves learning to see and guidance from a master
craftsman is necessary. This series should be used as a supplement
to studio instruction.
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The Seamstress
By Robert Hale Ives Gammell, 1893-1981 |
This overview was inspired by the teachings of R. H. Ives
Gammell who studied with some of the most skillful painters
at the turn of the century. The ideas presented here are therefore
not mine, nor even his, but rather have been passed down from
master to student for many generations. While studying with
Mr. Gammell I wrote down much that he told me about these
principles. I later organized my notes and added to them from
extensive reading to produce this summary.
The first articles on composition and drawing list many concepts
and helpful hints that can be used by artists of all stylistic
persuasions. The main portion of the series emphasizes the
impressionistic approach to painting. I do not mean to imply
that this is the only way, or the best way to paint. Nothing
in this series is meant to be taken as absolute law since
some advances in the field of painting have come from breaking
the rules after training is completed. My hope is that these
articles will be a useful reference you can use in finding
your way when you feel lost.
These ideas are most useful in helping artists paint the visual
world. The impressionist paints what he sees, not what he
knows. He looks at the whole subject at once and paints this
visual impression in a broad manner with only a suggestion
of detail. I list the ways in which the impressionist uses
light and shadow, values, color vibration, edges and paint
texture to achieve an atmospheric appearance. I also discuss
methods of training the visual memory so that artists can
successfully capture the fleeting effects of nature.
I have included a section on helpful advice to students followed
by a listing of some of the artists of the past that I recommend
for study. I have decided not to include living painters for
fear of unintentionally offending those that I might omit.
I have instead decided to illustrate this booklet with some
examples of my work to show how these ideas have influenced
one contemporary painter. I have also included an extensive
reading list for further research.
It has been the dream of Mr. Gammell and others who have survived
the onslaught of Modernism that future generations will restore
the craft of painting. I hope my articles will contribute
to this end.
Richard Whitney
Stoddard, New Hampshire
2006
The complete book, Painting the Visual Impression,
by Richard Whitney, is available from The Studios at Crescent
Pond, 100 Chalet Road, Stoddard, NH 03464. $22 postage paid.
Make check payable to Richard Whitney. www.crescentpond.com.
Richard Whitney is internationally known for his realistic
portraits. Town and Country magazine recently named
him one of the top dozen portrait painters in America. Whitney
has won over 40 regional and national awards as well as three
grants from the Greenshields' Foundation of Montreal. His
paintings hang in over 650 public and private collections
throughout the United States and abroad. They include the
Anchorage Museum of Art and History; the Anderson House Museum;
the Newark Museum; the Pentagon; Harvard, Yale, and Stanford
Universities; and the Catholic University of Portugal.
Born in 1946, Whitney graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University
of New Hampshire in 1968. He studied with Sidney F. Willis
and with the eminent Boston painter, R. H. Ives Gammell, for
five years. Memberships have included the Society of Illustrators,
the National Arts Club, Allied Artists of America, the American
Artists Professional League, the American Society of Classical
Realism, the Guild of Boston Artists and the Copley Society.
Whitney is a board member of the American Renaissance of the
Twenty-first Century and the Art Renewal Center. He is also
Chairman Emeritus of the American Society of Portrait Artists
Foundation.
Whitney's paintings have been seen on national cable television
and have been the subject of numerous newspaper and magazine
articles. Whitney is the author of Painting the Visual
Impression and a co-author of the book Realism in Revolution:
The Art of the Boston School. His paintings have also
been reproduced in the book Edmund C. Tarbell and the
Boston School of Painting. Whitney has traveled and painted
in Europe, Japan, Alaska and the Caribbean and has lectured
and conducted workshops throughout the United States. He is
listed in a dozen reference books including Who's Who in
American Art, Who's Who in America, and Who's
Who in the 21st Century.
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