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To copy or not to copy....

13/8/2013

......that is not the question

"Blue Rigi" Original watercolour by Glenn Marshall

Have you ever copied a painting by someone else? What do you think about copying?

Recently I've been involved in some lively discussions on the subject of copying which set me thinking about the issue in relation to my own paintings. In the - let's call it - 'Western' art world, copying is frowned on and dismissed as the work of someone with no originality. A copyist is definitely looked down on especially one who has managed to deceive the art establishment, in which case he may well receive a visit from the constabulary -the only recognition he will receive for his efforts! However in some cultures a good copyist is lauded for his work and admired for his skill. So where do you stand? Probably, like me, somewhere in the middle - but I bet you admire the ones who fooled the art establishment don't you? Why not.... I do! But that's another subject....so let's get back to the point. Back in the olden days before Facebook, smartphones and the internet were even thought of ( for the benefit of younger readers such times actually did exist), before even the advent of photography, how were artists taught to paint?
Well when a certain Mr JMW Turner enrolled at the Royal Academy he was taught to paint by what......yes you got it..... by copying the work of the old masters. That was how they did it. Gradually the students learned all the techniques necessary to paint like an old master, and if you were a genius like Turner - imitate, adapt and eventually surpass his old 'teachers'. When I first started to paint, I tried to copy the paintings of artists I admired. I used to ask myself "How did they do this?", then sit down and have a go at doing it. The more I learned - the more I admired these great painters. The painting above is based on a watercolour by Turner. Quite simply his "Blue Rigi - Sunset" is the most exquisite watercolour painting I have ever seen. I knew I couldn't get close to his original but I learned a lot about painting just by trying to emulate the great man and his watercolour techniques. Here are a few other paintings based on the work of artists who have inspired me:

These and more are contained in my 'Inspirations Gallery'. They are not direct copies - how could I do that? But they are very closely based on original paintings by the artists named and if you look in the gallery you will see that I always acknowledge that. However if you are planning to use your images for anything other than personal use please be aware that 'attribution' does not constitute 'authority' to use your painting for financial gain unless you have the consent of the original artist or his representatives. Three of the originals above were oil paintings so my biggest challenge was in trying to recreate their styles in watercolour. It was a really enjoyable experience and, as I have already said, my admiration for these painters just grew and grew. So copying - I've got no problem with it. It helped me make progress with my own paintings and gradually I developed my own style which is an amalgam of all I have learned by studying other great painters. But if you copy - ALWAYS acknowledge the source. And anyone reading this - please feel free to have a go at any of my paintings.... I would love to see the results. There is however a 'grayer' area in this debate...where the line between 'copying' and 'inspired by' can get blurred causing lots of controversy. I think I'll save my 'two pennyworth' on that subject though for another time.

A wide range of cards and prints of images by Glenn Marshall are available to purchase

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Take another look.....

9/8/2013

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......or how to be a success in one easy lesson

"Back to Life" Original watercolour 30" x 22" by Glenn Marshall

Do you paint? That's an easy question to answer, and if you do, here's another one - are you a successful painter? You might think that's an easy question too - but before you answer - here's a couple of things to think about. If you answered "no" to the first question - don't leave us - it might be useful to stick around for a bit. I am a successful painter, in fact I am a very successful painter! I can hear the sharp intakes of breath - "Who does he think he is?"! It is not considered the done thing to brag, especially here in England, but I am going to say it again. I am a very successful painter! There, I've done it. How do I know I'm a successful painter? Easy....because I said so...simple as that. So how and when did I achieve this success? 'When' is easy - it was the moment I completed the painting above - "Back to Life". So I suppose the next logical thing to consider is how?
I grew up with this print on my mum's wall and always admired it. Over the years the print became more faded but this only added to its allure for me. When I first began to paint I looked at this print and wished I could paint like that. "One day," I used to say to myself, "I will be able to paint like this." It took me years to learn the various techniques necessary to finally be able to do it justice. At the time I had no idea who the original artist was but I knew he was a very traditional painter, probably Victorian but more important - I loved his work. In fact I have a great admiration for the Victorian and indeed Edwardian watercolour painters of old. I won't get on my soapbox (again!) but I think it is a great shame that their paintings are so casually dismissed nowadays as 'old fashioned' or 'chocolate box'. After about ten years absorbing, learning and practising, I finally felt able to have a go at the painting, and was very pleased with the result. It is not a direct copy of the original but closely based. My wife was able to find out that the artist was one Benjamin Williams Leader RA. He had been very famous in his day but has now fallen into disfavour. The original was a 6 foot x 4 ft oil painting and has a lot more detail and colour than mine. No matter - I had achieved my goal - I was a success. Although I love the painting and it has often been admired and commented on, it never sold. But that does not make it an unsuccessful painting...of course not. Each time I look at it, I feel good - surely that makes it successful in it's own right.
Now there are lots of amazing watercolour painters around (I'm glad to say) whose work I greatly admire - I certainly couldn't do what they do..... but then again..... could they do what I do?
So do not measure your 'success' in honours, awards or sales but what it means to you. And don't measure your paintings against anybody else's - yours are as unique as theirs. I always tell my students to set themselves a little goal for each painting. By doing this you set yourself something to aim for, and, when you achieve it - you guessed - you too are a success. But set realistic goals. Don't aim to paint like Vincent straight off - give yourself a couple of weeks at least! You know what I mean - goals have to be attainable. If you're 63 and got dodgy knees it's no good aiming to win an Olympic Gold Medal at the Marathon but you can achieve a steady walk for charity and end up feeling really good about yourself, and rightly so - you're a success. I've been mainly concerned about painters but setting achievable goals is a good thing in all aspects of life.
So....are you a successful painter? I suspect that most of you reading this would straightaway have answered "no", but I hope after this, you might have a fresh look at your paintings and realise that you too are a success!

Prints and cards of "Back to Life" and other paintings by Glenn Marshall are available to purchase

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waiting for inspiration.......

5/8/2013

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"Early Morning towards Flamborough" Original watercolour by Glenn Marshall

Inspiration is a 'funny' thing. Where does it spring from? What actually triggers that impulse we call 'inspiration'? I have been thinking about this because last week I was all set to go - sat in the studio, paper on the board, paints activated and brushes poised ......but then - what to paint? I realised that my mind was an absolute blank. Some people will say that my mind is always blank but it is very rare indeed that I haven't got some idea of a painting floating about in there. Was this the dreaded painter's block? It was late afternoon, too late to go paint outside. I had wandered into the studio really after a long day dealing with the everyday routine of 'ordinary' life. It had been very enjoyable just setting up the board and preparing to paint - a routine in itself, but now, looking at that blank white paper, I realised there was nothing there. I flicked through some photos I had on the iPad and worked my way through some old sketches but nothing came. So I just sat quiet enjoying the solitude and feeling very grateful that I had this lovely space to call my own... but nothing done.
The next morning I went with Merice and Bonnie for a stroll on the cliff tops. It was early (courtesy of a Staffordshire bull terrier jumping on our bed, who had decided it was time to get up!). It really was a beautiful morning, a bit cooler than the last few days with a mist out at sea that blurred the meeting of sea and sky.
A phrase sprung to mind - "form dissolving" - it came from a book I had read about JMW Turner by David Hill and that was the start of the process. Now my mind was racing with ideas - what if I do this, what if I do that? Merice recognised the symptoms and smiled as I returned to my studio and that blank white sheet of paper. Now I had to paint, simple as that. I had already decided on the walk home that I was going to paint this morning's scene from memory. So to work - "form dissolving" - Turner - work in layers - yellow first.

No pencil sketch - just straight in with the yellow wash. Then when yellow totally dry (and only then!), a red wash over that, working in transparent glazes to build up the effect. I drew the cliffs in with the blue to be used for the 'blue' wash to anchor the composition and then added the darker clouds last. I carefully washed out the two lines to establish the horizon, finally adding a bit of colour to the cliffs just washing in the yellow, red and blue together to give overall balance and harmony to the painting. I thought about adding something to the foreground but decided against it apart from the suggestion of a few breaking waves - I liked the simplicity and the interaction of the colours. That very same morning before I set off for my stroll I had been talking to a fellow artist about a project she was doing - big skies, and a few days previously another friend and I had been discussing painting a scene together involving cliffs, wet beach and pink skies - perhaps these had also inspired me even if subconsciously.
Yes inspiration is a 'funny' thing. It can't be forced or controlled but when it does happen it stirs not just the eye and the hand...but also the heart.

A range of prints and cards of paintings by Glenn Marshall are available to purchase