• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Open College of the ArtsStudent Support 
        L      o      o        k        i      n      g      a       t      o       t        h      e      r      a      r       t        i      s       t      s
 
This booklet is one of a series of guides for students studying with the OCA.Others in the series are:
•Study skills•Keeping sketchbooks and learning logs•Assessment and how to get qualified
You can either download a pdf copy from our website www.oca-uk.com or ring theoffice on 0800 731 2116 for a paper copy.
Cover illustration Caroline Firenza. Other images courtesy Bridgeman Art Library
 
One of the most important aspects of developing as an artist orphotographer is to look at other artists’ work. This guide will help youmake the best of every image you look at, train your visual awarenessand develop your visual skills.
Look at everything you can
Look at all sorts of work: amateur artists’ work, contemporary professional work,old masters, visit museums and galleries to see the latest exhibitions and existingcollections. Get art books out of the library and buy art books if you can. Use theinternet as much as possible. The internet has become a wonderful forum forphotography and art. Even if you live in an area that makes it difficult to get toexhibitions, or if you are disabled or confined in some way, the internet opens aworld of opportunity to discover artwork. For instance the major public galleries notonly publish samples of exhibitions on the web, but often have the wholeexhibition on the web available as well as in the gallery.It is impossible to overemphasise how critical it is to look at other artists’ work. Allart is created in a context. Artists through the centuries have been influenced byothers, some very strongly. Whole movements in art have been instigated by singleworks of art, or the work of justone person, driving forward withanew technique or approach totheir work. Looking closely atpaintings, sculptures orphotographs can revealinformation about techniques thatyou would never get by looking atapoor scale reproduction of thework. At exhibitions you canalways tell who the practisingartists are. They are the ones rightup at the canvas, closelyscrutinising every brush stroke ormark made, to see what they canlearn.
Looking at other artists
Detail from the
Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci 
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...