Understanding painting
Silent Observation.

Observation is the key to drawing. What is drawing? Drawing is nothing but using only a line and a curve. You should acquire the ability of using this line and curve in different shapes and sizes. That means you have to understand the shapes and sizes of the things. To know about them you have to learn how to look at the world as an artist. This is the key. Seeing the things as an artist.

Yesterday one incident happened in my class room. One of my students was copying a drawing. She is a little bit confident about her ability to draw. After one hour, in the middle of drawing, she understood something had gone wrong. And she also understood, where the thing had gone wrong.

She drew one of the shapes in the picture,a little bit big. So all connected parts with that particular part had gone wrong in their proportions. She lost.

I told her again, what I said previously to her...'' Don't just copy. Look at it. Judge heights, widths and their relations. It will come.''
She started to work again. This time she began to see their heights, widths and their relations, instead of seeing the picture..
Then she got it.
I analyzed the situation to her. I asked her..''What happened in your mind in the first and second attempts?”
She told me that in her first attempt she concentrated on the picture and how to copy it. In her second attempt, she did not bother about the copying the picture. She concentrated only on heights and widths of the shapes and their relations. This she said.

Actually what happened in her mind in these two attempts?
In the first attempt she did not think of her act. She concentrated only on activity. 'Act' and 'Activity' are two different things. 'Act' is your response for the need. 'Activity' is doing some thing just for the sake of ' Doing something' This is a mindless act. There you are not using your mind.

In 'Act' , You are thinking about what you are doing. That means you are using your ' Mind '. After sometime you began to watch yourself. That means you become a watcher for your act. You call it Silent Observation, “ Most beautiful state of the mind. It's observing what it is doing. It is becoming a watcher. That is 'Ultimate Meditation.' Who said Art is not a meditation?. Without this state of mind, nobody can ever become an artist, whether they know this truth or not.

In my view, color, value, line,texture and everything will seek the help of Composition & Design to connect them with each other. Rhythm is the ultimate result in my view. That is the painting. That is the Art. That is the essence of life. Art and Life are one.

How to teach Painting? How to make students to understand painting?

A very big and complex question!

To know the answers for these questions, first we have to understand them.

There are thousands of books available in the market. Many workshops also. A few correspondence
courses too. All these things will say, they will make you the best within no time. Really is it possible?
Any art enthusiast can learn art through these things? Really are there any short cuts? Not only to painting, to any subject are there any short cuts? I don't think so.

Then what is the right way to learn or teach? It should be simple. After teaching students how to draw, teach them tonal values. Then they know how to create depth to any two dimensional thing.
Once they know it, Ask them to paint with a single color,say with 'burnt sienna' along with black and white. Let them use the brushes on their own. Here and there guide them how to handle them. Of course, a little help you have to do.

Mixing colors ... not a big thing. Show them how to mix and tell them how much medium they need to use. Now explain that all they have to do is, use the brushes like a pencil. Explain that what they did with pencil to create tonal values, same they have to do with brushes. No more, no less.

Then they start. In between explain to them repeatedly how to understand value. Tell them how to lighten the value or how to darken it. Enough. They are able to create a painting with appropriate values. Of course in single color. So what? They did a painting successfully on their own. That also, while maintaining values! Is it not great for a student? In reality how many so called professional artists are able to maintain these values properly? OK , Coming to the point, ..For the student maintaining values in his first painting! Great! Value, which is the key to painting! Anyway already they learned size, shape and their relations. They also learned how to use values. That means they crossed a major hurdle. Every one of my students achieved this.

What is the next step?

Let them use four or five colors. Ask them mix the colors on their own for required tones. Explain the nature of things, which they are going to paint. Guide them how to study those things. Push them to work. Do not try to impose your work style on them. Have a patience. Let them do mistakes. Discuss those mistakes. Again stress the importance of the values. They become used to painting. More than just doing painting, they will know how to proceed onto the canvas. This is the key. By that time they will become confident. Make them do many paintings with different color combinations from the color wheel. Of course different subjects also. In this process students become involved in painting. There will be no confusion in them.

When they crossed this, you talk with them about the Balance, Perspective. Make it simple. Do not confuse them with so many theories. If you talk theories, they will get headache. Remember...They are not professionals like you. They want to enjoy the painting. You have to make them addicted to painting, slowly like drugs. Otherwise they will runaway from painting. Leave the hard part of the rules or technique for their future practice to become a professional. By that time they will know what they should learn. Then why you are taking that responsibility? You are not their employer to tell what they should do. Leave that part for their pleasure.

Once they understood about balance, perspective, brief them about composition and design. Leave rhythm for their understanding. 'Search' is the key. Let them search for the the things. With the understanding of what they have achieved already, they will be able to find what they need.

This is the way a student can learn art without much confusion. Of course there are many other ways. But I love this way. I succeeded in this way. My students involve emotionally in learning painting. Because they are enjoying it, they are doing paintings like professionals. This inspiration, this confidence can make anybody an artist, if you show them the right path. Talk with them about life. Talk with them about human mind. For an artist it is an important to understand the way life moves.

Learning art is not just doing some colorful painting. It is understanding life. If you understand life you will be able to enjoy it, even in misery. You will help others to understand this great truth. Becoming a true artist means becoming a selfless person. This modern world need those persons more than any time in history. No more to say.

- Magunta Dayakar