Evoke Emotion Like the Masters

Certain paintings stop us in our tracks. They might give us chills, or make our hearts hurt. It’s hard to define why we have these reactions because they’re personal and authentic. For those reasons, they can’t be argued with. But there’s another side to this mystery: the side that creates the art sparking those strong feelings. If you’d like to have that power–the power to make your art evoke real emotion–read The Language of Energy in Art: Finding Your Vision.

Painting by Charlotte Wharton, Evoke Emotion Like the Masters
Reminiscing (oil, 9×12) by Charlotte Wharton, who says this painting “demonstrates how the repetition of form sets in motion a flow throughout a painting. Note how the shoulder and unique flip of the strap are repeated in the red drape, the couch and in the closer knee under the skirt. The descending diagonal of the drape and the figure add to the passive mystery of the painting. The red Munsell mother color was used with its grayed compliment of blue-green and grayed discords of yellow-green and blue-violet.” (Click here to “pin” this painting on Pinterest!)

On Visual Unity by Charlotte Wharton

Munsell Color System, tips from Charlotte Wharton at ArtistsNetwork.com
Morning Light (oil, 14×11) by Charlotte Wharton. “The subject of Morning Light is the light,” says Wharton. “The painting is a paradox. The light is warm and mellow and, despite the strong value, contrasts in the flowering bush, the bold angles of the architecture and the ground shadows, the painting is pleasant and quiet. The lyrical rhythmic flow of the flowers and the low energy of the squared form of the architecture lend balance and give the painting its subdued nature. The blue Munsell mother color was used with its grayed compliment of yellow-orange and grayed discords of red-violet and yellow-green.

Throughout the ages artists have been known to temper their paintings for visual and emotional effects that they felt the subject needed to be fully expressed or because it was requested by a patron. Some historical examples:

• Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, 1599-1641) used symbolic devices such as columns as a sign of status, or tender flesh color to give grace and delicacy to portraits. Each device rendered a different sense to his work.

• Diego Velázquez (Spanish, 1599-1660) had a lifelong obsession of composing his paintings with different shapes for a desired expression of balance, rhythm and movement.

• John-Baptiste Camille Corot (French, 1796-1875) and John Constable (English, 1776-1837) both felt that they had to become poetical to render the various sentiments of nature.

• Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926) painted with as many as six different marks and techniques to achieve his famous atmospheric and scintillating light effects.

• Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) had a wide range of styles. He was known to cubically dismantle a woman in a painting and sensuously, lyrically draw another all in the same day.

• John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925) knew when and how to adjust values and brush strokes to embrace a certain quality of a subject.

So what we can glean from these masters is to adjust–temper–their technique, marks or their manner of working to achieve a desired effect. This brings us to two concerns facing today’s artists. Many know only how to copy a photograph, which has no innate emotion or sentiment. Still others say they paint only what they see. They, too, are either copying, like the camera, or they are painting on a highly developed intuitive level and are no longer aware of how they arrive at what they paint. The latter is indeed a realm of artistry that we all hope to attain. However, even at that level, it is to our credit as artists to have an arsenal of various techniques, color palettes and materials that can be molded to communicate the motive for painting a subject.

The task at hand then, is for artists to learn or reacquaint themselves with how to adjust or temper a painting, how to put themselves into their work, or how to impart their sense of a subject. A visual language has come down through the centuries from the Renaissance Masters who discovered or employed it. We can take from it what we need to impart meaning to our work. Every painting requires two elements for full expression: design unity and visual unity. Design unity provides the structural impact of a painting, while visual unity communicates the desired sense or meaning of a work of art.

It is visual unity–the communicative element of art–upon which the book, The Language of Energy in Art: Finding Your Vision focuses. Let its words guide you in finding or honing your unique voice, your vision, and your sense of nature. ~Charlotte Wharton

How beautifully said! We can see from the examples shown here how powerful the implementation of visual unity can be. Learn how to evoke an emotional response in similar ways with Wharton’s The Language of Energy in Art: Finding Your Vision. In addition to learning how to hone your voice, you’ll also be introduced to solid concepts, such as the Munsell Color System.

Which of the artists listed above is your favorite? Tell us in the comments section below and join the conversation!

Moved by art,
Cherie

P.S.
Will you please help? If you are either an artist or enjoy reading The Artist’s Magazine, we would very much appreciate your participation in our survey, which will take about 15 minutes to complete. When finished, you’ll be given the opportunity to enter our drawing to possibly WIN one of 10 one-year subscriptions to The Artist’s Magazine. In addition, all participants who complete the survey will receive a special 15% OFF discount code that may be used at NorthLightShop.com through 4/26/2015. THANK YOU very much for taking some time out of your busy schedule to help improve our understanding of your needs and interests! Click here to begin.

Cherie Haas, online editor
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