A change in the way I see things

[Bettyboop]

Hi,

Eventually got my airbrush on Thursday, and have been practicing for a few hours each day, getting the hang of it, can do dots and shading, but still need more practice on my dagger strokes, they will come along I am sure.

Has anyone found that since airbrushing they see things differently? When I was about 10, I was sat in my fathers office just drawing what he had on his desk, but couldn't get it quite right, then one of the guys that works for him came into the office and told me not to draw lines, but build up on the shade, since then that is the only way I have drawn and painted, so have always had a good eye for shading and highlights. However, have found that since I have been looking at airbrush work and seeing how the shading techniques can be achieved, I find myself looking at everything completely differently. Rather than looking at the coat on my chair, and seeing just that, I now look at it and my eye only seems to really pick out the shades and highlights. I have found this everywhere I go, the sky, the trees etc, I find that everything I now look at is just a mixture of shade and highlights rather than an object.

It is great, and has helped my artwork no end, but find it odd that my whole perspective of things has suddenly changed. Has anyone else found that they look at things differently since airbrushing or am I just odd??

Sorry for such a long post, I have always been good at talking. lol...

[heartless]

Betty, you are not strange at all. i have found myself looking at things a little differently as well - more of a "how would i paint that with the airbrush" kind of thing, but yeah, noticing the shadows, highlights more as well.
have always looked at the world with an "artists eye" - color, texture, play of light/shadow - but now i find myself thinking more in the context of recreating what i see with the airbrush. sometimes easier thought of than done!

Hello BettyBoop, it's nice to have you here.. You're not crazy at all--what you are is called an artist & it opens doors to be as excentric as you care to be..I believe the secret to any art is light & shadow--simpler said than done but certainly something to always strive for..it's just a matter of where to put which?? That's the hard part..

[xzotic ink]

yep, everything turns into the TWILIGHT ZONE of airbrushing!!hee-hee! It sucks you right in.......doo doo, doo doo....Thats the best feeling, seeing in a whole new life...Especially, when other people know what your talking about,ENJOY IT!! WELCOME!

[Bettyboop]

It's nice to know I am not the only one that is experiencing this...

Hartless, you are right about the whole 'how would I paint that' perspective. Nothing passes me by now without me wondering how I would paint it and if I could use it in a different setting. My camera has had more work these past few days than ever before, just saving a collection of textures and shapes to use later.

Airbrushing is so much fun. Can't wait till I have done my first piece so that I can get your thoughts on it. Everyone on here has so much talent, all the feedback I see of other peoples work is very useful, and is really helping with the learning curve.

[Ispray]

Your way ahead of the curve with your thinking, most people start out trying to paint what they know and not what they see. you look at a tree and think I know what a tree is and not look at your refrence when done the tree looks nothing like the tree in your refrence and can't figure out what went wrong.

[thearthound]

Not strange at all. Betty, I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that has a camera full of shapes & textures.
Light & Shadow, Light & Shadow. Contrast just jumps out at me! LOL.
Do you find that you also "see" negative shapes. Places where things AREN"T!
Excentric Darla? How about Unique?

[yardartnut]

Normal thing..ahaahah Next- you will be airbrushing your own dreams during sleep...instead of REM sleep......ABEM sleep

[Bettyboop]

Originally Posted by thearthound

Do you find that you also "see" negative shapes. Places where things AREN'T!

Yep, see that too, everything is just being seen with a more creative aspect which is really nice.

I got my regulator and proper connections today, before I was using my brothers spray gun which I had managed to modify so that I could attach the ab to it (wasn't the greatest, but at least I got a chance to use the ab). It is amazing what a difference it makes having a consistent air flow. I'll get all my essays out the way, then I don't think you will be able to stop me from submitting work for feed back.