Three Of My Favorite Artists

Hi folks.  Okay, this is just something I want to spend some time and blog about for anyone whoever is interested in art--particularly, fine arts.  I'll share some of my experiences while I'm at it, as much as it pains anyone out there reading this.  Moreover, this deals 3 of my favorite artists, who I highly respect, and I'll give account on how they've influenced my growth and development in fine arts.  So let's have a whirl at it, shall we?


I.  Andrew Loomis



Without a doubt, I owe much of what I know today thanks to the works of American Illustrator, Andrew Loomis (1892 - 1959).  It all started with me looking for how to draw anime/manga tutorials--yes, I know, that may sound lame, but hey, how cool is the animation.  I admired the the vintage style aesthestic of American illustration and Loomis became the impetus influence in what I understand about drawing portraits and the human figure.

Anyway, I came across Loomis' works by accident after searching through the internet for anime/drawing lessons as the nerd as I was--and to some extent, still am.  I think it was in the summer before beginning my second year in jr. high when I really embarked on having an obsession with finding out how to draw the human head.  And I'm still learning.  I found his books were scanned online and were shared with the art community.  Since his books were no longer in publication, it was legal to use them.  His books cover from drawing the human head, to the human figure, to measuring perspective, to design, to cartooning, etc.  His books are an ocean of knowledge, and I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in learning to draw--or to just doodle around for fun.  

Some of Loomis' works:







If anyone is interested in his books, this site has downloadable complete scans of his books:
http://placidchaos.com/AM/index.php/2006/02/21/andrew_loomis


II. Leonardi da Vinci


Everyone's heard of Lenoardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 - May 2, 1519) .  He is the artist who painted the highly recognized painting, the Mona Lisa.  Of course, he also specialized in science, mathematics, and a bundle of other subjects which is truly amazing--a man of many talents.

The reason why da Vinci is one of my favorite artist is that I was more interested in his anatomical sketches and mathematical formulas of drawing the human head.  As mentioned on Loomis' section, both were extremely knowledgeable in anatomy.  I compared da Vinci's works and Loomis' works side by side, and although they shared many similar formulas on anatomy, I sided with Loomis' approach but only by a worm length.  They both shared the Phi ration of proportions, but from what I experimented from drawing the human head, Loomis' approach and standard was much easier to understand and much more practical to apply.  However, da Vinci's knowledge of anatomy and measuring the human figure/head is incredibly accurate for a man of his time.

Some of da Vinci's works:







III.  William-Adolphe Bouguereau


In my opinion, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (November 30, 1825 - August 19, 1905)  is among the greatest of any academic oil painters.  He was a French painter who was a master at depicting the human form.  Mainly, he painted representational art and young peasant women.  His hallmark is his ability to paint and draw hands so delicately.  He truly is the Mt. Everest of academic oil painters.

I actually discovered Bouguereau by some whimsical chance while watching YouTube videos about Greek Mythology.  Since then, I've greatly admired his work.  His paintings convey such an ideal world that is painstakingly beautiful.  This was part of the reason why many Impressionists criticized his works.  I, however, disagree.  Bouguereau's paintings is a showcase of subtle manuevers that speak louder than any forced action.  Even though he may have a lot of things going on in many of his paintings, they are woven together so harmoniously that one can't help but be in awe of his technical prowess.  I try to look at his paintings and gain some value knowledge about subtlety, composition, and technical execution.  I still have a hard time thinking in simple terms, so I'm still learning a lot from studying Bouguereau's paintings--which is very helpful. 

Some of Bouguereau's works:






So that's basically it.  These are 3 of the fine artists I admire and have played a cataclysmic role in shaping my knowledge in painting and drawing.  There are other artists who also influenced me and whose artworks I respect.  The list would be too long to name.

Honorable Mentions:
Tetsuya Nomura
John William Waterhouse
Julie Dillon
Ishikawa Fumi