Throughout my art journey i've always enjoyed copying other people's art as a means to grow. It's how i learned how to draw and it's now helping me learn how to paint. However a lot of people seem to think that copying is bad. And of course there have been times that i've felt doupt myself thinking that i might be wasting my time, imitating someone elses work.
But i started reading 'Imaginative Realism' from James Gurney. A great read in which he covers the issue of copying.
As he puts it 'Art students in the nineteenth century spent a good deal of time making copies of the old masters. It's a great idea because it makes you appreciate in a much deeper way what your heroes were actually doing' and he continues '...there's nothing at all wrong with copying as a way to practise and learn. It's the shortest path to unerstanding'.
And after showing some copies he did James Gurney adds
'Each of these illustrators developed his own way of painting by absorbing earlier masters... We can build on the accomplishments of those who came before, and our generation has the unique advantage of having all of the art history at our fingertips. '
So, there you go. I tought i'd share this since these issues are all part our artistic journey. So maybe this helps someone who stumbles on this post.
Anyway. Off to painting 
