FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
I’m working on this project, can you do some drawings for free?
I’m an artist starting out, what would you recommend?
What books and/or videos do you recommend?
What books do you NOT recommend?
What are your art school experiences?
Why do I need art history, its just a waste of time?
Can I use your images?
Well, that depends. I’m pretty flexible if people/organisations are up front and ask. Believe it or not, the art community is quite small (or at least well connected) and if you rip off people’s images, you will be found out about. Yes people have ripped off my work and I have found out about it. If they would have asked, I would have let them use it but it just shows a lack of respect (not withstanding copyright breaches). An email will take a couple of mintues ….tops.
Non profit organizations – images are to remain unedited and carry the ‘mattelder.com’ text and/or hyperlink when used on the internet. Credit is to be given for the images. For uses other than the internet (ie print, t-shirts etc), you need to contact me with a quick blurb about how you intend to use the image(s) and get permission. Email: “image2use” [[ at ]] mattelder {dot} com
Businesses – permission needs to be sought by giving me a quick blurb about intended use. Email: “image2use” [[ at ]] mattelder {dot} com
I’m working on this project, can you do some drawings for free?
As with most other people, I have bills to pay but if you have a really cool project, drop me some details and I’ll review it. At the moment, projects involving storyboards and/or conceptual design are more attractive but I’m always interested in cool stuff. Email: “kewlprojects” [[ at ]] mattelder {dot} com
Where is all the old content?
With the 3rd revamp of this website, a large amount of old content was axed. As an artist, one grows and develops. A large amount of work I would now deem to be substandard, and/or not keeping with my current direction/focus/interests. Cartoons were removed unfortunately (funny ideas but ordinary art) but hopefully I will have some new ones up on the site soon(ish).
I’m an artist starting out, what would you recommend?
Life Drawing, Life Drawing, Life Drawing. I can’t stress this enough. Tackling the human figure in front of you presents you with just about every problem you will come across in drawing. From shapes, proportions and alignments all the way through to composition and expression. So many of the ideas, tools and techniques presented in life drawing can be used in just about any other form of drawing. Training the eye to “see” is incredibly important and this is the best way that I know how. I understand this may pose problems for people under the age of 18 due to nudity and might cost a few bucks. But what is a few bucks if it saves you ages fumbling around in the dark?
What books and/or videos do you recommend?
For someone starting out with limited resources, start off with books by Andrew Loomis. These are out of print but you’ll find them on the internet, usually in PDF format. If you are lucky enough and can get ahold of the Robert Beverly Hale videos, I highly recommend checking these out.
What books do you NOT recommend?
Gray’s Anatomy – I’m always stunned by people recommending this book. There is a world of difference between artistic anatomy and medical anatomy. If you are training to be a doctor, get the book. Otherwise there are far more effective uses for the limited funds that artists have. If a teacher ever recommends this book, walk out of their class immediately! They don’t know what they are doing and you are going to suffer because of it.
What are your art school experiences?
How long is a piece of string? Art in general is a very diverse field and schools usually align along certain paths. Some schools have a classical vain which is great to teach the eye to see and the discipline and rigour of drawing/painting. Other schools are more expressionistic and ‘add life’ to artworks so they aren’t flat/dead/wooden. Other schools have a very graphic/illustration/commercial flavour and less gallery orientated.
Experiences I’ve had with art schools in Sydney, Australia:
Julian Ashton Art School – fantastic at classical drawing and painting. Any class by David Briggs (particularly life drawing/anatomy) is well worth attending. Rod Wong is great for tonal drawing that becomes the foundation for painting
National Art School – very much an ‘expressionistic’ school. I cannot recommend highly enough the Art History department. Lecturers are extremely knowledgeable and excellent communicators. Sculpture, Printmaking, Ceramics, Photography and Drawing departments are really good with great resources. Painting department is a minefield.
Grosvenor Studios – A great place for learning old master style and techniques for painting. For more information about this school, email me and I will pass the information along. Email: “information” [[ at ]] mattelder {dot} com
Why do I need art history, its just a waste of time?
You are reading this in English and can understand it, because you know a ‘language’. Art is the same, you need to understand the ‘language’. If I was to write a novel in a language that I made up that no one could understand, you’d say I was wasting my time. Some artists do this. An individual will not have as many insights as a group of artists, let alone centuries of them. Why not piggy back off of the knowledge that others have learnt the hard way? A number of artists think they are doing something new and original, when they are just ignorant to the fact that it has already been done before.
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