Comments on: Artist Secrets < Deep Thought Thursday

By: Eileen McConkey

Eileen McConkey — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:25:46 +0000

I agree with your response. If they ask about technique or color I try to use it as a teaching moment, seeing if they can plug into the painting enough to come up with possible ways to achieve the results. Quite often they are just asking out of curiosity and won’t really go back and try to duplicate it. Or, I go into a bit of detail but there can be so much detail that they can’t grasp it all. If they sign up for a class I encourage their own exploration.

I do get irritated t houghwhen the same people come back over and over again and then brag about getting free lessons.

By: 10 Commandments of Teaching Art — Art Biz Blog

10 Commandments of Teaching Art — Art Biz Blog — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:01:20 +0000

[...] DO Share all the secrets that you [...]

By: Chas Hathaway

Chas Hathaway — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:56:44 +0000

“I’d tell you, but…” lean in close, “I’d have to KILL you.”

- Chas
http://music.willowrise.com

By: cynthia

cynthia — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:47:23 +0000

I share freely on my blog because I have learned from others similarly.

I have, however, been on the receiving end of the question and the response to me was, “We (husband/wife duo) have worked very hard to develop our technique and prefer not to share.” I respected their short answer and understand where they are coming from since I know how much time goes into researching and perfecting a technique through trial and error.

By: Mike Pendergrass

Mike Pendergrass — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:24:27 +0000

I must admit that we artists can become Indiana Jones when we hear about secret art techniques. We have got to explore every nook and cranny. Plus come across a few snakes along the way! I honestly believe that there are no secret techniques. Two artists that I truly admire as portrait and figure artists have very different approaches to drawing and painting figures but they each get beautiful results. I thought that they had some secret formula to achieving those beautiful results but I found out from them that the secret was practice and a sketchbook! I admit that I was a little let down. But they were right. That’s the secret I share when I teach.

By: patsy

patsy — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:10:30 +0000

If I didn’t want to share a particular technique, I would offer another secret that would divert the attention of the one asking the question. :^)

By: David Lloyd Stewart

David Lloyd Stewart — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:32:42 +0000

I haven’t been confronted with that yet, but if I was, I would reply on the order of this: “Well, y’know, most things I’m happy to share, but in this case, that’s a proprietary process that cost me a lot of time and money to research, so I keep it a secret for now”.

If there was a way to monetize it profitably, such as a book I was publishing or a class I was teaching, I would then use the opportunity to promote it… but, as I said, I don’t really own any information I consider proprietary. A lot was freely shared with me – I believe in paying it forward.

By: Jo-Ann

Jo-Ann — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:04:16 +0000

By the time another artist is asking about your methods you should have grown/experimented/thought another step yourself. Otherwise, you’re just repeating what you already know over and over and you’ll stagnate.

By: becky nielsen

becky nielsen — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:48:33 +0000

Ah, yes. I got carried away reading the responses and lost the original question. If I did have any special techniques that I didn’t want to reveal yet – I would either be vague or possibly just have to be straightforward and say that I was still working the technique out and wasn’t ready to share it. Quinn’s idea about offering to teach it could work nicely for some situations. I know that people are always asking me where I get my rocks – and I don’t tell them specifically where my favorite places are. I may tell them some of the sites and also places that I avoid. So I guess I do have some secrets.

By: Art

Art — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:04:17 +0000

What do I say to a person who wants to know “How do you do that?”. Well, my work is large scale wood sculpture using chainsaws, chisels, Dremels etc,. It is sometime done as performance art and it is dirty, very dangerous work. People have died or been seriously injured from a split second lack of concentration. So, my answer is simple. “I don’t have the insurance required to teach you how to carve.

That being said, when a fellow carver shows up at the studio we will spend hours discussing technique, tools, wood, chain tooth angles, carving bars and chisels, etc.
There is also a website where carvers from all over the world share their work and trade secrets on a daily basis. I think this guild spirit comes from the fact that there are fewer than 2000 people in the world who do what we do.
In My state, NY, there are only about 20 and maybe only 5 who actually make a good,full time living at it.
The tightness of the group promotes sharing but, if your not part of the group and have paid some dues, there’s always the insurance answer.