The Big Look

Here I am drawing this cast of a foot.  As always, I want to capture a truthful look of nature as it appears - but how does it appear?  Is every little detail required? What makes this look interesting, compelling and worth sharing?

We have aphorisms passed down by great artists who asked and explored the same questions and one of them continues to surface right now - See with how little you can make it like.

What I love about the Boston School painters is that they don't rely on the quantity of details to arrive at a likeness.  Instead, they seem to simplify the subject down to the events that hold the greatest quality.  For example, in my drawing you may notice how I have isolated several majors and let the rest of the details merge into the large form.  Perhaps this is a way to create the unity of the whole.  Ultimately, my priority is to maintain this "big look" and not let any detail compete with it.  Three steps forward, two steps backward. 

Conclusion: Improving technical skill has its limits, but changing perception can bring about a new paradigm.