Not a particularly good programme about painting but another in the BBC's list of every subject being turned into a competition. First, the judges - their own work I don't think is especially good even though they are professionals and neither are particularly good in the comments department seeming to confuse the competitors. Second, the artists - a diverse bunch of talents of differing techical levels of skill and styles struggling with the format of the programme and the challenges set each week.
For me, a dissapointment.
And yet, early on in the first show when they were given landscapes as a challenge, they seemed to like the paintings that were a unique and individual style (like Anne's) and not those that were realistic! I was very surprised when I watched the more recent episode in Liverpool when Daphne said she didn't understand why they couldn't paint 'realistically'!! Ah well...as Sharon said, judging is subjective. I felt sorry for Paul though, and I think he is quite a good artist. Who says it's wrong to make Liverpool look pretty? Anne certainly did the same thing... ;)
They artists seem to lack basic drawing skills except for Paul and Claire. I don't understand why they are kept asking to paint realistically when one of the great things about painting is that you can change the colour, size, shape, etc. of what you see. Both Anne and Anthea have developed particularly individual styles which the judges didn't seem to appreciate or like and Paul couldn't do anything right this week; one minute his painting was too feminine and the next a bit butch!
I agree with you on some points, Neil, and with Robin on others re: the Big Painting Challenge. First, the judges’ works aren’t my favorites and secondly, the contestants are getting confused messages about their work. But I am learning about different approaches to painting…where to begin, base color or not, sketching, composition, etc.
I have only been painting since Oct. 2012 and never had an art lesson in my life until then (I was 61 at the time) and I have only worked in acrylics, but I am really enjoying it! I prefer brushes to palette knives, but keep trying to improve my knife technique. I also think judging art is VERY subjective and the criticism in some cases is pretty harsh…and too lenient in other cases. Oh well, what do I know? I know what I like!
I was very disappointed that Claire was sent home last week, as I thought her work overall was a lot better than Amy’s, but not my decision to make. I am looking forward to the final. It has been instructional and inspirational for me.
I've kind of enjoyed it, Neil...but then again I'm a relative 'newbie' to art and I've liked seeing the different techniques the artists have used. I've also enjoyed seeing that other artists have a 'comfort zone' as far as their art is concerned and can find it difficult to do something different!
On the other hand, I have to agree that I don't particularly care for the judges work, either, that I've seen. Then there's the fact that I think art is difficult to judge, really. The old saying that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' is quite true and I think these judges are, in a lot of ways, imposing their likes and dislikes on the contestants. Still, I'll keep going with it and maybe I will learn something in the end!!