There is a world of difference between copying someone else’s art and being inspired by it! In the past, copying the work of famous artists – brush stroke by brush stroke – was an accepted form of art education, particularly in the world of painting. These days, art tends not to be taught that way, and can indeed lead to severe penalties.
So, direct copying is a ‘No-No!’.
How many artists have created works based on poppies? To avoid copying the work of someone else, be inspired by your own resources. The poppy seeds (above) were drawn by me, from a photo that I took. I have created my own interpretation. A poppy seed is poppy seed. We can’t get away from that. But I have drawn, painted and stitched them in my own way.
Care also needs to be taken with imitation, but here the waters become muddied. Imitation is how we learn. As human beings, we copy and imitate from birth – everything from speech patterns to the way we dress to how we learn to read and write. How would we learn if we did not imitate?
As textile artists and quilters most of us begin the learning journey by taking someone else’s pattern and exactly recreating it. This is how we learn a technique, about colour values and how they interact with each other, about design. This is legal provided the pattern is used with the creator’s permission (e.g. you purchased the pattern).
But how often do you find yourself making just those few small adjustments to a pattern? A different colour here, a different stitch technique there…..we all do it, I’m sure.
This is the first stirring of true original creativity! And the time to go your own way.
I know that I am almost incapable of following a cooking recipe without making alterations – sometimes major ones! I may not have a particular ingredient, or it may not be to my personal taste, or I need to alter the cooking method to make the process faster. I really don’t remember when I followed a recipe word for word!
When we make alterations to a pattern (or recipe) in this way, what we are doing is taking our first steps on the path to being creatively inspired by another work.
Step 1: Get into the mind of the artist
In most of the art classes I’ve taken over the years, the first steps have often been to copy. Not copying other artist’s work, mind you, but copying from nature. This is an accepted method of teaching drawing – many teachers employ the technique.
And at first, I loved it! I had no confidence in my ability to draw, so copying was perfect. I could follow each line and mark with precision, erasing and correcting as I progressed. During one course I went to a local museum to photograph and draw anything that appealed to me, which in this case was the butterflies. I sat down and ‘copied’ this butterfly, from a specimen in a display case.
There is nothing great about this drawing – nor is it terrible. And not every detail has been captured. But it is quite clearly a butterfly, and in one sense, not terribly creative. I eventually realised that – Yes, I was drawing a butterfly. But does it represent me as a textile artist? No!
Many hours have also been spent meticulously recreating leaves and flowers, which I have to confess I enjoyed. This is straying into the realm of Botanical Art, though, which is a very precise technique for representing every detail of a flower or seed. And is very beautiful! I love botanical art.
But that is not what I wish to focus on here. I have only minimal knowledge of botanical drawing technique, so am not moving along that path right now.
In order to develop your ability to create original art, you need to ‘imitate’ by getting into the mind of the artist.
What does this mean? When looking at any work of art, whether it be an art quilt, painting or sculpture, get into the mind of the artist by considering:
- What was the artist’s intention?
- How did he/she think about, or approach the subject matter?
- What steps do you think were taken in creating the work?
- How might they have practised or prepared for creating the work?
- Were they aiming for a realistic or abstract interpretation?
- How can you be inspired, without copying?
Step 2: Subject matter
Creating your own work from ‘life’ or from photos helps in steering you away from copying another artist towards creating your own, individual interpretation. Of course, it’s best to use your own photos – then the work is truly yours and there is no need to ask permission of the photographer!
However, you can consider the subject matter used by famous artists.
Monet painted en pleine air in order to capture landscapes as he saw them. As an Impressionist, he did not seek to recreate every detail, but to create an impression, or suggestion, of what lay before his eyes. This would have been constantly changing and evolving as he worked – wind would move the clouds, make the grasses sway, the light would change. Monet was an absolute master at recreating landscapes that are both recognisable and creatively artistic.
And think about Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. We all know this is a painting of a bunch of sunflowers in a vase. Again, he set out to create an impression rather than a botanically exact painting.
So, think about what subject matter inspires you, what you want to create.
Like many others, I too, love sunflowers as subject matter and have used them many times in my work. Some years ago I grew a crop of Giant Russian Sunflowers in the middle of my lawn (the sunniest spot!) and am still inspired by the many photos I took at the time.
Be inspired by the subject matter of other artists, then create your own.
Step 3: Colour
Examine the colour palette used by famous artists. Are they:
- Bright and startling
- Soft or gentle
- Complementary
- Monochromatic
Consider what colours you are drawn to. When I step back and look at a range of my work I can see that I am, in the main, drawn to bright colours – lots of reds and yellows, blues and greens.
I remember going into a quilt fabric store a while back to purchase fabric for a commission quilt, seeking out heritage browns and deep reds, damask pinks, etc. I was right out of my comfort zone! While I admire the way other people use these colours, I found it amazingly difficult!
Step 4: Technique
Consider the technique used by the artist or quilter. Is the work:
- Pieced
- Appliquéd
- Formally or informally quilted
- Thread sketched or thread painted
- Variety of stitch techniques or design, or just a few
Referring back to my Giant Russian Sunflower, you may recognise this design from the Thread Sketching in Action series – No 1.
The two works are not exactly the same, but the similarity is obvious, and both were inspired by the same photo. In recreating my own design in a different way, I have changed the entire look of the piece.
Step 5: Style
What style do you like?
- Formal or informal
- Representational
- Pictorial
- Abstract
You could be inspired by the work of an artist, and yet change that work from pictorial to abstract, or vice versa.
Using one small section of exactly the same source photo used for the two sunflower designs above, this one takes an abstract view.
Be ‘Inspired’ then Be ‘Original’ – Copying Kills Creativity
Step 6: ‘Let your hair down’
Do something different! The other night I was doodling in my sketchbook, experimenting for some future thread sketch pieces, and – inevitably – found myself back with sunflowers again (just can’t stay away from them!).
This one is fairly predictable …
And this one is a bit more wild!
These are both really quite mild. How wild can you go?
Step 7: Think differently – Colour, Technique and Style
What could I do to take these sketches in a different direction?
- Work them in ‘wild and whacky’ colours
- Use a different technique – different stitch, different construction method, different materials
- Use a different style – go from whimsical to abstract, or even back to realism!
Step 8: Brainstorm – Think ‘Creative’
Explore deep into your mind. Try to think of as many ways of interpreting something as you can.
Brainstorm – don’t hold back! However way outan idea might seem, it might just be the thing you need to create a fabulous, original piece of work.
My next step with the sunflowers is to do just this.
- How could I change them to look different?
Step 9: Be Proud!
Never, ever worry about what other people might think about your work. Now, I must admit, this can be a difficult challenge! We are all affected in some way by the comments of others, but we have to try to push through that.
If Picasso never took the ‘risk’ of exploring Cubism, it would never have developed as a style. If Schoenberg had never ventured into 12-tone music, we would never have been exposed to this – sometimes confronting – musical style!
Like it or loath it, it’s how we develop as creative artists.
Step 10: Keep On Creating
- Never stop!
- Every step leads to the next
- Creativity builds on creativity
A final word of advice
- LOOK! Expose yourself to as much art as you can. All sorts – quilting, painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.
- LEARN! Examine how these artists work. What inspires them? What techniques did they use? What colours? Style?
- LOVE! Enjoy their work. Be inspired by it. Then …
- LEAVE! Go off and do your own thing. It will be much more rewarding (and creative) in the end!
Thanks for visiting!
