Baroque

Baroque is believed to have come from the Portuguese word-barroco, meaning an imperfect or rough  pearl. As Renaissance is the 'Age of Discovery', the Baroque period is the 'The Age of Expansion'-suggesting that it enriches the former era's excellence, as it is believed to be both connected.The Baroque period is where Sir Isaac Newton was known for his nature in science, Salvaronola was burned at stake, the birth of Protestantism, Lutheranism and other religions, dividing Catholicism into parts in Italy and the period of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's execution in guillotine after the famous historical French Revolution.

The Baroque has five key elements. They are Time and Motion, as was seen in Gianlorenzo Bernini's Pluto and Proserpina where they seem to move. It also includes the dramatic use of light or the tenebrism, the theatrical or the emotional portrayal of the subject and the use of space. It can be seen in the paintings such as the Happy accidents of the swing by Jean Fragonard and  The Feast of Belshazzar: The Writing on the Wall by Rembrandt van Rijn. It is also said that the sense of mystery is applied in different Baroque artworks.

This period have captured the motion and the drama the Renaissance lacks, and this particular style in Baroque is what the present have adopted. Most of the viewers are captivated with the feelings the focus is portraying. Also, to paint or sculpt a piece of work, it is said to be more great if the artist can relay his/her message within his work with him characterizing his own creations into a more realistic expression.

Baroque has teach me its five elements. Especially do I feel the need to heighten the expression and the movement that I wanted to portray in a person's face and how important, or sad or happy I want the others to see. I draw them into my liking so that others will feel what my characters feel and sympathize. Truly, the Baroque era have live to its title as the Age of expansion.

Renaissance

The Renaissance-meaning 'rebirth'. It is the revival of the Greeks' and Romans' main subject matter and focus.  This is the humanism, wherein the human is that of the central importance. Renaissance is know to be the Age of Discovery, for most branches of science, music, literature, philosophy, religion (it is the period wherein Reformation has begun, giving birth to the religion Protestantism) and mostly in arts. The era wherein proud artists like Michelangelo Buonarroti, Lorenzo Ghiberti and the rest of the great artists most famous were shining in fame and pride swelling in their chest for every masterpiece done. This is the era of chiaroscuro, sfumato, glazing technique and attention to detail and realism.

Like I said above, most techniques and styles were born in this period of time, which were essential to the works of art of today. Renaissance had reenacted the wonders of mythology, the holiness of the Bible, the naturalness of the slice-of-life activities and the otherworldly meanings of each painting's symbols. It is relevant for it is the key influence mostly present in arts to theis day.

.The influence it brings to me is its most important element, focusing to the humans. It gives me the sense of reality, mixing it with Gothic or Classic style and even in the wonders of learning. The way the hues, shades and tints mix in and different values blend so perfectly and the interest to sought for an ideal form of perfection.

Christian art

    Christian art-an era of glory wherein Christians expressed their love towards God and Jesus Christ. This is the period wherein the religion was accepted by the Roman emperor-Constantine and people are free to choose their favored religion. The period which Christians have took out  their repressed emotion to create beautiful relief sculptures, mosaics, frescoes and holy imagery.

    As its titular name, I expected it to have Holy scriptures and Bible events as its predominant subject matter. Although, as of today, it may look somewhat ancient (the mosaics and painting style), as a Catholic, I feel that when I see an art, I can almost see a "Holy" word written in  invisible text. That, and I somehow feel some kind of utter wonder and amazement in my chest. The Romanesque style(circular domes) and the Gothic style(pointed arch) are blessings of the architecture world. The manuscript illumination (which also influenced Renaissance  in its early years) was a beautiful imagery that we can see in books nowadays, albeit it was quite rare.

   The dome style of the Romanesque and the pointed style of Gothic is what I use when I draw manors and sketch cathedrals. In fact, I'm quite a fan myself of the Gothic style. It just simply fascinates my eyes. Even though it is very much in detail and may require patience, it is very enjoying to look at once your finish with your hard work. Also the mosaics ideal to this era is something that I have used a lot of times.

   Most of this works are historical and important-especially the detailed containers of holy relics. Time may have passed, this era hadn't failed to flourish and live in us.

Ancient Art

   Ancient art is the first era of painting, sculpture, carving and architecture. Within this time, we can be able to tell how it is and how it had developed until now-enough to catch a viewer's eye. Not only this, but with art, we people on the modern world had been able to tell the history of man.

  There are various things that ancient art had influence me. First was the subject matter. The topics of people years ago wre animals and their everyday lives. Although I don't particularly like violence and warring tribes, I can very much appreciate their portrayal of their survival. Also, the post and lintel structure is very much accepted. Not only that but their carvings and drawings of symbols is something that an individual finds to do when doing an Egyptian art.

   Ancient art has always  give me some mysterious vibes-not bad but in a good way. When seeing a piece on that time, I can't help to feel that art has been a very important thing for them. It somehow feels nostalgic-albeit I don't live in those ages-and some overwhelming eagerness to know what's the meaning of their particular work and what's the story behind it.

Classical art

    Greece and Rome-two places wherein Classical art had sprung. It is the cities wherein gods and godesses like Zeus(Jove, Jupiter), Poseidon(Neptune), Hades(Pluto) and the rest of the main twelve deities was worshipped. These are the cities of Homer, golden ratio and the idea which will later inspired the era of the flowering of arts and knowledge-the notion of humanism.


    Yes, I do believe that it is very much influential. There were lots to mention of what classical art has bestowed upon me, upon us. Of course the golden ratio and the striking perfect form, balance and proportion. It is very much used, amateurs and professional. The capturing of the emotions of sculpture never failed to awe me-a figure made out of marble, copper or other mediums that is close to perfection. Its art that consists bare humans which, with the beauty of their angle and body has blended very well to the emotions of their faces and the activity that is being presented like throwing or in agony after a defeat in war. And of course, who would forget the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian order? I may not be an architect, but I use  it within drawing designs of houses.

   Also, the concept of humanity and the idea to sought perfection by art is much interesting for me. Like I said, it is  fascinating to view the perfection of the nude bodies and the mid-action of the image/person/deity being portrayed. The sense of form, balance and proportion is also rich in these era.The complexity and emotion in the Hellenistic style/period during these times are more than enough for us to virtualize it in our imagination and think that it is  real.

     It's exceptionally easy to be influenced by this era. In fact, I think I had listed  some of those above that I'm quite sure that has and is essential for using it when drawing or sketching. The history, the deities, mythology tales, order or sense of balance and perfection-pick out, it's all around you. Classical art has passed us down a lot of important things. They have given us ideas to enrich and to use and lessons, not only in art but in various things too.

Realistic, Alteration or Distortion?

     Art has different forms: as likeness and as alteration or it can be a distortion. The art of realism simply means what you can see around- the surroundings, the people and the animals. It is a means of painting and drawing exactly what you see in your naked eye, may it be how people socializes, how spring blooms or how the antelopes run from the lions. Art as distortion is like an abstract and hard to recognize  Art as alteration is how the artist see it in his/her way-his/her feelings, masterpieces that includes deep meanings and symbolisms. It may be like a half rotten apple pierced by an arrow seeping with black ink- which may seem natural to viewers, but I actually meant it as a forbidden love pierced by the arrow of reality, and the black ink is a blood, the rotten side is how it became because of the sin and it caused tragedy. There you have it; you got a peek of how I visualize an altered art.

    

     I like drawing realism, especially if we’re talking about the nature. I’m not really good in animals, but with practice, it’s achievable. Drawing is all about practice, right? A bright idea, an imaginative mind and tons of practice, always like that. Anyway, as for people, my drawing may be heavily influenced by anime, or when I try 3D things, I like it to look like those Final Fantasy characters, but the point is I always like to draw them with good anatomy and proportion, and of course the colors. I don’t like having my drawing without colors or if it will appear a simply elegant monochrome, shadows and lighting will never leave it-may it be colored or colorless. Arts as alteration have influenced me too, for ideas for good stories rush within them. I love it when my drawings have a story behind it-for it fuels me and I have his passionate urge to make it alive-metaphorically speaking. Art as distortion though, or those abstract are not my types. I can draw it, but I don’t prefer it.

     

     So in conclusion, I barely like art as distortion. I always prefer realism for the nature and alteration as my expression and idea. I can’t seem to choose between the two for they always mixed in when I paint or draw or sketch.

Making an impromptu art

     What is impromptu? Impromptu refers to being offhand or doing something without having any extensive study on a given subject. It is doing something without any further ado, from mind, to hand towards applying it to a blank paper-ready to weave an unexpected masterpiece.

    An impromptu art sprung from an individual, may she/he is a beginner or someone doing for the sake of his/her skills. Most of them consist of abstract or it may have an amateur feel into it. Those works in this kind of style have a strong sense of imagination and emotion. When I do an impromptu art, I simply brainstorm on what functions I could find in the given subject. If I am not satisfied with what I have gathered, I look around my surroundings, trying to find an object or a behavior I might find interest in. And if none of these methods had succeeded, the multimedia is just a click away. I will find a notion in listening music-by listening to the lyrics or perhaps just feel the emotion in the way it is sung. A good movie or a short story or history book is a good provider to be able to make the gears inside of your head work.

    Doing impromptu art may give us nervousness, but in truth, it’s just the pressure. Thinking for a good idea to draw or to paint, one must be in their calm demeanor. For the hardest we try to force ourselves, the toughest it is to think and to draw. It’s like having an artist block; you need inspiration and motivation, not pressure.