Finding Your Visual Voice: A Painter's Guide to Developing an Artistic Style

by Dakota Mitchell, Lee Haroun

Discover Your Artistic Individuality " When you listen to your visual voice and follow your intuitive artistic truth, you feel energized, stimulated and connected. Your creative juices are flowing and you receive the energy needed to create what you feel. At the same time, you experience a sense of peace and calm, the satisfaction of doing what you are meant to do." —Dakota Mitchell Express your creative vision by discovering your distinctive visual voice. Many art instruction books show you ways to paint, but this guide prompts you to explore how and why you paint. What do you respond to visually? Emotionally? This book helps you answer those questions and more to give your artistic self a voice. Finding Your Visual Voice is the only book that offers step-by-step painting demonstrations, visual examples and engaging exercises to help you build a customized creative process. You'll paint with expression and confidence, so that you can act on your truest creative impulses, and create the artwork you've always dreamed of painting. Garner encouragement and advice from more than 30 successful artists whose insights are featured throughout the book. In their own words, these artists describe their work, revealing their personal struggles, discoveries, processes and achievements. Their compositions span a diverse range of subjects and mediums, but all offer an illuminating perspective on the elusive nature of artmaking. Dare to find your own voice and push your artistry well beyond the boundaries of your previous work. With this guide and your own imagination, you have everything you need to achieve a richer, more rewarding artistic life.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

128 pages, Spiral-bound

First published February 23, 2007

Reviews

[Kira Dlusskaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long-time dabbler in fine arts, I found this book extremely useful. It is highly pratical and inspirational at the same time. Each section is followed by a set of exercises, and though I have not yet done all of them, I found the ones I did do very useful in defining my style as a painter. It is approachable for both beginners and long-time painters, though some experience with technique is necessary, because this book does not teach technique. But that's not really its purpose. I would most recommend this book to artists who may be at a crossroads in their path or facing creative blocks.

[E.v. Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've referenced this book so many times, and even without a strong arts background, I love it. The advice and interviews, not to mention all the paintings, are truly inspiring. Love, love, love this book!

[Mona Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If you hear a voice within you saying, 'You are not a painter,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced" - Vincent Van Gogh

"Only that art is viable which finds its elements in the surrounding environment...we must draw inspiration from the tangible miracles of contemporary life." - Umberto Boccioni

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book - well worth the read. I have a lot of new ideas to explore in my artwork.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Helps you think about where your art comes from and what sort of art you enjoy creating.