Kevin Macpherson talks about two ways of seeing: subjective and objective. An artist must be able to distinguish between the two and use each at appropriate times to create realistic and inspirational art.Subjective Seeing - “We see what we know. Typically, we see as much with our minds as with our eyes, classifying what we see according to memories and editing, embellishing or exaggerating what we see in order to portray our personal response to the subject. This is subjective seeing. It involves emotions, preconceptions and prejudices.”
Objective Seeing - “Objective seeing, on the other hand, is the technical craft of seeing lines, values, color, shapes and edges. Basically, it is a study in visual relationships. Depicting reality on paper or canvas is an act of comparative thinking, a rational and logical process. We must not let our minds tell us what an object looks like or what color it should be. Rather , we must look, explore and discover the truth of the subject. It sounds easy, but the mind is amazingly persuasive.”
Kevin then goes on to describe how to use each type of “seeing”.
“The biggest obstacle in [objective] seeing…is preconceived ideas about objects. A tree has green leaves and brown bark, right? But if you paint it according to those formulaic beliefs, you’ll miss its infinite possibilities for color, and your development as an artist will be hindered. [Subjective seeing]…helps us engage our emotional response to a scene, making painting more than just a documentary process. Just as a poet selects and edits language down to its essentials, the visual artist must go beyond what one normally sees and depict a scene with artfully chosen shapes, colors, and values.”
From “Landscape Painting Inside & Out” by Kevin Macpherson
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