The Bottom Line
Pros
- Oodles of ideas and exercises for painting intuitively (rather than planning every step).
- Examples of finished artworks from a range of artists, in a variety of mediums.
Cons
- Not for anyone who believes good drawing and planning are crucial to good art.
- Most of the artworks are abstracts, but the ideas could be used for more representational works too.
- Captions are grouped rather than with each image.
Description
- Author Dean Nimmer teaches at the Massachusetts College of Art
- Paperback book, 160 pages, 250 color illustrations.
- ISBN 978-0-8230-97500. Published by Watson-Guptill.
Guide Review - Art from Intuition by Dean Nimmer
If you want to paint from your imagination, to "go with the flow", but don't know where to start or feel you don't trust your own creativity, then Art from Intuition will provide weeks and months of ideas to get you painting. It'll also be valuable to anyone wanting to start creating abstracts as it provides numerous starting points.
The book's jacket says it "offers solutions for letting go of the self-criticism, doubt, and insecurity that can undermine creative energy". While it's not going to turn you into someone confident in their creativity overnight, working through the exercises will teach you that ideas can come from anywhere and anything, that each has its own value.
If you don't like abstract or expressionist art, mixed media or collage, stay away from this book as its full of it. But if you like trying new ideas just to see where you end up, you'll find plenty to keep you occupied.
Art teachers will also find ideas that would work for groups, and find the art materials lists with each exercise helpful.
