Michael Torlen

Paintings

Studio Seeing

A Practical Guide to Drawing, Painting, and Perception.

Studio Seeing offers a close examination of perception as artists use it in the studio. Michael Torlen shares here the successful process he has developed over decades of teaching and studio practice in a straightforward way that other artists can apply to their own work. Using examples from his own experience and supporting them with a rich illustration program that includes works from historical and contemporary artists, Torlen distills clear, effective principles for painting and drawing that will help artists make great strides in their understanding and ability. Chapters include exercises designed to help artists immediately understand and apply its concepts.

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University of Chicago Press
 
 

“In this brilliant book, Michael Torlen sets out to create what he calls an ‘Academy of Individuals,’ inviting artists to follow their individual interests and stylistic paths. Studio Seeing covers a lot of ground, from facing a bare canvas to chapters on perception, line, and value. By way of clear, well-wrought guidance, diverse illustrations, and engaging exercises, Torlen draws on a lifetime of art-making and teaching to enrich the creative lives of artists. The book is a gift to artists and those of us who want to know how the creative process works. Read this book and you’ll see.”

Carl Little, Art Critic and Author,
Mt. Desert, ME

“Studio Seeing is a triumph. I don’t believe anyone has written about ‘seeing’ so clearly and completely. ‘Seeing’ things entails more than copying things that you see. Seeing ‘things’ is not understanding things unless you see them in relation to what is adjacent to them, in front of them, behind them or even things that are not there. It is the context of things that gives the viewer (or the artist) understanding. How you perceive things can control meaning; and meaning can vary from person to person. Therein lies the power of art. Having Michael Torlen as a teacher was a gift. It is thrilling to have a book that puts his lifetime of experience and thoughts in one place for artists, young and old, to learn from and enjoy.”

Fred Wilson, 1999 MacArthur Fellow and conceptual/installation artist,
New York, NY

“Michael Torlen’s Studio Seeing, an assemblage of pedagogical postulates honed over a career of interacting with artists, is an essential volume for those interested in art, perception, artists, or the education of people with these interests.”

Ravi S. Rajan, President,
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Santa Clara, CA

“The distinction between painting’s and drawing’s two-dimensional materiality, and their meanings will always be a compelling mystery. Studio Seeing is a wonderful exploration of that mystery as it so deftly explicates perception, material, and method as applied to painting and drawing. It is truly a gift to those of us that practice and study the art of painting and drawing and it makes for good reading whether you want to use it as a teaching/learning aid or just as a pleasure to read.”

John Torreano, Artist and NYU Professor Emeritus,
New York University, New York, NY

“A must have book for anyone who wants to learn how to ‘see.’”

Michael Scott, Artist,
Santa Fe, NM

“Torlen’s experiences as a student, a teacher, and a practicing artist enhance his discussions of the psychology and physiological components in how we see. Studio Seeing is an informative examination of visual perception and the methods for advancing an individual’s skills in drawing and painting.”

Honour Mack, Professor, Painting Department Chair,
Maine College of Art & Design, Portland, ME

“Studio Seeing is a timely work making a case for ‘vison-based pedagogy.’ The book is filled with helpful anecdotes, clever and memorable analogies, and excellent exercises. More than just an instruction book or teacher’s manual, Torlen explains the reason and the context for the exercises included in the book, articulating many of the ideas that painters understand in making their work but are often less able to explain.”

Magnus Quaife, Professor of Artist Pedagogy,
University of the Arts, Helsinki, Finland