Studio Seeing

“Studio Seeing is a great resource for artists and students or anyone who wants to learn about the mystery of painting and drawing—essentially the making of flat shapes to communicate multi-dimensional perceptions, concepts, and meanings. This book is a wonderful exploration of that mystery as it so deftly explicates perception, material, and methods as applied to painting and drawing. 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 “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 “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 “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 “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 “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) “A must have book for anyone who wants to learn how to ‘see.’” -- Michael Scott, artist