This lesson starts out with discussing traditional research through documents and the three types of sources; primary, secondary, and tertiary. You can use tertiary and secondary sources to point you to primary sources. Then discussing 2 other research techniques; immersion and interviewing.
What types of research are right for your book?
by: your instructor
"Every nonfiction book requires different amounts and kinds of research. Tell us about your research plans! If you've already started your research, share any tips you might have that may help out your colleagues."
Actually all three would work. I've been unknowingly doing the immersion technique, started the traditional research technique, and have considered interviewing.
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Today's research assignments
by: your instructor
"Did you complete any of today's assignments in research, interviewing, or immersion? If so, tell us about your experiences!"
I've completed Part 1 & 3. Still have to do part 2.
by: Darlene
My research plan has now expanded to include lists. Lists of fads...music...movies...food, etc.
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Using the Internet for Research
I've been studying this subject for a while because this is what I like to do. Although I started seriously researching and taking notes a couple of months ago when I decided I wanted to write a book. So I touched upon each of the steps covered in this class. Some of the answers I just know. I'd like to ask my artist friends what they think the next time I see them.
Basic facts: definitions of Plein air painting, Urban Sketching. My definition for painting on location combines the two.
Important dates: 1870s for plein air painting, 2007 urban sketching
People associated with topic: Impressionists to modern day current working artists
Places associated with topic; Painting on location falls into 2 general categories: Plein air painting and urban sketching.
Plein air painting is generally outside, country mostly and city scapes possibly.
Urban sketching can be country scenes but tends to be urban both outside on the streets and parks to inside cafes, moving vehicles..... (Last winter we painted in cafes, malls and libraries. My friends didn't want to paint outside in the snow. I don't care what or where I paint. I just like painting with my friends.)
Plein air painting is mainly painting with paint.
Urban sketching is mostly sketching, usually in a notebook, with drawing media like pencils, pens, markers, pastels (regular and oil), watercolor, occasionally traditional paint.
Both of them are primarily done on location, although some artists put the finishing touches on their paintings in their studios.
Events associated with your topic: quick paint, plein air events, paint outs, club excursions
Cultural movements associated with your topic: Impressionism, Urban Sketchers.
It seems to me that Plein Air painting had fallen out of favor for many years up to the late 90s. Not sure when it fell out of favor. This information is hard to find. I just have a general sense from reading books on artists showing how they plein air paint. There was a long dry spell of people only painting indoors. However, there was always a small, hidden sub-group of people who painted outside and sketched on location. Such as Carl Judson, great guy, he visited our club. I use his guerilla painting box and tripod. It's very sturdy and I haven't lost any parts yet. http://www.guerrillapainter.com/wherescarlnow.html
Anyway I have the sense that towards the end of the 90's clubs started forming or readjusting their focus, I also think that the internet helped bring like minded people together.
Plus another trend is that baby boomers have started to retire and decided to take up painting as a pastime.
Then about 5 years ago, 2007 urban sketchers began and the whole paint on location for fun and/or money become more popular. Every year now you can see more plein air events and there's even a magazine called PleinAir Magazine. Urban Sketchers have put out a book also and have expanded their events.
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Using the Library- and your reference librarian
I first searched using keywords: Painting on location, urban sketching, painting as a pastime to find the subject headings using our libraries online data base. I didn't try searching the Library of Congress.
Subject: Plein air painting---Technique 751.422; 751.45436
Subject: Cities and towns in Art, City and town life in art, Drawing--Technique 704.944
Subject: Painting 750
One of things I've done is go to different libraries in our library system and just browse these general areas along with their magazines. You never know what you will find. You could probably do the same thing in bookstores.
Right now I'm not going to use the reference librarian. However I will keep that resource in the back of mind in case I need it for my next project.
Actually I might use the librarian once the book is written to help with the CIP (Cataloguing in Publication) data because I'm thinking I may decide to donate a hard copy to local libraries. It just depends how the book turns out. If they can't help me then I may use an online source which needs to be done before the book is published. (reference: Publish and Sell your Ebook Lesson 4)
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Taking notes:
This is the most grueling and least fun part. I like reading and it is easy. A lot of what I've read seems to say the same thing. What I've been doing is taking notes in a OOS document where I've put the bibliographic info in the header and automatic page numbers in the footer. For web pages, I print the whole page, including url. My plan is to eventually sort them into piles on the floor, see if my chapter outline works, then write one chapter per pile.
In addition to taking notes in OOS document I decided to start posting on my blog the bibliographic data from the books, etc. that I'm researching. (author's name, name of book or publication, article name, publication date of source, volume number, page numbers where material appears, URL of website.)
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Interviewing people
I'd like to do this but more informally. I know quite a few painters personally. I think I would start by writing a blog post and offering to link to their website.
My Name: Hi,
Topic of your Book: I would like to profile artists on my blog who paint on location. I'm also in the process of writing a book called "Don't Cry Over Spilt Paint, Painting on location for the Terrified beginning painter"
Information you'd like to find out: I enjoy your work and would like to talk to you in more detail about painting on location; your approach and goals, why you paint on location, suggestions for people who'd like to paint on location, how you pick where to paint and why, any other thoughts.
Once I've written it, then I would email it or show it to them the next time I'm painting with them so they can look over it before I post it on my blog.
Credentials that would make the person feel more comfortable with you: I am the blogmaster of our art club's blog, also have a couple private blogs for various projects. This post could go on our club's blog to help send traffic to their site.
Setting up the interview: I'll probably ask people the next time I see them what would be most convenient for them and maybe give them a list of questions to think over. (They can answer as many or few as they like, or go off totally on a different topic. Whatever they like.)
Doing your homework: I will review their websites. I don't think my subjects will appreciate me bringing a tape recorder. I think I'm better off taking notes in a notebook, writing out the interview immediately when I get to a computer, then giving it to them to review and comment on. Then once they approve it, post it on the blog.
Doing the interview: It will definitely be a friendly conversation, probably while we're both painting on location.
Questions:
How did you get started painting on location. What made you start painting on location?Why do you paint on location?
Suggestions for painting on location. Funny stories?
How do you know where to paint? How do you pick your subject? What do you bring?
General approach or technique.
Other comments....
Do I need to do a "subject release form" similar a model release form?
(I don't mind getting too much information. I could probably use it for another book like "The Painter Next Door" a more general book than "Indiana Painters". Just thought of that title last night while reading this chapter. I've been wanted to do a series of blog posts on our club members along with other artists that I know. So this will be a good way to do that. Then maybe down the road, I can organize the posts into a book. However, right now I need to stay focused.)
"Off the Record" Comments and difficult topics: I don't want to publish anything that my friends are uncomfortable with. Life can be pretty dark at times so I'd rather write a fun, uplifting book.
Phone and email interviews: I prefer to do face to face interviews. It's more personable and I have trouble hearing on the phone.
by: your instructor
"What a fantastic job, Kat! I love your thorough approach. You can get releases if you want to, but there is no requirement. It really depends on how comfortable you are with the interviewees."
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Immersion Technique:
I am a practicing on location painting as a pastime painter.For example I painted all day in a local garden charity event last weekend. Hopefully will get to paint outside tonight with some friends.
What did I see? Very nice, professionally designed and implemented, planned, gardens along with well maintained houses. Friendly people.
What do I hear? "I could never do that" "When I mix colors together, they get all muddy" (I invited him to join our club.) "Dad!, look they're painting our house." Al's iPod playing polkas before Amy gave him some more modern music." (I don't mind polkas.)
What do I smell? damp concrete, grass, plants, flowers
What do I taste? My peanut butter sandwich I quick wolfed down because I didn't want to stop painting.
What do I feel? Happy. Having fun with my friends. At first a little frustrated because I was having difficulty getting the painting to come together but then finally happy as it came together and turned out quite well.
Dig deeper into the scene:
What stands out the most in this scene? The people walking past. Feeling like an animal in a zoo exhibit (but in a nice way) as we were invited to be part of the local color to entice people to come to the event and donate.
What's different about this place since the last time I visited? Actually first time painting in this neighborhood
How would I describe
the people in this scene?
• what are they wearing? Casual but nice not ragged clothes. Upper middle class.
• How are they behaving? Walking around, talking to each other, looking at the gardens, happy, enjoying the event
• What expressions do I see on their faces? smiles, curiosity
• How do they seem to feel about being here? happy, enjoying the gardens and each other. A lot of them are neighbors who are visiting and checking out their neighbor's gardens.
architecture or other physical elements in this scene? Mostly nice brick homes in a well maintained, residential, city neighborhood for upper middle class people. Tree lined streets. Beautiful gardens and lush lawns. Moderate sized lots. Bigger than shake your hands with your neighbor lots, separated by driveways but smaller than suburban lots.
natural elements? Started out cloudy and overcast but by the end of the day was sunny. Perfect temperature, in the low high 60s to low 70s, with a slight breeze. No biting insects.
What do I
like most in this scene? The lush lawns and gardens against the brick homes
dislike the most in this scene? Really didn't disliked anything. Was happy to be there. Really glad that there were no biting insects and that it wasn't pouring rain. Drizzle would have been ok.
What if anything strikes me as being out of place? The newer aluminum sided addition. (I left it out and didn't paint it in, artistic license) The occasional more modern aluminum sided house.
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Side note: I just finished reading "I could write a book" by Roy Reiman. When he started the magazine Farm Building News he wanted to learn more about the industry so ran a picture of himself in the first issue of his magazine saying "Editor For Hire...Cheap!" and "offered to work for a full day on the building site of the highest bidder before each issue....then write a "diary" of [his] experience for the next issue, and give his salary to a charity of their choice." I think there is a TV show on cable "Dirty Jobs? Tough Jobs? that I saw on one of our vacations, where the host immerses himself too.
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