William Morris
William Morris
William Morriswas an English textile designer, poet, novelist, translator, and socialist activist. Associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement, he was a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production. His literary contributions helped to establish the modern fantasy genre, while he played a significant role in propagating the early socialist movement in Britain...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth24 March 1834
imagination
Imagination comes in after we have experience.
drawing differences glasses
Compare constantly, lines and angles... Hold looking-glass before your model and your drawing. Take a second's glance only, and see if the impression be the same. If it be not, ask, 'What is the difference?
reality appearance realism
You are to draw not reality, but the appearance of reality!
color simplicity trying
Strive for simplicity! Don't have the face a checkerboard of tints! Use such colors as nature uses, but not try to keep them distinct! Your work may be called monotonous, but one tone is better than many which do not harmonize.
art missions art-is
The mission of art is to represent nature not to imitate her.
inspiration
Inspiration is nothing without work.
canvas wells draws
You can always draw as well as you know how to. I flatter myself that I feel more than I express on canvas; but I know that is not so.
strength light add
There is force and vitality in a first sketch from life which the after-work rarely has... In your sketches keep the first vivid impression! Add no details that shall weaken it! Look first for the big things! 1st. Proportions! 2nd. Values - or masses of light and shade. 3rd. Details that will not spoil the beginnings!
religious cat sitting
I don't like persuaded sitters. I never could paint a cat if the cat had any scruples, religious, superstitious, or otherwise, about sitting.
writing sacrifice bird
Most of us live for the critic, and he lives on us. He doesn't sacrifice himself. He gets so much a line for writing a criticism. If the birds should read the newspapers, they would all take to changing their notes. The parrots would exchange with the nightingales, and what a farce it would be!
light needs
Nature is economical. She puts her lights and darks only where she needs them.
doubters painting conviction
How are we going to make painters by lecturing to them? We are going to make questioners, doubters, and talkers. We are going to make painters by painting ourselves, and by showing the paintings of others. By working frankly from our convictions, we are going to make them work frankly from theirs.
art philosophy light
Art teaches you the philosophy of life, and if you can't learn it from art, you can't learn it at all. It shows you that there is no perfection. There is light, and there is shadow. Everything is in half tint.
example fine-things fine
You can't do a fine thing without having seen fine examples.