A Designed Approach To Abstraction

Reviewer: Iwona R.

As a novice to painting I have found this movie very informative. It explains in great detail a creative process of building an abstract painting. I have rented few movies about painting process before but this is by far the most informative of them all. If you want to improve your design skills, especially working with values, this is a movie to rent.

Reviewer: Mary G.

Great painting video if you want to get a good viewpoint about design. These concepts may be applied to any painting, not just abstract.

Reviewer: Tonya V.

I thought this dvd was excellent! I got it on recomendation from a friend that took his workshop and I wasn't disappointed.

Reviewer: Priscilla W.

I found this video clear and well photographed. John takes his time through developing an abstract painting and he explains each step very well. I found it a bit tedious and fast forwarded through the last hour but it may be because this type of painting is not what I really want to do. He ends up with a very abstract painting. I think I wanted more how to eliminate extraneous parts in say a downtown scene to end up with nice shapes but still a painting reflecting a street scene.

Reviewer: Ruth M.

Kudos to John Salminen.

One of my personal frustrations with many painting videos is no explanation of why the artist does something. If all you want is a demonstration of the technique, you will be happy with many of the videos out there, but I am not. I want to be inside the artist's mind so that I can understand how the elements of design are used to create the piece; otherwise, my technical abilities may improve but my designing abilities will not.

Salminen, however, really delivers. He takes the viewer step by step through the development of his composition and his thinking as he makes design, value, and color choices. It's long and it's thorough and you will know a lot more about making art when it's finished.

Reviewer: Constance C.

This is a wonderful DVD that provides a great deal of information and thought processes that could be used in any style of painting. It would be helpful to a beginner or serve as a springboard to better design and painting for the advanced.

Reviewer: Elaine B.

Excellent DVD! He is thorough, clear and thoughtful. It gave me processes to use in all my work . I appreciated the step by step organization of the process and was especially appreciative of his explanations of why he does each step.I used it with my teenaged son who is interested in art, and it was very helpful!

Reviewer: Louise C.

Absolutely enlightening on abstraction. Step by step, it goes from very particular at the beginning of the process to spontaneous creativity in the end. A must for anyone who would like to go abstract but doesn't quite know how to get started.

Reviewer: virginia m.

Enjoyed the lessons! One of the best dvd! well worth it!

Reviewer: mary k.

EXCELLENT TIPS AND TEACHING OF DESIGN TECHNIQUES! I MAY EITHER BUY OR RENT IT AGAIN. THANKS

Reviewer: Jo R.

This wonderful video helped me see each step that the artist uses to develop a painting from the original drawings through to the final touches at the end. I felt like I was sitting in his studio with him, going carefully through the process. I appreciated the thoroughness of his approach and the care he took to show me how and why he did each step.

Reviewer: mildred k.

I loved this video! It opened my eyes to new ideas of composition. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: george w.

Very wordy, if that's a word, but you get the picture. He spends an inordinate amount of time drawing shapes that have to be unrecognizable and then transferred to a full sheet of watercolor paper. Afterwards he almost entirely ignores the shapes. If you are into geometric shapes in your paintings then this is an ideal approach for you. However he did show me several techniques that i can use in my own paintings. I doubt that I will ever paint the way he demonstrates in this dvd but I do like the examples of his industrial paintings. He is a skilled artist. If you have the patience to sit through the entire video I am sure you will come away with something you can use for your own artwork.

Reviewer: grace s.

Very informative but moved a little slow. He stimulated my thinking and I admire his patience in creating his pieces!

Reviewer: Susan H.

Mr. Salminen walks you through a very step by step approach to creating a personalized abstract painting. It is easy to follow and produces some very nice results. This DVD has great value.

Reviewer: Barbara P.

The best teaching DVD I've seen. Clear and complete instructions. I'm not an abstract painter, but this DVD has inspired me.

Reviewer: Lynn E.

I found "A Designed Approach to Abstraction" to be very helpful. Material about composition and other matters pertaining to painting abstracts is often scarce in comparison to that for representational painters. John Salminen does an excellent job of helping to overcome this deficit.

Reviewer: Francine V.

Absolutely marvelous!!!! Enjoyed every minute of it.

Reviewer: David H.

Extraordinarily helpful in designing and executing an abstract painting. The process was carefully considered and clear. The technical aspects of the production were first rate. Highly recommended.

Reviewer: dolores m.

I was absolutely mesmerized by the DVD-A DESIGNED APPROACH TO ABSTRACTION. It was packed with information pertinent to design--all those things we have studied in the past and didn't quite understand--all succinctly explained. While I understand that this was one mans approach, I highly recommend this to anyone wishing to learn more about the way to abstraction.