Random Inspiration: Norman Rockwell

There is much to be inspired by in the works of Norman Rockwell.  His skills as a painter were prodigious, and as a storyteller, he has yet to be surpassed.  And despite some Modern critics who dismiss Rockwell as merely an illustrator, and deride his works as saccharine and kitsch, he is likely the most universally admired American artist of the 20th century.  So influential were his images, that they became idiomatic of an idyllic United States, one that many still believe in, and one that many still try to recreate.

But Rockwell's talents as both a painter and a narrator can sometimes obscure an underlying trait which he possessed and which deserves just as much recognition as his other skills;  Rockwell was a hard worker.  It may sometimes seem like everything came naturally to Rockwell, but the ease with which he appeared to create his works was the result of years of drawing and painting practice, and a healthy dose of preparation before starting each canvas.  "When I am working on a story-telling picture, every detail must be planned in advance," said the artist in his self-tilted instructional book Rockwell on Rockwell.  "I have to work everything out the hard way."¹ This is perhaps why he was fond of the Thomas Carlyle quote, "Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains."² 

As can be seen by the following photos of Rockwell's preparatory work for his painting, "The Art Critic," (1955), no effort was too great for the artist.

Rockwell typically followed the same procedure each time he created one of his narrative works. These steps were: 1. Getting the Picture Idea, 2. Selecting the Model, 3. Doing Research and Collecting Props, 4. Posing and Photographing the Model, 5. Executing the Charcoal Sketch, 6. Creating the Painted Sketch, and 7. Completing the Final Painting.³  Though Rockwell considered each of these stages leading up to the final picture essential, it was step 5, the charcoal layout sketch, which he felt was most important⁴, as it provided the real foundation of the painting.

To Rockwell, the imagination played a very significant role in developing the picture idea, and in selecting and arranging the details, but it had no place in the execution of the final painting.  Every single object appearing in the painting, Rockwell felt, had to contribute to the central theme of the picture,⁶ and therefore each object had to be well-drawn;  these objects could not be guessed at in the final stage.  "Never try to fake something if you can get the object and paint from it," said Rockwell. "When you know all about your subject by having done thorough research or, in the case of props, when you have them right in front of you, your picture will have the unmistakable stamp of authenticity and sincerity which it would lack otherwise."⁷ This also included the broader backgrounds, for which Rockwell was willing to travel across the country to experience and document with photographs. 

All of this preliminary work would culminate in the creation of the charcoal sketch, to which Rockwell would often devote a week of steady work – longer than he would often take to make the final painting. These sketches were done the same size as the final canvas, and, depending on the subject, were either carried out as a simple line drawing, or, more often than not, done as a full tone drawing (If the subject required little caricature, involved a lot of architectural elements, or Rockwell was simply pressed for time, he would do a contour drawing in charcoal, or sometimes pencil, if the composition was rather small.  The more his drawing diverged from his photo reference, the more likely he was to do a full value drawing in charcoal).  He worked on 42" wide architect's detail paper, which he prepared for accepting charcoal by rubbing the entire surface with a kneaded eraser to remove the manufacturer's sizing.  On this he would then draw using a variety of materials:  Wolff pencils in grades HB or B when tracing projections from his Balopticon, sharpened French charcoal (Fusain Rouget No.2, when available) for tones, and a kneaded eraser for most corrections.  "Do not feel that the time and energy you devote to this important step in picture making is wasted, because it is here, more than in any other part in making a picture, that you can express and develop your ability as a draftsman, your power of composition, your sense of humor or pathos, your ability to make every detail add to the message you want to convey."⁹

Considering the number of paintings Rockwell created during his career, it is remarkable that he did so while putting so much effort into each piece.  He did of course make the work easier on himself when possible;  photography and professional photographers certainly sped up his process, as did tracing projected images from a Balopticon, a task he sometimes assigned to a studio assistant (Rockwell would then make changes to his assistant's tracings).  But still, Rockwell's output was significant. Perhaps the lesson another painter should learn from Rockwell's example, though, is more than just working harder - it is a matter of applying that intense labor at the right stage of the picture-making process.  Intense preparation could possibly be the quickest route to a successful painting.

"You should not spare yourself in doing the best work of which you are capable, no matter what this involves." ~ Norman Rockwell ¹⁰

Norman Rockwell's painting, "The Art Critic," as well as several other of his iconic works, including "Going and Coming," and "Girl at Mirror" are currently on view at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.  American Chronicles:  The Art of Norman Rockwell, was organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and includes preliminary sketches, color studies, and photographs of Rockwell working in his studio.  It is on display through May 27th.  For more information, please visit the Crystal Bridges website.

See also:  Color Palettes:  Norman Rockwell (1894 - 1978)

¹ Rockwell, Norman, Rockwell on Rockwell:  How I Make a Picture, (Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1979), p. 115.

² Rockwell, p. 114.  Rockwell refers to the quote as, "Genius is the ability to take infinite pains,"though he is uncertain of its attribution.

³ These steps appear to correspond with Rockwell's mid to late career.  At the beginning of his tenure as an illustrator, Rockwell worked exclusively from life, so Step 4 would have not included photography.  The overall methodology would seem to be consistent, however, though how each step was executed certainly varied over the span of career.

⁴ Rockwell, p. 137.  It could be argued that the charcoal layout sketch was of secondary importance, it being subordinate to the picture idea.  "Without a good idea right at the start," said Rockwell, "only failure can result."¹¹

⁵ Rockwell, p. 115.

⁶ ibid., p. 82.

⁷ ibid., p. 114.

⁸ ibid., p. 93.

⁹ ibid., p. 115.

¹⁰ ibid., p. 135.

¹¹ Guptill, Arthur L., Norman Rockwell:  Illustrator, (Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1946), p. 195.