THE RIGHT MARK
The Soul Searcher Drawings. “Untitled”, 16”x 12”, graphite, charcoal, acrylic and collage on paper. © 2021 David Limrite
“The brush stroke at the moment of contact carries inevitably the exact state of being of the artist into the work, and there it is, to be seen and read by those who can read such signs”
Robert Henri, Artist and Educator
The Right Mark
I often say that making art is the search to find the right mark. This confuses artists sometimes because they interpret “the right mark” to be “the perfect mark.”
I totally understand this interpretation, however, I am not saying that there is a perfect mark. In fact, there is probably no such thing as the perfect mark.
What I am talking about is making and recognizing that you have made the best mark that you can make in the moment. This, I consider, to be the right mark for now.
The right mark is the mark that adds the most to the drawing or painting at the time it is made. This mark contributes the most to what is currently happening on the surface of your canvas, paper or wood.
The right mark is the mark that propels you forward. The right mark is the mark that leads you toward making the next mark.
The right mark may get painted over or erased out at some point during the creation of the drawing or painting. But at the time, it was the best mark that could have been made.
You make a mark. Look at it. Assess. And then make the next mark. And so the process of art making goes. You make a mark and decide whether it is working for the whole piece. Or not. You then decide whether it stays or goes. You keep making marks while searching for the right ones. The best ones. The marks that work best right now. The mark that allows you to make the next one.
The emphasis is on “the search”.
Best,
David