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Quote by Cennino Cennini

“When you have practiced drawing for a while... take pains and pleasure in constantly copying the best works that you can find done by the hand of great masters.”

Quote by Cennino Cennini

Author

Cennino Cennini

Cennino Cennini was an Italian painter and writer, born in 1370 and died in 1440. He is renowned for his book 'The Craftsman's Handbook', which is a comprehensive guide to the techniques of painting and the art of the Italian Renaissance. more

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“Take note that, before going any farther, I will give you the exact proportion of a man. Those of a woman I will disregard, for she does not have any set proportion.”

Men Giving Doe Notes Gender Proportion Disregard

Book:The Craftsman's Handbook

Source: The Craftsman's Handbook

“If you imitate the forms of a single artist through constant practice, your intelligence would have to be crude indeed for you not to get some nourishment from them.”

Ifs Form Artist Practice Constant Imitation Nourishment Crude

Author:Cennino Cennini

“If you set out to copy after one master today and after one tomorrow, you will not acquire the style of either one or the other, and you will inevitably become fantastic, because each style will fatigue your mind.”

Ifs Mind Today Style Masters Tomorrow Fantastic Acquire Copies Fatigue

Author:Cennino Cennini

“If thou shouldst paint mountains in a good style and to look natural, take some large stones full of cracks and copy them.”

Ifs Looks Natural Style Mountain Models Stones Paint Copies Cracks

Author:Cennino Cennini

“Mystery is the art of eliciting unseen things hidden in the shadow of natural ones... and serving to demonstrate as real the things that are not.”

Art Real Natural Mystery Shadow Serving Unseen Unseen Things

Author:Cennino Cennini

“The most perfect steersman that you can have, and the best helm, lies in the triumphal gateway of copying from nature. And this outdoes all other models; and always rely on this with a stout heart, especially as you begin to gain some judgment in draftsmanship.”

Heart Lying Nature Perfect Judgment Models Gains Rely Copying Gateways Helm Stout

Book:The Craftsman's Handbook

Source: The Craftsman's Handbook

“Now then, you of noble mind, who love this profession, come at once to art and accept these precepts: enthusiasm , reverence, obedience, and perseverance. As soon as you can, place yourself under the guidance of a master, and remain with him as long as possible.”

Mind Long Art Accepting Masters Perseverance Noble Profession Enthusiasm Obedience Guidance Reverence

Author:Cennino Cennini

“Painting can never show her nose in company with architecture but to have it snubbed.”

Shows Company Painting Architecture Noses

Author:J. M. W. Turner

“To select, combine and concentrate that which is beautiful in nature and admirable in art is as much the business of the landscape painter in his line as in the other departments of art.”

Art Beautiful Lines Art Is Painter Landscape Department Select Admirable

Author:J. M. W. Turner

“Painting is a strange business.”

Strange Painting

Author:J. M. W. Turner