James Gurney Lecture

James Gurney is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Dinotopia books and Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter, his acclaimed book about color theory and application. His artwork has been shown in solo exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution, the Norman Rockwell Museum, and the Norton Museum of Art. He designed the World of Dinosaurs stamps for the U.S. Postal Service and has won the Hugo, Chesley, Spectrum, and World Fantasy Awards. He shares his painting knowledge on his daily blog, gurneyjourney.blogspot.com.    

Mr. Gurney will present two lectures. “Composition: The Eye, the Mind, and the Story” examines composition through three lenses:

• Visual perception (how do viewers really look at pictures?);
• Communication (what does the picture hope to get across?); and,
• Tonal design (how can the lights and darks be arranged for maximum effect?).

“Looking at Faces” builds on recent scientific discoveries about what goes on inside the brain when we look at faces. Humans are hard-wired to see faces; that’s why we see them in random forms like rock formations and cheese toast. Eye tracking studies have proven that we fixate most of our attention inside the triangle formed by the two eyes and the mouth when we look at a person, which is why artists work to get that area right. Gurney has been directly involved in recent research that reveals even more about how we see.  Mr. Gurney will also do a portrait demonstration and sign copies of his book, Color and Light, which are available for purchase in advance at www.yellowbarnstudio.com with your lecture ticket.