What great painting is to moi...

Great painting is not just copying reality. Really the art form is all about embellishing and improving upon what is in front of you. How you do that and the choices you make while depicting a subject defines you as an artist. Learn from reality and then improve upon it. Like Jazz, having a good foundation is essential so you can then jump on stage and improvise into the realm of the fantastic. I've always loved the way really good cartoonists can do this by simplifying and reinterpreting their subjects. The art is really in how they stylize things. When done right in paintings, or drawings, it's something to behold. D