Hello Marshall and Stan, Firstly, this episode was amazing! I've just started learning composition and had a very narrow view on the subject but this episode has really shown me how an artist can have fun with it... Just a quick question tho: I'm a little confused with the matrix design where we separate the light and dark patterns... Are we supposed to separate light and dark or light and shadow? Or does this depend on whether we want Notan or Chiaroscuro? Thank you so much!

Just wanted to pop in to say how much I loved this episode, definitely one of my favourites - thanks guys.

When Marshall talked about metaphor in composition with the example of a dress modeled after a waterfall, it reminded me of something I read from the production of Shin Godzilla, where the designers used mushroom clouds/nuclear explosions as inspiration for Godzilla's skin and forms. It's very apparent in his misshapen, lumpy design.

This was the best by far thank you!

Great talk...My friend Brian Stelfreeze, you may know him, told me to do the same contrast study of JSS art. Don't need to be told a third time... Another great book on this is The Yin/Yang of Painting by H. Zhang. I will assume @Marshall Vandruff read Bouleau's The Painter's Secret Geometry and would toss it into the harmonics section. So in doing analysis of JSS Sargent's painting I am assuming part of the exercise is training our eye to see the difference in value on a scale of 1-15 is what falls on the side of 7 and what falls in the value of 8. Also, I plan to use an app like "See Value" to check my analysis. Thanks.

@Marshall Vandruff @Stan Prokopenko Hmm, you know what would be neat? This episode suggested a lot of jumping off points for starting a new composition. It would be neat to have them all in a chart that you could hang on the wall, keep on your desk, whatever. Then whenever you start a new project you could look at the chart and pick something. (Metaphor, mimic art you like, follow a template, opposites, etc. etc. etc.) Or maybe turn it into a spinner and whatever the spinner lands on, that's what you do :D Or maybe make it into a board game!! Whatever you land on that's what you draw. And maybe on some squares you could have, like, art battles where you... Actually I'm going too far with this. Let's back up. A chart would be cool. But depending on how busy you guys are it may not be worth the effort. I don't know. This episode just got me thinking about things that would help people get past the menacing brick wall that is art block. That is the biggest enemy of creativity and some people get defeated for years--even lifetimes--by it. It's sure gotten me more than once and it was hard to shake. It stole so much potentially great work from me. I've been an artist for 30+ years and my art now is only marginally better compared to 10 years ago. Hmm *rubs chin* You know what? What if you did an episode on art block. That interest you guys?

Wow Marshall, I do indeed love hearing your wise words about rules of composition vs. instinct. Perhaps finding a balance as in life is key...by the way, if Marshall teaches a composition course, I'm there. (online)

I particularly liked this episode. It made me discover artists, concepts & resources that wll be helpful. I enjoyed the playfull ambiance. Thank you!

Very useful and well explained, above all you can keep the interest in those who are watching you and not make the lesson boring. Great

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge! This is sooooo helpful! I've been looking forward to this since I first heard about it, and you two far exceeded my already high expectations. Wasn't expecting anything on the details of how to study nohtan (濃淡), but grateful it was there! I sat down ready to take notes, watching from the pc rather than the smaller iPad screen, and gave it my full attention, rewinding as necessary. One clarifying question please 🙋‍♀️ - Around 43:28, @Marshall Vandruff said something along the lines of there are Three Great Important Things About Composing - 1. Do it for the joy of making decisions, have fun. 2. Contrast and balance/use of opposites/(check your own use of polarities in your work) then Stan asks about Metaphor Is the third great important thing on this list Metaphor? From the flow of the conversation up to that point, that's the way I'm understanding it - and WOW did that section knock my socks off 🧦, but just to confirm. Thank you 🙏. Thank you again for how much you are giving us! So excited!!!