I think people should practice both. It works different mental muscles. The best artists can do both when needed, and different mediums will force different ways of working. Casey Baugh can almost certainly lay down a linear head construction if he needs to. An artist may also find him or herself in a position where some figure invention is necessary. Then those gesture/structure skills will really come in handy.
Every successful painter I know keeps all these plates spinning in their heads as they go, and constantly switches between them. Even though the lines aren't drawn, they are getting thought about. That's why it takes some much practice, there's just too much to think about unless a huge chunk of it is ingrained.
barkerart in the post "Video: Portrait study timelapse by Mike Meth, a good friend of mine - focus on how he lays in the underlying structure of the face"
2015-01-28 16:48
I think people should practice both. It works different mental muscles. The best artists can do both when needed, and different mediums will force different ways of working. Casey Baugh can almost certainly lay down a linear head construction if he needs to. An artist may also find him or herself in a position where some figure invention is necessary. Then those gesture/structure skills will really come in handy.
Every successful painter I know keeps all these plates spinning in their heads as they go, and constantly switches between them. Even though the lines aren't drawn, they are getting thought about. That's why it takes some much practice, there's just too much to think about unless a huge chunk of it is ingrained.