William Morris
William Morris
William Morriswas an English textile designer, poet, novelist, translator, and socialist activist. Associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement, he was a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production. His literary contributions helped to establish the modern fantasy genre, while he played a significant role in propagating the early socialist movement in Britain...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth24 March 1834
rewards life-is enough
The reward of labour is life. Is that not enough?
garden fruit chiefs
As to the garden, it seems to me its chief fruit is-blackbirds.
friendship heaven earth
Forsooth, brethren, fellowship is heaven and lack of fellowship is hell; fellowship is life and lack of fellowship is death; and the deeds that ye do upon the earth, it is for fellowship's sake that ye do them.
blue eyelashes long
Beauty is that little something that fills the whole world, and is contained neither in a single straight nose, a long eyelash, nor a blue mountain. Some see it in a leg of mutton, others in a compound fracture; and to expect others to accept one's own definition of it is as absurd as to expect all humanity to use the same toilet-brush.
rose trying painting
Don't put needless expense into painting a head! Don't try to match tints! Rose and pearly colours blend into each other so that no one can unite them if painted separately. Keep the impression of your subject as one thing!
advice
Don't talk of what you are 'going to do!' Do it!
writing sacrifice bird
Most of us live for the critic, and he lives on us. He doesn't sacrifice himself. He gets so much a line for writing a criticism. If the birds should read the newspapers, they would all take to changing their notes. The parrots would exchange with the nightingales, and what a farce it would be!
light needs
Nature is economical. She puts her lights and darks only where she needs them.
beauty pieces paper
Elaboration is not beauty, and sand-paper never finished a piece of bad work.
drawing differences glasses
Compare constantly, lines and angles... Hold looking-glass before your model and your drawing. Take a second's glance only, and see if the impression be the same. If it be not, ask, 'What is the difference?
imagination
Imagination comes in after we have experience.
stories venture matter
It's no easy matter to paint a background. I venture to say that the old painters had more difficulty with their grounds than with their figures. You know the story of Vandyke brought to Rubens with this recommendation: 'He already knows how to paint a background.' 'That is more than I can do!' was the reply.
giving-up dark color
Give up the idea of 'color' for awhile! Consider masses - values, only... One dark and one light place in every picture.
strength light add
There is force and vitality in a first sketch from life which the after-work rarely has... In your sketches keep the first vivid impression! Add no details that shall weaken it! Look first for the big things! 1st. Proportions! 2nd. Values - or masses of light and shade. 3rd. Details that will not spoil the beginnings!