---
title: "1 Try Imitate Quotes By John French Sloan"
description: "1 Try Imitate quotes by John French Sloan. Plus more from John French Sloan and more Try Imitate sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/john-french-sloan-13441_ancient_study-the-great-brush-drawings-of-the-ch_2955497.png"
---

> [Study the great brush drawings of the Chinese and Japanese... When we try to imitate their conventions for perspective, form and texture we lose the content, because those artists were part of an ancient tradition. Our tradition changes rapidly, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/study-the-great-brush-drawings-of-the-chinese-and-japanese-when-we/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/john-french-sloan-13441_ancient_study-the-great-brush-drawings-of-the-ch_2955497.png)

## More by John French Sloan

> [Painting is drawing, with the additional means of color. Painting without drawing is just 'coloriness,' color excitement. To think of color for color's sake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/painting-is-drawing-with-the-additional-means-of-color-painting/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [The purpose of subject matter is to veil technique. The great artist uses the cloak of resemblance to hide the means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/the-purpose-of-subject-matter-is-to-veil-technique-the-great-artist/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [You can be a giant among artists without ever attaining any great skill. Facility is a dangerous thing. When there is too much technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/you-can-be-a-giant-among-artists-without-ever-attaining-any-great/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [Be sensitive to the qualities inherent in the medium. Paint honestly and avoid tricks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/be-sensitive-to-the-qualities-inherent-in-the-medium-paint-honestly/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [Assimilate all you can from tradition and then say things in your own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/assimilate-all-you-can-from-tradition-and-then-say-things-in-your-own/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [Don't be afraid to borrow. The great men, the most original, borrowed from everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/don-t-be-afraid-to-borrow-the-great-men-the-most-original-borrowed/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [When painting a landscape it is desirable to walk through the clumps and around the bushes, around the trees, the houses and the rocks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/when-painting-a-landscape-it-is-desirable-to-walk-through-the-clumps/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [...in the habit of watching every bit of human life I can see about my windows, but I do it so that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/in-the-habit-of-watching-every-bit-of-human-life-i-can-see-about-my/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [The subject may be of first importance to the artist when he starts a picture, but it should be of least importance in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/the-subject-may-be-of-first-importance-to-the-artist-when-he-starts-a/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [When you draw a crowd of people in a street or room or landscape, decide whether you want to say that the people dominate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/when-you-draw-a-crowd-of-people-in-a-street-or-room-or-landscape/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [To play your colors by eye is worse than playing the piano by ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/to-play-your-colors-by-eye-is-worse-than-playing-the-piano-by-ear/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [The important thing is to keep on drawing when you start to paint. Never graduate from drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/the-important-thing-is-to-keep-on-drawing-when-you-start-to-paint/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [There is a better chance of getting an exciting painting from a laboured study with texture than from a fine drawing without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/there-is-a-better-chance-of-getting-an-exciting-painting-from-a/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [Don't be stingy with your paint, it isn't worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/don-t-be-stingy-with-your-paint-it-isn-t-worth-it/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

> [The artist does not see both eyes alike. There is always 'the eye' and the other eye... It adds life and plasticity to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-french-sloan/the-artist-does-not-see-both-eyes-alike-there-is-always-the-eye-and/)

[John French Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-french-sloan/)

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