---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth is that painting is all about…"
description: "\"The truth is that painting is all about scale; you use scale to create experience. A lot of artists have lost that ability. They don't even know that's..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/eric-fischl-25287_ability_the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about_1941905.png"
---

#  The truth is that painting is all about scale; you use…

![“The truth is that painting is all about scale; you use scale to create experience. A lot of artists have lost that ability. They don't even know that's something they should be doing.” quote by Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/eric-fischl-25287_ability_the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about_1941905.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/eric-fischl-25287_ability_the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about_1941905.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/eric-fischl-25287_ability_the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about_1941905.png)

> “The truth is that painting is all about scale; you use scale to create experience. A lot of artists have lost that ability. They don't even know that's something they should be doing.”

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Artists should consider scale as a tool to shape viewer experience, yet many have lost this awareness.

**In simple terms:** Scale shapes how art is felt.

Key Takeaway

Use scale deliberately.

Themes

art creativity visual perception

Mood

analytical instructive

Type

educational practical

When to use this quote

- gallery design
- visual storytelling
- education
- art critique

Key Concepts

scale experience design

Questions to Reflect On

- How does scale influence emotional impact?
- When should scale be minimized?

A Different Perspective

May ignore other artistic elements beyond scale.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

## Related quotes

> [On a scale of one to ten, how punk am I? Apple. I don't use your scale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mirman/on-a-scale-of-one-to-ten-how-punk-am-i-apple-i-don-t-use-your-scale/)

[Eugene Mirman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mirman/)

> [“We use our minds in a way similar to how we use a scale - it tells us its worth, its value. But what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/we-use-our-minds-in-a-way-similar-to-how-we-use-a-scale-it-tells-us/)

[Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/)

> [I owe you the truth in painting, and I will tell it to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cezanne/i-owe-you-the-truth-in-painting-and-i-will-tell-it-to-you/)

[Paul Cezanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cezanne/)

> [Just because someone said painting is dead doesn't mean that it's a fact or the truth - painting is the soul food of art,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sherald/just-because-someone-said-painting-is-dead-doesn-t-mean-that-it-s-a/)

[Amy Sherald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sherald/)

> [I focus on telling the truth and painting a vision of what the country can become in the future if we make the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-castro/i-focus-on-telling-the-truth-and-painting-a-vision-of-what-the/)

[Julian Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-castro/)

> [I have been struggling with mental illness and emptiness throughout my life. Now I want people to understand my glorious quest for the truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yayoi-kusama/i-have-been-struggling-with-mental-illness-and-emptiness-throughout/)

[Yayoi Kusama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yayoi-kusama/)

> [When all lies, deceit, pretense is stripped away, what remains? The truth of a painting, or a book or a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-all-lies-deceit-pretense-is-stripped-away-what-remains-the-truth/)

[William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/)

> [Voice-acting, on the fun meter, is off the scale. You show up, you don't have to be all primped up, or dressed up. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-marsden/voice-acting-on-the-fun-meter-is-off-the-scale-you-show-up-you-don-t/)

[Jason Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-marsden/)

> [It was always that detail that drove me. Ever since I was a little kid, I used to get into the nitty gritty... when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-base/it-was-always-that-detail-that-drove-me-ever-since-i-was-a-little-kid/)

[Graeme Base](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-base/)

> [“The structure of life I have described in buildings - the structure which I believe to be objective - is deeply and inextricably connected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/the-structure-of-life-i-have-described-in-buildings-the-structure/)

[Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/)

> [Scales always lie. They don't make a scale that ever told the truth about value, about worth, about significance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/scales-always-lie-they-don-t-make-a-scale-that-ever-told-the-truth/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [In some ways, I lament the introduction of civilisation on such a huge scale, because it has given us a lot of room to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-harper/in-some-ways-i-lament-the-introduction-of-civilisation-on-such-a-huge/)

[Roy Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-harper/)

> [Being too happy is bad for you. 8 on 1 10-scale is just right. Eg. cancer patients are more likely to survive if they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-diener/being-too-happy-is-bad-for-you-8-on-1-10-scale-is-just-right-eg/)

Ed Diener

> [I stated that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are 'among the most unspeakable crimes in history.' I took no position on just where they stand on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-stated-that-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-are-among-the-most-unspeakable/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [“On a scale of one to bitchy, how hung-over are you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-carmack/on-a-scale-of-one-to-bitchy-how-hung-over-are-you/)

[Cora Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-carmack/)

## More by Eric Fischl

> [I think of art as a glue, a cultural and social glue. It's one of the means that has served to show us the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/i-think-of-art-as-a-glue-a-cultural-and-social-glue-it-s-one-of-the/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [I don't think my work is so much about opening up wounds. I think it's about understanding the nature of the wound. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/i-don-t-think-my-work-is-so-much-about-opening-up-wounds-i-think-it-s/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [Connecting to another is one of the most important things in the world and you can keep expanding that connection - one person, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/connecting-to-another-is-one-of-the-most-important-things-in-the/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [If you worry about how good the art is, you're never going to make your own art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/if-you-worry-about-how-good-the-art-is-you-re-never-going-to-make/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [Nudity is a problem for Americans. It disrupts our social exchange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/nudity-is-a-problem-for-americans-it-disrupts-our-social-exchange/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [Artists don't really want to be marginalized. They believe that everybody should be able to appreciate the experience that an artist gives them, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/artists-don-t-really-want-to-be-marginalized-they-believe-that/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [Art should create an experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/art-should-create-an-experience/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [Almost all of my early art dealt with the fallout from middle-class taboos, the messy, the ambivalent emotions couples felt, the inherent racism, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/almost-all-of-my-early-art-dealt-with-the-fallout-from-middle-class/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [Artists of my generation were not educated. We were not given the equipment because it was generally believed to be irrelevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/artists-of-my-generation-were-not-educated-we-were-not-given-the/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [A precision of composition and figuration is what I'm working toward. I've always felt viewers should have an experience without having to ask what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/a-precision-of-composition-and-figuration-is-what-i-m-working-toward/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [Personally, I never believe an artist saying "I do it for myself" is saying the truth, because why would you go through the trouble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/personally-i-never-believe-an-artist-saying-i-do-it-for-myself-is/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [I think making art is something where you think you know, you also know you don't know and you hope - all these things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/i-think-making-art-is-something-where-you-think-you-know-you-also/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [The saying "the business of art is different than the purpose of art" makes sense, and what are you going to do about that?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/the-saying-the-business-of-art-is-different-than-the-purpose-of-art/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [One of the things I love within music and within sports is how often musicians and athletes thank their audience. In the art world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/one-of-the-things-i-love-within-music-and-within-sports-is-how-often/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

> [I think people who make objects like the distance; they're not there when the other person is taking it in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/i-think-people-who-make-objects-like-the-distance-they-re-not-there/)

[Eric Fischl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

[Explore all 23 Eric Fischl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/)

## More Ability quotes

> [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/)

[Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/)

> [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/)

[Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/)

> [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/)

[Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/)

[Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/)

> [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/)

[Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/)

> [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/)

[Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/)

> [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/)

[Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/)

> [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/)

[Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/)

[Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The truth is that painting is all about scale; you use scale to create experience. A lot of artists have lost that ability. They don't even know that's something they should be doing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eric Fischl"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about-scale-you-use-scale-to-create/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ability"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about-scale-you-use-scale-to-create/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/eric-fischl-25287_ability_the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about_1941905.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/eric-fischl-25287_ability_the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about_1941905.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/eric-fischl-25287_ability_the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about_1941905.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The truth is that painting is all about scale; you use scale to create experience. A lot of artists have…” — Eric Fischl",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Eric Fischl",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fischl/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The truth is that painting is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about-scale-you-use-scale-to-create/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fischl/the-truth-is-that-painting-is-all-about-scale-you-use-scale-to-create/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
