How is your eye?

[reetpleat]

I guess I have always had a sharp eye. I was reminded yesterday when I was buying some tools at a pawn shop to replace some stolen ones. ON the way out I spotted a leather jacket out of the corner of my eye. Something about it just caught my attention. UPon close inspection, it was a woman,s langlitz, and better yet marked down to 7 bucks. It is now on e-bay about to sell for 4200 bucks or so, just aboutwhat ZI spent at the pawn shop.

I realized years ago taht I was more gifted than some in my ability to glance at a suit and identify age, etc, and can walk down a row in the thrift store barely glancing and pull out all the vintage items.

I think it is partly ADD and partly just genes, and partly practice. But it is always a suprise to me to realize how many people do not have that attention to detail. I guess that is why clothing manufacturers can get away with such shoddy construction these days.

So I am wondering if other fl ers tend to have always had a keen eye for detail. Is that why you got interested in vintage? Do you work in a field where you use that skill?

I ahve gotten into real estate agenting, rehab, and buying and selling. I have a good eye for potential and subtle design details that come in very handy and what is more, I love using them. Design is fun.

 

[dr greg]

practise makes perfect

I'm sure there are savants who just know from an early age, there's some english kid who can pick stuff out at 5 yrs old or whatever, but I go mainly by colour, especially in shirts and jeans and usually suits and hats, there were different dyes used back then, I can pick a 50's aloha shirt out of 100 others on a rack at 20 paces by that alone. There are lots of repro's and things around as well so you just have to learn the hard way. The joy of hunting for old leather jackets is that the average person thinks that worn in means worn out. I've picked up 50's motorbike jackets for 5 bux because they are "ruined". It gets harder though as ebay spreads its evil claws and everybody becomes an antiques expert overnight.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I have found that my artistic abilities, my artist's eye as they say, helps me to recognize the gems amongst the junk. It's entirely non-verbal and intuitive. It's like I can look at things and see every minute detail and the big picture both simultaneously. Once I learn what to look for it jumps right out of the background.

 

[Tomasso]

I am cursed with an architect's eye. Sometimes god is in the details, sometimes the devil. [huh]

 

[Amelie]

I think I am better having a good eye, since I am studying art history lol

(and I studied fashion design for a year)

 

[CharlieH.]

Being a modeller, I must have a very good eye to find and place small pieces here and there - Alas, it requires some mechanical assistance.

 

[GOK]

Sometimes its a pain though - if something is slightly out, even by a few mm, it vexes me. I ripped out one of my kitchen cupboards and rebuilt it because of this!

Because I work with clothing, I tend to see exactly people's clothes don't fit and wonder how on earth they could be comfortable!

But the worst thing is that from years of working as teacher, jornalist and proof reader, I tend to notice every grammatical error and spelling mistake people make, which I don't want to be doing when communicating with friends. What began as instinct (I used to correct my teachers - I must have been soooo annoying) and became honed through career choices is something of a curse now. [huh]

 

[Harp]

I think I am better having a good eye, since I am studying art history lol

Any favorite artists?

El Greco's The Assumption is my favorite work.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think I do have a "keen eye," even though my eyesight is actually quite poor -- and I'm especially good at noticing period detail in movies and such, not just the obvious things like clothes and hair and makeup, but the background details that are so often botched. It drives me crazy to see things like typefaces or signs or package designs that are out-of-period in a film where everything else is accurate -- especially when I realize there's people being paid more money than I'll ever earn to check up on just those sorts of details and they're getting it wrong! How does one go about getting a job like that, anyway??

 

[Amelie]

But the worst thing is that from years of working as teacher, jornalist and proof reader, I tend to notice every grammatical error and spelling mistake people make [huh]

oh, please, a little pity *flees*

Any favorite artists?

El Greco's The Assumption is my favorite work.

it's really to hard to pick ONE favourite [huh]

I tend to like more artists from the roccoco (such as Fragonard and Boucher) and from the styles after that period ( I really do like Gustave Moreau a lot (symbolist)) But I also completely adore painters like Van Eyck and Bruegel (And I think THE EYE is happy there lol)

But I do have a favourite style in decorative arts: Art Nouveau. And in that, I think I am different from most people here who loves Art Déco

BUT I would really like to specialize in costume history.... I have to find a way of doing that, but then I start worrying about carreer opportunities... lol

(ok I am stopping here lol)

(but I must admit el greco's work is fascinating, especially when taken in the context in which it was produced

 

[Harp]

oh, please, a little pity *flees*




it's really to hard to pick ONE favourite [huh]

I tend to like more artists from the roccoco (such as Fragonard and Boucher) and from the styles after that period ( I really do like Gustave Moreau a lot (symbolist)) But I also completely adore painters like Van Eyck and Bruegel (

Van Eyck's Arnofilni and His Bride is a most interesting portrait.

 

[Amelie]

Van Eyck's Arnofilni and His Bride is a most interesting portrait.

don't make me speak about that painting I could bore you hours and hours with it and you won't be able to stop me

(ok, maybe in english, you could lol)

 

[Harp]

don't make me speak about that painting I could bore you hours and hours with it and you won't be able to stop me

(ok, maybe in english, you could lol)

A lady as lovely as you could never bore me.....

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

I like watching a movie and trying to name the year it was made. Every movie that has been made has had a certain style, look, and attitude throughout it's existance and it's interesting to differentiate them. The films of the late 20's and early 30's had slightly poor sound, the image quality was a bit dirty, and many of the films hardly had any soundtrack in them at all. The late 30's and most of the 1940's however had much better quality and more of a complete score. The 60's had those reaction shots where the camera would zoom into a person's face from miles away to catch their reaction, when "zooming" first came out, this was a very popular style. The 70's had surreal cuts where it would cut from one place to another randomly. The 80's have a certain look too. It's just a matter of spotting it.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I think I do have a "keen eye," even though my eyesight is actually quite poor -- and I'm especially good at noticing period detail in movies and such, not just the obvious things like clothes and hair and makeup, but the background details that are so often botched. It drives me crazy to see things like typefaces or signs or package designs that are out-of-period in a film where everything else is accurate -- especially when I realize there's people being paid more money than I'll ever earn to check up on just those sorts of details and they're getting it wrong! How does one go about getting a job like that, anyway??

I think I've just had a profound revelation Lizzie! That is just the sort of job you should maybe look for then! Maybe start by looking online, asking contacts that you know. Other search avenues will come to you. To you it probably seems like a wild idea, but I have a hunch that you are a natural.
My intuition always works.

 

[jugband1]

I agree the keen eye is a curse sometimes. With clothes it is great....to be able to spot quality fabric in a rack of junk is a gift, but I work as a photo retoucher for ads, so i am paid to pick out and fix flaws all day long....it is hard to leave that at work sometimes.

kate

 

[reetpleat]

I like watching a movie and trying to name the year it was made. Every movie that has been made has had a certain style, look, and attitude throughout it's existance and it's interesting to differentiate them. The films of the late 20's and early 30's had slightly poor sound, the image quality was a bit dirty, and many of the films hardly had any soundtrack in them at all. The late 30's and most of the 1940's however had much better quality and more of a complete score. The 60's had those reaction shots where the camera would zoom into a person's face from miles away to catch their reaction, when "zooming" first came out, this was a very popular style. The 70's had surreal cuts where it would cut from one place to another randomly. The 80's have a certain look too. It's just a matter of spotting it.

I love that. I don't get into film enough for that, but I like to guess the date built and price too of a house. I am usually pretty spot on. I guess it is using the skill towards what we are into. of course we all do it with clothing.

 

[reetpleat]

I think I do have a "keen eye," even though my eyesight is actually quite poor -- and I'm especially good at noticing period detail in movies and such, not just the obvious things like clothes and hair and makeup, but the background details that are so often botched. It drives me crazy to see things like typefaces or signs or package designs that are out-of-period in a film where everything else is accurate -- especially when I realize there's people being paid more money than I'll ever earn to check up on just those sorts of details and they're getting it wrong! How does one go about getting a job like that, anyway??[/QUOT


Well, if you wanted to enough, you probably could get into it, even if starting for free and working your way up. OF course the big catch is you would have to move to California. Or New York if you want to do it in Theater.

 

[pigeon toe]

I suppose I have a keen eye, but combine that with my inherent laziness/indifference, it balances out to just a regular eye! I can spot excellent vintage clothes in thrift stores, estate sales and vintage shops, but when it comes to spending money on them, I'm kind of a tightwad. I've also become horrible at juding my size for garments, so I often miss out on a lot of great stuff because I'm too lazy to try it on and think it won't fit.

When it comes to my photography however, my keen eye is a curse! I do color photography in the dark room and sometimes I'll spend hours adjusting the color balance for just one photo because it looks just 3 points too yellow or 2 points too cyan. Drives me crazy!

 

[Quigley Brown]

I had a job in college working for the state historical museum printing boxes of dontated glass-plate negatives. Usually not having much info to go on I had to study the prints and try to come up with as many 'who-what-when-wheres' as I could. That experience has stayed with me since.