Any art or skill is possessed by those who have formed the habit of operating according to its rules. This is the way the artist in any field differs from those who lack his skill.

Now there is no other way of forming a habit than by operating. That is what it means to say one learns to do by doing. The difference between your activity before and after you have formed a habit is a difference in readiness. 【小题1】 That is what it means to say practice makes perfect. You do something as if you were born to it, as if the activity were as natural to you as walking or eating. 【小题2】

Knowing the rules of an art is not the same as having the habit. When we speak of a man as skilled in any way, we do not mean that he knows the rules of making or doing something, but that he possesses the habit of doing it. 【小题3】 You cannot follow rules you do not know. Nor can you acquire an artistic habit without following rules. The art as something that can be taught consists of rules to be followed in operation. The art as something learned and possessed consists of the habit that results from operating according to the rules.

【小题4】 People point to a highly original painter or sculptor and say, “He isn’t following rules. He’s doing something entirely original, something that has never been done before.” But they fail to see what rules the artist follows. There are no final, unbreakable rules for making a painting. 【小题5】 Those rules the painter must have followed, or else he could not have made the thing he has made. No matter how original his final production is, no matter how little it seems to obey the rules of art, he must be skilled to produce it.

I love making art and looking at artworks. I’ve found myself wondering how we gain pleasure from art. And now neuroaesthetics, a combination of neuroscience (神经科学) and aesthetics (美学), may provide an answer.

Neuroaesthetics is a relatively young field of research on what happens in the brain when we make aesthetic assessments. Researchers use brain imaging technique to see which brain areas light up when we view paintings that we consider beautiful. Similar research has been done to understand the “neuronal fireworks” that occur when we look at inspiring sculptures, attractive faces, impressive dance, etc.

But why do we find some art beautiful and other art ugly? According to research, it all comes down to the “aesthetic triad (三元组合)”.

The first part of the triad is sensory-motor. This involves perceiving things like colours, shapes and movements. Movement in art has an interesting role. If you see a painting of a movement, like of a man pulling his arm away after being bitten by a dog, you feel like going through a similar experience. The part of your brain that controls your own movements lights up in response.

Second is emotion-valuation. This is how a piece of art makes you feel, and whether or not you appreciate or enjoy that feeling. The part of the brain related to pleasure is activated in response to something we find beautiful. This system can be affected in fascinating ways, as found by research using transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) (经颅磁刺激). If TMS is applied to a specific part of your brain behind your forehead that is particularly important for decision-making, you suddenly like different kinds of art. Such stimulation produces significant changes in aesthetic appreciation of faces, bodies and artworks.

The third part is meaning-knowledge. This is to do with how we can connect with a piece of art and what meaning we can create in it. Art is deeply personal, because when two people see the same artwork, our perception can create vastly different experiences of meaning. If we find meaning, then we often find pleasure. We also get enjoyment from the knowledge of how something was made. For the images that an artist creates, viewers will probably get far more enjoyment once they know the process used to create them.

Informed by neuroaesthetics, the next time I create my art I will value the process even more, enjoying the activation of the aesthetic triad in my brain as I admire the vivid images that I have created.

If you search the internet these days, you’ll likely run across some strange-looking, yet cheerful cartoon characters. These computer-generated people have small heads and exaggerated bodies. 【小题1】 The happy figures are often moving or doing something creative.

In 2017 Facebook paid a design team to develop a positive illustration system. 【小题2】 She worked to show human connection, motion, energy and joy in her drawings. She wanted to portray that sense of joy people feel when they’re sharing things together. The name which was given to the new art form when it was completed was very appropriate. They named it Alegria, which means joy in Spanish.

Why did Alegria art become popular so quickly? There are many reasons. As websites depended on illustrations to fill space, Alegria-type art became increasingly useful. 【小题3】 By comparison, more detailed art designs require extra time, skill and money to produce. Businesses also love the fact that Alegria’s characters celebrate diversity by featuring international cultural events. The illustrations convey good feelings. Those feelings help people believe they can trust the companies that feature them on their pages.

【小题4】 These people think companies like Facebook have simply prepared over their problems with positive images. They’ve failed to address their real problems or make lasting changes.

For many, however, Alegria is a nice visual language that represents happiness. From children hugging to couples dancing, the images are all about positive energy. 【小题5】