Amano Nature Aquaria Gallery

[mr130gallon]

wow, my tank is depresingly ugly compared to these!

 

[Ferg1985]

I er, actually got a bit emotional looking at some of them, almost Words can't put those shots into perspective.. They're not tanks, they're life encapsulated.. The shoals are immense, particularly the harlequin shots.. all look like their on a mission haha

What a job, What a talent..




...Going to have to do a LOTTTTTT of thinking over the scaping of mine now

 

[Theplayboy]

One word.....WOW!

 

[lljdma06]

I love amano designs and everything, the man is a genius, but I can't help but wish that people would stop trying to copy his work, and instead spend more time coming up with their own ideas! Creativity should come from individuality, not from joining the herd and copying everybody else. Experiment with different things, stop following 'rules', and come up with something relatively original! Amano is an artist he truly is, but those who try to emulate him are little better than those back street painters of yore who used to copy the works of the masters.

Ade

While I agree with this, I can also liken copying Amano's style to the methods used by the great masters in art to teach. Students would copy the master's work and learn his/her techniques. Once the painter was developed enough, the master would allow them to paint small items in his own paintings. The painters would move on from there and then become masters in their own right, implementing their own ideas and creativity.

I'm sure I'm condensing the process, but I understand the idea behind copying Amano's layouts. I personally do not, but I can understand why some do, especially if they are uncertain about forming layouts. It takes a certain ability with spacial vision and being able to predict future plant growth to scape planted tanks. If you are inexperienced with these ideas, then copying a scape until you understand the principles may be the thing for some scapers. There is a time and place, however, when the apprentice should become a "master" and begin his/her own scapes. You may not be a very good "master", or not even a "master" at all, , but the scapes are now yours and there is a sense of achievement with that. It may be rubbish, but it is your rubbish!

llj