"A painting is not a single, still moment in time. It is a series of living moments, distilled into one. Painting is much closer to film than photography." - Eric
"What is the best way to learn how to paint?"
Learning to paint is just like learning anything else! If someone handed you a guitar, would you expect to know how to play right away? Similarly, if you wanted to learn a new language you would learn steadily by studying or taking classes with a teacher. Painting is a visual language that takes time to learn. I wouldn't say that there is only one way to learn because the fun part is that this journey takes practice and you learn as you go!
As a teacher, I've had hundreds of students and I'm proud of all of them; remember that painting can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a full-time career and it can also be a therapeutic pastime.
If you'd like to learn more about my teaching philosophy, read more HERE.
As a teacher, I've had hundreds of students and I'm proud of all of them; remember that painting can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a full-time career and it can also be a therapeutic pastime.
If you'd like to learn more about my teaching philosophy, read more HERE.
"Okay, I'm ready to learn, but how do I get started?"
There is so much to learn about painting, but the first thing to consider are the principles and materials of art. Three simple principles of art: Shape, Value and Color.
Shape is another way to think about drawing; this is proportion and seeing if something is round, pointy, curvy, etc. Learning and practicing your drawing skills is a great way to improve your paintings. If you are brand new to painting, then I recommend getting a sketchbook and just beginning with some simple line sketches. Don't worry about "shading" at the beginning because shape is the heart of drawing.
Value (as an art term) means light and dark. I will tell you a secret...value is more important than color! Sure, everyone loves color, but seeing if something is light or dark is way more important. You can practice value by working on something called a "value scale". Search for value scales to check that out.
Color is a little more complicated, but some guidelines are to keep your colors simple and try to not over-mix your colors. Spend time mixing accurate color (there's no rush!) If you'd like to learn more about color, watch my full lecture HERE.
I encourage everyone to learn by practicing and remember that there are no shortcuts to success. The best part of the process is seeing results after lots of practice.
Shape is another way to think about drawing; this is proportion and seeing if something is round, pointy, curvy, etc. Learning and practicing your drawing skills is a great way to improve your paintings. If you are brand new to painting, then I recommend getting a sketchbook and just beginning with some simple line sketches. Don't worry about "shading" at the beginning because shape is the heart of drawing.
Value (as an art term) means light and dark. I will tell you a secret...value is more important than color! Sure, everyone loves color, but seeing if something is light or dark is way more important. You can practice value by working on something called a "value scale". Search for value scales to check that out.
Color is a little more complicated, but some guidelines are to keep your colors simple and try to not over-mix your colors. Spend time mixing accurate color (there's no rush!) If you'd like to learn more about color, watch my full lecture HERE.
I encourage everyone to learn by practicing and remember that there are no shortcuts to success. The best part of the process is seeing results after lots of practice.
"Can you tell me more about painting 'en plein air'"
Painting "en plein air" is the french term for painting outdoors. There's some great history here, but essentially artists over time ventured out of the studio to paint nature directly. There's been some amazing plein air artists throughout history and today also! You can find plein air societies, workshops, magazines and all sort of great resources out there!
There's a lot of factors involved with painting outdoors and some specific tools that have been developed to make it easier. The main consideration is that you're painting outdoors so weather conditions change! And the sun is always shifting! My best advice is to give yourself a time frame to work within. Depending on weather conditions, you can usually get between 1 - 2 hours before the sun shifts too much. Mark your time when you start and again when you finish - that way you can come back the next day if the conditions are similar.
It's a real adventure and you can paint anywhere - from your backyard to exotic locations, painting is a great way to explore the world!
There's a lot of factors involved with painting outdoors and some specific tools that have been developed to make it easier. The main consideration is that you're painting outdoors so weather conditions change! And the sun is always shifting! My best advice is to give yourself a time frame to work within. Depending on weather conditions, you can usually get between 1 - 2 hours before the sun shifts too much. Mark your time when you start and again when you finish - that way you can come back the next day if the conditions are similar.
It's a real adventure and you can paint anywhere - from your backyard to exotic locations, painting is a great way to explore the world!
"What about the materials for painting?"
There are so many fun and interesting art materials out there! I can give you my recommended list of materials, but please remember that this is an individual journey and materials can sometimes be subjective. For instance, I may enjoy a specific type of watercolor paper and you may try it and prefer a totally different kind.
Here is a link so you can download my recommended list of materials for acrylic, watercolor and oil: SUPPLY LIST LINK - Keep experimenting and testing out new materials to find what works for you!
Here is a link so you can download my recommended list of materials for acrylic, watercolor and oil: SUPPLY LIST LINK - Keep experimenting and testing out new materials to find what works for you!