Whenever possible, I try to go into a new painting with a specific objective. Perhaps I want to learn more about a certain technique… test a new color… or experiment with a new style. I find this to be the best way to broaden my knowledge and experience. It’s not enough to read or watch … Read more
The top Impressionists have inspired me since my late teens. Not just for their beautiful paintings, but also for their outlook on life, art, and their constant search for light, color, and life’s fleeting moments. Below are some of my favorite Impressionist quotes. There are some wise words here. “Everything that is painted directly and … Read more
I was reading about Frans Hals the other day, a remarkable portrait painter from the 1600s. I got the feeling he was torn between money and passion. On one hand, he needed to satisfy the needs of the wealthy individuals he painted. They paid the bills after all. On the other hand, he was an … Read more
We all hate making mistakes, but they will happen in every painting. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are. There will always be a color you get slightly wrong, an edge you mess up or something which just looks wrong. But there is a way of painting so that your mistakes work for you, rather than against you. Let … Read more
“…we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit.” Whilst I was painting the other day, I noticed a particular habit that I have developed. Every time I went to scruff up an area, I would do this pattern of two long strokes and a short dab. It seems … Read more
Early in your painting journey, you need to decide what kind of artist you want to be. The artist’s artist, or the critic’s artist. The artist’s artist lives to impress and inspire other artists. They do not care for the opinions of self-appointed critics and gallery owners. They do not care about art trends or society’s fickle … Read more
There is a lot to learn from watching other artists paint. Every artist is unique in the way they handle a brush, mix colors and deal with problems. Art is fascinating in the sense we all come up with different ways to render and interpret the same subjects. But, you need to be careful when learning from … Read more