All skill levels welcome
Canvas: 12x16 to 24x30", Preferably high quality cotton or linen, tightly stretched. Recommend Masterpiece. Some of the cheap cotton canvases are so poorly stretched and primed they can be extremely difficult to paint on. With notice, I can supply for no more than retail cost.
Brushes: Variety of Bristol or synthetic fairly stiff, long handled brushes. You'll need 5-10 ranging from very small to about 3/4" wide. At least one small detail brush will be helpful, a soft sable or high quality synthetic is preferable.
Paint: My pallet consists of Flake White, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Red Light, Burnt Sienna, and Ultramarine Blue. I recommend these colors, but others are ok, as long as they are similar. I strongly recommend pure Lead White, but Permalba will work.
Solvent/Medium: None. This is very important. If you are unaccustomed to painting without solvents, I will gladly teach you. These are by far the most dangerous of the commonly used materials. They harm both people and paintings.
My Journey
Years ago, in the late 1970s, I decided I wanted to learn to draw and paint like the Masters whose work I saw in museums. I passionately wanted this, but at the time I couldn't fine an art school that taught this kind of art. I know now that some small schools existed back then, but I never found one or anyone who knew how to find them. We didn't have the internet back then, and traditional, representational art was considered unworthy.
Thankfully, I stumbled across an old man named Jack, who had studied at the Art Students League in New York many years before. Jack said, "You must learn to see before you can learn to draw." He taught me a series of exercises, and gave me a schedule so I would develope a habit of practicing these "workouts" for as long as I called myself an artist -- the rest of my life.
Had I religiously followed Jack's instructions, I would have become a much better artist. But to the extent that I did follow the plan, I gained a great foundation for all the art instruction I later received, and continue to receive. I don't believe an artist ever learns everything they need to be the best artist they can be. It's a journey. And, just as an athlete must practice and work out to stay proficient, so must an artist.
I Want To Teach You What Jack Taught Me
Today, we are extremely fortunate to have access to the greatest artists and teachers alive. What an age we live in! We can find instruction for just about anything we want to accomplish. Yet, while I'm sure it's out there somewhere, I have not seen anyone teaching what Jack taught me. Therefore, I am putting together a series of videos to make these lessons and "workout" schedules available for artists.
The goal of these lessons is to teach us to see, not with our eyes, but through them. When we engage with the world, we use many senses. When we walk down the street, we engage not just our eyes, but our sense of movement, of touch, of hearing, memory, and our emotional reactions to what we encounter. When, as artists, we want to tell people of a scene that excites and inspires us, the more we engage all of our senses, the more powerful our art will be, and the more likely it will be to evoke in others the joy and wonder that inspired us to create the artwork.
If you would like to join me in this journey, please join my mailing list. When you do, you will not only be able to stay in touch, you will receive discounts to all of my teaching materials and workshops. I know your inbox is full and many people are demanding your attention. Thank you for the attention you have given me so far. My hope is that we can help each other grow as artists. I trust we will find it worthwhile.
We will be adding a great deal of material over the coming months, so please stay tuned!
Available Now: Online Critiques Click HERE for more information.
