Full Video Key Takeaways: This was a speed painting challenge. It took around 35 minutes all up. This is a great test of your instinctive painting abilities. Mood and ambience are the key features. I wasn’t too worried about the drawing. There’s a powerful contrast between the shadows and the warm lights. Notice the thick … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: Painted almost only with palette knives. I wanted the colors to appear crisp and distinct. Notice the subtle color variance within strokes. Much of this painting is about capturing the illusion of detail. How do I capture the appearance of leaves, branches, rocks, highlights, and shadows without painting every single detail? … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: I drew inspiration from John Singer Sargent’s Seascape, shown below. He was a master of simplifying all the “noise” into something so elegant and clear. John Singer Sargent, Seascape, 1875 I painted this over two sessions and the paint dried slightly during the break. This meant I had to “fake” the wet-on-wet … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: I wanted the colors to appear clean, distinct, and bright. The palette knife was perfect for this. I drew inspiration from Isaac Levitan. There’s a lot going on in this scene. Simplification was important. I had to narrow down on the few details that really matter. As with most landscapes, depth … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: The painting depicts a wet, overcast day. Pale greens dominate the painting. The scene is basked in a soft, cool light. This is one in a series of tree paintings. You can see the others to day in this training report. Multicolored strokes allowed me to convey the illusion of nature’s detail … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: Depicts the powerful midday sun. The lights are glaring and the shadows are deep. This is one in a series of tree paintings. You can see the others to day in this training report. I used a pointillism approach to paint broken color. This involved placing small dabs of distinct color … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: I started with a thin wash of transparent brown oxide to kill the white surface. This provides me with a more balanced surface to paint on and makes it easier to judge the colors. A key purpose of this painting was to explore the use of palette knives to capture a … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: When landscape painting, you need to tailor your style, technique, and tools for the environment and conditions. In this case, a clear day means crisp colors and clear reflections in the water. I painted with direct brushwork and distinct colors. I used rich blues for the water at the bottom of … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: The key feature of this painting is the black trees against the muted surroundings. This was the first time using black in a while. Usually, I prefer to use blues, purples, and greens instead of black, as is the Impressionist way. But there was no substitute for black in this case. … Read more
Full Video Key Takeaways: The palette knife is a fun tool to paint with. It’s perfect for bold, crisp strokes. You can’t achieve the same effects with a brush. Palette knife work is best paired with a touch of dexterity and finesse. Otherwise, it can come off as brash and sloppy. I worked in a … Read more