Dive into the world of oil painting alongside this legendary artist and instructor. Discover invaluable tips, techniques, and inspiration as Helen shares her wealth of knowledge. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned artist, Helen's timeless wisdom and contagious enthusiasm will ignite your creativity and elevate your art to new heights.
Helen took the time to teach us the principles and reasons behind painting each element in the progression of a work. Her sensibility in basic natural fundamentals taught us we can paint anything by employing these basics. Subject matter was a minor consequence to Helen. Using the basics, thousands of artists received the confidence to paint any type of subject.
Subscribe now and embark on an unforgettable journey of artistic discovery with Helen Van Wyk!
All video lessons are available with Closed Caption (CC) subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. Additional languages will be added upon request.
This seems like a reference from the Pee-wee Herman show and that you are excited to see Helen's video lessons. Hopefully you'll enjoy the content and find inspiration in her teaching techniques. Let the creativity begin. Thanks for the comment.
The picture-in-picture technique you guys are using is pretty cool. I don't think the original videos had this feature. But it gives me better insight to where she is going with her brush strokes. I hope you keep doing it.
Yes, as part of the remastering to improve audio and video, additional information is sometimes added to the lessons. This information is usually placed on the left side, as you noticed, but not always. Glad to hear you like the improvements. Thanks for your comment and continued support; it is greatly appreciated.
Yes, her knowledge and teaching style are impressive. She has a cleverness about her, although you sometimes have to listen carefully to catch it. Thanks for the support, it's appreciated.
Her videos really merit several visits because of the content she packs into each one. Often it takes several or more to capture the points...sometime very subtle..
Yes, there are comments similar to yours on other videos. Helen's commentary is incredibly informative and plentiful. Thank you for supporting the channel; it's greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much for uploading this. I have all her books but I just love to see her in her videos. What a brilliant teacher and such an engaging personality. ❤
Those books are definitely keepers. A bit of history; Helen's earliest books were hand-bound with a comb binding machine. It's great to hear you enjoy the video lessons. Thanks for your comment.
I was hesitant. But when I finally got utube premium I was so happy. I think I pay 12.99 a month. It may be more now. U'll not regret it! Give it a try. I bet you don't cancel it... ✌️ P.s. my son convinced me after he kept hearing me complain about "all the dang commercials!".😊
You know, her painting of the drapes looks better than the model of the drapes, and in 25 minutes. So amazing. I watch these videos over and over and seem to hear or see something new each time.
You're right, Helen's work is impressive. It's amazing how she can surpass the realism of the model in such a short amount of time. Her lessons are definitely worth revisiting - there's always something new to discover in her technique.
Thanks for the question. I believe Helen used Grumbacher paints. Also, She used to give painting demonstrations to promote that company's products. The smoothness you notice could also be due to the canvas being prepared with a light wipe of turpentine. (She mentioned that in one of her lessons). Hope you are enjoying the lessons.
The stick is called a mahlstick. Watch the short with the image of "What is that stick Helen is holding?" with title "What is an artist mahlstick?" for a brief explanation.
Such a treat to watch this lady paint! I started reading her books some years ago, checked out from my local library. Her book about painting portraits was my favorite, so when my library lost that book, i took to Amazon and found a used copy that i paid 50 bucks for. Totally worth it. I love her style and the way she explains and simplifies the painting method.
Is it just me, or can draperies actually be sexy? Yes, I think they can be sexy, and Helen does an amazing job of making this happen on canvas! Wonderful! Lisa
Of all the many videos and instructions I have watched on how to create realistic looking folds, Helen's is by far the best. The way she simplifies the art of painting to a level of immediate comprehension is extreamly rare. Bob Ross was a great, and enthusiastic teacher who also had the knack of simplifying what appeared complicated. This is not to compare them as artist, but as teachers. Helen has that same gift. Encouraging and interesting at all times, with a high dose of charm.
I agree. As well, Bob Ross was a great artist, and I, as a fine artist myself, don't understand why he is taken less seriously than artists like Basquiat or Hirst, for example.
Informative video. Your explanation of light and shadow on folds is clear, helpful and I hope I can replicate. I found the tips on creating depth and dimension with brush strokes useful. Thanks for sharing. BTW, looks like one of those cheap 3" bristle brushes is used to make that pattern on the drapes. Looks easy, I've got to try that.
