NEW PAINTING COURSE OUT NOW! "Painting Flowers in Acrylic" is now available through the link below! Use code RU-vid30 to take $30 off your purchase price, see you in the course!
Welcome to my channel! I'm Marianne, I'm an artist and trained teacher (BEd, MEd, OCT). I create painting tutorials in acrylic, oil, gouache and acrylic ink for both canvases and sketchbooks. I love teaching and supporting emerging artists, and sharing tips and strategies for creating success in your artistic practice.
Mistakes and failures are part of the process, and I am happy to pull back the curtain on my own highs and lows to help you reach your full potential. Let's get started!
Back to the original wall color, but different desk, different shelves, different cabinet, different decor, different lighting (accent/ceiling), different vibe 🙂
Thank you for giving me courage to start painting again 😊🌸 your channel is one of the rare ones that is easy to follow along with and your narration helps a lot thank you!
Hi, I have a Royal Talens sketchbook to try gouache, but the paper is starting to buckle with only the first layer of water. I've seen oil artists prep their sketchbooks with gesso. Could you use this as a way to thicken a 'lower' quality sketchbook? I'd rather try and adjust my current sketchbooks, then fork out money for new one, especially since i have less room.
Hi there! So gesso isn’t going to thicken the paper, unfortunately, but you can always try it and see if you like it to paint on! What I always do, especially if I’m working with a thinner paper, is that I clip the pages down with binder clips, to train the paper to lie flat even when it’s wet. Then leave the binder clips on when you’re working. I’ve unfortunately learned my lesson the hard way after painting with paper that would buckle for years. It’s just so frustrating, that I find it’s worth the extra little investment to get the thicker paper. But, if you wanted to push your way through the sketchbook, I think that clipping the pages down will help. The pages will buckle while you’re working on them, and they will dry kind of wrinkly, but if your goal is to practice and you’re not planning to make prints on them, it doesn’t really matter, since it’s just for you. I hope this helps! Happy painting!
@@MarianneVanderDussen Hi, thanks for replying so swiftly. I always saw oil artists, like Cesar Santos use it in their sketchbooks before painting, so that's what I assumed was one of its uses. I only have small clips, would that work or would you suggest it be best if you clip down the cover as well as the paper? My Xmas list includes more expensive sketchbooks, but in the meanwhile I'll trying to use my Royal Talents as best as I can. I heard it was an all-round mixed media sketchbook, so I'm disappointed with it so far. The warping doesn't bother me as much as it changes the texture of the paper itself. It's much rougher, like the paper is being worn away. Thanks for the advice.
Matte black is a trend that will soon get old. It also makes a space feel closed in which isn’t great in a small space. I never follow trends as they are just that … an approach that is going to be picked up by instas and dropped almost as quickly. Stick with the colours that reflect your own preferences.
I will "borrow" a number of your ideas when I remodel my sewing room, which is in desperate need of brightening and reorganizing. I especially like your clever solution for changing your overhead lighting. Thanks!
This was recommended to me by surprise, and I was so glad-- I saved this tutorial immediately, and am now revisiting it several months later. I love how concise you are while communicating extremely important tips for beginners, thank you!
Oh yay!!! I'm so happy it was recommended to you and that you came back to it later!!! I loved filming and creating this one, I'm thrilled that you are enjoying it too. Happy painting!
Hi Marianne, thank you so much for sharing your work and knowledge in the field, it is so inspiring to see! My question is wether the full flower painting course that you have put together for Acrylic painting could be used for oil painting? Or do you have a course for painting flowers in oil painting as well?
Hi Desirée! I have had a few people start in acrylic then paint in oil over top, so you could certainly modify it, but much of the information in the opening is about working with acrylic. I'm hoping to release an oil painting course for flowers in a year from now, probably in the fall of 2025. I'm working on a colour mixing course for acrylic right now, followed by oil, with an oil landscape course in the summer of 2025. That's the plan, anyways!!!
The space was lovely in each iteration. I completely agree with your friend that you should not apologize for outgrowing a thing. Now I am going into my studio to explore what I can change in order to make it a lovely space.
I’m only five minutes in, and this is my first time seeing your videos, but I wanted to pause and say THANK YOU SO MUCH for your honesty about your different feelings and regrets about paint colours! The light and bright, the dark and moody, the in-between, and the return to Dove White! I’ve been wanting to do something with my space, and I’m in perpetual tension between something light or dark academia. I LOVE light and bright spaces - but cozying up in a dark little den of a space also sounds fantastic, and I’ve been torn between the two for about two years now, settling on doing nothing! Do I take the dive and go dark? Do I lean into bright and try to brighten up my North-facing room to the best of my abilities? Do I leave it as is, assuming it’s about as good as it’ll get anyway (technically already a gentle off-white but perhaps in need of a refresh and some shelves and a clearer design direction?) Seeing you pass between such similar dilemmas as opposed to just “having a vision and watching it come together seamlessly” as one so often sees online was SO refreshing. I think after this it’ll be neat to go back and see your original dark makeover, too, but this has been lovely to see. Thank you for sharing so openly!
Oh my goodness this comment made my whole week!!! I’m so thrilled that this resonated with you and that you understand the struggle. I totally get being torn between different moods and I wish you great success in navigating it. If you find yourself painting over something you literally just painted, you are in good company. Thank you so much for watching and commenting 🥰
@@MarianneVanderDussen the makeover turned out BEAUTIFUL! I think that every time you’ve redone it, it’s better and better - perhaps “closer” to your true vision? Who’s to say! I loved the quote you shared from your friend; never apologize for growth! Needed to hear that on so many levels right now! Currently watching your art studio tour (from before the moody makeover) ABS will watch the moody makeover next! It’s funny, but I was recently thinking back on “coziest memories” and a light, bright, airy space was a consistent element through all of it. In light of the struggle to decide what to do with my space now, those memories are surging up and perhaps demanding that I take notice of them! Again, thank you for sharing your journey! Seeing that dark and moody, whilst beautiful, isn’t for everyone (and remembering that we do go through seasons, so perhaps you were in a season for it!), is, again, so helpful! But I think that the influences you picked up and brought to your new light academia space have really brought a touch of that mystery you were seeking whilst keeping the space airy enough for you! I have to wonder; if you hadn’t gone full dark and moody, maybe you’d still be wondering about it, and unable to enjoy the space as it is now as fully? Having experienced it and decided against it, I feel like you potentially have an added benefit of feeling even more confident in your space than ever! That’s what I hope for you, anyway! Btw I saw someone else asking for a book tour! I paused to peruse the books you showed on your shelf - you’ve got great taste! I wish I could say I’ve fully read the ones I recognize from my own shelves!Always fun to get a peek into what others are reading! I’d be curious, too, if you have any tangentially art/creativity related books from your shelves that you recommend, too! ☺️
I remember watching you paint that matte black, and I knew I wouldn't be able to live with it even though I think it looks stunning! I just love the whole dark academia look, but only at night! In the daytime I need light and bright. So glad you listened to yourself and made the changes that worked for you. My number one motivator is learning, so I hear you about that! I have turned the entire main room of my cabin into an art studio so I can finally say that I live in an art studio! You can do that when you live by yourself! And seeing your video reminds me that I must post my photo of my peony in the FB group (still a work in progress, since I discovered I don't really have the patience to paint realism, so I do a little at a time) from your course that I bought. It's looking good, but still has a long way to go! Enjoy that beautiful "new" studio! Happy painting!
Oh your art studio cabin sounds so so amazing!!! And I just visited the group and am absolutely blown away by your incredible peonies. They are looking so so good. Keep posting!!! And thank you so much for watching this and commenting 🥰
Beautiful job! Your solutions and ideas are wonderful. I'm painting in my daughter's old room in the basement and have many challenges with lighting since the window is so small. I had to leave my other studio due to the continual rent increases and insurance. I'm determined to make it work though! Thanks for a great video😊
I love your can-do attitude! I’m sorry to hear that you were forced to leave your old studio, and I completely understand the struggle with lighting. Even though the window in my room is decent in terms of size, I’m really blocked in by trees, and get maybe one hour where the sunlight manages to directly enter the room. The rest of the time it’s shaded. In the winter I get a bit more light because the trees have lost their leaves, but of course it’s dark here by 5pm. I wish you great success in your new space, and if you’re feeling frustrated by your lighting, just know I’m stumbling alongside you in spirit!
Looks like hard work paid off again! The new studio turned out great :) <3. I really liked how you included in the 'pitfalls' as well such as wanting to lower down the shelves even though you just wanted to be done with the space already.
With acrylic the paper will just be slightly more absorbent, but with oil it will absorb into the fibres and appear yellow on the other side of the page. Not terrible by any means but if you’re using both sides it’s a nuisance. Even with shellac it still goes through, but I’m about to test out some Michael Harding primer that I’ve heard stops the yellowing all together.
I WOULD love to paint the tulips. Do you have detailed information of the drawing, colour mixing and tips of colours to use for brilliance and contrast? Please let me know if you offer a course on this painting. Violeta Oakville Ontario Canada
Hi Violeta, thank you so much for leaving a comment! To answer your question, unfortunately I filmed this tutorial prior to my channel’s surge in growth, and I didn’t preserve any of the footage after I finished editing it. So unfortunately, this tutorial is all I have for these tulips. My plan is to add multiple oil floral tutorials to this channel in the year to come, but I likely won’t start painting and filming until 2025 since I’m working on a colour mixing course I do have a flower painting course for acrylic, however if you’re looking for oil, it will probably be about a year before a full course is added. If you’re interested in the acrylic course, here’s the link, and you can use code RU-vid30 to take $30 off. I’m Canadian like you, and live north of you in northern Ontario, but the prices are in US dollars simply because that is where the vast majority of my students live. I hope this helps, and keep an eye on this channel for future oil flower paintings! 🤍 courses.mariannevanderdussen.com/offers/sTGLNjHa/checkout
Beautiful redo! I also prefer the light academia look, especially the emphasis on antiques and old books ♥ Looking forward to the video on lighting your space.
Those are all from my friend Laura!!! She has a business sourcing antiques and she's my go to for all things ancient. I love it too. And YES I cannot WAIT to talk about lighting!!! I've been wanting to for so long but had to hold off until this studio redesign was finished. The lighting video will be the next posted to this channel!!!
This gives me hope. I painted my studio dark in the beginning of this summer - dark teal even the ceilings...with dark pink borders and windowseals... Why you wonder. Well - l wonder that too. My image in my head was green Academia, with lots of herbs and things, and I let myself get influenced by others... Now I am repainting my studio again - true to my original vision :D Lesson learned to trust my inner self from the start. Thank you for showing this - inspiring! Looking forward to the video on lighting- I need that :D
Oh my gosh, are we twins?! I totally let myself get carried away by Instagram and Pinterest too. The good news is that it's definitely fixable with paint and plants, it's just tedious to go through it all over again. And yes, I am so excited to record the lighting video! I've had it in my head for months, I was just waiting to get the space in good shape so that it made for a decent video backdrop! I can't wait ☺
THANK YOU for a nudge to redo my studio… this artist has been stuck and appreciates the inspiration to get back in her studio. Also thank you for showing the struggle. It help me so much! Love your new space!
If you find yourself on the floor at 10pm questioning your life decisions that led to your own makeover, don't worry, I was there too!!! Thank you so so so much for watching and commenting I truly appreciate it! I hope your studio redesign goes well!!!
Hearing you have twin five year- olds....wow. You have your hands full! Thanks for sharing that you also which we all struggle with. Great tips for overcoming the resistance! God bless you for helping others as you use your gifts.
