I have always had the good luck to have had a corner in the den to paint. I can talk to my husband, listen to the tv or music, and view the work I'm doing to critique it. I'm totally self-taught, following a dream from age 10 to retirement. I can tell you that having my area set up and ready to go is so important.
I was 1st painting in the multi use basement with 7' unfinished ceiling. It always felt terrible with the floor joist, plumbing and HVAC pipes breathing down on me. Never could get the lighting right and always felt dungeon no matter what. Then I moved up into the finished attic smaller space still 7' ceiling, but finished white. I could easily get the lighting correct without much effort because of how small. Our kids were now on their own and we seldom ever used the dining room, which was a 3 sided bump out with 9 windows. Talked the wife into letting me have the dining for my art/ computer room. Only 10'X 13' with 8' ceiling with no north facing windows. Room was still extremely dark in the winter. Ended up installing to strips of track lighting with daylight bulbs so I could now flush the room with indirect lighting in the winter. The 8' ceiling is still a bit of an issue because I'm tall and have moved on to painting 40" or larger canvases. The proportion of the space is rather bugging. Yet, I can escape that feeling once I'm fully engulfed. At some point, I plan to rent some large studio space with other artist at least for the winter. I'm mostly oil and not having the windows wide open in the winter has its obvious problem for the wife and I. There is also the great advantage of having other artist around vs the loan artist. The advantage of dedicated painting hours because you are in fact paying rent. The downside comes with now I would have to dedicate more time to selling art to pay the added expense of rent. Yet to move forward with much larger canvases and longer dedicated painting hrs, I'm being forced out of my home. It really is a big jump with total change of life style.I'm currently dedicated to 2 sports, World Atlatl Competition and pickle ball. The pickle ball would have to go, which is my primary source of exercise. I can't let go of the atlatl events because I'm now 20th in the world and steadily moving up. It's just too much enjoyment with the unique people in the atlatl sport to ever part with. So goes the struggling artist, I guess!
all well and good but for me the last thing my wife wanted to see was paint spattered or spilt anywhere in the house.i never felt at ease i was worrying about mess and spillage when i should have been letting go and getting in the zone. youre right of course it was lost time but i eventually got our garage converted now im happy as a pig in muck 😁
Good points, and for we plein air painters it is not good form to leave a mess when you paint outdoors too; your mother may not like it much, ...your "Mother Earth" that is!! LOL ;D
Same story…different spouse. My husband was very concerned about my painting in the house…so I co-opted half of the garage, added insulation, lighting, climate control and a couple of windows and now I have a space that is mine, with zero interruptions or concerns. Happy husband, happy wife…and a more consistent daily practice.
Before studio: painting miniature, limited pallet/brushes; acrylics to dry fast; pochade box. I traded for the pochade. Used craft paint from WM, ditto tiny brushes (all plastic). Old food containers for water. At the time I had thirteen cats and three dogs, everyone enjoyed sitting in the paints/knocking them off the table. They tried out their tales and paws for mark making and household diy projects. I did some of my very best work. Thanks for the reminder to get my lighting moved.
Excellent video, thank you, I noticed a few times that you were pulling something off the back of your paintings, little white strips that seemed to be attached to a metal plate, please tell me, what is that for?
I live in a one bedroom apartment I own. I paint on my sofa with a lap easel quite well with my paints, brushes, etc. on a large tray. I’ve bought a house. The garage is being converted into a living space - my studio. It will include the ability to sit on ran easy chair and paint with my lap easel for small paintings and a wall easel for large paintings.
I started to paint at my parent's house backyard So, yeah, every place is perfect to paint, unless you are doing oil so is better to be in a well-ventilated room!
Good advice but I would have liked to see more concrete visual examples for your discussion and less of showcasing and varnishing your lovely paintings. It was a bit frustrating.
Great advice and your studio is lovely. I love the drying stand for paintings, something I need to buy.. where did you get the realistic looking skeleton? Your work is beautiful ❤ Thank you 🤩
I have a very small room, my window faces the wall outside, also the only place I can fit a small paint space in, is before the window, so there would be next to no natural light. Do you think a daylight bulb would make it work out ok lighting wise?
My suggestion is you're over doing and working the wrong way with your glazing. When first applied, it will bring forward the image AREA you want enhanced from your glaze. Well, what about the unglazed AREAS? You let the initial glaze dry, and again repeat once again, this time glazing for DEPTH of dimension, as your glaze is as important as your strokes, as your painting is as good as your pencil strokes. Great work love your art.
We recently became empty nesters. I was able to change a bedroom to a craft studio for my wife. Paper craft, resin etc. I have a nice painting desk in there with lamps and window at my back for natural light. It works well and we get to hang out.
I “can get started in the next couple of minutes?!” I should think about what’s getting in my way?! How DARE you?! I haven’t taken any art classes, but I’m certain I will create the definitive masterpiece to end all art discourse as soon as my $2,000 camera Lucida arrives. (Nah, I’m just being ridiculous for comedic effect here. I get it.)
Chelsea, good one, as per always!! I recall my firs set up for oil painting was one of those cheap, little metal easels that was held together with a few wing nuts!! LOL. Later I made few easels of my own, out of sticks of wood, and even used cigar boxes as pochards (LOL), and finally (in the 90's) got a nice set up (Open Box M) for plein air that I have today. None of that early crappy stuff held me back much, as I soon had the passion to paint, animals at first, and now, I paint "everything", but mainly landscapes here in beautiful AZ. Your equipment and materials do not hold you back from creation, for art, or anything else, but your heart and brain might, if you let them!!
I have almost everything within arms reach for creating and the rest is less than 5 feet away. not sure if that makes me paint/draw more but it makes the room more organized than it was
Hello. As always another great video. Was thinking that the metal piece on the back of the panel is an easier and more secure way of attaching it to the magnets on your easel or pach add box? Was also wonder what the tape was that you use? Some sort of command strip? Thanks. Appreciate the help.
Daniel who? Kins, Kiens, Kitz, Kiez, Kies, Kientz or with a C ? or maybe Danielle? Really hate it if names got droped as if erverybody in the world knows it. 😅 All of you... please don't do that...
Yeah, it's a cheap foam brush from a craft store. I found that it was much nicer for varnish application because it wouldn't shed hairs into the varnish, and I didn't have to soak it to help loosen up old varnish that dried like I did with a regular brush. :)
@@ChelseaLang thanks for the reply! Looks like a great lil tool, I’ll have to pick one up sometime. Brushes shedding hairs is absolutely maddening when varnishing 😅
