Paint Coach, I'm a 41 year old guy. When I was a teenager, I went to art school (Pratt Institute), and it was such a miserable experience, I switched to new media and didn't do studio arts for over 20 years. You've got me oil painting again, and I've been doing at least one painting per week since January 1st (and loving it). Thanks for all you do, and I plan to sub to your Patreon very soon.
I’m 64, self taught, been painting since a child. I love that computers are now a handy tool in my art work for turning reference photos in to grayscale to see values more easily and doing the things paint coach shows. I try not to use it too much as. I don’t want to dampen down natural instinct and creativity but let’s you know if you’re in the right ball park.
I always found this statement too disrespectful. Calling someone "talented", when there is so much practise and dedication, that saying it's talent disvalues the hard work behind it. But I agree with you, he is a very skillful tutor!
@@icwsi it’s not disrespectful. You can be talented and still put in the necessary work/practice to improve that natural/innate ability. It’s unfair to say that people can’t have talent. That’s a slap in God’s face.
I’d never seen the mannequin process before. Very instructive and to the point video. I just tried using your cutout method on Photoshop but I converted my reference photo to black and white which put everything into a gray scale.
I love your perfect balance of loose painting with just enough detail in this portrait. Beautiful work. This is one of your best, imho. Thank you for your guidance; I am trying really hard to emulate your process. You make it look so easy, but I know it has taken years of hard work to achieve this level of ability. Thanks, Coach!
I do a lot of practice paint studies on paper and I always find that those little "throwaway" paintings turn out so much better than those I've sketched out in detail. This video helped me understand why. I end up spending so much time on the sketch that I get scared to actually paint it. Thank you for helping me build my confidence and trust my instincts.
I recently incorporated lamp black into my palette and I find that mixing a bit of it into that classic burnt sienna/ultramarine blue mixture makes for a really nice, rice dark color!
Many years ago I read a book by the famed mythologist, Joseph Campbell. He described politicians are usually speaking in doublespeak so they could always weasel out of an unpopular position. Whereas, baseball players usually used a direct speaking style. Your refreshingly direct speaking style reminds me of this and is very reassuring and confidence boosting. Many thanks. 🏆🥇
I LOVED when you told us to isolate the color and how to do that either with a punch out or online to cut and paste it. That was a very helpful tip. Thank you! I struggle with matching color so I am excited to try this.
You are definitely an inspiration and got me super pumped to try my hand at painting, I'm a pencil artist and I specialize in portraits but haven't done one in awhile like I have artist block for some reason but your videos really got me motivated to get back on my grind and I appreciate you taking the time to make these videos to help people like me!!
I often find myself reverting back to my old/bad habits, and when I do the first thing I think to myself is that I need to go back and rewatch the Paint Coach videos, and they set me straight again. Helpful over and over and over and over again, thank you!
I've already watched this a few weeks ago, but its so good I had to watch again! I really think this is one of your best portraits Chris and the explanations you give in this video are so helpful. Thank you for putting so much thought into your videos they really set you apart from many of the others.
You really impress me with your skills and knowledge. I'm working on a portrait of a man although I'm very new to painting, and you have given me so many resourceful nuggets here! Thank you legend, You're so talented. Stay amazing and continue sharing with us newbies.
Hello there! I'm right now studying to earn by BFA and had an assignment to paint a self portrait in 4 hours. I'm terrible at painting people and didn't know where to start. However, after watching your video I decided to go with your tips and boy am I glad that I did! You're advice helped me immensely and the portrait came out better than I expected! Thought I'd share with you my experience and happy to have found a great channel to subsribe to!
I took painting courses in high school and college and it amazes me how late in my college courses people started to teach about light… it should be the first thing. I think it would make drawing perspective easier to grasp later on.
Love your advice thank you Chris... I take away something every time I watch you... I'm finding when I get frustrated with a painting session, I've now got you in my head saying, 'honour the effort!' ... immense! Haha ...it keeps my spirits high so I'm motivated to try again! x
The filter cut out idea is pure genius ! Coach, what is the minimum size the reference photo should be and do we need a print out photo reference or would you recommend just reference from computer
I like how you simplify your teaching. It's easy to understand the principles and understanding what your doing make you learn "better and faster". It's a truth in sports and anything else. Thank a lot for this!
The mannequin demonstration is a great way to convey what so many seem to fail to put into words. I found thinking like this especially helpful, thanks for putting that out there. Next, a conductor uses a 'baton,' not a wand. Peeps if you're having trouble with skin tone, stick with the Zorn palette for a few portraits (white, cad red or vermillion or alizarin, yellow ochre and ivory black.)
Dude, This is best video ever, in my humble opinion. You covered everything that I needed at this moment in time. Thanks a million!! Using the mannequin to show the idea of wrapping the paint was perfect.
Reilly palette helps a lot. It’s a lot of mixing on the front end but saves time on the backend. Colors are generally accurate but you can get some matching issues with darker complexions if you are working off a photo. Still love it though.
The brushstroke example was so useful and easy to understand, this is my favorite art channel on youtube, I´ve learned so much since I discovered it (:
Muchas gracias Chris por tu arte, por tu docencia y tu generosidad. Soy un nuevo seguidor y fan. Sin embargo, mi dominio del inglés es muy limitado y no puedo seguir tu ritmo. Sería pedir mucho que agregues subtítulos a los videos que consideres más importantes, por favor? De nuevo muchas gracias y saludos desde Argentina!
I've to admit it: You are the only one that really explain how to do and how to learn and not speeding the process saying "I'm the best, blablabla, I draw a circle and after et voilà I have painted the Monnalisa, blablabla". Keep going in this way! (From teacher to teacher!)
Man you're a really good teacher! I spent time in college studying painting and I have learned more from your content than 4 years in school. Good fu#@ing work! I'm going to buy your course
I"ve been a pro artist for twenty years (in all honesty, I faked it in the begining) and I taught art for two years to kids. You are a fantastic teacher!!!! Your demo on brush work was very helpful to me. Thank you!
You are really great🌹..explain so important things which confusing us in a soooo simple way..learned alot from you and waiting for more😊..from Egypt,thanks alot for you🌹🌹
Found your channel recently and it's massively helpful. I've been painting for years self taught and having recurring problems. Now I'm starting to learn the fundamentals of painting. Thank you.
Damn! That so concisely covered covered all the check boxes in 14 minutes! If I had to share one vid, or all the art vid's that I have watched, this would be the one. My personal favorite was the "isolate the color." How come I didn't think of that? Why did none of my art teachers tell me that? Hmm... Even just a white card, or better yet, white, and all the primary colors to see how the color will interact. Thanks Coach!
Most interesting Coach. So I reasoned with your advice with going to PhotShop and utilizing the the 'Cutout' filter under Filter Gallery. So I reasoned if you could do this with portrait couldn't you also do this with say a landscape also. I do believe this will really help my efforts with more complicated subject matters. Your insights are really propelling myself to better painting. From your previous vid. 1. Process v. End Product. B. Have to Paint. 2. Have to Paint v. I Get to Paint Today. I wrote these down. Also...put the subject matter into grayscale to see the values. 3. Values do all the work and Color gets all the credit; from the Coach.
No detailed drawing first??? You just killed millions of amateur painters. Many of them are teaching in youtube too, just filling drawing with one level of paint. How beautiful...
I got a lot from your video, thanks--but one very crucial point was left out, one especially relevant in this age of over-reliance on digital media: working from photos is problematic. The camera distorts both proportion and color, and makes choices for you that you might not make in the field. At the very least, preface this tutorial with a mini crash course on spotting proportion distortion, so the finished work doesn't end up looking like a badly-photoshopped fashion body, or some over-tweaked clickbait ad.
I spent months analysing the advertising of different big banners on the street of Cologne in Germany and other signals just from an art, advertising point of view, I have been drawing and painting for years and as you guys know you develop a sense for the details and observation, any way, I realize the left-center lider candidate had a banner all over the city, with his face on it where the shadow of his moustache was coinciding with the one of that that I don't even want to type, then in another (more right politician) the way of the fringe in his hairstyle was exactly the same as the Again that, that was so true, that I saw a few of them where people draw a mustache with a brush or something because the similitude was implicit, and then the face was EXACT the same, I am wondering if there is some kind of "hidden propaganda" or something. TAKE THE PICTURE OF THIS ACTOR, REMOVE THE GLASSES, REMOVE THE GOATTE and ADD no even the same hairstyle but just a CUP, I don't understand what is going on.. since a few years ago.
Excellent video, thank you. A question and sort of a tutorial tip at the same time. Explain at least a little of the "why" for a tip. Not everyone processes information this way, but for me and others, knowing the "why" increases my understanding of the tip exponentially. You do that well for some of the tips you provided. The specific tip which I did not see or hear any "why" was; "use as few brush strokes as possible". It may be obvious to more experienced painters and/or I may have just not understood your explanation. Can you, or anyone, elaborate on why that is important. Thanks again!
This is incredibly helpful! Another trick I will do to digitally isolate color is by using the "draw" feature and clicking colors and then using the dropper to isolate my highlights, shadows, mid-tones and such and then drawing in swatches with each one.
Thank you so much , I was trying everything , I was a shit painter and still am , I saw no progress, but now my values and rendering has improved with your tips , it took me 10 years , all I have to do is improve my proportions.Your tutorials are so helpful.
I’ve always wanted to learn portrait painting - I didn’t know where to start! But this guy, this very talented , gentle guy, boy has he helped me! Keep it up!♥️
"This is a big shape, this is a small shape, and what I will do is identify that shape and try and cover that shape using as few brush strokes as possible" 🤔
I like the work of the student. What I don't like is his brushwork. The brush marks are too equal, like a painting program, kind of robotic. Would be nicer if he starts holding the brush more by the end, a long handle. That way it looks more loose andm abrtistic, more human after all. I love painting brown people. They have really great colorfull faces with big features. Perfect for expressive colorfull portraits
Get a DB-400 or the new Lucinda a Master Artist uses all tools, it's not cheating because you could give the tools to another, it may not look the same. Also turn the painting upside down or turn side ways, get different views. It could help to get the job done without getting your self in the way.
Honestly the light and shadow "sketch-type" portraits when they are still in the beta phase look way better than the finished portrait. Something about not seeing the eyes and not seeing so much detail makes them look epic
I’ve watched people use this technique overtime, but I’ve never had it explained to me the way that you’ve just explained it. Thank you so much you are an excellent teacher and artist.
Thank you for providing this information. Great help!! I know oil paint is your preferred medium but may I ask if this is also applicable in using gouache??
I tried -- I tried so hard to find a key in my painting . . . But all I saw were brushstrokes. Should I have someone else paint a tiny key randomly in my painting first, then try to find it again later? What if they paint a minuscule Waldo, instead, to mess with me -- I'd never be able to find that stupid jerk. -- -- (Yes, this is a joke. putting this here just in case someone doesn't realize that fact) - Very informative video, thank you for this. I believe it will help me considerably in the future.
I already fail at the first step. I take like 3 or 4 photos and just combine all the elements I like into one. Like right now, I'm trying to paint a DC superhero, but I used a photo of Jay Cutler as a reference for the body and I used a pic of Rick Mora for the face, so there's multiple light sources in the references. It won't surprise me if it turns out to be a total train-wreck at the end. XD
I'm a teen and I have no experience in painting of any kind I usually dographite drawing sometimes color drwaings but rarely so this is totally out of my comfort zone . I did a sketch and it's not exactly like the reference pic but it's ok for me otherwise I'll start to overthink it and spend more time that i should.
This guy really helped me out I really didn't understand painting because all I did was draw traditionally but now I switched to digital and the stuff he's teaching can also be applied to digital painting
These are some really useful reminders, and clearly, efficiently explained. I'm not new to portrait painting, but that point about dealing with the underdrawing haven't made enough of an impression on me before this video.
Great advice there Chris! I like the one about setting your top and bottom values a lot. Gonna try to incorporate that into my work. It will probably limit moving values incrementally over the process of my painting and subsequently adjusting adjacent values on, and on, and on, and... Cheers!
