I picked up the paintbrush this past July (2021) the first time after 45 years. I still had my old Grumbacher easel and oil paints some of which I was able to "revive" and started setting up a whole studio with new paints, mediums and lots of canvases in various sizes. For the past 2 months, I would spent every day at least 2-3 hours painting. which set me on the course of making painting a habit. So much has changed. When I first started painting and having joined an art guild in the late sixties. all we used for painting was a prepared canvas ( I used on occasions Masonite board cut into special sizes, putting down a base coat before painting) for mediums linseed oil and turpentine. I am amazed by the wealth of information that is available to make painting more successful and fun.. I am glad that I came across Draw, Mix, Paint. I have gleaned and learned so much from your videos. teachings and presentations like sitting in art class. I like especially your show and tell time by inviting artists with their work on your show. I want to thank you for having learned numerous things from your show.
Anyone can learn to paint, but not just anyone can become the next influential master. Beyond technique comes inner vision, personal taste, and how/what the person wants to convey. An original master is where a life time of work meets a most unique personality.
I agree to a point. Anyone can become a master to someone else. Different artistic personalities attract different people so maybe your work can influence a very niche group of artists (an you're not regarded as Michelangelo on the great history), but you're still a master to them.
Well that's true, and that's where the lines begin to blur, at the disagreement involving subjectivity. To a "small" group of artists, Yoko Ono is regarded as a highly influential master of avant-garde, however, to the rest of the 99% of the world, she's not. I prefer to draw a line between art and non-art. It's my line, I acknowledge that, but art is as arbitrary as "any expression is art." Therefore, "farting in wind while painting your face blue is art!" No. It's not.
That was well put David. I was told I was talented since I was old enough to hold a pencil.. but its been a hard lesson to learn that talent is nothing without hard work and inner vision.
Hi I have only just discovered your youtube on "How to Make Painting Realism Easy - An Outline. Thank you so very much. I am blown away by your generosity in sharing with the world your knowledge and wisdom. The ability to inspire is truly a wonderful gift which you have given me, now I am on a new journey. I just want to paint beautiful flowers. Thank you for the blessing you have bestowed, so much appreciated.
Yes thank u Mark for what u did it for us with ur process. Luv how u show us from the beginning step and taking to the end. Also thank u for all the free information and how to use that information to have a beautiful piece of art and also to now create art for others.
Thank you, Mark, for sharing the method that your developed. Your website has a wealth of information and your method and videos are clear and easy to follow. I'm currently setting up my studio, purchased your paints, and am building a shadow box. I plan on being one of the small percent who believes, begins, and follows through.
I have just discovered you on utube! I have watched a couple of your videos so far and have learned so much! thank you ! I agree with all you have to say here, I started drawing in pastel pencils 4 years ago, I just fancied having a go, but I am very determined, if I want to do something I know it takes application to learn, so I watched utube! and have been really pleased with what I have produced. I am now very excited to look at your website! I really fancy oil painting and you sound like just the person to guide me..... thank you again!
David your videos are such an amazing source of knowledge and inspiration to an intermediate painter like myself,including color mixing and the color checker
The first step is definitely the hardest. It's a pretty significant investment for something you're not even sure you'll be good at but it's TOTALLY worth it!! Your videos have helped me understand a lot of art concepts more than any other on RU-vid. I've never been an artist (aside from music) i just started painting this christmas. My wife got me a killer selection of paints and supplies as a gift because she's great. Never painted before and I've painted just about every single day since then. Its so much fun figuring everything out. like how do i like to use mediums, do i like my paint thicker or thinner, what type of brush do i like for a particular technique - which usually turns out to be filberts or brights for just about everything - I've done only landscapes so far (10 of them) but each one getting better and better and i can already feel my techniques becoming more refined and less awkward in just the few weeks i've been practicing. totally confident I can someday do realism.
I agree with you 100%. when you say you can't and doubt yourself, you start to believe it and give up. which is what happen in most cases with allot of people.
great video.. thanks... I have started the process and find myself anxious to get started here. So far I have my light fixture up and bulbs in, I have built the color checker, the proportional divider, the palette table and had the glass cut for it, This weekend I went to two different art supply stores and also on line to get my paint , brushes and ingredients for the medium. Today Ii will build the shadow box. I want to paint my room either black or would a dark grey like charcoal work as well? I have such an affection for you Mark for being so generous with your knowledge. I was an art and design student in college and spent most of my life trying to make a living but producing only a few pieces of art mostly pencil drawings and now that I'm retired, would like to rekindle that creative spirit that has been dormant for so long. it's only been a few weeks since I first cam across one of your videos on RU-vid and somehow I just cannot resist it.
Draw mix paint dude, I painted in high school- that was forty years ago. The paintings I did now decorate my house. Some are good, some are not, all have memories. In uni, I took one paint class- the teacher, comparing my work to full-time art students (I was in sciences ) said, "you are the worst painter I've ever seen". And so, I stopped painting. But now, I realize, that teacher was an a$$hole. I am happy to have found your videos, I made my color checker and will be building the easel soon. And then we shall paint again. Thank you for your videos.
Thanks, I was so discouraged in learning to paint, inside me its telling me to stick withcolored pencils, but there is desire in me to learn to paint, so thank you for the advice
Painting is a discipline and most people don't want to undergo that kind of discipline to learn how to paint or to play a musical instrument. It does require a lot of dedication and effort and that's what people are afraid of.
Hi, I am looking for an oil medium to mix with oil paints so that when I paint tree branches with a script liner, the paint comes off the script liner like silk. I need an oil medium that dries at the same speed as Newton oil paints in average humidity. What oil medium would you recommend? I am familiar with walnut and linseed oils. But, I can purchase what oil medium you would recommend. Thank you.
Can you help me learn to paint small rhinestones like rhinestone straps on a dress? I want to get it to sparkle and be clear they are rhinestones or gems. Also adding pearls. Thank you.
Hi Mark, thanks for all the very good information you put on RU-vid. As far as I see your online course is not free anymore? Or am I wrong here? I was so happy to read here that the course was for free but when I looked on your site I don't see a free course? So may'be it's a good idea to remove that line here, because I was so happy and then it wasn't for free. Hope to see more from you here on RU-vid :-)
hello, i started watching your classes, but the week before i started, i bought aqrilic paints. Can i use your classes with aqrilic painting instead of oil ?
I can not hear Gary very well. My volume is all the way up. Please realize that its easier to turn it down, but one can only turn the volume up so far--particularly on tablets, iPods. laptops and some older phones. But I really appreciate your lessons and advice! Thank you!
I discovered drawing 8 months ago and I am totally addicted, but I also want to paint However, I have a disability where I can't raise my arm up to paint at an easil because I don't have the range of motion or stength to do so. To compensate, I would have to paint on a flat surface, just as I do now with drawing. I've been told that drawing or painting on a flat surface presents a problem because there will be distortions caused by looking up and then down to the surface. I was so disappointed to hear this because I absolutely LOVE to draw and I know I'd love to paint, too. Do you have and thoughts on the pitfalls of painting on a flat surface and how I might make the most if it? Thank you.
I hope you go for it! I've painted a lot of small paintings on a flat surface and it has gone quite well. One of the main problems can be in the initial drawing, you would want to make sure you are looking straight down at your canvas; as one looks straight at a canvas that is upright. If you are looking at your canvas from an angle, your drawing may be skewed. The other thing is your lighting; making sure you are not getting glare.
Would a table easel help? At least you could rest your arm on the table while your canvas is placed low on the easel and therefore close to the table surface and easy to reach by bending your wrist, if that's an option. Good luck to you. I think that painting will be quite theraputic for you since you seem to love it so much. Good luck!
before I would acquiesce into flat painting, I would look into various easels that have the ability to adjust height and angle .. for example, you could still use an "easel" concept, but simply adjust the height of support surface (canvas) and then tilt it to a physically comfortable position to prevent any potential glare and perspective distortion about which you are concerned ... many of the watercolor easels are designed with this exact adjustable height/tilt-angle feature for watercolor artists to work flat, yet angled just the right degree to be comfortable and efficient .... just a thought
First rule of art---no rules!! All kidding aside, its the finished piece & how it communicates to u or others.....thats the point, more than how u get there. Also-now days, so many artists paint from photographs, the issue u mention should not b a concern. If u paint flat, place the photo u copy flat next to ur canvas.....but, even if u choose a model or true still life, i believe u will over come any challenges & still have an equal opportunity to make great art. Plus-U will enjoy yourself. Make Art, Be Happy ✌🏻️
We are really just our genes under the influence of our environment, and that's all "talent" is too. If you're better than others at something the first time you do it, it has more to do with the ways of thinking and observing and the activities that you've been exposed to in your life up than any romantic, metaphysical notion of talent. We all start from different places and learn at different rates, but that's really the only variation there is.
Most of the time, you can get higher representation (of your subject) through understanding values or tones rather than detail and colour. Colour (to me) is eye candy and yes having the right hue ,temperature and complimentary colour works as an advantage, its not as important as getting atmosphere,depth and even soft edges for continuity(movement and suggestiveness ). This may read more like impressionism,however when you take into account the real world, (visually)you realize how much of this is true. Nothing could be worse than having exact detail of the subject you are rendering and there is no suggestiveness in the painting. It becomes static and flat. Look at Richard Schmid's work and see how well he captures his subjects(portraiture,landscape,still life and figure).
I discovered that beginers think that when they paint first paintings these must be good. It is not true. Being a good painter takes years or decades. So after they see it is not easy then they stop to paint thinking that they have no talent while talent is not enough only hard work and years of practice.
The guest's microphone is barely audible. Your microphone is loud. He is talking fast and barely understandable for me. Well, in summary, the talk is wonderful.
It's just holding you back. So what if someone out there might have a natural talent? You are you. And if you want to follow your goals, you need to put in the work. But you can reach it with the right motivation.
