I happened upon your video here while looking for Jackson Pollock-style paintings. May I please just say...WOW!?!! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your art history lessons, demos, and clear voice. Please keep making videos; we all learn SO much!
Pollock is one of my favorite painters next to Francis Bacon. I've tried doing a Pollock and it's like doing a composition, the colors working together in harmony and getting enough canvas time.
At first, when I saw Pollack's work, it was a bit "busy" for me too. But, the more I looked at, & studied his "Mural," the more fascinating it became. It is now probably my favorite "abstract," if not the most mesmering "painting" I've ever seen! I'm going to try some of my own. Thanks, great job!
Hi Ambrose Avery, thanks. Ha, another one ' too busy'. I get it. Just as Rebecca Sharp commented. But you found your solution too, looking closer, studying aspects or details helps. And the longer you look you can get to like or even love it. Art is wonderful. Love to hear how your version will turn out. Have a great day, Albert
@@ImperfectPaintings two years ago I took an on-line "Abstract Expressionism" course that was offered by Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. A unit was dedicated to Jackson Pollock. We were required (optionally) to submit art painted in his style (like in cases of other artists we studied). I tried, it was a struggle. The closer I looked the more intimidated I became. I ended up submitting the assignment and didn't feel good about it. Since then, I painted a couple. The style remained challenging. All this is to say that your instruction demystified and simplified it (something that the course didn't attempt). Now I feel I can head down to my studio in my basement to embark (with renewed excitement) on painting more of Pollock's style. Thank you so much. I should mention that the course was challenging and enjoyable.
Oh, wow Salim, thanks for sharing this story. I almost get nervous and insecure. What I aim for is to help look 'through' a painting style. Not to copy it but to make it more approachable, less intimidating. When the bar is lowered you can paint it and discover it is quite more complicated but now the gap is smaller between you and the artist. Every time you make a painting you can get closer, the learning curve. Up to a certain point where you take a left turn and the artist went the other way. Now you can do your own thing. All aiming for more enjoyment of painting. Not necessarily to make art. Thanks for your wonderful message before my day job. Have a great day! Albert
Thanks Vadim, it all may look to simple but when trying to make one yourself it turns out to be more complicated interesting as well. Do try this yourself too. Albert
Thank you for your very inspirational tutorials! In this video it is very interesting, that the use of some simple techniques causes so impressive and appealing results! I will also test it for my own attempts in acrylic painting. 👍✍🏻
I just moved into my first apartment and decided to make a big painting myself. I am super excited and this video was fun and informative. Thank you for the great content. :)
I made a large drip painting using house paint samples from Home Depot. Thin with water and let it fly. I finished it with a clear coat. I get a lot of compliments. Many people have asked me who the artist is and I laugh and tell them I am.
Loved this video! I love (most of) Jackson Pollock's work and loved the ones you produced too! To keep my carpet clean, I have a large sheet of thick plastic, the kind they use on kitchen tables, that I bough from the hardware store and an old block out curtain along the doorway, incase I have paint on my shoes. It's certainly easier than cleaning paint of the carpet. 😁
Actually, I liked your version of his painting better! Yours had more depth and color combination is beautiful. Thanks for sharing this style of painting.
@@ImperfectPaintings Yes, it is so satisfying for me to really like a painting of mine, because I know I am my worst critic! Your painting interpretation of Pollock's cathedral, was just so pleasing. I wish I could paint like you. Maybe with practice, I can. Thanks, Albert.
Keep a playful mood. We have this saying from a Swedish childrens book by Astrid Lingren (the adventures of pipi longstocking, by the way fun to read) 'I've never done this, so I think I can do it'. I love this attitude. Jump in head first without thinking, or before your rational mind will kick in. This is also my way of painting for my videos. It's not important to paint beautiful, I talk with my brush to explain, sort of sketching. I have my inner critic too, but sometimes he leaves to room 😉. Long story short: if you want to get better at painting... paint more. Albert
Thanks, Edward. Love to hear you made one and will do another one. I truly believe making one yourself gives a better understanding of Pollock's art. Enjoy, Albert
Thank you I enjoyed your demonstrations very much. I am going to do a Jackson Pollock style painting for class and I need to use Acrylic because I will not have time for layers of oil Paint to dry. Very helpful 😊☮️
@@ImperfectPaintings i agree ... but wind gusts of 40 might have me drip painting the house next door🤣 By the way; a should have been famous painter, Janet Sobel, might be a good one to profile. In 1945, Pollock and Clement Greenberg went to see an exhibition of her... drip paintings, in Peggy Guggeheim's art gallery ... . Pollock was thrilled, said her art had a powerful influence on him... he had finally found what he was missing in his art ... and, the rest is HIStory.
Haha, no, don't paint the neighbors, unless they want too. Yes, Janet Sobel is interesting. I'll put her on my list for 'you never know'. But I first need to dive into her artwork to get to know her better. Anyway, enjoy drip painting, Albert
Hi Samantha, thanks. Of course you can also try other paint brands perhaps, but I like to challenge myself always to use my regular one. Also fun to do. Albert
I'm ordering pouring medium from Amazon today. I enjoy Pollock's work, but, I have difficulty looking at it for any period of time because it is a bit too "busy" for me- I need a bit more calm as I've gotten older. I always look forward to your videos as you do such a great job of simplifying some of the mysteries of the artists, and not everyone can do that, especially as someone who is bilingual. I look forward to next week's video!
Hi Rebecca, thanks, this means a lot to me. I totally understand what you mean with busy paintings. I have the same and I found out when I look to 1 color or a part of it like following 1 line it gets easier, at least you can dim the rest by doing so. See you next week! Albert
Hi Albert, love the video tutorials and your style too. May I ask - How to paint like Mark Rothko as a possible future episode. Many thanks for all of your time and effort....
Hi Wilko, thanks for sharing. Mark Rothko is one of my favorites, but I'm looking for years for a way to translate his artwork (technique wise) to a painting lesson / video. When I see it, I will make one. I'll put him on my list. Bye, Albert
Echt een heel interessante video Albert, en goed uitgelegd+ mooi resultaat met die oker-kleurige achtergrond ! Een van mijn meest fav video's van welke ik tot nu toe gezien heb. Pollock gebruikte zijn kleuren goed, waardoor het mijns inziens niet te druk was. Bedankt voor de video!!
Hi Mariana, thanks. It all depends on the thickness of the paint you work with. Some paints are fluid enough as they are. Try it find out if works for you of make it more fluid by adding, for instance (what I use) pouring medium. Happy painting, Albert
Hi Elaine, thanks I use paper of a local supplier in the Netherlands. I use 200gr multipurpose paper 50X65cm and sometimes 100x65cm 120 grams. Hope this helps. Albert
Thanks tamsinthai, I couldn't agree more with you. Unfortunately you totally missed the point of a video like this. In case you like to paint, like I do, and want to understand and learn more about art , painting in the style of an artist can help you a lot in your own journey. Never to copy the artist but to experience a style of painting yourself, no matter what level your painting skills are at. Anyway, I wish you a wonderful day. Albert
@@ImperfectPaintings I have an MA in Fine Art and remember the outings to museums to set up our easels in order to copy a painting to try to understand the process. But there are far too many being persuaded all they have to do is drip some paint about with absolutely no idea of the context. I once asked one of those cheap copy shops if the could do me a Rothko (just for a laugh) here in SE Asia, 'Why yes! And was shown a blank canvass with two flat blobs on it. I've studied more art than you've had smoked eel sandwiches haha.
Thanks for coming back. I guess we're perhaps on different sides of the spectrum. I'm in the corner of introducing ways to paint and getting to know new artists. Just to get people painting and enjoy their new hobby. Everybody has to start somewhere, and if people can't see this or appreciate it, perhaps they watch the wrong videos. Have a nice day anyway. Albert
@@ImperfectPaintings Understood. I have a tendency to view everything pertaining to the arts. Your channel is a nice into to painting. I hope your subscribers are persuaded to dig deeper.
@@tamsinthai I think you are being very judgmental and completely missing the point of this and other videos like it. I have been painting professionally for 40 yers and still occasionally try to emulate another artists' style or technique. No art is original, its all derivative. Chill, it why we paint!
Suwong, I use normal acrylics and I believe I mix it with acrylics medium. Look it up online. There is heavy medium to give the acrylics more volume, like oil paint has. And also medium to make the acrylics more fluid. You can also use pouring medium for acrylics paint. Hope this helps. Albert
Hi Michael, thanks. You're correct but it was never my intention to copy, I wanted to paint in his style to see what I can learn from it. Have a nice day, Albert
@@ImperfectPaintings Exactly! there are few commenters here that are under the misconception that you are trying to copy him. I just started a background for a commission and was wanting that look thus my arrival here. I've utillized his style for decades but was interested in how others interpret and work with it. We learn all the time and your videos are part of that process. Mahalo!
Imitating another artist is all well and good, but how do I find the inspiration necessary to create an original piece that expresses my own unique talents and insites?
Thanks, MrJohnisthename. Good question i get it a lot.. First of all, start painting. Only by painting a lot (make 100 paintings this year) you can find what you like. The videos look effortless, but almost every second painting I make is a result of the previous one. You can't think yourself out of this question. You have to do, do, doing. In case you don't have ideas of your own, it can be a help to paint like another artist. You can learn painting techniques in that way or how to work with unknown materials. While doing so, I often get ideas on how I would do it, what I would make. I notice what I like and what not, what I find challenging (learning process ahead), and what is easy or comes natural to me. By doing so, you will get an internal 'yes', follow all the 'yes-es'. But it can take a while. Thinking about it will not help. You have to paint a lot to narrow down on what you prefer. There are a lot of videos on the channel. Just start somewhere and do an exercise you like. Hope this helps. Albert
Hi Frances, thanks, interesting question. My challenge is to better understand why an artist, in this case Jackson Pollock, would paint in this way and why this is or could be interesting. What i this time and very often notice is that the methods are more complicated than they look. Artistically it is interesting to find out if I would like to make more paintings in the way of the artist's style. Besides the painting process I try to tell an interesting story about the artist and the way of working. I give painting lessons for a number of years now and you can learn a lot about making, looking and understanding art by doing it yourself. In my painting lessons people look differently at art and the world around them or even themselves, after making a painting in a style. Learning by doing so to speak. Hope this explains it all. Are you a painter as well? Love to hear some more from you. Have a nice day, Albert
Hi Peter, thanks for mentioning Lee Krasner in the comments. Perhaps you noticed but in my videos I tend to focus on what I like to do: the technical experiment or experience. Others can tell what they like to do for instance talk about the art historical background. Anyway, thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts. Albert
The funny thing is how bad these attempts are compared to real Pollocks. That isn’t to say it can’t be done - I’ve seen a few good ones, including one by a 12 year old. But I do think it takes a certain understanding of space and movement. The colors used here are not right, the paint doesn’t flow the same, etc. but I appreciate the efforts. We can’t all be Jackson Pollock I guess.
Thanks, Brushcl. In my opinion it's never about making a Pollock copy. So any painting is okay by me. By trying to paint in his style, you can encounter all sort of things, often the points you mention.Trying to paint in his style is the perfect way, again in my opinion, to silence people who say 'my cat, or my six-year old, can do this'. Because it isn't as easy as it looks. But by trying, investing time and making the effort, and even when not getting there, can make you look differently at art. Comparing your version with a Pollock makes you study his artwork in a different way and perhaps appreciate it even more. And the joy of trying is always a bonus. Enjoy your day, Albert
Your 'Cathedral' is far more interesting and vibrant than Pollock's. I think, when you do drip painting you should know when to stop -Pollock didn't, so many of his works are dull and boring, like this one. Using an even amount of paint of different colours also makes a painting boring. I´m not a fan of Pollock, but I think you can have a lot of fun painting like this.
Hi Juan, thanks for sharing. It's all a matter of taste of course, but I get what you mean. Thanks for the compliment. And indeed it was fun to do, I also learned a lot from it. Albert
Thank Albert for coming back to this. And I almost envy you because of the growth you can still make as a person and as an art lover. Learning to appreciate things outside your comfort zone, developing the ability to see things from different perspectives and giving people the space to be allowed to be themselves.... wow, you can still have such a beautiful life. I wish you all the best. Albert
Why would any true artist want to paint like another artist, no matter how famous? It's redundant and thereby sacrificing one's own uniqueness to copying. Aspiring artists should not aspire to be anything or create anything other than what comes from within themselves. It's been done.
As everyone does in their childhood, I learned to do those things, but that has no relevance in this discussion. I learned to think and work on my own. And as an adult artist I learned to trust myself and the process to explore and discover my own unique voice. I completely surrendered inhibition and put my full trust in myself to create what only I can. Yes, many awful paintings but then it progressed and evolved into my work today. You can't create the next painting until you've created the one before and so that evolution grows, in trust and the true process of pure creativity emerges. To copy, in style or substance means just that. It has been done. How else will an artist truthfully discover themselves by doing something that has been done before? They won't, until they break free and trust in their own personal unique creative process. That's pure creativity. No more second hand art.
Thanks, T, for coming back on this. The relevance of learning to walk, talk, or whatever, is that most people (kids) do this by copying others, conscious or not. Copying the work of an artist, or trying to paint what you see, is just a learning process. A lot of people are not (trained) artists but amateurs in the positive way. Trying different styles can be fun and educational. It is also a great way to train your eye. Most people think they observe, but often they just look for a second. Copying, or painting in the style of, can bring understanding a style or way of working and perhaps it brings a new technique of skill. If painting in the style of an artist is not for you, the video wasn't aimed at you. Thanks for watching. I hope I could explain why this video can help others. Albert
@@ImperfectPaintings I get it. Most people will have infinite journeys in trying to find their voice. Others don't care about that but simply want to enjoy the experience of paint to canvas. It's a helluva fun thing to do. But let's be honest here, copying or painting what one sees is not learning 'process'. That's learning technique and materials, and that's fine. Baby steps for most. What I'm talking about is consciously moving beyond that. Forgetting the technique. Forgetting the images burned into one's mind that have influence. Forgetting things others have taught , but becoming and realizing that everyone is unique in their own person, their own lives, their own soul, their own way to create. Hell, everyone is influenced by something, someone and the art thats out there. But it's mostly the same. Your videos are definitely not for me. But good for others. And that's cool. But I prefer to encourage people to explore further than 'this is the way some other artist did things' and so you can too. I want them to explore themselves and discover who and what they are and have the potential create, what no one else has done before. It's not until then that true individual process is formed. That's how Pollock did it, through self examination and being bold enough to try something completely different, regardless of what anyone thinks of the art. It's a shame he suffered from mental illness and alcoholism though...imagine what he could have created if he was whole.
Thanks, T, I'm glad we found some common ground. I wish for every one to be able to live with a free mind like you. What I see around me are differently wired people. They have paint but no idea what to do. Life isn't always easy for a lot of people because of mental capabilities, upbringing, social possibilities, or financial situations, whatever comes first. Someone telling them, showing them how artists work, what they do, dare and so on can be helpful. Any growth in creative believe in yourself is a plus for anyone that didn't have it before. Daring to apply paint randomly, without thinking of the outcome, just to for sheer pleasure is a waste of paint for a lot of people. Learning to allow yourself to do this is a major win. If you don't know many people who struggle through life, it can be difficult to understand what they have to overcome to be able to create freely, as you promote. For them, it isn't possible to see what they are able to. So one step at a time can help them. Painting in the style of can be a fun challenge. Perhaps they just want to have some fun with paint. Perhaps they don't aspire to be great artists. Have a nice weekend, Albert
