Paint Shapes, Not Things - Demonstration Video 

This is probably the best how to start painting tutorial. I always feel intimidated when I look for a subject by the amount of details that I forget that painting is more about shape and light then tiny details, at least at the start. You go from simple to complex, not the other way around. Thank you for diminishing my beginner anxiety level!

It's people like Ian Roberts that make RU-vid such a valuable teaching and learning resource. Thank you Ian.

I can't believe how much I am learning about my watercolour work through watching your tutorials in oil paints. The two mediums couldn't be more different but so many of the principles you show us can apply to all mediums. The improvement in my composition is really making me feel good about what I am doing. Thank you so much Ian. You are a wonderful and generous teacher.

Thanks for this demo. I’m working on “blocking in” and my paintings are improving. I find that my paintings often go through an “ugly”stage. And, because of your demos I am learning to work through this to some level of success. I too live in Ontario and a lemon tree would be spectacular.

Thank you for knowing and thank you for sharing. Tuesdays would be incomplete without your videos.

Simply amazing to watch each element morph from some shapes into a picture showing so much without great details. Brilliantly done. Thanks for doing this for us all.

Brilliant demonstration. Thankfully I can watch it again because there is so much information on how to paint a complex scene and keep it simple.

Thank you the method of art; so clear, straightforward and honest. That's what I get from you.

I found this video memorizing. I was interrupted twice while watching, but instantly glued to it again as I continued. Very nice!

This was so helpful ! Wow...I love how you did this so clearly...reducing it to the simplest forms.

Absolutely magical...I enjoyed watching the transformation. Beautiful.

What a great detail tutorial on blocking and painting. I loved the way you blocked and demonstrated how the painting to developed. Excellent!!! Thank you Ian!!!

cher Ian, vos cours sont d une tres grande qualité, depuis que je suis votre méthode mes résultats sont infiniment meilleurs merci

Just enjoy watching another left-handed artist paint!

That was a very engrossing and instructive demonstration. Thank you for your expertise and especially for your sincerity.

👍 Thank you Ian, I look forward to Tuesday so much

Bless your heart. You are an amazing teacher. Thank you.

I love the colors.

Having just watched your 'only rule' video, it is really good to see this principle beautifully mastered. Thank you.

This lesson is like anatomy of painting to me thank you Alan.

Really appreciated seeing the process here. You also are inspiring me to try to paint larger than I normally do! I really enjoyed this painting. Thanks for sharing your wisdom here!

Just witnessing the creative process, it's the most interesting thing to me.

I am so grateful for this!

I absolutely love this painting! Thank you for sharing this. As always you add tools to the painting tool box of technique that are so helpful. ❤️

Magnificent demonstration 👍

Merci Ian pour votre démonstration et vos bons conseils.

One of the best tutorials on painting. You made everything so simple and logical and has taken all the mystery out it. Thank you for this demonstration video.

I'm curently an art student and your videos are really helping me grasp basic painting concepts, keep up the great content!

I enjoy learning so much in your videos. Ill never be a professional artist but, I do enjoy painting and your instruction is encouraging. Thank you.

such a great picture in such a short time. but as one great painter said, there's a lifetime of experience. very inspiring Ian, thank you.

I'd put away my attempts at oil paintings but after watching your videos on blocking in (see the shapes not the things), values, and temps, I have a sense of fresh air, clarity to get back in painting again. Your videos are priceless, Thank you!💫👍🏻😀

Thank you Ian!

This is a beautiful painting, Ian, and the longer edition is very helpful. Thank you!!

Love your illustration

Brilliant! Can't thank you enough for simplifying things which takes the mystery away and makes painting so much easier.

Well done Ian, and thank you for the narration as you worked through it. I'm attempting the transition from the world of graphite, where everything so detail oriented and hyper-focused on realism, so a tutorial like this is both a mind-blowing from that change of perspective and a great resource. I really like what you said about "drawing with the brush," as I've found myself saying the same things on some of my initial projects. Thanks again.

I learned a lot from this long demo, yes, please continue!

Thank you for going over the top with focus on pushing darks and pulling the lights. This was most useful. I love the complexities versus the simplicity. You are oh so kind to share your knowledge.

Amazing tutorial! Can see how you do this very clearly! Thank you very much!

I really appreciate your knowledge about Art.

Thank you again for an extra longer video---I do enjoy my Tuesdays.I just bought your book and find it very useful.

I’m not an artist in any way but I still found this video enjoyable. Your voice is so calming

Everything about the way you break this down is amazing thanks!

Thanks again Ian! Love Tuesday inspiration/instruction.👍🏼

Gosh, this was useful. Thank you. I’m going to follow your lessons now. You are a wonderful teacher.

incredible, love your descriptions of the process. makes me think of painting differently

You're the first artist I've viewed who does a voiceover of the process. Very helpful!

Mot my style. I learned a long, long time ago that painting shape, not things, not only didn't help, it hurt, and I don't think anyone actually does this. I don't care how many shapes you think you're pointing, you still have to paint things exactly as they are, and in the same way I paint them.

Really love this. I was fascinated by how the shapes all came together .

I am loving all your demonstration videos. Thank you so much

wow beauty in the simplicity!

Ian, thank you so much for this detailed explanation of your work. I find this fascinating. I appreciate your time and effort and thank you for sharing your process. Much appreciated.

Such a beautiful painting. I was mesmerised by the way you added the details and brought the painting to life. You made it look so simple.

Amazing! Love it!

I am so happy that I found your channel a few days ago. I love (yes love :) ) the way you describe and explain things!!! I'm currently learning/using watercolor, but I have painted with oils in the past. I really I enjoy both and I may return to oils some day because I love the texture and the sculpting quality of oil paint. For now the challenge of watercolor has me engrossed and I find many of your demos applicable to any medium/applicable to the creation of art. I've watched many YT channels where I learn a little and then I move away from that artist and find someone else. On yours though, I keep watching more and more of your demos. You're a great teacher and I thank you for sharing your experience and love of creating :)

Stunning

Amazing!!! Thank you for this great video. So simple yet so effective.

I would have been painting so much better a year ago if only I would've known about the shapes instead of objects themselves! This is the second video of yours I watch on this subject and am so excited about my next painting...

Thanks for sharing your expertise.😊

Wonderful. Thank you so much for this, it makes so much sense. You articulate it so well and break it down into easy to follow steps. Beautiful painting too!

This is a painter. 💯 Thanks for the demonstration.

I started painting a couple months back and I started with a photo I had and like you I did it very similar but I never knew that there was a name for it colour blocking thank you 🙏 x💛

The GENEROSITY OF KNOWLEDGE imparted in this excellent tutorial is noteworthy. CLEARLY explained and a well executed tutorial! Impatiently awaiting your next video....

Thank you very much for this tutorial that simplifies painting. It's very inspiring. Thank you

Love this. THanks.

Awesome teacher, thank you, Ian.

Just wanted to say I greatly appreciate your art and your discussions on composition and art in general. You, Robert Watts from Watts Atelier of the Arts, Bill Perkins, and Will Weston are some my favorite artists who simplify and break down composition in easy to understand manner.

explained and demonstrated clearly!

Beautiful articulation!!!!! well done and informative. Thank you Ian for a brilliant demonstration and painting!

I am a beginning to explore painting and this demo is perfect for understanding the basics! Thank you!

Fun to watch you at your lesson example of form painting. I have always been awed by the painter and perspectives. This was relaxing for me to rest into your view. I discovered I feel very relaxed. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much for this tutorial. I think, I should really reconsider my approach to painting by working in basic shapes instead of detailing too much in a graphic style!

One of the best of yours I have seen. Thanks so much love his color palette too. So harmonic

This was an eye opener! Great video.

I wish I had seen your videos when I first started my painting journey. You are a gifted communicator and an accomplished artist. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on youtube so all who wish to learn your craft can afford lessons from a master. Learning to see the value of painting shapes, colour temperature and your rule of composition have helped me rethink the way I will paint going forward.

your colors are so clean not at all muddy,its a pleasure to watch

Thank you so much for sharing your excellent teaching videos. 🙌🤩 And your left handedness is appreciated. 😄

Well that was a great video! I don't know what drew me to this but as a digital artist and not a traditional one I learned so much from this ... Thanks and Cheers from Nova Scotia

This is so fantastic, Ian! I'm so inspired to learn to paint this way, and even to draw. I ordered the pencils you recommend (blackwing matte), and can hardly wait to get started. As an abstract painter Ive always shied away from this level of detail and almost realistic impressionism. But you totally inspired me with your helpful step by step explanations. Thank you. 💖

I love it. I'm so glad I found this channel. Thank you!

Brilliant thanks for the step by step instructions.

Thank you, Ian for the series. The twenty minute demo with commentary was very helpful. A lovely painting you constructed.

THIS IS AMAZING!! thanks for the lessons, a beatutiful work and an amazing technique

Thank you so much for this video Ian!!

Just stunning!

I am a senior just thinking about trying my hand at painting for the first time. Thank you for your instruction.

I love how you just get right into it. I've always been intimidated by painting but this video pretty much destroyed any hang ups I have. I guess I've been approaching it as though I have to get everything down all at once but this method seems so much easier.

Thanks Ian. I saw a room of Rothko paintings years ago which was quite an experience. I was reminded of it looking at the lawn in the bottom right. It's great how much you can convey with the simplest statement.

Great explanation and painting. Thank you.

Excellent demo. Great composition, light and color. I appreciate how very articulate you are in describing your process and why you're making decisions. Thank you for sharing what you know!

It is amazing to watch a lovely painting appear stroke by stroke, dab by dab. Very informative and your instruction will definitely help me improve my artistic efforts.

Lovely painting, and very helpful to show how to simplify - something I'm struggling with at the moment. I was also delighted to hear you mention one of my favourite artists, Fairfield Porter! I love his work.

Fascinating. The differentiation in the warm yellows of the leaves and the cool yellows of the lemons was very helpful. Love all the shadows!

Thank you so much for a very informative video. I love how you make it look so easy pulling it all together. beautiful

Beautifully done, Ian! So helpful to see the “fully-loaded” version, especially the “whys” behind how you decide to modify and improve. Love your subject and your approach!

Yes thank you, this is very helpful.

This is exactly the style I’m aiming forZ this was very helpful!

Much thanks, Ian!

this is a wonderful demo, thank you so much!

Just found you on YTube and have watched a couple of videos. Your tutorials are wonderful. I love your method of instruction and love your amazing style of art. Thank you so much! 🎨👌🖼