So, what about you? Do you have a favorite flower that you love to paint? And if so, what challenges do you have with this subject? Let’s keep the conversation going!
After watching this I think I may have a go at a lily flower, once they come out that is. I wanted to ask, do you go through your colours and pick out the ones you are going to use before you start to paint?
Alain, I see you do such beautidful work with soft pastels. Do you ever use, or have you tried, oil pastels? I got a set but I'd love to see something from you with these.
HI Alain - greetings from Ireland. I've recently discovered your videos and I love every one of them! You are such a talented artist, and you make it look so easy (which I know it's not). I've ordered some new pastels (I was missing a lot of soft light tones) and they are due to arrive tomorrow or the next day. After that, I'm going to let rip in my kitchen (which serves as a studio during daytime). Thank you again, and keep up the great work.🙏
What a treat for the holidays to see you do this painting. Peonies are HARD.... so many petals... And, as always, you make it look SO simple. The end result is awesome! Thank you for sharing your gifts!
🎨🖼👨🎨💞Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. You are my favored artist, truly grateful for your demos. You helped me so much, thank you🍃🍂🍁🌺🌻🌹
Oh this was yet another great instructional video! And to add the cherry on top my favourite subject, a simple still life. Its fun and whimsical and beautiful all at once! I’m definitely going to watch this again then get to my easel to paint! Thank you once again for the inspiration and clear instructions on how to proceed with this!
You are very welcome Christine, I appreciate your feedback! Really glad to hear that you love the subject, and I'm so glad you'll be creating your own real soon! I'm rooting for you!
Thank you for painting one of my favourite flowers Alain.......the peony! I grow them in my garden in Wales. Such a beautiful painting, as always! I love that it was just one in a jar rather than a bouquet in a vase! As we say, 'less is more'! Enjoy the rest of the holiday season with your lovely family xx
ps I'd love to see you paint primroses in the spring........I love the delicate translucency of this beautiful pale flower that loves to hide in the shadows of woodland and on grassy banks. x
I’m excited about this study as I have such a passion for peonies! I don’t do flowers well, though. Here’s my question: what is the purpose of the underpainting and on what occasion do you use it?
Inspiring! I’m committed to improving my painting of water, so loved how the jar turned out. Also, appreciated your comments on creating an impression of petals - I can see them! Merry Christmas 🎄
Bravo, beautiful! I love chrysanthemums and asters. However, I find that painting flowers are rather challenging for me. Perhaps, because its hard to suggest its shape. After, viewing this wonderful video, its possible that my past frustrations will be alleviated. Well here goes! Can not wait to get started!! What a good detour, from all the cooking, this beautiful Christmas day. Just what I needed to energize me! Thank you, for so many precious morsals of information. What a gift! Merry Christmas!
Alain thank you! A very lovely Christmas present. Excellent video, great info and beautiful painting! Merry Christmas & Cheers for a wonderful New Year. 🌺🍎👌
I love to paint pansies - working on their various expressions and the rich colors; I have trouble rendering glass, water and the stems. This lesson was a great help. And I have to learn not to reach for colors in my "head" such as green for leaves. Overall I had my doubts, but you pulled it off again! Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Hi Alain! Great to see you back again. I love flowers. Remember green and pink are my favorite colors so I was wondering if you can do a pink rose pasteldrawing with a nice fresh green pastel color stem🌷?
Alain, i watched the video completely before commenting. I think the picture works as a finished piece. I have trouble with deciding when I should change from my reference. I used to only use black and white photos and I did not get hung up on colors with my watercolor paintings. I find I want an impressionistic approach to my pastel work but I am struggling with when to use certain colors! You hardly used a green! and so much of your under-painting still showed through! I am in awe of your mark making but I am a bit discouraged, Is it just time? Just experience? Thank you for this wonderful gift of the single flower painting. I will keep watching and looking for tips for my own improvement.
Hi Michael. don't give up! Mark-making gets better with practice, keep at it and I believe you will see results. You're right, I did neutralize the green in this painting, I just felt the pink and gray were the real hit colors and didn't want to detract from that. But I did use one green in there! I have become more comfortable over time with allowing more of the underpainting to show through. I enjoy the visual effect. But it did take me time to get there, so don't be discouraged! Just keep painting and you'll soon see improvements as you look back on your work. I wish you all the best!
Hi Alain. Thank you so much for this video. I learned a lot. I am VERY new at pastel and I am trying to paint my sister's favorite flower for her birthday next month -- a bird of paradise. I would love to do it in a loose fashion as you did this peony. Have you any videos of a bird of paradise flower? Thanks again, love to watch you paint.
Bellissimo video, bellissimo quadro. Grazie. Ci sto provando; ho provato pera e mela, riguarderò ancora il video e proverò anche questa peonia! Grazie. Mi sarebbe piaciuto partecipare ai corsi online ma oltre ad essere disoccupata, parlo solo italiano e approfitto, quando posso, della traduzione automatica di RU-vid che ti lascio immaginare quanto poco sia corrispondente, così per il momento mi accontento di quanto trovo qui. Grazie , adoro i tuoi lavori e quello che insegni.
Hi Alain, I love your work and your teaching methods are so encouraging. I have problems with Pastelmat always curling up. Please, can you recommend a way to get it to lay flat? I know that mounting it would work, but this just adds more expense to an already expensive paper.
Thanks for a lovely vibrant painting. It really is stunning. I'm going to try something like this. Did you use alcohol wash to cover over the initial pink pastel?
You may be right Francisco, I've painted roses too, they fold open in a more deliberate way that needs to be described. The peony is fuller. But each has it's own special quality. All the best!
Great effort to reach people by NOT SHOWING them mainly a TRACING, of a Wild animal and how to paint the Fur. I seen it too many times Trace and transfer then how to Paint the copy. ART Galleries object to displaying Realism. Saying it is just a good copy work, or nothing more than Illustration work, Even though a lot of abstract goes into creating, and some still shows when done. as in Robert Bateman's work. 60's all color theory , light dart went out the door . In Russia and some other Countries students Learn at a very early age the anatomy , the architectural Design of buildings, While in USA our students are still finger and blow painting, splatter, or drip paintings on to a somewhat portrait . I seen some pod casts and one was in water, which looked Dead, as if been found in area of slugged. One was in black and looked also DEAD, as with all these Slice marks with the brush, as if the person would have used a Knife and slice if they had one. Sort of like the woman who just recently Stabbed the 3 year old boy in the FACE AND BODY. Others take a brush to Drip, Splatter. and then slap on a few flat colors on the face. As if they really did not like the person or of themselves, the inner feeling is not one of really respect, but to destroy . THIS is how I see much of today abstract.. THINK in NY one lady is seen going around pointing out the beauty of Realism, but noticed through out , it was not at all REALISM , but someone interrupted idea . While you can see the realism around the gallery, but she never chose one of them. They treat as if GODS Creation, other than human, wildlife , the flowers , trees. butterflies. I use to ask people what was their favorite bird., and they say " OH, after a bit of thought , I LOVE ALL BIRDS." and I know they do not ,when they complain about the bird poop, or being awakened by the 4 am Robin singing. or the same sound of a wren, not realizing it is the call to get their young out of the NEST