Every month I offer a 2 hour live online painting workshop to those enrolled in Master Oil Painting. I thought I’d share a couple of Q&A tips that we discussed during two of our sessions.
In these workshops, we dive into one of over 30 painting instruction videos available in the member’s library. We use a Zoom room so everyone can see each other and talk directly when there is a question or comment.
Why?
Our members range from those picking up a brush for the first time to those who have been painting for decades and actively selling their art. There is no way to put enough voice-over instruction and information into a 2 to 8 hour video to cover every question our students might have.
For those just starting out in painting, even a short 2 hour video can be daunting. Experienced artists often forget how many seemingly insignificant things we learned that we now take for granted, like the difference between a peanut and a flat paintbrush. What does the word value mean? What is a dry brushstroke? The workshops help them navigate the complicated world of art terms and techniques in a direct and personal way because they can ask questions that may not have been answered during the video.
I didn’t realize until we started running these live events how fast I paint and how difficult it is for new painters to see how certain strokes are created. Now, our members highlight those moments during the workshops so I can slow down the video to ¼ or ½ speed and discuss in detail how I’m using the brush with a specific technique.
For more experienced members, we can discuss concepts in more depth and exchange ideas with each other. Often our experienced painters are stricter realists who want to relax and learn to paint with more freedom of expression. These workshops offer them the opportunity to ask me detailed questions about both my techniques and how I think, so they can discover how to use broad, vigorous brush strokes while maintaining control of composition.
We typically spend 2 or 3 monthly sessions on each video so that we can discuss several key principles and techniques specific to that video.
Many of our members are trying to find out how to paint loose and compelling landscapes and flowers and we hope these workshops will help them learn much faster than trying to do it themselves.
Whether you went to art school, attended workshops, read books, or completely taught yourself, what experiences have helped you grow your skills and career as an artist?
