Why practicing the right thing will have you painting better faster.

If you are painting with bad technique, doing it over and over again the same way only makes a habit of the bad technique.

It is as if you are right handed and you always use your left arm to throw a ball and throw it badly. Yet you can’t figure out why you throw the ball so badly.

By simply being told to use your right arm…your natural throwing motion takes over because that is the ‘law’ of your body. You right arm is dominant and will throw a ball better. You will notice the improvement immediately.

In my experience with oil painting instruction, I have come to see that most students have enough ability to paint perfectly good oil paintings. Yet, they continue to be frustrated and confused while learning and painting.

It is as if they are the person in the above analogy who continues to throw a ball with their left arm.

Most of the time, the problem lies not with their ability, but that they are trying to do the wrong things.

You practice over and over again, but that does no good if the things you are doing…like…the techniques you use, the materials you choose, the preparation of the painting surface are wrong.

It becomes clear that a complete understanding of the laws of the materials you use…paint, brushes, oils, etc….lead to faster and immense improvement.

Many students of mine, after learning from my oil painting instruction, come back with the familiar phrase…

‘I was never told that before!’

No beginner can afford to learn to oil paint without the vital oil painting information here and intermediate painters who feel as though they have reached an impasse, and haven’t gotten any better in a long time will show you how simple and direct instruction based on the laws of your materials leads to constant and quick improvement.

Related posts:

1. Why correct “oil painting thinking” is so important
2. Are your oil painting lessons helping you
3. Overdoing an Oil Painting Instruction Formula

This is a continuation of the post how was that oil painting made part 1.

We were in the middle of re-creating a painting of a girl by John Singer Sargent..

Essentially, the same thing is done again, just more carefully. Edges become more established, corrections are made and features begin to get indicated. Note that I said “indicated” only. Not finished.

The main areas of light and shadow become more defined, like on the red sash and the shadow area on the girl’s face.

He was always preparing his painting for those final strokes that make the painting special. That make Sargent the great painter that he was.

Those special things that can’t be taught.

Now, the time has come. He has done his preparation well. His foundation was done. Time to start getting into the details now.

Time to make final decisions and get more into the real drawing part now. Outlines are sharpened even more. Light areas on the hair are established. Features can begin to be concentrated on because the main large shape of the face has been established. In other words, the foundation for the features was set.

In the last stages all the detail is worked out.

All of the things most people will notice and admire first (the fur on the dog, the wetness of the lips, the whites of the girl’s eyes, etc.) are all added now.Yes he would take a lot of time getting these details right. But, he could give them his full concentration

This is only possible because he spent so much time on his preparation. His main masses that hold the painting together.

The process is one of putting the details on top of the main masses. You keep putting paint on the canvas correcting and adding more detail. Only when Sargent had the large masses just the way he wanted them could he concentrate on the details. The eyes of the girl could have his full attention.

Sargent knew that the main masses were correct and would not have to worry about them. He could concentrate on only the details he was working on.

Related posts:

1. How was that oil painting made
2. Tips on beginning your oil paintings
3. how to paint detail and edges in a landscape