Learn & Master Painting covers the various aspects and techniques of learning to paint. The lessons in this course apply to oils, acrylics and water-mixable oils. There’s no way we could list everything, but here are some of things you will learn—and master!
It is important that you know how to create an adequate workspace that is both comfortable and inspiring. You’ll learn how to chose the correct materials to use, how to tone a canvas, the correct way to organize your palette, mixing paint with medium and for how to achieve various consistencies, and the best way to approach cleaning up after a project.
It is essential that you master the proper way to achieve vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and curved strokes—with both hands—on your canvas before you can become the accomplished painter you’re destined to be. You’ll also learn what each part of the brush is and how to maximize the use of your various brush options by understanding what part of the brush is best for each technique and which brush is the best choice for different aspects of a painting. Once you can hold each brush properly, load the paint correctly, and achieve the various stroke techniques (like hard, soft, and lost edges) that are taught, you’ll be ready to move forward on your journey of becoming a master painter!
You’ll learn the history of color theory and why it is helpful to know how the hue, value, and chorma of pigments can direct you in making the best color choices for your works of art. After learning how to create a hue circle of your own, you’ll have an easy reference to support you in all of your future color decisions.
In learning how to make complementary color charts, you will know how to lower the chroma of a hue and control a color’s value by adding it’s complement. Then you’ll be able to refer to these charts whenever you are trying to create or match a color—which will build your color-mixing memory so that eventually you want even need these charts to reference! It is vital for you to know how to use different colors together so that your painting shows exactly the mood you want and you represent your subject as accurately and realistically as possible.
Once you begin brainstorming and planning your paintings, you’ll need guidance on how best to arrange the elements in a painting to create symmetry and balance, otherwise known as your painting’s composition. In order to do this, you’ll need to understand a viewer’s reaction to the apparent weight of objects placed with the composition (applying static balance or dynamic balance). And you’ll know how to use color contrast for the focal point, pattern to lead the eye toward the focal point, rhythm to move the eye around the canvas, mass for balance, and line to get the eye started on its journey all over again!
It is key to understand perspective if you want to paint believable, 3-D objects. You will learn what a vanishing point is and how to create one in your painting. You will learn how to find and create a horizon line. And you will know the difference between one-point and two-point perspective, how to identify the different in works of art, and how to apply these concepts in your own pieces.
Many artists use photographic reference at some point during the painting process. You’ll come to recognize when to use photographic reference in paintings and how best to use photographic reference for certain elements in paintings.
You’ll learn different types of and uses for varnish. When your work of art is complete, you’ll want to make sure you know how to retouch something or make any final adjustments. And once you’re satisfied with your masterpiece, you’ll be able to use varnish to make the painting look evenly shiny and to protect its beauty after it is completely dry!
