That's among the strangest things I have heard. Except I didn't spend much time in Photoshop once I caught on to the the superior power of Illustrator. Why bother with clunky pixels when you can use geometrics of Illustrator? Yeah, but I kind of see what you are referring to. For painting, I think it's probably better to learn to make the switch in one's mind and learn how to build up a painting accordingly.
As an oil painter, the long open time allows you to go back and blend in specific areas later, keeping others distinct, if you want. With acrylic, you have to make your decision as you apply and can’t revise later.
If you want to use oil paint to blend then its ok, but by ignoring small details in the painting helps you to grow as an artist. Same with watercolour, one Japanese teacher on yt, said to use only big brush while watercolouring and forget about small details. Another thing oil paintings have a lot richer pigment, thats why a lot of artists prefer oil paints.
the long drying time is appealing to me because I love having the control to go back to any part of the painting instead of working linear like acrylic or watercolor requires. theres no lock in of any part of the painting, whoch offers so much more room to develop it as you continue and begin to have a clearer vision of whats happening. and thats just from me, who hasnt wven painted much with them.
Artists who paint this way (and most of them are masters) know a secret. That the viewers’ brains actually fill in gaps. Our brains have to deal quickly often with partial pieces of sensory information. Evolution made us this way- if it hadn’t we would all have ended up as tiger food. A meme doing the rounds with only the top or bottom half of a sentencd or letters replaced or missing illustrates this well. Its much the same for a painting. And it actually makes painting easier and quicker if you only have to suggest the fur on an animal, leaves on a tee or bricks in a wall. That step back just cements the whole thing
Rembrandt was known for this. People criticized his paintings as being unfinished because he would leave some areas quite rough. He used to discourage people from viewing his work up close for that reason.
@@claustrum5534 Rembrandt was in excellent company. It's an essential composition skill. & Rubens, for instance, handled hair expertly, in the 1600s, & his portrait of Gaspar is an excellent example of implied detail. Vanitas painters, photo realist, would use areas of dark background & more vivid highlights & color on the focal point & even midtones are more muted towards the edges & less important objects, to avoid a feeling of clutter. (A vanitas is a particularly full & large still life. People would commission a painting of all their valued objects, & clutter was a vibe to avoid, but it's a table top packed with a jumble of items.) It helps the eyes not get tired & distracted.
most important: take a few steps back and look at it, it really makes a difference. when i started applying this tip, i stunned myself because its really a whole other painting from a distance.
Colors in real life aren't blended to each other . They're gradients . Millions of shades next to each other . By using this style of painting . Your art become so unique and realistic . Great work❤
I'm 13 and I'm trying to learn oil painting :D my mom is really supportive (its because I wanted to be an art teacher) yus I subscribed tho love ur vids
I'm 14 too, and I just got some oil paints! I want to try Zorn's palette, I will try my best. I am actually a digital artist but... Traditional is always a great choice. I hope you will succeed in your career in the future! ♥♥
KIDS YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW GOOD YOU HAVE IT!! 👵🏻🎨 When I started painting for the first time over a decade ago I would have killed for this type of information!!! Lol I was printing out ‘how to’ articles from the limited art websites available at the time. Big difference between that, and having FREE video lessons from a professional artist!! Just sayin… this is QUALITY CONTENT PEOPLE.
With oils you have plenty of time to take a step or two, or even three back and look at your art once again. Take a break, make yourself some coffee, look at something different for a little bit. Disconnect yourself from your painting. This helps to make your artwork the best you can, because you always look at it with fresh pair of eyes. I don't think that blending is necessarily a bad thing, however i always loved paintings that looked like high resolution pixel art.
Just found you. This is exactly where I am in my painting journey. I'm getting bored with smooth transitions and, frankly, realistic skin tones blended realistically. What you are doing is exactly the direction I'm trying to go in- it's taking me a take a lot practice to get out of blending.
I like using your method and then smoothing those edges sometimes. It makes it look so smooth, and it helps me get a way better transition in shades. Sometimes I want to see the strokes and sometimes I want it to look all together. It’s amazing how many ways you can use oil paint 🎨
ive actually been looking into pinterest art pieces, and my favorites are the one that look realistic without blending too much. its the style i want to emulate myself. thanks for the advice!!!
All the tons of videos I've watched on oil painting techniques make a lot of sense now that I've finally started practicing, I'm still making all those beginner mistakes! Nothing really beats actual practice.
I realized one thing, as of course I was and somewhat still am obsessed with Sargent's style (yet Velazquez and Hals are THE Masters), that it really doesn't mater to have all the canvas thick with paint, as long as you have the brushstrokes right and not tapered with it too much, but first of all the value must be spot on! Each, and everyone of us has it's own style, and at the end of the day, that style of brush, be it big or small, thick or thin, paint pushed about or nay, is that defines one really as an artist. Imperative points to keep though, study and observe, have the values and colors right, follow and copy nature! As Sargent said: "Color is an inborn gift, but appreciation of value is merely training of the eye, which everyone ought to be able to acquire". Find your style, and that could be a mixture of many things: blending and none blending or both at once. Most importantly, it is YOU that the finish artwork has to appeal first, and only then to others.
He doesn't mean we have to paint impasto - really, really thick - but thick enough to cover the canvas, be workable, & not stingy. & Of course, fat over lean. The mechanics matter too.
Hey Chris, making progress weekly, crazy how much difference there is between my first 3 paintings and what I am doing now! I keep watching your channel and do as much as I can on your patreon classes (those are seriously awesome). Thank you so much for your dedication.
I loooooove blending oil paint. It's all about preference and what's appealing to the eye. Im not moved by unleaded painting. It actually irritates me when things aren't blended but that's just my style. I think you should do whatever you want to do with your are because it's subjective. 🤷🏾♀️
Chris you're talking about portraits that are big, life size, you're talking about landscapes and what you say makes a lot of sense. Now if I'm painting a car, or a vehicle or a a tiny portrait in a crowd scene where the head is about one inch high then putting loads of paint on the canvas just won't work for me With landscapes and portraits you can be quite happy with a 90% near enough approach. I knocked out a tropical beach scene the other day in three days. Who could say if the palm trees weren't in the exact same position as in the photo or the waves on the beach, or the clouds in the sky. No that's a piece of cake. Easy ! But if you have a client that wants six portraits in a crowd scene together with a building and a ton straight lines and other detail that have to be exact in order to look correct ? What can I do ? Well I cheat a bit with dead straight lines. Suppose like today I'm painting a piece that is using an old photo from 1925 of my client's family butcher's shop. The shop front has a load of problems for producing a good oil painting. First there's dozens of straight lines in the building. Drain pipes that go from ground level to the roof. Then there's the sign board that runs across the top of the shop with the family's name on it. Doors, moldings and all kinds of architectural details. My canvas is about three feet wide, so that means there's many long straight lines. So do I get a rigger and paint a perfect line 18 inches long. You've gotta be joking. No way ! The paint would run out after three or four inches and my line would not be perfectly straight anyway. So what do ya do when yer wellies let in ? Well in this case I get a Sharpie with two tips. A normal tip and a fine point tip. I simply get my straight edge and in one stroke I draw the line 18 inches long. The Sharpie ink drys in seconds and is waterproof. It's black. If it looks too dark, too black paint over it with a suitable colour to tone it down, till it does look realistic. Now I have the six portraits all about one inch high. So I mix tit white and yellow ochre and a tiny suggestion of red and give each of them a very thin undercoat, to act as a base coat. I then use very small brushes to darken one side of each face to do the nose, mouth etc. And then I get a tooth pick with a very tiny bit of dark paint on it and use that to paint in the eyes. I have a pair of glasses that I bought here in Thailand for $2 that magnify times four. That allows me to get the accuracy that is needed for this kind of painting. I love doing these kinds of paintings because they look superb when they're finished and of course adding colour really does bring them to life. And when the client see them for the first time their face lights up with amazement. And when I see their reaction I know I've done a good job. Kind regards - Chris in Thailand
A recent art instructor got really mad at me for using anything other then v thin paint - he’d wipe off my marks - if I laid out more than a pea size for a large area he would scrape it off my palette- saying I could paint 20 pieces with such an amount. I left the class - undermined- never to return. Thank you 😊
I think unblended paining is beginning to look a little hackneyed and unoriginal. It seems the vast majority of oil painters since Sargent have taken to this philosophy of not blending, and while I think not blending is definitely preferable to blending, even Sargent DID blend on occasion. He was just able to strike a balance between blended and un blended paint in his work. And I think that’s the case. There are some areas of a painting where you ought to blend, because smooth value transitions just work there. Where there are others where leaving texture is preferable for whatever reason. It’s like the old saying-becoming a good painter is know what not to paint, or rather nowadays, knowing where to blend and where not to blend. But don’t get me wrong. I like un blended, loose brushstrokes way more than I like over blended, softened to oblivion transitions.
I just finished watching “enchiladas rojas recipe” and “Kenzo in Japan” somehow ended up here. I think I can learn to paint now. I know I’ll be a blender for sure.
Good points. If I may add, being nearsighted or farsighted affects the way you apply your paints. When I had my eye operation, I started painting at arm's length, I was a nearsighted before. Good tips from your channel. From the Philippines
Years ago Helen Van Wyk introduced the technique of blending calling it Poopsy-do. Very cute. I have often used this in my paintings. Then along came Elin Pendleton who butted her colors with no blending much like you are suggesting. I thought her paintings looked like paint by number. I don't think she quite had the idea of gradation/transition down, but her paintings where still pretty nice. I liked that she painted horses, my favorite subject. When I started using acrylics many years ago I wanted them to blend like oils and I did succeed in getting them to blend. Now you're saying we shouldn't blend. (sort of). I think if you are going to blend you just need to be very careful not to OVER blend.
Hey 👋 Chris, My favorite from the Dutch golden age is Frans Hals for his lively brushwork. He may have been one of the first plein air, alla prima, wet into wet painters. With no blending, chiseled strokes, placement-value-color all matter with each decision. Good stuff! Appreciate your perspective.
My friend and I should have watched this this morning before we took a second stab at the pears we're working on.... We definitely are not using enough paint!
If you wish to give a 19th century style don't blend it out, if you wish to give a classic aspect, use generously your oil paint. It is what I have learned at the National Academy of Fine Arts, the best it is to find your own style, there is no rules anymore. Nice video by the way.
Your advice to think about the latter part of painting as if you are laying-down stickers is some of the best I’ve ever been given. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much for this. I’ve only just discovered your channel but I will certainly be watching more of your videos!
I like the way you teach. I like the way you define your teaching style as a coach. I have always liked this style of painting. When I was in art school i was so allergic to linseed oil I couldnt even be in the room with it, so I missed out on in instruction on oils. My schooling was for what they called back in the dark ages before computers commercial art. Now that I'm retired I would like to explore some new things. Thank you
I 100% agree with you on 50% of this video..lol..all joking aside, I was taught to mix/blend on the canvas for gradation...im starting all over again with this impressionist ala prima style....a lot more of standing back and looking 👌
Thank you for your videos! I've always wanted to try oils, but did'nt know anything about how to paint with them. I just ordered a few water mixables to try. I look forward to trying them and learning more from you. Thanks coach!
If you dont want to blend no problem thats your ways but saying you are right in front of us thats wrong... because many artists have their own ways like you, you got the point? 😊😊😊
Hi Chris, This is the first of your video I watched today. I really appreciate your tip of not going too close to the reference photo. I really get discouraged with not getting that shade in the photo on my palette. Also, another frustration I face is working at night under fluorescent light, the shade looked perfect on canvas turns completely different in the daytime as well as the shade changes upon drying. I have been painting portraits for several years and of course, people love my work but I can not feel the satisfaction of doing "a perfect job" The skin tone gets muddy because of too much blending too! I will try what you have suggested. Thanks.
Why I don’t like this technique ! I prefer blending and they way it turns out better in my opinion, I just can’t stand seeing rough edges I need to smooth them as much as I can. I apply this to all different painting colors.
Sometimes when im painting I try to figure out at the first strokes of paint if i should blend of not because some of my work use rough lines and edges with black. This technique isn’t for everyone but is sure for me
nice chris farley painting! love it LOL side note: when i first began painting i strived to achieve that blended effect. never came to my desired end result. one day just decided to paint loose and thick. felt natural, never looked back. will check out those book recommendations.
There are artist who do both, according to their habits and preferences with paint. They may touch the colors, put the paint side-by-side and put paint on top of another color with a light touch or a bit more pressure.
Very good video. I have a bad habit of not using enough paint..and the urge to blend is always there. I like your style of painting and I think that laying down the paint and leaving it has made a difference in a couple of paintings I did. Also thicker application. I have also found by not wearing reading glasses stops me from the urge to blend. Like you said , the eye will connect things.
To all the artist/ creative ppl in general approach the way you want to as there's no not to methods in such line of work as its all about making the best of how to make it work as there's different method to approach the same thing as everything comes to full circle one way/ another to an extent. Take the best of everything & don't hang on to one things & if you really want to, you can come back to it later on as it'll give you a fresh view.
this advice is so specific for one style of painting I will always look the way he wants a paining to look. i’m sure it’s awesome, but by doing the opposite of everything he describes you can get paintings that look actually photo realistic. So it's all just how you want to paint.
And your other tip of keeping more paint on the palette is also my problem. Since I can not work on a regular basis, my color gets dried when I take up my unfinished painting on the easel. I have heard keep clove oil-soaked cotton ball in the color palette that you could not use and keep in an airtight container and keep that box in the refrigerator. Well, I hardly have that much space in my fridge! :-D
I can't figure out how these guys do it??? Almost every instructor has a pallet LOADED with piles of 12+ colors on his pallet - and sometimes they don't even use half of them. Do they throw the rest away? I know you can cover and refrigerate - but only for so long.
You make a good point. Fixating on blending is silly. It's like people who use DeTAiLeD as a definition of good art, mis-frickin-guided. Paint's going to paint and sometimes it blends, but focusing on blending makes mud. Petting the paint over and over is a good way to muck up a painting.
That was very helpful information. I know that I use not enough paint and this is a problem when I run out of it and I need to mix again. Plus, I stair very close to the painting the whole time.. thank you
Curious that he speaks of working from a reference photo, but not from life. Wondering about that. Note: The face he painted at 5:04 was wonderful, but how might it have been different if painted from life? It wasn't the mention of working from a photo that was puzzling, it was the lack of reference to any other way. Also - a suggestion for future videos - maybe less time on the speaker's face and more time on paintings and the process of painting. Anyways, thanks for the video, it was interesting.
I'm new at art. I'm 8 years old. And this what i noticed to all the RUclipsr artist, that they're not blending their oil paints. So when i saw this, happy to know that I'm right.
So for that exercise which uses whole tubes, I'll use my student grade 9ml tubes (even if I'd do it!). XD And Vincent Van Gogh would use 120 ml tubes for that. XD
I paint whit Pebeo acrylic and oil paint and wen i am painting i use allot of paint and i only use 5 colours in acrylic and oil paints. I use Alizarin crimson,Cadmium Yellow middle hue,ultramarine blue,mars black and titanium white. I use allot of white.
Was hoping to switch to oils because it would give me more time so I could blend my hearts content... Oil painters : Dont blend EVER Me : *surprised pikachu face*
should be titled "my opinion on why not to blend oil paint". I blend all the time throughout the artwork, people are often impressed with what i achieve in my approach thinking its not even oil at all.
I'm not afraid to use a lot of paint. But I'm scared that I have to buy them again earlier than expected. Lol
another struggle is “i really like this color, but i don’t wanna run out! what if i can’t find the same color?”
Yes.
My teacher told that if u r afraid that ur paint will finish soon while learning than u will never learn. So use much paint and learn faster.
My wallet afraid, I'm not afraid 😂
Exactly! 😩
honestly I’m not afraid of the paint, I’m afraid of the money 😭😭✋
I know 😊 the people who use a bit of paint are just simply broke. And wanna paint so at least they get to paint even with tiny bit of paint.
@@ThorParker honestly I have no idea
that's the #1 reason I switched to digital
Sale your painted pictures🌆🏜🌠 to make money💰💵🤑😂😅😂😅😂
@@cancelledchanel8400 Like... on a boat?
You can also practice this at the begining by pixelating your picture reference a lot and then gradually reducing it.
Good tip !!!
That's among the strangest things I have heard. Except I didn't spend much time in Photoshop once I caught on to the the superior power of Illustrator. Why bother with clunky pixels when you can use geometrics of Illustrator? Yeah, but I kind of see what you are referring to. For painting, I think it's probably better to learn to make the switch in one's mind and learn how to build up a painting accordingly.
Oil painters: "I prefer oil painting because of oil's longer open time and blending"
Also oil painters: "tHIs iS WhY yOU ShOUld nEveR bLEnD"
As an oil painter, the long open time allows you to go back and blend in specific areas later, keeping others distinct, if you want. With acrylic, you have to make your decision as you apply and can’t revise later.
moved from acrylics, because i want to blend.. and a lot :D lol..
The reason to use oil paint is because of the unique way it refracts light and holds its shape as it cures.
If you want to use oil paint to blend then its ok, but by ignoring small details in the painting helps you to grow as an artist. Same with watercolour, one Japanese teacher on yt, said to use only big brush while watercolouring and forget about small details. Another thing oil paintings have a lot richer pigment, thats why a lot of artists prefer oil paints.
the long drying time is appealing to me because I love having the control to go back to any part of the painting instead of working linear like acrylic or watercolor requires. theres no lock in of any part of the painting, whoch offers so much more room to develop it as you continue and begin to have a clearer vision of whats happening. and thats just from me, who hasnt wven painted much with them.
Artists who paint this way (and most of them are masters) know a secret. That the viewers’ brains actually fill in gaps. Our brains have to deal quickly often with partial pieces of sensory information. Evolution made us this way- if it hadn’t we would all have ended up as tiger food.
A meme doing the rounds with only the top or bottom half of a sentencd or letters replaced or missing illustrates this well. Its much the same for a painting. And it actually makes painting easier and quicker if you only have to suggest the fur on an animal, leaves on a tee or bricks in a wall. That step back just cements the whole thing
Rembrandt was known for this. People criticized his paintings as being unfinished because he would leave some areas quite rough. He used to discourage people from viewing his work up close for that reason.
@@claustrum5534 Rembrandt was in excellent company. It's an essential composition skill. & Rubens, for instance, handled hair expertly, in the 1600s, & his portrait of Gaspar is an excellent example of implied detail. Vanitas painters, photo realist, would use areas of dark background & more vivid highlights & color on the focal point & even midtones are more muted towards the edges & less important objects, to avoid a feeling of clutter. (A vanitas is a particularly full & large still life. People would commission a painting of all their valued objects, & clutter was a vibe to avoid, but it's a table top packed with a jumble of items.) It helps the eyes not get tired & distracted.
most important: take a few steps back and look at it, it really makes a difference. when i started applying this tip, i stunned myself because its really a whole other painting from a distance.
You're definitely the best oil painting teacher on RUclips. I'm glad to see your channel growing ;)
Thank you so much 😀
@@paintcoach ko
Michael James Smith and Andrew Tischler
@@paintcoach thanks for the video, I learnt a lot from it ^-^
Colors in real life aren't blended to each other . They're gradients . Millions of shades next to each other . By using this style of painting . Your art become so unique and realistic . Great work❤
Yea but I’m still going to blend.
@@lordreyna6924 …
I'm 13 and I'm trying to learn oil painting :D my mom is really supportive (its because I wanted to be an art teacher) yus I subscribed tho love ur vids
I want to be an art teacher too! I’m 14
@@notaveriebutler8086 NICE
I'm 14 and I just got oils for xmas (also have very supportive parents). I wish you the best in your career path
I'm 14 too, and I just got some oil paints! I want to try Zorn's palette, I will try my best. I am actually a digital artist but... Traditional is always a great choice. I hope you will succeed in your career in the future! ♥♥
That’s awesome, don’t give up :D
I knew you were going to say John Sergeant. I took a class with Mark from draw mix paint and he said the same thing
KIDS YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW GOOD YOU HAVE IT!! 👵🏻🎨
When I started painting for the first time over a decade ago I would have killed for this type of information!!! Lol I was printing out ‘how to’ articles from the limited art websites available at the time. Big difference between that, and having FREE video lessons from a professional artist!!
Just sayin… this is QUALITY CONTENT PEOPLE.
With oils you have plenty of time to take a step or two, or even three back and look at your art once again. Take a break, make yourself some coffee, look at something different for a little bit. Disconnect yourself from your painting. This helps to make your artwork the best you can, because you always look at it with fresh pair of eyes. I don't think that blending is necessarily a bad thing, however i always loved paintings that looked like high resolution pixel art.
Just found you. This is exactly where I am in my painting journey. I'm getting bored with smooth transitions and, frankly, realistic skin tones blended realistically. What you are doing is exactly the direction I'm trying to go in- it's taking me a take a lot practice to get out of blending.
Slowly zooming in on your Nick Cage painting really worked well as an example. Again excellent content Brudda.
Awesome, thank you!
I like using your method and then smoothing those edges sometimes. It makes it look so smooth, and it helps me get a way better transition in shades. Sometimes I want to see the strokes and sometimes I want it to look all together. It’s amazing how many ways you can use oil paint 🎨
ive actually been looking into pinterest art pieces, and my favorites are the one that look realistic without blending too much. its the style i want to emulate myself. thanks for the advice!!!
All the tons of videos I've watched on oil painting techniques make a lot of sense now that I've finally started practicing, I'm still making all those beginner mistakes! Nothing really beats actual practice.
I realized one thing, as of course I was and somewhat still am obsessed with Sargent's style (yet Velazquez and Hals are THE Masters), that it really doesn't mater to have all the canvas thick with paint, as long as you have the brushstrokes right and not tapered with it too much, but first of all the value must be spot on! Each, and everyone of us has it's own style, and at the end of the day, that style of brush, be it big or small, thick or thin, paint pushed about or nay, is that defines one really as an artist. Imperative points to keep though, study and observe, have the values and colors right, follow and copy nature! As Sargent said: "Color is an inborn gift, but appreciation of value is merely training of the eye, which everyone ought to be able to acquire". Find your style, and that could be a mixture of many things: blending and none blending or both at once. Most importantly, it is YOU that the finish artwork has to appeal first, and only then to others.
He doesn't mean we have to paint impasto - really, really thick - but thick enough to cover the canvas, be workable, & not stingy. & Of course, fat over lean. The mechanics matter too.
This helps a lot. I'm new to oil painting, and Ive been struggling with techniques. Your advice on brushes and consistency made so much sense.
Hey Chris, making progress weekly, crazy how much difference there is between my first 3 paintings and what I am doing now! I keep watching your channel and do as much as I can on your patreon classes (those are seriously awesome). Thank you so much for your dedication.
Thanks! I’m glad to hear the videos are helping you improve!
It’s just a different aesthetic. I personally love the neat blended oil look
I like that he explains the practical things that nobody else talks about. These are the questions i would ask in a class.
Thank you!
John Singer-Sargeant is a painting master 🙌
I loooooove blending oil paint. It's all about preference and what's appealing to the eye. Im not moved by unleaded painting. It actually irritates me when things aren't blended but that's just my style. I think you should do whatever you want to do with your are because it's subjective. 🤷🏾♀️
This supports the idea that painting, even if creating illusion, is primarily about shape, value, and temperature.
Chris you're talking about portraits that are big, life size, you're talking about landscapes and what you say makes a lot of sense. Now if I'm painting a car, or a vehicle or a a tiny portrait in a crowd scene where the head is about one inch high then putting loads of paint on the canvas just won't work for me
With landscapes and portraits you can be quite happy with a 90% near enough approach. I knocked out a tropical beach scene the other day in three days. Who could say if the palm trees weren't in the exact same position as in the photo or the waves on the beach, or the clouds in the sky. No that's a piece of cake. Easy !
But if you have a client that wants six portraits in a crowd scene together with a building and a ton straight lines and other detail that have to be exact in order to look correct ? What can I do ?
Well I cheat a bit with dead straight lines. Suppose like today I'm painting a piece that is using an old photo from 1925 of my client's family butcher's shop. The shop front has a load of problems for producing a good oil painting. First there's dozens of straight lines in the building. Drain pipes that go from ground level to the roof. Then there's the sign board that runs across the top of the shop with the family's name on it. Doors, moldings and all kinds of architectural details.
My canvas is about three feet wide, so that means there's many long straight lines.
So do I get a rigger and paint a perfect line 18 inches long. You've gotta be joking. No way !
The paint would run out after three or four inches and my line would not be perfectly straight anyway.
So what do ya do when yer wellies let in ?
Well in this case I get a Sharpie with two tips. A normal tip and a fine point tip. I simply get my straight edge and in one stroke I draw the line 18 inches long. The Sharpie ink drys in seconds and is waterproof. It's black.
If it looks too dark, too black paint over it with a suitable colour to tone it down, till it does look realistic.
Now I have the six portraits all about one inch high. So I mix tit white and yellow ochre and a tiny suggestion of red and give each of them a very thin undercoat, to act as a base coat. I then use very small brushes to darken one side of each face to do the nose, mouth etc. And then I get a tooth pick with a very tiny bit of dark paint on it and use that to paint in the eyes.
I have a pair of glasses that I bought here in Thailand for $2 that magnify times four. That allows me to get the accuracy that is needed for this kind of painting.
I love doing these kinds of paintings because they look superb when they're finished and of course adding colour really does bring them to life. And when the client see them for the first time their face lights up with amazement. And when I see their reaction I know I've done a good job.
Kind regards - Chris in Thailand
A recent art instructor got really mad at me for using anything other then v thin paint - he’d wipe off my marks - if I laid out more than a pea size for a large area he would scrape it off my palette- saying I could paint 20 pieces with such an amount. I left the class - undermined- never to return. Thank you 😊
I think unblended paining is beginning to look a little hackneyed and unoriginal. It seems the vast majority of oil painters since Sargent have taken to this philosophy of not blending, and while I think not blending is definitely preferable to blending, even Sargent DID blend on occasion. He was just able to strike a balance between blended and un blended paint in his work. And I think that’s the case. There are some areas of a painting where you ought to blend, because smooth value transitions just work there. Where there are others where leaving texture is preferable for whatever reason. It’s like the old saying-becoming a good painter is know what not to paint, or rather nowadays, knowing where to blend and where not to blend.
But don’t get me wrong. I like un blended, loose brushstrokes way more than I like over blended, softened to oblivion transitions.
Check out Scott Waddell for masterful blended portraits!
The downside of this way of painting is that the results often look so academic. Like all the painters have had the same teacher.
you have to learn to paint before you can properly express yourself though, right?
Your videos are more informative and to the point than most of the classes I took in 4 years of art school
Your tutorial videos are by far the very best, easiest to follow & use, thoroughly explained in a complete & easily understood way. Thanks.
I just finished watching “enchiladas rojas recipe” and “Kenzo in Japan” somehow ended up here. I think I can learn to paint now. I know I’ll be a blender for sure.
why not. Blending is one of the best properties of oil painting. I would recommend to learn to blend and then decide later.
Yes, seeing the paint strokes is beautiful!
Good points. If I may add, being nearsighted or farsighted affects the way you apply your paints. When I had my eye operation, I started painting at arm's length, I was a nearsighted before. Good tips from your channel. From the Philippines
Years ago Helen Van Wyk introduced the technique of blending calling it Poopsy-do. Very cute. I have often used this in my paintings. Then along came Elin Pendleton who butted her colors with no blending much like you are suggesting. I thought her paintings looked like paint by number. I don't think she quite had the idea of gradation/transition down, but her paintings where still pretty nice. I liked that she painted horses, my favorite subject.
When I started using acrylics many years ago I wanted them to blend like oils and I did succeed in getting them to blend. Now you're saying we shouldn't blend. (sort of). I think if you are going to blend you just need to be very careful not to OVER blend.
Hey 👋 Chris,
My favorite from the Dutch golden age is Frans Hals for his lively brushwork. He may have been one of the first plein air, alla prima, wet into wet painters. With no blending, chiseled strokes, placement-value-color all matter with each decision. Good stuff! Appreciate your perspective.
The Blending thing is such such a talk between so many artists. It is very ok to blend as you said towards the end. Very good video!
My friend and I should have watched this this morning before we took a second stab at the pears we're working on.... We definitely are not using enough paint!
This is such good advice, I have to train myself not to blend so much and it is a hard habit to break! Thank you for this video!
This is a good reminder, I love the unblended look but I still catch myself blending too much 🤦♀️ that color gradient tip is great though!
Thanks man! Your videos have helped me grow into an artist. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us! 👨🏼🎨✊🏼✌🏼
My pleasure!
If you wish to give a 19th century style don't blend it out, if you wish to give a classic aspect, use generously your oil paint. It is what I have learned at the National Academy of Fine Arts, the best it is to find your own style, there is no rules anymore. Nice video by the way.
Wow! Best lesson on how to paint looser. Never heard this before. Thank you!
Your advice to think about the latter part of painting as if you are laying-down stickers is some of the best I’ve ever been given. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much for this. I’ve only just discovered your channel but I will certainly be watching more of your videos!
Thanks Chris, I use thinner layers in my buildups. This was a nice informative lesson with using a heavier paint application approach.
Now I start to understand what oil painting is about … thanks to u 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Everything that you said is what I was taught at art college by a guy who taught 'Old Masters' painting techniques.
John Singer Sargent is not old master, that term is used to describe the 16-17 century painters
I like the way you teach. I like the way you define your teaching style as a coach. I have always liked this style of painting. When I was in art school i was so allergic to linseed oil I couldnt even be in the room with it, so I missed out on
in instruction on oils. My schooling was for what they called back in the dark ages before computers commercial art. Now that I'm retired I would like to explore some new things. Thank you
Odorless thinner rocks. Water mixable oils are great too.
I've been trying this method out, and it's great! Its so approachable and controlling. I've shown this to my students, and they love it, too.
I 100% agree with you on 50% of this video..lol..all joking aside, I was taught to mix/blend on the canvas for gradation...im starting all over again with this impressionist ala prima style....a lot more of standing back and looking 👌
Thank you for your videos! I've always wanted to try oils, but did'nt know anything about how to paint with them. I just ordered a few water mixables to try. I look forward to trying them and learning more from you. Thanks coach!
Por fin alguien que me explica porque no debo mezclar los colores en el Canvas
Excelente video!!
If you dont want to blend no problem thats your ways but saying you are right in front of us thats wrong... because many artists have their own ways like you, you got the point? 😊😊😊
The title got my attention, right away I was like this gotta be ur personal opinion.
Thank God u said it in the begining
Hi Chris, This is the first of your video I watched today. I really appreciate your tip of not going too close to the reference photo. I really get discouraged with not getting that shade in the photo on my palette. Also, another frustration I face is working at night under fluorescent light, the shade looked perfect on canvas turns completely different in the daytime as well as the shade changes upon drying. I have been painting portraits for several years and of course, people love my work but I can not feel the satisfaction of doing "a perfect job" The skin tone gets muddy because of too much blending too! I will try what you have suggested. Thanks.
It took this long for someone to tell me. Thank you!
I’m not afraid of the paint, it just gets expensive using it all too soon. I’m trying to do some cameo portraits and it dries do dlut.
Sorry, I meant to say, it dries so quickly.
Mediums can extend drying time.
Why I don’t like this technique ! I prefer blending and they way it turns out better in my opinion, I just can’t stand seeing rough edges I need to smooth them as much as I can. I apply this to all different painting colors.
Same!
Sometimes when im painting I try to figure out at the first strokes of paint if i should blend of not because some of my work use rough lines and edges with black. This technique isn’t for everyone but is sure for me
@@wizmoco_ I guess so.. different art by different artists! :)
Depends on the style you’re going for!!
At last someone who doesn’t erm and ah. Interested in your oil painting course 😊
Just found your channel, thank you!!! You make oil painting much more approachable than other channels!
Great tips, easy to understand, thank you so much 🙌🙏🏼❤️
This is very helpful even though I don’t use oil so much. I like acrylics more.
Great video, can't wait for the course!
Heck yeah SARGENT.
Thanks Paint Bro.
Agree with you , so nice to see brush strokes .
Interesting tips, never really thought about being as far away from the canvas to just place the shapes. Great hair btw
Your paintings are great and your videos, great learning. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
nice chris farley painting! love it LOL
side note: when i first began painting i strived to achieve that blended effect. never came to my desired end result. one day just decided to paint loose and thick. felt natural, never looked back.
will check out those book recommendations.
invaluable info for where I've been struggling, thanks
Thank you for teaching us in a very comprehensively fashion. I so appreciate you ❤️
Thank you so much 🙏🏻 great guidance for a beginner of oil painting
There are artist who do both, according to their habits and preferences with paint. They may touch the colors, put the paint side-by-side and put paint on top of another color with a light touch or a bit more pressure.
Hey man, I love your channel and i know you'll be the greatest oil painting teacher in the world in the future. Keep doing it man. ❤️
Good luck developing your course! Have fun with it. And bring back your coffee 😊
You right ! I love your work
Very good video. I have a bad habit of not using enough paint..and the urge to blend is always there. I like your style of painting and I think that laying down the paint and leaving it has made a difference in a couple of paintings I did. Also thicker application. I have also found by not wearing reading glasses stops me from the urge to blend. Like you said , the eye will connect things.
"especially", not "expecially".... sorry, I couldn't resist. Love your channel, you have great painting advice!
Another great class. Thanks teach.
To all the artist/ creative ppl in general approach the way you want to as there's no not to methods in such line of work as its all about making the best of how to make it work as there's different method to approach the same thing as everything comes to full circle one way/ another to an extent. Take the best of everything & don't hang on to one things & if you really want to, you can come back to it later on as it'll give you a fresh view.
this advice is so specific for one style of painting I will always look the way he wants a paining to look. i’m sure it’s awesome, but by doing the opposite of everything he describes you can get paintings that look actually photo realistic. So it's all just how you want to paint.
Exactly what I needed to hear!!! Thank you very much!
I use acrylics but I still overblend.
I'm definitely getting better at using more paint on the brush which helps a lot!
And your other tip of keeping more paint on the palette is also my problem. Since I can not work on a regular basis, my color gets dried when I take up my unfinished painting on the easel. I have heard keep clove oil-soaked cotton ball in the color palette that you could not use and keep in an airtight container and keep that box in the refrigerator. Well, I hardly have that much space in my fridge! :-D
Great video I'm ready to paint 🎨 again!
I’m so elated to have found your videos to teach me to paint. Off to Patreon!! Thank you!
I can't figure out how these guys do it??? Almost every instructor has a pallet LOADED with piles of 12+ colors on his pallet - and sometimes they don't even use half of them. Do they throw the rest away? I know you can cover and refrigerate - but only for so long.
You make a good point. Fixating on blending is silly. It's like people who use DeTAiLeD as a definition of good art, mis-frickin-guided. Paint's going to paint and sometimes it blends, but focusing on blending makes mud. Petting the paint over and over is a good way to muck up a painting.
That was very helpful information. I know that I use not enough paint and this is a problem when I run out of it and I need to mix again. Plus, I stair very close to the painting the whole time.. thank you
Could you go into a little bit of detail on the blocking in process in regards to paint consistency and what you use for your medium?
Check out the channel.
Curious that he speaks of working from a reference photo, but not from life. Wondering about that.
Note: The face he painted at 5:04 was wonderful, but how might it have been different if painted from life? It wasn't the mention of working from a photo that was puzzling, it was the lack of reference to any other way. Also - a suggestion for future videos - maybe less time on the speaker's face and more time on paintings and the process of painting. Anyways, thanks for the video, it was interesting.
Id rather watch yr tips. I cnt paint but really enjoy yr vids
I'm new at art. I'm 8 years old. And this what i noticed to all the RUclipsr artist, that they're not blending their oil paints. So when i saw this, happy to know that I'm right.
Crazy helpful actually, thanks!
So for that exercise which uses whole tubes, I'll use my student grade 9ml tubes (even if I'd do it!). XD
And Vincent Van Gogh would use 120 ml tubes for that. XD
I love this video . Very inspiring .
Best regards from Egypt
I paint whit Pebeo acrylic and oil paint and wen i am painting i use allot of paint and i only use 5 colours in acrylic and oil paints. I use Alizarin crimson,Cadmium Yellow middle hue,ultramarine blue,mars black and titanium white. I use allot of white.
Was hoping to switch to oils because it would give me more time so I could blend my hearts content...
Oil painters : Dont blend EVER
Me : *surprised pikachu face*
*Don't over-blend, wait til the end. Otherwise, it gets muddy.
should be titled "my opinion on why not to blend oil paint". I blend all the time throughout the artwork, people are often impressed with what i achieve in my approach thinking its not even oil at all.
yeah true i like my painting had little blend and some brush texture
it's matter of taste at the end