Many of my students decide their paintings are too busy but then get stuck editing them. In this video I demonstrate the thought process in deciding what to take away and what to leave behind and how it’s all based on DIFFERENCES. Creating differences and then deciding which areas you like the best and reducing distractions around these areas, leaving them to be the focal areas in the painting. By doing this successfully you calm the painting and it becomes less ‘busy’.
Who doesn’t love flowers? In this demonstration I show you how to paint florals without getting hung up in petals, stamens, leaves and stems. Do you want your painting to convey the FEELING of the flower? Through combining a looseness of line and paint you can easily create gorgeous florals that are vibrant and fun.
In this video I lead you through a process of creating simple shapes that can be repeated in your abstract composition. When you repeat shapes you create a structure and cohesion in your painting which helps to eliminate that “chaotic, too-busy” feeling that can happen in abstract work. Follow the simple steps shown in this video using shapes that resonate with you and I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the outcome.
Sometimes we can just put way too many colours on our palette and end up with a big muddy mess. Follow me as I use a limited colour palette to create a HARMONIOUS painting using beautiful colour contrasts and colour pairings that work together. With 3 warm, 1 cool colour and black and white you can create depth and luscious colour combinations. In this abstract painting the end result hints at a wonderful land of shapes with linear details with warm colour contrasting with subtle cool shades. Watch the video and try this exercise yourself to see what you can create.
One of the biggest problems that stops artists from beginning is a feeling of overwhelm. When faced with a blank canvas, the options seem endless and terrifying: where do I even start? What if I end up with something hideous? How do I know what to paint at all? This video will give you 2 techniques for getting started when you have a new canvas, that are fast and effective and will help to kickstart your creative process so that you can begin your painting easily and with beautiful and exciting results.
The best way to find ideas for paintings is through play. Playing with materials and discovering new effects and then responding to what you see developing in front of you is my painting process. Watch this video as I demonstrate this intuitive process of finding a painting through play. See how long it takes before an idea starts to emerge and I find my direction, and then watch as I fine-tune the painting to finish it.
In this demonstration you will see how to create a beautiful abstract painting giving the SENSE of flowers bobbing in a breeze. My goal is to create interesting shapes of saturated colour with depth and complexity that suggests a floral form, but has the feeling of freedom and spaciousness. Using paint in layers, pencil and ink along with a palette knife and colour shapers beautiful effects can be created - watch and then try it for yourself.
Follow the journey as I develop a painting using Collage and Paint. Intuitive painting is an allegory for LIFE - we start without knowing where we will end up, but one step leads to another and then another and then the next. Watch as I start this journey with some brown and blue paint and see where I end up.
In this week's Vlog I have made a small painting in my sketchbook following my process of building up layers. But what it demonstrates as well as building an interesting surface, and the introduction of the use of stencils is how to give strength to the hero's in the painting. Prioritizing the colour heroes as well as the shapes and elements in the painting that are important to the success of the composition.
In this demonstration, I drew some plants picked from my garden. First establishing what it is about the plant that I want to capture. Using pencils loosely and closely observing the subject, I then did a series of studies on a variety of plants. Next, I created a painting, laying down a background with a couple of layers of paint, and then loosely creating the plant forms with paint and pencil. Practicing studies like this in your sketchbook will hone your observational skills and ability to use a variety of media to translate what you see in a free and loose style of drawing and painting. Soon, you’ll be able to integrate plant drawings with a range of media into your paintings.
Watch this demo to see how I use a range of techniques in wet and dry media to create an imaginative painting incorporating abstract elements and representational references. Spoiler Alert: Anything goes here - freedom in markmaking and media to create a painting straight from your intuitive imagination. Give it a try!!
I love creating ghost marks in my paintings—shapes that appear somewhat smudged but are still recognizable. These marks maintain strong contrasts but also fade into the underneath layer. In this video firstly I create an interesting surface on which to place the ‘ghost’. Watch as I demonstrate in this video how I create these ghost shapes and marks.
