Before we begin, are you working from life or from a photo?
Finish your painting and re-watch or re-read any material you are unclear about. I would especially recommend that you go through the interactive time lapse of me painting the yellow flower still-life. Click here to view it. Make note of how I lay in the color step by step. Notice how the different objects look when they are half-painted. Notice how roses don't look like roses and silver doesn't look like silver until they are completely finished. This will happen with your painting too.
And one last final note about brush preparation. Watch this video from one of my workshops in Austin where I explain how John Singer Sargent painted.
Like Sargent, you should take all the time you need to determine what color to put in your brush! Check your color before you paint — don't just check in one spot and then turn and "let yourself go". Instead, let your color checking guide you.
I have seen great paintings ruined by over-work and too much "fixing". Leaving a painting alone can be better than spending another day on it. So step away from your painting often, especially as your work nears completion.
Next Step: Going Forward
Click ahead to STEP 11, "Going Forward". There is a lot in STEP 11 that will be helpful to you once your painting is finished and as you move on to your next painting!
next step →Finish your painting and re-watch or re-read any material you are unclear about. I would especially recommend that you go through the interactive time lapse of me painting the yellow flower still-life. Click here to view it. Make note of how I lay in the color step by step. Notice how the different objects look when they are half-painted. Notice how roses don't look like roses and silver doesn't look like silver until they are completely finished. This will happen with your painting too.
And one last final note about brush preparation. Watch this video from one of my workshops in Austin where I explain how John Singer Sargent painted.
Like Sargent, you should take all the time you need to determine what color to put in your brush! Check your color before you paint — don't just check in one spot and then turn and "let yourself go". Instead, let your color checking guide you.
I have seen great paintings ruined by over-work and too much "fixing". Leaving a painting alone can be better than spending another day on it. So step away from your painting often, especially as your work nears completion.
What to Paint Next
If you plan to work from your own photos in the future, your prints can look just as good or even better than the ones I make for myself. You can learn to take photos and make prints using our Advanced Photography Guide. It's easy to understand, even if you're a complete beginner, so don't let the word "advanced" scare you away.
Next Step: Going Forward
Click ahead to STEP 11, "Going Forward". There is a lot in STEP 11 that will be helpful to you once your painting is finished and as you move on to your next painting!
next step →