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Can anyone give me some advice please
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Posted
That’s encouraging Dylan, well done indeed on your impressive online achievements to date.
As I said in my passage, it can work for some people with enough dedication.
I was fortunate enough to be accepted to art college where I studied fine art and graphic design for 5 years, so in fairness I’ve never experienced any online courses, but I have enjoyed teaching to both college students as well as art groups.
Great to hear that you found some value in your online art course.
Posted
Hello Alan.
Sit and look at the world around you. Sod the paper and pencil for a while. Just look. Shape, outline light, dark. Look and look and look again.
Buy a small sketch book some nice pencils nothing harder than 4b all the way up to 9b. Throw away your rubber... though a putty rubber is acceptable to make marks with not to get rid of what you think are mistakes .
Bob Ross is / was a lovely guy who made lots and lots of money. His methods won’t really teach you how to draw or how to paint except as a clone of B R.
Look out of your window or sit in the garden and draw a stone ,a branch a cloud . Look in the kitchen cupboard packets and tins , look at your own hand or foot and then draw SOMETHING every day.
Coloured pencils are also nice to use , look for cheapos like Progresso by Koh I nor. To join a group is a good idea maybe small and friendly . And the best comment on here was to enjoy....do it .
Edited
by Sylvia Evans
Posted
Anyone looking for good advice on drawing and painting can do worse than get hold of a copy of Bernard Dunstan's 'Learning to paint'. It was published in 1972 but is as relevant today as it was then and covers drawing and painting in a progressive and understandable way. I'm sure copies will be available on t'interweb if one looks. I still get my old copy out from time to time and try one or two of the exercises...with varying degrees of success!
Posted
What a small world, Alan. Yes, you're not far from me at all. I am currently working on a portrait of my lurcher. It's virtually finished bar the whiskers. 🙂I just love this painting and the way you have done the inside of the dogs mouth is so realistic, also the way the dogs coat is peeping over the collar (brilliant) Good job that you are not in my village as I would be around yours asking for advice lol. My old lurcher would just go out on his own, and bring back a rabbit then my gundog would just take it from him. The terrier that I got from a rescue centre is good in brambles, albeit when I am out deer stalking on my land/woods he doesn't like the loud sound of a high velocity bullet being fired. With regards to my painting and drawing I will get there in the end and I enjoy doing my own thing whilst pretending that I am a finalist in "Landscape artist of the year" albeit just wished I was better at it. My ex "rattlesnake" sorry meant to type ex wife could draw horses as well as Stubbs could do, and often used to have her work published in "Horse and Hound magazine" and my elder brother can paint like Turner whether in oils or watercolour. Oh well my blank canvas is staring back at me so I had better do something then stand back and admire (he said daydreaming) It keeps me out of mischief which must be a bonus. Wow have just received a snotty letter from Suffolk County Council so I had better try and find a legal type forum now. Have nice weekend Regards Alan Have a great weekend.
Posted
Anyone looking for good advice on drawing and painting can do worse than get hold of a copy of Bernard Dunstan's 'Learning to paint'. It was published in 1972 but is as relevant today as it was then and covers drawing and painting in a progressive and understandable way. I'm sure copies will be available on t'interweb if one looks. I still get my old copy out from time to time and try one or two of the exercises...with varying degrees of success!Hi Peter, Thanks for your advice. Is this the book that you mentioned?
Posted
That's certainly a good one. As to the warning about Bob Ross - Bob produced half-hour programmes on public service broadcasting channels in the USA, until his death in 1994 - far too young.
He was by all accounts a lovely man; but his results in oil paint could only be achieved if you bought his particular brand of paints - his approach doesn't work with the brands of oil paint you usually encounter. For you, this really shouldn't matter - you're still learning to draw, and there are many better ways to learn than from following Bob. If you do move on to oil paint, though - Bob offered instant results (more or less) using his range of colours, techniques, materials: I'm sure he encouraged many people to take up oil painting, but .... don't be misled by short-cuts: Bob was the short-cut king, but only if you bought his own paints and brushes. And his drawing was NOT good.
Posted
The big mistake i made when starting some 4 ish years ago was to build up some items before i actually started/retired i have just gone through 72 as i did finish late.
Too many brushes every type you will ever need, paints thats watercolours huge amount tubes and full/half pans plus the watercolour pencils, oils, gouache, acrylic, water-based oils not forgetting pastels, pencils, charcoal, Different types of paper all systems plus canvasses acrylic boards, tracing paper trace down paper a lightbox ,Different types pf easel from a homemade effort to small table types and my Mabef full size M22 plus the obligatory fold up painters chair
More books than i would ever get through on every subject. I even purchased a second-hand TV with DVD player 30 plus DVDs and have them running this is all in my studio i built myself from timber it is all thermally lined plastered all the electric i need i did join an art group but had to leave when i needed new hip and shoulder replacements but have since 2 years now joined another near to where i live.
So keep going my friend has just completed the London Art Scool course and has she tells me got a distinguished pass mark.
Oh, i nearly forgot i am a regular receiver of Painter on Line plus account holder with SAA for Artists so i get their magazine Paint oo very useful.
I will be uphill for you but how many people get in a car and just drive no its practice, practice, practice as someone said if you can hold a pencil write your name you CAN draw.
I truly wish you all the best.