Painters Online Logo

Login/register

Studio

Step by Step Articles

Welcome to the forum.

Here you can discuss all things art with like-minded artists, join regular painting challenges, ask questions, buy and sell art materials and much more.

Make sure you sign in or register to join the discussions.

Hang on Studio Wall
Showing page 1 of 2
Author
Message
michael

Michael Edwards

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 3863
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 1556
Posted
I’ve just been looking through a few recent back editions of the Artist and the Leisure Painter. In particular I was interested in the step by step articles on how to paint various subjects.  As an aside they don’t appear to have changed much, if at all, over the past umpteen years since I first took the read the magazines as a much younger aspiring artist. Anyway, that said, the articles show the different stages of a painting and I found, in many cases,  the earlier stages to be so much more interesting than the final overworked version. Such a shame and I wonder why artists are so concerned with fiddly detail – what my granddaughter refers to as Pensioners Art.  Am I alone or are there others out there who agree?
image

Stephen Slater

  • New Member
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 5
Posted
I especially dislike those that have about 32 stages! I lose the will to live after about four. 

Sylvia Evans

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 16928
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 4788
Posted
Pensioners art...just brilliant, I know exactly what she means this made me laugh. I’m arrogant enough not to read any How to do it  articles so I retain my will to live.  I’m always the one on an art holiday who skips the instructions and watching how it’s done and goes off to do my own thing. I love the company of other artists and it’s great to be able to ask if you want to do. But I like my own thoughts and workings out. 

Tessa Gwynne

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 8481
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 3437
Posted
I’m also not into step by step guides, prefer to find my own way in painting and drawing. The only time I might be tempted by this sort of would be in a medium which I had never touched before.
Front page

Alan Green

  • Forum Expert
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 557
Posted
I'd rather watch a tutorial on Youtube. Step-by-step articles suffer from two main problems which turn me off in nanoseconds.  Problem 1 - this from page 27 of The Artist, October 2019 as it's open on the table - "Details were added and darker paint was added again..." Why write about yourself and your process in the third person? It makes it sound like you haven't written it yourself. I'd far rather read "I added details and darker paint again ..." Problem 2 - a large proportion of step-by-step articles fall over here: How to draw a portrait of Donald Trump 1 - Draw Donald Trump's head 2 - Put the facial features in the right place 3 - Make it look like Donald Trump Video allows you to see how things are done. Youtube is a superb resource.

Alan Bickley

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 11904
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 4496
Posted
They can be useful to many amateur (in the main) artists, obviously they’re not for everyone.  That’s the reason that we see so many stage demonstrations in all the art magazines. Over the years I’ve done dozens of such demos for Dawn, and received excellent feedback. Yes, they need to be kept relatively short in stages, I generally work with an introduction and four stages. I’ve just completed a short three stage WIP demo which will be featured in a supplement in TA and LP editions shortly. I wouldn’t like to think that I was wasting my time! To come on to the point that Michael made, yes I do agree that it’s often the case of overworking a painting. It’s that dreaded detail again, I have to make a real conscious effort to avoid it, but not always succeeding!

Sylvia Evans

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 16928
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 4788
Posted
Awe Alan please don’t feel you are being castigated you are not.  So many people enjoy and profit by them. Most of us posting here on the forum are fairly experienced and do our own thing, pretty obvious by the comments.  I think Tessa comment re using a new material and wanting to know how is very relevant.  🌻

Peter Davison

  • Forum Expert
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 533
Posted
Not a fan of step by step demonstration and instruction, I tried it years ago and got thoroughly frustrated with it. Much prefer to watch a demonstration or DVD of an artist I admire and learn from that. I find with DVDs that however many times one watches them one still picks up tips that were missed in previous viewings, and also realise one has forgotten tips previously learned!

Anthony Knight

  • Esteemed User
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 712
Posted
Detail...pensioner’s art. I give up.

Alan Bickley

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 11904
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 4496
Posted
Detail is relevant to your fabulous illustration style work Tony, I’m referring to paintings, particularly landscapes that get spoiled by last minute unnecessary detail. I’ll carry on with my WIP features, some do find them useful, although no one on here obviously!
Moi 17

Linda Wilson

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 3607
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 1536
Posted
Your articles are excellent Alan  - please do not give up.

Alan Bickley

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 11904
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 4496
Posted
Thanks Linda, if they only help one person to gain confidence in tackling a painting, then it’s worth while to me. My next e-newsletter WIP will be in January, a snow scene perhaps!
Showing page 1 of 2